Just Ballade

Fresh off The Tour of Misia Discotheque Asia, where the musical emphasis was on lively, uptempo dance music, Misia wanted a change of pace with the next album. She was inspired by the positive feedback she received from concert audiences in relation to the ballad section of her Discotheque Asia setlist, and set out to make an album that could recreate the same "well-filled quiet" that garnered such a favorable reception.{{cite web|url=http://ent2.excite.co.jp/music/interview/2009/misia/interview02.html|title=インタビュー『MISIA』エキサイトミュージック（音楽）(2/2)|work=Excite|access-date=March 11, 2018}} As the title of the album suggests, Just Ballade consists predominantly of ballads, however not all tracks on the record are slow-tempo songs. In an interview with Excite, Misia explained the varied tempo and sound of the album by stating that, while people might have a general preconception of what a ballad will sound like, it's not as clear cut. She remarks that, to her, what makes a song a ballad isn't the piano or the orchestra, but whether the song can move her to tears.{{cite web|url=http://ent2.excite.co.jp/music/interview/2009/misia/interview01.html|title=インタビュー『MISIA』エキサイトミュージック（音楽）(1/2)|work=Excite|access-date=March 11, 2018}}

Just Ballade is Misia's first studio album in close two years, since Eighth World.{{cite news|url=http://www.bounce.com/news/daily.php/20302/|title=MISIAがバラードたっぷりのニュー・アルバム『Just Ballade』をリリース|access-date=November 23, 2009|date=July 27, 2009|work=Bounce|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091004023111/http://www.bounce.com/news/daily.php/20302/|archive-date=October 4, 2009|url-status=dead}} It was issued in Blu-spec CD format and released in three different versions, a standard CD-only edition, and two limited editions. Limited edition "A" comes packaged in a CD sleeve with a different cover art and includes a DVD featuring six music videos, while limited edition "B" is packaged in a pop-up case, also with an alternate cover art, housed in a clear sleeve and comes with a 28-page color booklet.{{cite web|url=http://www.music-lounge.jp/v2/articl/pickup/detail/?articl=2009/12/14-10:15:00_258d4e7e09eb6d48883ba286071e482c|title=MISIAが約２年ぶりとなる待望の９ｔｈオリジナル・アルバム『JUST BALLADE』をリリース！|work=Music Lounge|date=December 14, 2009|access-date=March 11, 2018}}

In addition to the singles,{{cite news|url=https://www.barks.jp/news/?id=1000056534|title=MISIA、世界の子供の命を語るトークセッション|work=Barks|date=December 17, 2009|access-date=March 11, 2018}} several album tracks were also used in promotional campaigns leading up to their release. "Chiheisen no Mukōgawa e" served as ending theme to the TX news program World Business Satellite,{{cite news|url=http://www.hmv.co.jp/news/article/909300028/|title=MISIA、2年振りのフルアルバム！|access-date=November 23, 2009|date=September 30, 2009|work=HMV}} "Boku no Kimochi" as ending theme to the AX variety show Himitsu no Kenmin Show,{{cite news|url=http://natalie.mu/news/show/id/22521/|title=MISIA、9週連続着うた配信で最新アルバムの世界観をチラリ|access-date=November 23, 2009|date=October 16, 2009|work=Natalie}} and "Work It Out" as ending theme to the AX news program Jōhō Live Miyaneya.

{{Music ratings

|rev1 = AllMusic

|rev1score = {{Rating|3|5}}{{cite web|last=Greenberg|first=Adam|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/just-ballade-mw0001959184|title=Just Ballade - Misia|website=AllMusic|access-date=March 11, 2018}}

}}

CDJournal critics remarked that the listener should not take the title of the album too literally, as the album includes many styles of ballads.{{cite web|url=http://artist.cdjournal.com/d/just-ballade/4109091798|title=MISIA / JUST BALLADE|work=CDJournal|access-date=March 11, 2018}} They noted that the sound on the record is "perfected to the last detail". Misia was praised for her powerful vocal performance, with critics describing it as "transportive". Adam Greenberg of AllMusic, pronounced Misia's voice to be the "star of the show", but also noted that she can sometimes go overboard and overpower the sensibility of the ballad. Writing for Bounce, Aokinoko described Just Ballade as a "love song collection" basking in the "essence of many different styles."{{cite web|url=http://tower.jp/item/2625119/JUST-BALLADE＜通常盤＞|title=MISIA/JUST BALLADE＜通常盤＞|work=Tower Records|access-date=March 11, 2018}} Aokinoko praised the record as "stimulating", singled out "Aitakute Ima", "Ginga" and "Call Me Love Me" as the standout tracks, and called it the "perfect lovers' soundtrack".

Just Ballade entered the daily Oricon Albums Chart at number 3, selling 18,000 copies on its first day.

{{cite web|url=http://blog.oricon.co.jp/oto-suba/archive/1093/0|title=安室奈美恵、初動40万枚も狙える快調スタート!|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100526021536/http://blog.oricon.co.jp/oto-suba/archive/1093/0|access-date=February 6, 2009|date=December 17, 2009|work=Oricon|archive-date=May 26, 2010}} It slid to number 4 the following day, where it stayed for the rest of the week. The album debuted at number 4 on the weekly Oricon Albums Chart, selling 57,000 copies.{{cite web|url=http://www.geocities.jp/object_ori/091228a.html|title=オリコン アルバム 2009.12.28|access-date=March 11, 2018}} It also debuted at number 4 on the Billboard Japan Top Albums Sales chart. The album fell to number 8 on its second week on the Oricon chart, logging sales of 33,000 copies.{{cite web|url=http://www.geocities.jp/object_ori/100104a.html|title=オリコン アルバム 2010.1.4|access-date=March 11, 2018}} Just Ballade charted for twenty-one non-consecutive weeks on the Oricon Albums Chart, selling a reported total of 143,000 copies during its run.{{cite web|title=オリコンランキング情報サービス「you大樹」|trans-title=Oricon Ranking Information Service 'You Taiju'|url=http://ranking.oricon.co.jp|work=Oricon|url-access=subscription |access-date=March 11, 2018}}

{{Track listing

| headline =

| extra_column = Arranger(s)

| title1 = Sukoshi Zutsu Taisetsu ni

| writer1 = {{hlist|Misia|Sinkiroh}}

| extra1 = {{hlist|Tohru Shigemi}}

| length1 = 5:08

| title2 = Aitakute Ima

| writer2 = {{hlist|Misia|Jun Sasaki}}

| extra2 = {{hlist|Sasaki}}

| length2 = 5:58

| title3 = Work It Out

| writer3 = {{hlist|Misia|Hinata|JP}}

| extra3 = {{hlist|JP}}

| length3 = 2:48

| title4 = Chiheisen no Mukōgawa e

| note4 = {{Nihongo2|地平線の向こう側へ}}, "Beyond the Horizon"

| writer4 = {{hlist|Misia|Sinkiroh}}

| extra4 = {{hlist|Sinkiroh}}

| length4 = 4:53

| title5 = Call Me Love Me

| writer5 = {{hlist|Misia|Sinkiroh}}

| extra5 = {{hlist|Gomi}}

| length5 = 4:08

| title6 = So Beautiful

| writer6 = {{hlist|Misia|Toshiaki Matsumoto}}

| extra6 = {{hlist|Shigemi}}

| length6 = 4:58

| title7 = Kuchibiru to Kuchibiru

| note7 = {{Nihongo2|唇と唇}}, "Lip on Lip"

| writer7 = {{hlist|Hinata|Sinkiroh}}

| extra7 = {{hlist|Shigemi}}

| length7 = 4:53

| title8 = Baobab no Ki no Shita de

| note8 = {{Nihongo2|バオバヴの木の下で}}, Baobavu no Ki no Shita de, "Under the Baobab Tree"

| writer8 = {{hlist|Misia}}

| extra8 = {{hlist|Shigemi}}

| length8 = 3:36

| title9 = Yakusoku no Tsubasa

| writer9 = {{hlist|Misia|Sasaki}}

| extra9 = {{hlist|Sasaki}}

| length9 = 5:19

| title10 = Boku no Kimochi

| note10 = {{Nihongo2|僕のきもち}}, "How I Feel"

| writer10 = {{hlist|Misia|Hinata|Sinkiroh}}

| extra10 = {{hlist|Gomi}}

| length10 = 4:16

| title11 = Yes Forever

| note11 = Piano Version

| writer11 = {{hlist|Misia|Sinkiroh}}

| extra11 = {{hlist|Shigemi}}

| length11 = 4:55

| title12 = Hoshi no Yō ni...

| writer12 = {{hlist|Misia|Sinkiroh}}

| extra12 = {{hlist|Shigemi}}

| length12 = 4:58

| title13 = Ginga

| writer13 = {{hlist|Misia|Shusui|Fredrik Hult|Carl Utbult|Tebey}}

| extra13 = {{hlist|Utbult|Hult}}

| length13 = 4:36

| title14 = Itsumademo

| writer14 = {{hlist|Misia|Sinkiroh}}

| extra14 = {{hlist|Sinkiroh}}

| length14 = 1:29

| total_length = {{Duration|h=1|m=1|s=55}}

}}

{{Track listing

| headline = Limited edition "A" DVD

| extra_column = Director(s)

| title1 = Baobab no Ki no Shita de

| note1 = Music Clip

| extra1 = {{hlist|Mitsuo Shindō}}

| length1 =

| title2 = Hoshi no Yō ni...

| note2 = Music Clip

| extra2 = {{hlist|Ukon Kamimura}}

| length2 =

| title3 = Aitakute Ima

| note3 = Music Clip

| extra3 = {{hlist|Noriyuki Tanaka}}

| length3 =

| title4 = Ginga

| note4 = Music Clip

| extra4 = {{hlist|Kamimura}}

| length4 =

| title5 = Yes Forever

| note5 = Music Clip

| extra5 = {{hlist|Kamimura}}

| length5 =

| title6 = Yakusoku no Tsubasa

| note6 = Music Clip

| extra6 = {{hlist|Tomoo Noda}}

| length6 =

| total_length = {{Duration|m=|s=}}

}}

Personnel{{Cite AV media notes |title=Just Ballade |others=Misia |year=2009 |url=https://www.sonymusicshop.jp/m/item/itemShw.php?site=S&cd=BVCL000020021 |type=Booklet |publisher=Ariola Japan |id=4988017674932 |location=Chiyoda, Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan}}

{{col-begin}}

{{col-2}}

• Lead vocals, production – Misia
• Backing vocals – Misia, Bennie Diggs, George Hodnett, JP, Fonzi Thornton, Vaneese Thomas, Crystal McGee, Marcia Sapp Salter
• Songwriting – Misia, Sinkiroh, Jun Sasaki, Hinata, JP, Toshiaki Matsumoto, Shusui, Carl Utbult, Fredrik Hult, Tebey
• Backing vocal arrangement – JP, Sinkiroh, Jun Sasaki, Misia, Gomi, Bennie Diggs
• Arrangement – Tohru Shigemi, Jun Sasaki, JP, Sinkiroh, Gomi, Carl Utbult, Fredrik Hult
• Orchestral arrangement – Gen Ittetsu, Dan Miyakawa
• Strings arrangement – Tohru Shigemi, Gen Ittetsu
• Piano – Tohru Shigemi
• Guitar – Hirokazu Ogura, Robin Macatangay, Masato Ishinari, Kazumi Watanabe, Fredrik Hult, Shuhei Yamaguchi
• Sitar – Masato Ishinari
• Bass – Takeshi Taneda, Richie Goods
• Acoustic bass – Richie Goods
• Acoustic guitar – Shuhei Yamaguchi
• Electric guitar – Takashi Yamaguchi
• Electric keyboard – Gomi, Henry Hey, Tohru Shigemi, Carl Utbult
• Keyboard programming – Carl Utbult
• Drums – Robert Di Pietro, Harvey Mason
• Drum programming – Gomi

{{col-2}}

• Percussion – Samuel Torres
• Kalimba – Hiromi Kondo
• Djembe – Masaya Oonishi
• Strings – Gen Ittetsu Strings, Crusher Kimura Strings
• Cello – Masami Horisawa
• Harp – Tomoyuki Asakawa
• English horn – Hiroshi Shibayama
• French horn – Hiroyuki Minami, Hiroyuki Nakajima, Otohiko Fujita, Yasushi Katsumata, Kenshow Hagiwara
• Flugelhorn – Tony Kadleck
• Flute – Hideyo Takakuwa, Tasuo Yamamoto
• Fagotto – Toshiki Takei
• Harmonica – Russell Graham
• All other instruments – Jun Sasaki, Sinkiroh, Tohru Shigemi, Masayuki Kumahara, Gomi
• Engineering – Yoshikazu Nakabayashi, Dave Darlington, Ken Nishi, Masahiro Kawaguchi, Sui, Masashi Hashimoto, Akira Kusayanagi, Sebastien Plassais, Andrew Hey
• Mixing – Yoshikazu Nakabayashi, Dave Darlington, Masashi Hashimoto, Shojiro Watanabe, Masashi Matsubayashi, David Thoener
• Mastering – Herb Powers Jr.

{{col-end}}

{{col-begin}}

{{col-2}}

{{col-2}}

{{col-end}}

{{Certification Table Top}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Japan|artist=MISIA|title=Just Ballade|award=Gold|type=album|relyear=2009|certyear=2009|certmonth=12|refname="riaj"|salesamount=143,000|salesref=|access-date=February 1, 2021}}

{{End}}

{{reflist}}

• [http://www.sonymusic.co.jp/Music/Info/misia/special/ Just Ballade] Special Site

{{Misia}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:2009 albums

Category:Misia albums

Category:Ariola Japan albums