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25th The Best - Alive

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25th The Best - Alive
Standard edition cover
Greatest hits album by
ReleasedFebruary 26, 2025 (2025-02-26)
Recorded2003–2023
LabelEMI
Ai chronology
Respect All
(2023)
25th The Best - Alive
(2025)

25th The Best - Alive (stylized 25th THE BEST - ALIVE) is the fifth greatest hits album by Japanese-American singer-songwriter Ai, scheduled for release on February 26, 2025, via EMI Records.

Background

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Ai released her thirteenth studio album Respect All on August 23, 2023. After completing her tour of the same name, she released the promotional single "Whatever".[1] In 2024, Ai was featured on a series of albums, including Ringo Sheena's Carnival and Mori Calliope's Phantomime. In July, she released "Untitled" featuring Pushim and Dabo, a mashup of Ai's song "Whatever" and the remix version of Pushim's "I Wanna Know You" featuring Dabo.[2] In November, Ai made a series of posts regarding her 25th anniversary of her debut on social media.[3]

Release and promotion

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On November 2, 2024, Universal Music Japan launched a website for Ai's 25th anniversary with the message "We are Alive!!!". On November 29, the website was updated, unveiling the Alive Tour, which will begin in May 2025.[4] Alongside the tour announcement, Ai shared on social media she would be releasing a greatest hits album, 25th The Best - Alive.[5][6] Universal Japan announced limited copies of "Story" and "Happiness" on 7-inch single vinyls, which will be released the same day as 25th The Best - Alive.[7][8]

Various editions of the album were announced with limited first press goods. The standard edition features 17 tracks while the deluxe version includes 33 tracks split on two discs. A limited three disc version of the album includes live footage from Ai's Respect All Tour alongside tracks from the deluxe version.[9]

Track listing

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25th The Best - Alive – standard edition
No.TitleWriter(s)Original albumLength
1."Story"Ai Carina UemuraMic-a-holic Ai 
2."Aldebaran"Naotarō MoriyamaDream 
3."Happiness"UemuraIndependent 
4."Minna ga Minna Eiyū"Makoto Shinohara  
5."Dear Mama"UemuraMoriagaro 
6."Kira Kira" (featuring Naomi Watanabe)UemuraWa to Yo 
7."My Friend"
  • Uemura
  • Kazunori Fujimoto
Original Ai 
8."The Moment" (featuring Yellow Bucks)
  • Uemura
  • Kazu Sakaguchi
Dream 
9."Life"
  • Uemura
  • Stephanie Fountain
Original Ai 
10."Last Words"UemuraOriginal Ai 
11."I Wanna Know"UemuraWhat's Goin' On Ai 
12."Voice"UemuraMoriagaro 
13."Not So Different" (remix) (featuring Awich)It's All Me, Vol. 2 
14."You Are My Star"
  • Uemura
  • Uta
Viva Ai 
15."Nemurenai Machi"UemuraThe Last Ai 
16."Believe"UemuraWhat's Goin' On Ai 
17."Music Is My Life"UemuraWa to Yo 
25th The Best - Alive – deluxe edition
No.TitleWriter(s)Original AlbumLength
1."Story"UemuraMic-a-holic Ai 
2."Aldebaran"MoriyamaDream 
3."Happiness"UemuraIndependent 
4."Minna ga Minna Eiyū"Shinohara  
5."Dear Mama"UemuraMoriagaro 
6."Kira Kira" (featuring Naomi Watanabe)UemuraWa to Yo 
7."Hanabi"UemuraMoriagaro 
8."My Friend"
  • Uemura
Original Ai 
9."The Moment" (featuring Yellow Bucks)
  • Uemura
  • Sakaguchi
Dream 
10."Fake" (featuring Namie Amuro)UemuraThe Last Ai 
11."Life"
  • Uemura
  • Fountain
Original Ai 
12."Independent Woman"UemuraIndependent 
13."World Dance" (featuring Chanmina)
Respect All 
14."In the Middle" (featuring Daichi Miura)
  • Uemura
  • Miura
  • Uta
Dream 
15."Last Words"UemuraOriginal Ai 
16."I Wanna Know"UemuraWhat's Goin' On Ai 
17."E.O"
  • Uemura
  • 2Soul
2004 Ai 
18."Voice"UemuraMoriagaro 
19."Not So Different" (remix) (featuring Awich)
  • Uemura
  • West
  • Ende
  • Storch
  • Urasaki
It's All Me, Vol. 2 
20."Respect All"
Respect All 
21."Thank U"
  • Uemura
  • Emanuel Officer
  • Carsten Lindberg
  • Joachim Svare
Original Ai 
22."Music"
  • Uemura
  • T. Kura
What's Goin' On Ai 
23."Sunshine"
  • Uemura
  • T. Kura
Mic-a-holic Ai 
24."Be with You"
  • Uemura
  • Julian Le
Dream 
25."Whatever"
  • Uemura
  • Uta
  
26."You Are My Star"
  • Uemura
  • Uta
Viva Ai 
27."Nemurenai Machi"UemuraThe Last Ai 
28."Family"
The Last Ai 
29."So Special" (Version Ai) (with Atsushi)Viva Ai 
30."Wavin' Flag (Coca Cola Celebration Mix)" (Version Ai)
The Last Ai 
31."I'll Remember You"
  • Uemura
  • Jonas Jeberg
  • Anders Bagge
  • Sylvia Bennett-Smith
  • Marc Smith
Don't Stop Ai 
32."Believe"UemuraWhat's Goin' On Ai 
33."Music Is My Life"UemuraWa to Yo 
25th The Best - Alive – limited edition DVD / Blu-ray bonus live performances from the Respect All Tour
No.TitleLength
1."Opening" 
2."Respect All" 
3."Moriagaro" 
4."Hanabi" 
5."The Moment" (featuring Yellow Bucks) 
6."Start Again" 
7."Wavin' Flag" 
8."Be with You" 
9."Dear Mama" 
10."Beautiful Things" 
11."Life Goes On" 
12."Little Hands" 
13."Nemurenai Machi" 
14."Be Brave" 
15."Story" 
16."Aldebaran" 
17."I Wanna Know" 
18."Voice" 
19."Not So Different" (remix) 
20."World Dance" 
21."Lasting Peace Song" (encore) 
22."Whatever" (encore) 
23."Minna ga Minna Eiyū" (encore) 
24."Happiness" (encore) 

Notes

  • The album's limited edition CD+DVD release consists of three discs.
  • "Respect All" interpolates Bob James' 1982 instrumental song "Shamboozie" written by James.

Release history

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Release history and formats for 25th The Best - Alive
Region Date Format(s) Version Label Ref.
Various February 26, 2025 Standard [10]
Japan CD [11]
Deluxe
Limited
CD (Amazon exclusive) Standard [12]
Deluxe
  • CD (Amazon exclusive)
  • DVD (Amazon exclusive)
Limited
  • CD (Amazon exclusive)
  • Blu-ray (Amazon exclusive)
CD (Universal Japan exclusive) Standard Universal Japan [13]
Deluxe
  • CD (Universal Japan exclusive)
  • DVD (Universal Japan exclusive)
Limited
  • CD (Universal Japan exclusive)
  • Blu-ray (Universal Japan exclusive)

References

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  1. ^ "ネスレ日本「キットカット」受験生応援CMで流れる曲は?" [What song plays in Nestlé Japan's "Kit Kat" exam support commercial?]. CDJournal (in Japanese). Retrieved December 2, 2024.
  2. ^ "AIがPUSHIMとDABO迎え新曲リリース、"とにかく大好き"な「I Wanna Know You」サンプリング(コメントあり)" [Ai releases new song with Pushim and Dabo, sampling "I Wanna Know You" which she "just loves"]. Natalie (in Japanese). July 16, 2024. Retrieved December 2, 2024.
  3. ^ "AI、デビュー25周年イヤーの新ビジュアルとロゴ公開(コメントあり)". Natalie (in Japanese). November 2, 2024. Retrieved December 2, 2024.
  4. ^ "AI デビュー25周年イヤー<25の『アイ』を届けます>企画スタート!,2025年2/26(水)に25周年記念ベストアルバム発売&ベストツアーが決定!" [Ai's 25th anniversary year "25 of Ai" project has started! 25th anniversary best album release on Wednesday, February 26, 2025 & best tour decided!]. Encore (in Japanese). December 1, 2024. Retrieved December 2, 2024.
  5. ^ "AI、<25の『アイ』を届けます>企画スタート。25周年記念ベストアルバム発売+全国ツアーなど数々の企画発表も" [Ai launches "25 of Ai" project. 25th anniversary best album release + national tour and other project announcements]. Barks (in Japanese). November 29, 2024. Retrieved December 2, 2024.
  6. ^ Atkinson, Katie (December 16, 2024). "AI Talks Collaborating With Zedd for 'Dragonball DAIMA' Ending Theme & Plans for 25th Anniversary". Billboard. Retrieved December 17, 2024.
  7. ^ "AI、デビュー25周年イヤー企画「25の『アイ』を届けます」スタート" [Ai launches 25th anniversary project "Delivering 25 'Ai' "]. Billboard Japan (in Japanese). November 29, 2024. Retrieved December 2, 2024.
  8. ^ "AI『Story』と『ハピネス』7inchアナログレコードが2025年2月26日同時発売" [Ai's "Story" and "Happiness" 7-inch analog records will be released simultaneously on February 26, 2025]. Tower Records.
  9. ^ "AI、デビュー25周年イヤー記念し"25の『アイ』を届けます"企画始動 ベスト盤&全国ツアー開催も" [Ai to celebrate 25 years since debut with project "Delivering 25 versions of 'Ai'" and holding best album and nationwide tour]. Real Sound (in Japanese). November 29, 2024. Retrieved December 2, 2024.
  10. ^ "AI 25周年記念ベストアルバム『25th THE BEST - ALIVE』2025年2月26日発売!タワレコ先着特典「ステッカーシート」" [Ai's 25th Anniversary Best Album "25th The Best - Alive" to be released on February 26, 2025! Tower Records first-come-first-served bonus "Sticker Sheet"]. Tower Records. Retrieved December 2, 2024.
  11. ^
  12. ^
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