Queendom (Awich album)

Queendom is the major label debut album by Japanese rapper and singer Awich, released March 4, 2022, by Universal J. Primarily produced by Chaki Zulu, the album was preceded by three singles, "Gila Gila" featuring JP the Wavy and Yzerr, "Kuchi ni Dashite" and "Dore ni Shiyokana (I Got Options)". The album's title track was released as a promotional single on March 1, three days before the album's release.

Queendom
Studio album by
Awich
ReleasedMarch 4, 2022 (2022-03-04)
Recorded2020–2021
Length38:42
Language
  • Japanese
  • English
Label
Producer
  • Chaki Zulu
  • Jigg
  • Yzerr
Awich chronology
Partition
(2020)		 Queendom
(2022)
Singles from Queendom
  1. "Gila Gila"
    Released: July 30, 2021
  2. "Kuchi ni Dashite"
    Released: August 27, 2021
  3. "Dore ni Shiyokana (I Got Options)"
    Released: January 28, 2022

Background

In 2020, Awich signed a record deal with Universal Music Japan sublabel Universal J. She released her major label debut extended play Partition in August 2020.[1]

In July 2021, she released the single "Gila Gila" featuring JP the Wavy and Yzerr.[2] The song was her first to chart on the Billboard Japan Hot 100, debuting and peaking at number 92.[3] In August, she released "Kuchi ni Dashite". An extended play titled Queendom was announced by Universal Japan for release on September 24, 2021, however the EP was postponed.[4][5] A tour titled after the EP was also announced, with the first performance in Osaka in October 2021.[6] A promotional advertisement of Awich was displayed in Times Square as part of the "Equal Japan" playlist by Spotify, featuring various women in the music industry.[7]

In January 2022, Universal Japan announced Queendom would be a studio album rather than an EP. The label released the official track list and stated the album would be released in March.[8][9] A third single titled "Dore ni Shiyokana (I Got Options)" was released near the end of January.

Music and lyrics

Queendom features bilingual lyrics in both Japanese and English. The album's title track describes her life from leaving Okinawa to Atlanta in 2006, where she met her husband and how he was incarcerated and later murdered, leaving her as a single mother.[10]

Promotion

Awich was featured on the front cover of Quick Japan, a cultural magazine in Japan. The magazine features a special interview by Awich.[11] Awich also performed at the Nippon Budokan on March 14, the performance titled Welcome to the Queendom.[12] Guest performers from her former independent label, Yentown appeared along with her daughter.

Awich performed "Dore ni Shiyokana (I Got Options)" on Nippon TV's Sukiri. The live performance was broadcast on March 3.[13]

Commercial performance

Queendom debuted and peaked at number 8 on the Oricon Daily Albums chart for March 4, 2022.[14]

Track listing

All tracks produced by Chaki Zulu unless noted.

Queendom track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Queendom"
  • Akiko Urasaki
  • Chaki Zulu
 3:28
2."Gila Gila" (featuring JP the Wavy and Yzerr)
  • Urasaki
  • Zulu
  • Yzerr
  • JP the Wavy
 4:13
3."Yacchi Maina (Get Em)" (featuring Anarchy)
  • Urasaki
  • Zulu
  • Anarchy
 3:23
4."WheU@"
  • Urasaki
  • Zulu
 2:36
5."Yen Bloc"
  • Urasaki
  • Zulu
 2:24
6."Heartbreak Erotica"
  • Urasaki
  • Jigg
Jigg3:06
7."Kuchi ni Dashite"
  • Urasaki
  • Zot on the Wave
Yzerr2:25
8."Dore ni Shiyokana (I Got Options)"
  • Urasaki
  • Zulu
 2:42
9."Follow Me"
  • Urasaki
  • Zulu
 3:46
10."Revenge"
  • Urasaki
  • Zulu
 3:25
11."Link Up" (featuring Keiju and Yellow Bucks)
  • Urasaki
  • Zulu
  • Keiju
  • Kazu Sakaguchi
 3:45
12."Skit (Toyomi Voicemail)"  0:21
13."44 Bars"
  • Urasaki
  • Zulu
 3:08
Total length:38:42
Queendom bonus DVD
No.TitleLength
1."Shook Shook" (music video) 
2."Bad Bad" (music video) 
3."Gila Gila" (music video) 
4."Kuchini Dashite" (music video) 
5."Yen Bloc" (Unreleased music video) 
6."WheU@" (Unreleased music video) 
7."Bad Bad" (2020 Summer Love Offshot Edition with Yomi Jah) 

Charts
Chart performance for Queendom
Chart (2022) Peak
position
Japanese Hot Albums (Billboard Japan)[15] 44
Japanese Albums (Oricon)[16] 76

Release history
Release history and formats for Queendom
Region Date Format(s) Label Ref.
Various March 4, 2022
[16]
Japan

References
  1. "Japanese rapper Awich releases major-label debut EP "Partition"". CelebMix. August 21, 2020. Retrieved March 8, 2022.
  2. "AwichがJP THE WAVY＆YZERRと強烈な存在感放つMV今夜公開、新作「Queendom」リリース決定（動画あり）". 音楽ナタリー (Natalie Music) (in Japanese). Retrieved March 8, 2022.
  3. "Billboard Japan Hot 100: 2021/08/11 公開". Billboard Japan. Retrieved March 7, 2022.
  4. "Queendom Awich CD Album". CDJapan. Retrieved March 8, 2022.
  5. "発売延期になったAwichの「Queendom」、アルバムに変わって新リリース日決定". 音楽ナタリー (Natalie Music) (in Japanese). Retrieved March 8, 2022.
  6. "Awich、『Queendom Tour 2021』の客演アーティストを発表 ANARCHY、KEIJU、JP THE WAVY、YZERRら | SPICE - エンタメ特化型情報メディア スパイス". SPICE（スパイス）｜エンタメ特化型情報メディア スパイス. Retrieved March 8, 2022.
  7. "Awich、＜Queendom Tour 2021＞追加公演決定". BARKS (in Japanese). Retrieved March 8, 2022.
  8. "Awich、"HIPHOPシーンのクイーン"を表明するニューアルバム『Queendom』3月リリース". Billboard Japan. January 20, 2022. Retrieved March 8, 2022.
  9. Ronald (March 5, 2022). "Awich to Release New Album "Queendom"". ARAMA! JAPAN. Retrieved March 8, 2022.
  10. "Awich releases 'Queendom' - her hardest hitting album yet". ElectricBloomWebzine (エレクトリックブルーム). March 4, 2022. Retrieved March 8, 2022.
  11. ""ヒップホップシーンの女帝"Awichを『Quick Japan』が特集 全面リニューアル号の巻頭飾る（KAI-YOU.net）". Yahoo!ニュース (in Japanese). Retrieved March 8, 2022.
  12. "Awich初の日本武道館ワンマンに豪華ゲスト出演、愛娘も駆け付ける". 音楽ナタリー (Natalie Music) (in Japanese). Retrieved March 8, 2022.
  13. "Awichと手嶌葵が明日「スッキリ」に登場、Awichは最新曲「どれにしようかな」テレビ初披露（音楽ナタリー）". Yahoo!ニュース (in Japanese). Retrieved March 8, 2022.
  14. "2022/03/04付 オリコンデイリー アルバムランキング". ORICON NEWS. Archived from the original on March 5, 2022. Retrieved March 8, 2022.
  15. "Billboard Japan Hot Albums: 2022/03/09 公開". Billboard Japan (in Japanese). Retrieved March 9, 2022.
  16. "Queendom | AWICH". ORICON NEWS. Retrieved March 9, 2022.
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