| Wa to Yo | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Standard cover[note 1] | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | June 7, 2017 (2017-06-07) | |||
| Recorded |
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| Studio | ||||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 64:13 | |||
| Language |
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| Label | EMI | |||
| Producer |
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| Ai chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Wa to Yo | ||||
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Wa to Yo (Japanese:和と洋,Hepburn:Wa to Yō;lit. 'Japanese and Western') is the eleventh studio album by Japanese-American singer-songwriterAi. It was released on June 7, 2017, throughEMI Records, as adouble album. Wanting to express both her American and Japanese background, Ai recorded theWa disc in Japanese with traditional Japanese sensibilities while theYo disc was recorded in English with R&B and hip-hop influences.
After the release ofMoriagaro in 2013, Ai was engaged to Hiro, the leader and vocalist of the rock band Kaikigesshoku. The pair had been dating for 10 years, and wed in January 2014.[1] In August 2015, Ai gave birth to her first child.[2] In November 2015,EMI released a greatest hits album,The Best. A deluxe version was released in 2016.
Wa to Yo was first teased on Ai's YouTube channel on April 20, 2017.[3]
Wanting to "convey the goodness of Japan" to the rest of the world and "the goodness of the overseas to Japanese people", Ai collaborated with several producers, artists and songwriters from both Japan and the west coast.[4] The album combinestraditional Japanese instruments with modern western genres.[5][6] Majority of the songs on the album were used in commercial tie-ins, such as "Feel It", which was used by Japanese fashion brand Global Work.[3]
In a 2017 interview withThe Japan Times, Ai explained Japanese record labels found her sound "too American" at the start of her career.[7] She further added she loved "both (sides)" of her Japanese and American background equally.[7] Regarding the lyricism ofWa to Yo, Ai described theYo disc as "sexier, and has more love songs" compared to theWa disc.[7]
In an interview with her record label, Ai stated majority of the English songs from theYo disc were recorded during herAtlantic City session, originally intended for her tenth studio album,Moriagaro.[8]
The album was released on June 7, 2017. Unlike most physical releases in Japan, no first press editions bundles were included.[9]
In promotion of the album, Ai embarked on the Wa to Yo Tour.[5] A video album was released containing footage from the tour in June 2018.[10]
Two singles were released fromWa to Yo. The lead single "Justice Will Prevail at Last" was released a month prior to the album's release. The song served as the theme song for the Japanese dramaEmergency Interrogation Room. "Justice Will Prevail at Last" failed to enter Japanese charts until the release ofWa to Yo, debuting and peaking at number 74 on theBillboard JapanHot 100. Within the same month ofWa to Yo being released, Ai announced she would be providing a new song featuring Japanese comedianNaomi Wantanabe for the Japanese comedy showKanna-san!.[11] The song, "Kira Kira", was later serviced to Japanese radio and released digitally shortly after. "Kira Kira" was a commercial success in Japan, peaking at number 19 on theBillboard Japan Hot 100 and being nominated for the Grand Prix award at the59th Japan Record Awards.[12]
Patrick ST. Michel of the Japan Times gave Wa to Yo a positive review, noting how well theWa andYo disc connects "despite its two distinctive sides".[7] He added that part of theWa disc falls short when it "embraces a staple of J-pop– the ballad."[7]
All tracks written byAi Uemura except where noted.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Wa Interlude" (featuringKodō & Jinmenusagi) |
| 2:46 |
| 2. | "Wonderful World" (featuringHimekami) |
| 3:55 |
| 3. | "From Zero" | 4:22 | |
| 4. | "Justice Will Prevail at Last" (最後は必ず正義が勝つ,Saigo wa Kanarazu Seigi ga Katsu) | 4:05 | |
| 5. | "Feel It" | 3:11 | |
| 6. | "I Can Pretend" | 4:00 | |
| 7. | "Gui Gui" (グイグイ) | 3:02 | |
| 8. | "Home" | 3:59 | |
| 9. | "It's Gonna Be All Right" | 4:34 | |
| 10. | "Music Is My Life" | 6:07 | |
| Total length: | 38:41 | ||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11. | "Yo Interlude" | 2:00 | |
| 12. | "Welcome to My City" (featuringJunior Reid &Eric Bellinger) |
| 3:22 |
| 13. | "Right Now" (featuringChris Brown) |
| 2:56 |
| 14. | "What I Want" (featuring Jinmenusagi) |
| 3:00 |
| 15. | "Sweet Nothing's" |
| 4:03 |
| 16. | "The One You Need" |
| 4:14 |
| 17. | "Crazy Love" |
| 4:15 |
| Total length: | 23:10 | ||
Deluxe edition
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Wa Interlude" (featuring Kodō & Jinmenusagi) |
| 2:46 |
| 2. | "Wonderful World" (featuring Himekami) |
| 3:55 |
| 3. | "From Zero" | 4:22 | |
| 4. | "Justice Will Prevail at Last" | 4:05 | |
| 5. | "Feel It" | 3:11 | |
| 6. | "I Can Pretend" | 4:00 | |
| 7. | "Gui Gui" | 3:02 | |
| 8. | "Home" | 3:59 | |
| 9. | "It's Gonna Be All Right" | 4:34 | |
| 10. | "Music Is My Life" | 6:07 | |
| 11. | "Heiwa" |
| 3:54 |
| 12. | "Miracle" (ミラクル) | 3:38 | |
| 13. | "I'm the Champion" | 4:08 | |
| 14. | "Run to the Sun" | 3:38 | |
| 15. | "Kira Kira" (キラキラ) (featuringNaomi Watanabe) | 3:39 | |
| 16. | "Happy Christmas" (ハッピークリスマス) | 5:24 | |
| Total length: | 61:42 | ||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Yo Interlude" | 2:00 | |
| 2. | "Welcome to My City" (featuring Junior Reid & Eric Bellinger) |
| 3:22 |
| 3. | "Right Now" (featuring Chris Brown) |
| 2:56 |
| 4. | "What I Want" (featuring Jinmenusagi) |
| 3:00 |
| 5. | "Sweet Nothing's" |
| 4:03 |
| 6. | "The One You Need" |
| 4:14 |
| 7. | "Crazy Love" |
| 4:15 |
| 8. | "Little Hero" |
| 3:47 |
| Total length: | 26:57 | ||
| Chart (2017) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Japanese Albums (Oricon)[13] | 11 |
| Japanese Digital Albums (Oricon)[14] | 21 |
| Japanese Hot Albums (Billboard Japan)[15] | 19 |
Credits adapted from album'sliner notes.[16]
| Region | Date | Format(s) | Version | Label | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Various | June 7, 2017 | Standard | [3] | ||
| Japan | CD | [17] | |||
| Various | October 25, 2017 |
| Deluxe |
| [18] |
| Japan | CD |
| [19] |
