Will (stylized as will) is the nineteenth studio album by Japanese singer Akina Nakamori, released on 1 December 1999 by Gauss Entertainment under the This One label. The album includes the three singles "Tomadoi", "Trust Me" and "Ophelia", which peaked in the top 30 on the Oricon Weekly Singles Chart. Will was Nakamori's final album under Gauss.
Will | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | 1 December 1999 | |||
Studio |
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Genre | ||||
Length | 52:02 | |||
Language | Japanese | |||
Label | This One/Gauss Entertainment | |||
Producer |
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Akina Nakamori chronology | ||||
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Singles from Will | ||||
Promotion
editSingles
edit"Tomadoi" was released as the lead single from the album on 23 September 1998. The song served as the theme song to the television series 39 Sai no Aki (39歳の秋), and peaked at number 40 on the Oricon Weekly Singles Chart, staying on the chart for two weeks. The song has sold 10,410 copies as of June, 2020.
The second single from the album, "Ophelia" was released on 21 January 1999. The song was the opening theme song of the crime television series Border: Hanzai Shinri Sosa File (ボーダー 犯罪心理捜査ファイル), in which Nakamori appeared as a main role. "Ophelia" was the most successful single from the album, peaking at number 29 in Japan and selling 38,450 copies to date. The song thematizes Ophelia, a character from William Shakespeare's drama Hamlet.
"Trust Me" was released as the third single on 1 December 1999, simultaneously with the album. The single debuted and peaked at number fifty-seven in Japan, becoming her lowest charting single there. "Trust Me" has sold 4,610 copies and was her fewest selling single until "Diva (Single Version)" (2009) had sold only 1,608 copies.
Other songs
edit"Tsuki no Bishō" was originally recorded for the soundtrack to the role-playing video game, Wizardry Dimguil: Original Soundtrack (1999). The soundtrack album includes three versions of the song: guitar version, orchestral version, and original karaoke. The guitar version was included on Will as "Tsuki no Bishō (Acoustic Version)".
"Arashi no Naka de", "Genwaku", and "Kisei (Never Forget)" were originally included in Nakamori's eighteenth studio album Spoon. "Kisei (Never Forget)" was the lead single from the album and peaked in the top 20 on the Oricon Weekly Singles Chart, selling 94,870 copies. The remix versions of the songs were included on Will, as "Arashi no Naka de (Misterioso "A")" "Genwaku (Amabile "A")", and "Kisei (Never Forget) [Taste "A" Version]".
Critical reception
editWill received generally favorable reviews from critics. CD Journal praised the integrity of the album, saying the production fits the singer's character.[1]
Chart performance
editWill debuted and peaked at number fifty-two on the Oricon Weekly Albums Chart and stayed on the chart for only a week, selling 4,870 copies. The album was a commercial failure, remaining as her lowest-charting and worst-selling studio album as of June, 2020.[2]
Track listing
editAll music is arranged by Ikuro Fujiwara, except where indicated.
No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Arrangement | Length |
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1. | "Tobira" (Overture) | Ikuro Fujiwara | 1:07 | ||
2. | "Garnet" | Chisa Tanabe | Tanabe | 4:12 | |
3. | "Trust Me" (All' Espanola) | Seriko Natsuno | Kazuhiro Hara | 3:53 | |
4. | "Pretend" | Yukana Nogami | Himeko Yamamoto | 4:21 | |
5. | "Arashi no Naka de (嵐の中で)" (Misterioso "A") | Natsuno | Origa | Motoyoshi Iwasaki | 4:20 |
6. | "Genwaku (幻惑)" (Amabile "A") | Natsuno | Akiko Kobayashi | Iwasaki | 4:32 |
7. | "Kisei (Never Forget) (帰省 ~Never Forget~)" (Taste "A" Version) |
| Suzu | 5:57 | |
8. | "Konnanimo... (こんなにも…)" | Atsuko | Katsuki Maeda | 5:07 | |
9. | "Tsuki no Hohoemi (月の微笑)" (Acoustic Version) | Natsuno | Natsuno | 4:22 | |
10. | "Will" | 1:30 | |||
11. | "Tomadoi (とまどい)" | Hiromi Mori | Juni | Max Brightstone | 3:59 |
12. | "Ophelia (オフェリア)" | Aki Shimogō | Satoshi Shimano | Masanori Kamide | 3:54 |
13. | "Trust Me" (Secret Track) | Natsuno | Hara | ||
Total length: | 52:02 |
Covers
edit- Ikurō Fujiwara covered "Yuki no Hana" in his instrumental albums Hana no Densetsu in 2004 and Selection Mon Cheri in 2021;[3] and "Tsuki no Hohoemi" in his 2004 instrumental album Tsuki no Densetsu.
Release history
editRegion | Date | Format(s) | Distributor(s) | Ref(s). |
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Japan | 1 December 1999 | CD | This One | [4] |
3 December 2014 | HQCD | Tokuma Japan | [5] |
References
edit- ^ "中森明菜 / will [CD][アルバム]". CD Journal. Retrieved 11 June 2020.
- ^ "中森明菜のアルバム売上ランキング". Oricon. Retrieved 11 June 2020.
- ^ "Mon Cheri (Fujiwara Ikuro)". B Zone. Retrieved 21 January 2024.
- ^ "will 中森明菜". Amazon.co.jp. Retrieved 11 June 2020.
- ^ "will 【HQCD】 中森明菜". Amazon.co.jp. Retrieved 11 June 2020.