The Best (Ai album)

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The Best
Standard edition cover
Greatest hits album by
Ai
ReleasedNovember 25, 2015
Recorded
  • 2003–2015
Language
  • Japanese
  • English
LabelEMI
Ai chronology
Motto Moriagaro
(2013) 		The Best
(2015) 		The Feat. Best
(2016)

The Best is the second greatest hits album by Japanese-American singer-songwriter Ai, released on November 25, 2015, by EMI Records. It primarily features songs that were released as singles from her studio albums, including "Story" from Mic-a-holic Ai (2005), "Happiness" from Independent (2012), "Dear Mama" from Moriagaro (2013), and a solo cover version of K'naan's "Wavin' Flag (Coca-Cola Celebration Mix)". A deluxe version of the album was released in May 2016, which included "Minna ga Minna Eiyū" and other previously released songs from 2004 Ai (2004) and What's Goin' On Ai (2006).

The album sold over 121,000 copies since its release, receiving a Gold certification from the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ). On the Oricon charts, the album debuted at number 3, charting for 118 weeks. On the Billboard Japan charts, the album debuted and peaked at number 2.

Background and release[edit]

In early 2015, Ai posted on Twitter revealing she was pregnant with her first child. Later that year in September, Ai shared the birth announcement of her child, a baby girl. She revealed she would be releasing a greatest hits album alongside a concert tour, The Best Tour.[1] In October, the album cover was shared online along with a special website created by Universal Music Japan.[2] Subsequently, a release date was revealed alongside the full track listing.[3]

Promotion[edit]

Ai embarked on her tenth concert tour, The Best Tour, in promotion of the album. According to Billboard Japan, 130,000 people in total attended the tour.[4] In 2017, Ai released a DVD and Blu-ray featuring footage from the tour. The video album was released on the same day as her eleventh studio album, Wa to Yo.

A new music video for "Story" was released prior to the album's release featuring sand art by Ai's cousin.[5]

Commercial performance[edit]

Commercially, The Best charted strongly upon release in Japan. Selling over 121,000 copies, the album sold more copies than her previous two studio albums, Independent (2012), and Moriagaro (2013) combined. The album debuted and peaked at number 3 on the Oricon Albums Chart and number 2 on the Billboard Japan Hot Albums chart.

Track listing[edit]

The Best track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Original albumLength
1."Happiness"Ai Carina UemuraIndependent4:13
2."Voice"UemuraMoriagaro5:12
3."Dear Mama"UemuraMoriagaro3:58
4."Independent Woman"
  • Uemura
  • Elliot Washington
Independent3:05
5."Wavin' Flag" (Coca-Cola Celebration Mix) (Version Ai)
The Last Ai3:49
6."You Are My Star"UemuraViva Ai4:37
7."One Love"
  • Uemura
  • Uta
Independent4:14
8."Letter in the Sky" (featuring The Jacksons)
  • Uemura
  • Curtis Jenkins
  • King David "the Future"
Independent4:43
9."I'll Remember You"UemuraDon't Stop Ai3:59
10."After the Storm" (featuring Che'Nelle)
  • Matthew "Damario" Quinney
  • Joseph Macklin
  • Carlos "Los" Jenkins
  • David "Davix" Foreman
  • Dashawn "Happie" White
  • Thomas "Tom Jack" Jackson
Moriagaro3:38
11."Stronger" (featuring Miliyah Kato)
  • Uemura
  • Kato
  • T. Kura
The Last Ai5:01
12."Fake" (featuring Namie Amuro)
  • Uemura
  • George Tashiro
The Last Ai4:14
13."Sogood"UemuraMoriagaro3:18
14."Hanabi"UemuraMoriagaro4:00
15."My Friend"
  • Uemura
  • Kazunori Fujimoto
Original Ai4:23
16."Believe"
  • Uemura
  • DJ Yutaka
  • Jin
What's Goin' On Ai4:32
17."Story"UemuraMic-a-holic Ai4:48
18."Story" (English Version)UemuraBig Hero 64:48
19."Beautiful Things"
  • Uemura
  • Ryan Williamson
  • Sean Fenton
Independent4:40
20."Beautiful Life"UemuraIndependent3:12
21."Nemurenai Machi"UemuraThe Last Ai3:40
22."Taisetsu na Mono"UemuraDon't Stop Ai5:16
23."So Special" (Version Ai) (with Atsushi)
  • Uemura
  • Atsushi Sato
Viva Ai4:13
The Best (Deluxe Edition) track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Original albumLength
1."Happiness"UemuraIndependent4:13
2."Voice"UemuraMoriagaro5:12
3."Dear Mama"UemuraMoriagaro3:58
4."Independent Woman"
  • Uemura
  • Washington
Independent3:05
5."Wavin' Flag" (Coca-Cola Celebration Mix) (Version Ai)
  • Bloch
  • Mars
  • Dunne
  • Duval
  • Warsame
  • Lawrence
The Last Ai3:49
6."You Are My Star"UemuraViva Ai4:37
7."One Love"
  • Uemura
  • Uta
Independent4:14
8."Letter in the Sky" (featuring The Jacksons)
  • Uemura
  • Jenkins
  • King David "the Future"
Independent4:43
9."I'll Remember You"UemuraDon't Stop Ai3:59
10."After the Storm" (featuring Che'Nelle)
  • Quinney
  • Macklin
  • Jenkins
  • Foreman
  • White
  • Jackson
Moriagaro3:38
11."Stronger" (featuring Miliyah Kato)
  • Uemura
  • Kato
  • T. Kura
The Last Ai5:01
12."Fake" (featuring Namie Amuro)
  • Uemura
  • Tashiro
The Last Ai4:14
13."Sogood"UemuraMoriagaro3:18
14."Hanabi"UemuraMoriagaro4:00
15."My Friend"
  • Uemura
  • Fujimoto
Original Ai4:23
16."Believe"
  • Uemura
  • DJ Yutaka
  • Jin
What's Goin' On Ai4:32
17."Story"UemuraMic-a-holic Ai4:48
18."Story" (English Version)UemuraBig Hero 64:48
19."Minna ga Minna Eiyū"Makoto Shinohara 3:01
20."Beautiful Things"
  • Uemura
  • Williamson
  • Fenton
Independent4:41
21."Beautiful Life"UemuraIndependent3:12
22."I Wanna Know"UemuraDon't Stop Ai4:15
23."Nemurenai Machi"UemuraThe Last Ai3:41
24."E.O."Uemura2004 Ai4:01
25."Life" (The Best Version)
  • Uemura
  • Stephanie Stokes Fountain
Original Ai4:24
26."Taisetsu na Mono"UemuraDon't Stop Ai5:16
27."So Special" (Version Ai) (with Atsushi)
  • Uemura
  • Sato
Viva Ai4:14

Notes

  • The album's deluxe edition package consists of two discs.
  • "Minna ga Minna Eiyū" samples the melody of "Turkey in the Straw"

Charts[edit]

Chart performance for The Best
Chart (2015–2016) Peak

position

Japanese Albums (Oricon)[6] 3
Japanese Digital Albums (Oricon)[7] 46
Japanese Hot Albums (Billboard Japan)[8] 2

Certifications[edit]

Certifications and sales for The Best
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Japan (RIAJ)[9] Gold 100,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Release history[edit]

Release history and formats for The Best
Region Date Format(s) Version Label Ref.
Various November 25, 2015
Standard
[10]
Japan
[11]
May 4, 2016
  • CD
 Deluxe
[12]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "AI、第1子を出産「自分が産んだこと信じられない」" [AI gives birth to her first child: "I can't believe I gave birth"]. Natalie Music (in Japanese). September 4, 2015. Retrieved May 11, 2024.
  2. ^ "AI、イラストレーター Chocomooによるポップなベスト盤ジャケット" [Pop best album jacket by AI and illustrator Chocomoo]. BARKS (in Japanese). October 7, 2015. Retrieved May 11, 2024.
  3. ^ "AI、Chocomoo手がけるベストアルバムのジャケ公開" [AI releases cover art for best album, with illustrations by Chocomoo]. Spice (in Japanese). October 7, 2015. Retrieved May 11, 2024.
  4. ^ "AI、13万人動員の【THE BEST TOUR】映像化の詳細明らかに". Billboard Japan (in Japanese). May 8, 2017. Retrieved May 12, 2024.
  5. ^ "AI、ベストアルバム収録「Story」新MV公開 サンドアートを用いた映像作品に" [AI releases new MV for "Story" from best album, video work using sand art]. Real Sound (in Japanese). November 11, 2015. Retrieved May 12, 2024.
  6. ^ "THE BEST | AI". Oricon. Retrieved May 12, 2024.
  7. ^ "AIのデジタルアルバム売上TOP作品" [AI's top digital album sales]. Oricon. Retrieved May 13, 2024.
  8. ^ "Billboard Japan Hot Albums: Week of December 2, 2015". Billboard Japan (in Japanese). Retrieved May 12, 2024.
  9. ^ "Japanese album certifications – Ai – THE BEST" (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan. Retrieved May 12, 2024. Select 2015年12月 on the drop-down menu
  10. ^ "第一子を出産したAI、初の全国ツアー開催決定" [AI gives birth to first child, first national tour to be held]. Barks (in Japanese). September 4, 2015. Retrieved May 12, 2024.
  11. ^ "THE BEST【CD】 | AI". Universal Music Store (in Japanese). Retrieved May 12, 2024.
  12. ^ "THE BEST－DELUXE EDITION【CD】 | AI". Universal Music Store (in Japanese). Retrieved May 12, 2024.
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