"Last Words" (最終宣告, Saishū Senkoku) is a song written and recorded by Japanese-American singer-songwriter Ai. It was released on January 29, 2003, as her first single under Def Jam Japan. The song served as the lead single for her second studio album, Original Ai.[1]
| "Last Words" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Ai | ||||
| from the album Original Ai | ||||
| Language |
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| B-side | "Last Words (featuring Joe Budden)" | |||
| Released | January 29, 2003 | |||
| Recorded | 2002 | |||
| Studio | Michael "Lofey" Sandlofer's home studio (New York City, New York) | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 3:23 (Solo version) 4:24 (Joe Budden version) | |||
| Label | Def Jam Japan | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Ai Uemura | |||
| Producer(s) |
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| Ai singles chronology | ||||
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| Joe Budden singles chronology | ||||
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| Music video | ||||
| "Last Words (Solo version)" on YouTube | ||||
Upon its release, "Last Words" was a commercial success, scoring Ai her first top 30 single on the Oricon Japan Singles chart. It is her 8th best selling single on Oricon.[2]
Background
editAfter the release of her debut studio album under BMG, My Name Is Ai, Ai left the label due to the commercial failure of the album and its singles. In 2002, she signed to Universal Music Japan sublabel Def Jam Japan, becoming the first woman signed to the label.[3][4] In an interview, Ai stated she felt more at home with Def Jam, as many of her co-workers shared her musical tastes.[5]
In an interview with Barks Japan regarding the English version featuring Joe Budden, Ai said she was "happy to work with Joe" as she and Budden both were new to the Def Jam label.[6]
Music video
editA music video for the solo version of "Last Words" was released in 2003. Various scenes show Ai performing on a stage, a dressing room and her watching the video on a CRT TV.
Ai re-released the music video to YouTube on her official channel on January 27, 2021 in part of her twentieth anniversary in the music industry as it previously was not on the service.
Live performances
editA live performance of the song was included on Ai's 2007 live album, Live Ai.
Charts
edit"Last Words" peaked at number 29 on the Oricon Singles chart, which became Ai's best performing single on the chart at the time until the release of her 2005 single, "365", which peaked at number 20. The single was Budden's first appearance on the chart.
| Chart (2005) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Japan Singles Chart (Oricon)[7] | 29 |
Track listing
editAll tracks produced by Desert Storm, Lofey and Skane.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Last Words" | Ai Uemura | 3:23 |
| 2. | "Last Words" (featuring Joe Budden) |
| 4:24 |
| 3. | "Last Words" (Instrumental) | 3:23 | |
| 4. | "Last Words" (Instrumental featuring Joe Budden) | 4:24 |
Notes
edit- Tracks 1 and 3 are titled in Japanese
References
edit- ^ 株式会社ローソンエンタテインメント. "最終宣告". HMV&BOOKS online (in Japanese). Retrieved November 23, 2021.
- ^ "AIのシングル売上ランキング". ORICON NEWS. Retrieved November 23, 2021.
- ^ "Biography" (in Japanese). Universal Music Japan. Archived from the original on August 13, 2012. Retrieved August 18, 2012.
- ^ "AIアーティスト・プロフィール" [Ai Artist Profile] (in Japanese). CDJournal. Retrieved August 17, 2012.
- ^ "Special Interview Vol. 5 – Ai talks about Boombox" (in Japanese). TDK. Archived from the original on April 18, 2012. Retrieved August 19, 2012.
- ^ "心に染み入る歌声を持つヒップホップ・ソウル・シンガーAI". BARKS (in Japanese). January 31, 2003. Retrieved November 23, 2021.
- ^ "最終宣告 | AI". ORICON NEWS. Retrieved November 23, 2021.