A Song for ××
A Song for ×× (the "××" is silent) is the major-label debut album and second album overall by Japanese pop artist Ayumi Hamasaki, released January 1, 1999 by Avex Trax. Primarily a rock-pop album, it features musical composition and arrangements by Yasuhiko Hoshino, Mitsuru Igarashi, and others. Hamasaki acted as the album's sole lyricist, a notable feat for a pop artist her age at the time.
"Poker Face" was released as the album's lead single on April 8, 1998. Entering the Oricon chart at number twenty, it became her first charting single. Four further singles were released to promote A Song for ××: "You", "Trust", "For My Dear...", and Depend on You". All of them were top twenty hits in Japan, with the latter three reaching the top ten.
The album debuted atop the Oricon Charts with first week sales of 548,210 copies; it topped the chart for five weeks, a remarkable feat for a debut album. Its high first week sales were partly due to its debut sales being the first and second week sales combined (Oricon only has 51 weeks instead of 52). The album charted for 63 weeks and was certified Million by the Recording Industry Association of Japan for shipments exceeding one million copies in the country. As of 2008, A Song for ×× is Japan's 139th best selling album of all time.
A Song for Chi
"A Song for Chi" is an instrumental alternative metal song recorded by several high profile rock and metal musicians to raise money for poet and Deftones bassist Chi Cheng, who was severely injured in a car crash in Santa Clara, California on November 4, 2008 All profits from the song went directly to Cheng and his family for the purpose of paying for his medical care. Cheng died in April 2013.
