How Beautiful You Are (Ayumi Hamasaki song) explained

"How Beautiful You Are" is a song by Japanese musician Ayumi Hamasaki. It was released on February 8, 2012, as the leading digital single from her thirteenth studio album, Party Queen. The song was used at the theme song for the Kyōko Koizumi-starring Fuji Television drama Saigo Kara Nibanme no Koi.^[1]

Background

The single was the second time Hamasaki had released an official single digitally after "Together When..." (2007), the leading song from her album Guilty. It had been three years since a song by Hamasaki had been used as a drama theme song, since "Sunrise (Love Is All)"'s use for Dandy Daddy?.

For the second series of Saigo Kara Nibanme no Koi in 2014, a new song by Hamasaki, "Hello New Me", served as the theme song.

Writing and production

The music of the song was written by her musical collaborator Tim Wellard, who first worked with Hamasaki on the song "Brillante" from her extended play Five (2011), and also wrote the songs "Party Queen", "The Next Love" and "Eyes, Smoke, Magic" for Party Queen. Fuji Television director Hiroki Wakamatsu commissioned Hamasaki for the drama's theme song, asking her to write a grown-up song. Hamasaki wrote the song's lyrics after reading the drama's script.^[2]

Music video

A music video was produced for the song, directed by Masashi Muto.^[3] It features Hamasaki singing in monochrome, and depicts couples of different races and sexual orientations. Japanese gay porn star Koh Masaki and his partner Tien Tien made cameos as one of the couples, a year before Masaki's death in June 2013.^[4]

The dress she wore in the video was specially made for her by Indonesian fashion designer Tex Saverio.^[5]

Critical reception

The song received mixed reviews. CDJournal called the song a "beautifully magnificent ballad" that displayed Hamasaki's presence, however felt that the song's arrangement was disappointing.^[6] Music reviewer James Hadfield for Time Out Tokyo reacted strongly to the song, describing it as "wretched" and "generic".^[7]

Chart rankings

Charts (2012)	Peak position
Japan Billboard Japan Hot 100[8]	52
Japan RIAJ Digital Track Chart[9]	3

Personnel

Personnel details were sourced from Party Queens liner notes booklet.^[11]

Musicians and personnel

• Ian Burdge – strings
• Ayumi Hamasaki – lyrics, vocals
• Masamichi Imafuku – additional background vocals
• Yumi Kawamura – background vocals
• Yuta Nakano – arrangement, string arrangement, programming
• David Reitzas – additional drum programming, mixing
• Timothy Wellard – music, additional background vocals

Notes and References

1. Web site: 【配信情報】フジテレビ系木曜よる10時ドラマ「最後から二番目の恋」主題歌「how beautiful you are」をデジタル・シングルとして2/8（水）にリリース！ . [Download news] Fuji TV Wednesday 10pm drama 'Saigo kara Nibanme no Koi' theme song "How Beautiful You Are" to be released as a digital single on February 8 (wed)! . Japanese . . February 1, 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140819221815/http://www.avexnet.or.jp/ayu/jp/news/120201.html . August 19, 2014 . August 20, 2014.
2. Web site: トピックス Vol. 1 . Japanese . . 2011 . August 20, 2014.
3. Web site: how beautiful you are . Space Shower . Japanese . August 20, 2014.
4. Web site: Remembering Masaki Koh: What Made The Late Gay Porn Star So Special? . Benji Douglas . Queerty . June 12, 2013 . August 20, 2014.
5. Web site: Tex Saverio's Couture-Infused Fall/Winter Collection.
6. Web site: 浜崎あゆみ / Party Queen [CD+2DVD] ]. CDJournal . Japanese . August 21, 2014.
7. Web site: Ayumi Hamasaki: Party Queen . James Hadfield . Time Out Tokyo . March 22, 2012 . August 21, 2014 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120408082443/http://www.timeout.jp/en/tokyo/feature/5560/Ayumi-Hamasaki-Party-Queen . April 8, 2012 .
8. Japan Billboard Hot 100 . . Japanese . March 29, 2012 . August 20, 2014.
9. Web site: レコード協会調べ 2012年02月08日～2012年02月14日 ＜略称：レコ協チャート（「着うたフル(R)」）＞ . Japanese . . February 17, 2012 . August 20, 2014 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20140714224228/http://satsuki.musicdb.gr.jp/all_info/ranking_weekly/WeeklyRankingAction.do?term=2012f&weeklyCd=20120214&rankKbn=50 . July 14, 2014 .
10. Web site: ja:レコード協会調べ 1月度有料音楽配信認定 . Record Association Investigation: January Digital Music Download Certifications . http://www.riaj.or.jp/data/others/chart/w140228.html . . Japanese . February 28, 2014 . March 4, 2014 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20140305015635/http://www.riaj.or.jp/data/others/chart/w140228.html . March 5, 2014 .
11. . . 2012 . Japanese . . Tokyo, Japan.