"To Be" is the eighth single

Single (music)

In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...

 by Ayumi Hamasaki

Ayumi Hamasaki

is a Japanese singer-songwriter, record producer, model, lyricist, and actress. Also called "Ayu" by her fans, Hamasaki has been dubbed the "Empress of Pop" because of her popularity and widespread influence in Japan and throughout Asia. Born and raised in Fukuoka, she moved to Tokyo at fourteen to...

, released on May 12, 1999.

Information

"To Be" was released less than a month after her first number one single, "Love (Destiny)." Hamasaki's first song to be composed by Do as Infinity

Do As Infinity

Do As Infinity is a Japanese pop and rock band that formed in 1999 with three members: vocalist Tomiko Van, guitarist Ryo Owatari, and guitarist and composer Dai Nagao. The band's name is sometimes abbreviated as D.A.I., alluding to the fact that Do As Infinity was named after Dai Nagao...

 composer DAI

Dai Nagao

is a Japanese composer, musician and producer. He was a member and composer of the popular musical group Do As Infinity from its founding until it disbanded in September 2005, although they have since reformed....

, "To Be" was unable to reach the top position on the Oricon

Oricon

, established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan. It started as , which was founded by Sōkō Koike in November 1967 and became known for its music charts. Oricon Inc...

, unlike its predecessor. Hamasaki re-recorded "To Be" in celebrating her 10th anniversary in the music business in 2008 and it appeared as a B-Side on her Days/Green

Days/Green

"Days/Green" is the forty-fourth single by Ayumi Hamasaki, released on December 17, 2008. In addition to the A-sides "Days" and "Green", the single contains re-recorded versions of Hamasaki's songs "Love: Destiny" and "To Be"...

 single.

PV

The music video for "TO BE" was directed by longtime collaborator Takeishi Wataru. It shows Hamasaki singing as seen by a little boy through a kaleidoscope. It makes use of various backgrounds, outfits, makeup, and wigs to bring as much color as possible into the world the little boy sees. At the end, the kaleidoscope lens breaks, and Hamasaki is seen in black and white.

Commercial tie-up

The song was used as background music in a commercial for the JT Peach Water drinks featuring Ayumi herself.

Charts

"To Be" debuted on the Oricon at number four, with 109,860 copies sold in its first week and over 400,000 copies sold to date. "To Be" was the 67th best-selling of 1999.

Re-release

"To Be" was re-released on February 28, 2001. The single had four extra songs, besides the original ones.

Track listing

1. "To Be"
2. "To Be" (Dub's cool wind remix)
3. "Appears" (HW Tokyo Hard House mix)
4. "Fly High" (Sharp Boys U.K vocal mix)
5. "Fly High" (Supreme mix)
6. "Fly High" (Sample Madness remix)
7. "To Be"

Live performances

• May 8, 1999 – Countdown TV – To Be
• May 13, 1999 – Utaban – To Be
• May 14, 1999 – Music Station – To Be
• May 22, 1999 – Pop Jam – To Be
• May 28, 1999 – Music Station – To Be
• June 21, 1999 – Hey! Hey! Hey! – To Be
• May 17, 2003 - Ayuready? - To Be

Chart positions

Chart (1999)	Peak position	Time in chart
Japan Oricon Oricon , established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan. It started as , which was founded by Sōkō Koike in November 1967 and became known for its music charts. Oricon Inc...  1	4	15 weeks
Chart (2001)	Peak position	Time in chart
Japan Oricon Oricon , established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan. It started as , which was founded by Sōkō Koike in November 1967 and became known for its music charts. Oricon Inc...  2	26	3 weeks

• Total Sales : 324,500 (Japan)
• Total Sales : 400,000 (Avex)

¹Original version
²Re-release version

External links

• "To Be" information at Avex Network
  Avex Trax
  , listed in the Tokyo Stock Exchange as 7860 and abbreviated as AGHD, is the holding company for a group of entertainment-related subsidiaries based in Japan...
  
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• "To Be" re-release information at Avex Network.
• "To Be" information at Oricon
  Oricon
  , established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan. It started as , which was founded by Sōkō Koike in November 1967 and became known for its music charts. Oricon Inc...
  
  .
• "To Be" re-release information at Oricon.