Beyond
From Clumsy Media
"Beyond" is the first full album released by Japanese pop idol group 8th & Beyond, released May 28, 2013.
The album was met with great commercial and critical success. It easily topped the Oricon daily ranking and later the weekly albums chart and, with just one week of sales became the best selling album by a debuting new idol group that year.
Contents |
Background Information
Type: Normal Full Album Type A
Sale Date: 28/05/2013
Price: US $25.00
Producing: Clumsy Media
Album and Development
Recording
The group 8th & Beyond first began recording songs for the album in March 2013. The recording sessions for the album took place at the Clumsy Studios in Tokyo, Japan and at the West Door Studios in Beijing, China. The group worked with several different song-writers and producers on the album, including Moving Ghost, Skin Piece, Rated J, School Sounds, Johnny Suimako and DJ Karma. They especially requested the lighthearted commercial pop to be evident in mixure with smooth R&B sounds. By doing so, she incorporated a production style with more piano and bass, and utilized a young and up-beat image style.
In the early stages of the production, the group's leader Sakura Michiko worked with the producer Mini Bus who discovered her on a number of start-up melodies. He stated that every member in the group had brainstormed a large amount of ideas over the course of a few weeks. The group also worked with Korean producer Skin Piece, who mused that the collaboration was "rewarding musically" and "inspired the idea of a whole new genre", commenting: "It's rare for a debuting idol group to know so clearly what they want their musical direction to be. For a long time I've even excited to hear the final work."
Member Juno and Pepper was involved with writing most of the lyrics on the album with the help of T.Max and Dll Ini, who helped them translate emotions into the songs. The group continued working on a number of songs although were often unclear as to which songs would actually make the album.
Reception
Commercial performance
Critical response
Tracklisting
1. BEYOND フォロー (Follow Beyond!)
2. カウントダウン (Countdown!)
3. 最初の旅 (The First Journey)
4. 移動＆ビヨンド (Moving&BEYOND)
5. カウント... (I'm Counting...)
6. 希望が低いとき (When Hope is Low)
7. あるDA ONE (Be Da One)
8. FINE少年 (Boy, You're Good Looking)
9. それは"ILY"意味 (It Means 'ILY')
10. Officially ビヨンド (Officially Beyond)
Deluxe Edition
11. Please Hold My Hand (Bonus Track)
13. Recording Message from 8th & Beyond (Audio Recording)
12. 移動＆ビヨンド (Moving&BEYOND) (Instrumental Ver.)
12. 移動＆ビヨンド (Moving&BEYOND) (Music Video)
