It's All Me, Vol. 2

It's All Me, Vol. 2 (stylized IT'S ALL ME VOL 2) is an extended play by Japanese-American singer-songwriter Ai. It was released on February 24, 2021, through EMI Records, as a follow-up to It's All Me, Vol. 1 (2020). Ai primarily collaborated with western producers and longtime collaborator Julian Le.

It's All Me, Vol. 2
Digital cover[note 1]
EP by
Ai
ReleasedFebruary 24, 2021 (2021-02-24)
Recorded2019
Studio
Genre
Length21:24
Language
Label
Producer
Ai chronology
It's All Me, Vol. 1
(2020)		 It's All Me, Vol. 2
(2021)		 Dream
(2022)
Singles from It's All Me, Vol. 2
  1. "Not So Different"
    Released: November 25, 2020

The lead and only single "Not So Different" was released in November 2020 with a remix release featuring Awich in December 2020. "Hope" was released in January 2021 as a promotional single.

Background and release

When I [wrote Not So Different], I hadn't decided to put this song on "Volume two" [...] At that time, the Black Lives Matter movement expanded, and [I] decided to put [it] out now. I always want[ed] to send a message like this, but often I can't put out a song unless the timing is right.

— Ai reflecting on including "Not So Different" on It's All Me, Vol. 2[1]

Celebrating her twenty-year anniversary in the music industry, Ai released a compilation album, Kansha!!!!! - Thank You for 20 Years New and Best in November 2019 and an extended play, It's All Me, Vol. 1 in July 2020.

The EP's first single, "Not So Different" was released on November 25, 2020 with its music video premiering on the same day.[2][3] In December 2020, Ai partnered with One Young World and released a special music video of the song in support of the project.[4] A remix of "Not So Different" featuring Japanese rapper Awich was released on December 11, 2020 as a promotional single.[5] The second single, "Hope" was released on January 30, 2021 with its music video premiering the same day. Ai partnered with deleteC, a non-profit organization in Japan aiming to support cancer treatment.[6][7] A music video of the "Not So Different" remix was released on February 20, 2021, a few days prior to the EP's release on February 24.

Track listing
It's All Me, Vol. 2 track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Not So Different"
  • Uemura
  • Avedon
  • Storch
3:41
2."Jump"Uemura
  • Uemura
  • Julian Le
3:56
3."Off You"
  • Uemura
  • Darius Logan
  • Domonique Logan
  • Michael Jiminez
Blaq Tuxedo2:55
4."Expectations"
  • Uemura
  • Fallon King
  • Felisha "Fury" King
Bernard "Harv" Harvey3:05
5."Hope"Uemura
  • Uemura
  • Matt Cab
  • Toma
4:05
6."Not So Different" (Remix featuring Awich)
  • Uemura
  • West
  • Akiko Urasaki
  • Ende
  • Storch
  • Uemura
  • Avedon
  • Storch
3:42
Total length:21:24
It's All Me, Vol. 2 – limited edition DVD bonus
No.TitleDirector(s)Length
1."Not So Different"Kensaku Kakimoto3:41
2."Not So Different" (Behind the Scenes)Kakimoto 
3."Gift"Kakimoto3:38
4."Gift" (Behind the Scenes)Kakimoto 
5."Kokoro" (featuring Jenn Morel and Joelii) (lyric video)Hideyuki Ishii3:18

Personnel

Credits adapted from album's liner notes and Tidal.[8][9]

Musicians
  • Ai Carina Uemura – lead vocals, songwriting, production
  • Julian Le – production
  • Felisha "Fury" King – songwriting
  • Fallon King – songwriting
  • Bernard "Harv" Harvey – production
  • Scott Storch – production, songwriting
  • Blaq Tuxedo – production, songwriting
  • Avedon – production, songwriting, remixing
  • Rachel West – songwriting
  • Akiko Urasaki – songwriting, featured artist
  • Matt Cab – production
  • Toma – production

Technical
  • D.O.I – mixing
  • Mark Parfitt – vocal engineering
  • Randy Merrill – mastering
  • Keisuke Fujimaki – vocal engineering
  • Kesiuke Suwa – vocal engineering
  • Shiori Maruoka – vocal engineering
  • Yuki Arai – executive producer
  • Naoshi Fujikura – executive producer

Visuals and imagery
  • Ran Tondabayahsi – art director
  • Yousuke Tsuchida – designer
  • Hiroki Watanabe – photographer
  • Moemi Odo – retouching
  • Akemi Ono – hair, makeup artist
  • Noriko Gota – stylist
  • Akio Kawabata – design coordination
  • Shuma Saito – design coordination

Chart performance

It's All Me, Vol. 2 debuted and peaked at number 47 on the Japan Oricon weekly albums chart, charting for two weeks.[10]

Chart performance for It's All Me, Vol. 2
Chart (2021) Peak

position

Japanese Albums (Oricon)[10] 47
Japanese Digital Albums (Oricon)[11] 50
Japanese Hot Albums (Billboard Japan)[12] 52

Release history
Release history and formats for It's All Me, Vol. 2
Region Date Format(s) Version Label Ref.
Various February 24, 2021
Standard
[1]
Japan CD
[13]
 Limited [14]

Notes
  1. On physical releases, the catalog number is present below the title of the EP.

References
  1. "AI「IT'S ALL ME - Vol.2」インタビュー｜今この世界で掲げる、ずっと歌い続けてきた"ラブ＆ピース" - 音楽ナタリー 特集・インタビュー". 音楽ナタリー (in Japanese). Retrieved April 5, 2021.
  2. Not So Different - Single by AI, retrieved April 15, 2021
  3. AI - 「Not So Different」 (official video), retrieved April 15, 2021
  4. AI - 「Not So Different -One Young World Japan Version-」 (official video), retrieved April 15, 2021
  5. Not So Different (Remix) [feat. Awich] - Single by AI, retrieved April 15, 2021
  6. "deleteC". deleteC. Retrieved April 15, 2021.
  7. "みんなの力で、がんを治せる病気にするプロジェクト". Yahoo!ネット募金 (in Japanese). Retrieved April 15, 2021.
  8. It's All Me, Vol. 2 (CD). Ai. EMI Records/Universal/Def Jam Recordings. 2021. UPCH-29383
  9. "Credits / It's All Me, Vol. 2 / Ai". Tidal. Retrieved February 24, 2022.
  10. "IT'S ALL ME - Vol.2(初回限定盤) | AI". ORICON NEWS. Retrieved April 15, 2021.
  11. "AIのデジタルアルバム売上TOP7作品". ORICON NEWS. Retrieved December 4, 2022.
  12. "Billboard Japan Hot Albums: 2021/03/08". Billboard Japan. Retrieved December 4, 2022.
  13. "It's All Me - Vol.2 [Regular Edition] AI CD Album". CDJapan. Retrieved May 11, 2022.
  14. "It's All Me - Vol.2 [w/ DVD, Limited Edition] AI CD Album". CDJapan. Retrieved May 11, 2022.
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