Carols (song)

"Carols" is the thirty-fourth single released by Japanese recording artist Ayumi Hamasaki. It was released on September 29, 2004, by Avex Trax. It was released on the same day as her ARENA TOUR 2003~2004 A DVD. "Carols" was used as the Panasonic Digital Camera "LUMIX FX7" CM song. "Carols" is to date Hamasaki's only single to be released on the DVD-Audio and SACD formats. It was the last single to be released from her sixth studio album, My Story (2004).

Composition
"Carols" was written by Hamasaki herself, composed by Tomoya Kinoshita and produced by Avex chairman Max Matsuura. The song is musically a power ballad with lush, flowing strings blending into a harmonious melody line. The song was created with a warm, live sound in mind, featuring Shigekazu Aida (guitar) and strings by Gen Ittetsu Strings.

Music video
The music video premiered a few days before the single's official release and was directed by Masashi Muto. The video, filmed in black and white, features Hamasaki singing in an empty opera house.

Commercial performance
"Carols" debuted at number one on the Oricon Singles Chart, with 177,778 copies sold in its first week. It dropped to number three the next week, selling 47,876 copies. On its third week the single remained at number three, selling 29,890 copies. The single stayed in the top ten one last week, ranking at number nine and selling 18,447 copies. "Carols" then slid to number eighteen with 12,498 copies sold, before dropping out of the top twenty entirely the following week. "Carols" ranked at number 20 on the year-end Oricon Singles Chart for 2004. The single charted in the top 100 for fifteen weeks and sold a reported total of 309,128 copies. Aside from its physical success, "Carols" also became Hamasaki's first song to sell a million ringtones.

Track listing

 * 1) Carols – 5:30
 * 2) Carols "Criminal Tribal Mix" – 6:45
 * 3) Carols "Hammond B-3 Whisper" – 5:47
 * 4) Carols "Original Mix ~instrumental~" – 5:30


 * DVD
 * 1) Carols (PV)

Live performances

 * September 24, 2004 – PopJam
 * September 24, 2004 – Music Station
 * September 26, 2004 – CDTV
 * September 30, 2004 – AX Music
 * October 8, 2004 – Music Station
 * October 18, 2004 – Hey! Hey! Hey!
 * December 15, 2004 – Best Artist
 * December 24, 2004 – Music Station