I Am... is the fourth studio album by Japanese recording artist Ayumi Hamasaki. It was released on January 1,2002 by Avex Trax and was distributed throughout Asia in both physical and digital formats. Hamasaki enlisted long-time collaborator Max Matsuura to assist with the album's creation,and was inspired by the events of the September 11,2001 attacks to emphasise lighter themes in contrast to her previous work.
Rainbow is the fifth studio album by Japanese recording artist Ayumi Hamasaki,released on 18 December 2002 by Avex Trax. Production of Rainbow had commenced after the release of Hamasaki's fourth studio album I Am... that January;All lyrics were written by Hamasaki,and Japanese producer Max Matsuura returned to produce the album. The album was Hamasaki's first to feature conversational English lyrics,where in her previous works she had only used single words.
Memorial Address is the debut mini-album by Japanese singer Ayumi Hamasaki. Avex Trax released the album on December 17,2003,in both physical and digital formats,and it was her first physical release including a DVD due to popularity of her music videos. The mini-album contains eight songs and features a number of collaborators,including Tetsuya Yukumi,Bounceback,CMJK,and Dai Nagao,among others,with Hamasaki serving as co-composer and songwriter. Memorial Address's musical influences include dance music,electronic,R&B,rock,and alternative metal.
A Ballads is the second greatest hits album by Japanese recording artist Ayumi Hamasaki. It was released physically on March 12,2003 through Avex Trax,and digitally distributed worldwide on September 14,2006 by Avex Entertainment Inc. It is her first compilation release in two years since A Best;it premiered three months after her sixth studio album Rainbow. The compilation compiles ballad-inspired singles released by Hamasaki between 1998 and 2003,while the material is divided into new-arrangement remixes and the original versions. With all the tracks written by Hamasaki,it includes two new songs—"Rainbow",which served as the album's promotional single,and a cover version of Japanese singer Yumi Matsutoya's 1975 track "SotsugyōShashin".
"Carols" is the thirty-fourth single released by Japanese recording artist Ayumi Hamasaki. It was released on September 29,2004,by Avex Trax. It was released on the same day as her ARENA TOUR 2003~2004 A DVD. "Carols" was used as the Panasonic Digital Camera "LUMIX FX7" CM song. "Carols" is to date Hamasaki's only single to be released on the DVD-Audio and SACD formats. It was the last single to be released from her sixth studio album,My Story (2004).
Inspire is the thirty-third single released by Japanese recording artist Ayumi Hamasaki. It was released on July 28,2004,by Avex Trax. "Inspire" was used as the image song for a Fuji TV special about the Guggenheim Museum in New York as well as a tie-in for Avex auditions 2004. The B-side "Game" was used as the Panasonic 700MD CM song. This was her first release in about 4 months since her previous single,"Moments." It was released in two formats;"CD only" and "CD+DVD". The single was her last to be released in CCCD format. Both songs were featured on the album My Story,which came out in December that same year.
"Moments" is the thirty-second single released by Japanese recording artist Ayumi Hamasaki and was her first to be offered in both CD and CD+DVD versions. It was released on March 31,2004,by Avex Trax. "Moments" was the first single in 2004 released by Hamasaki and was the lead single to her sixth studio album My Story (2004). "Moments" was used as the KOSÉ"VISÉE" CM song. This work marked her sixth appearance in the NHK Kohaku Uta Gassen held later the same year.
& is an extended play by Japanese recording artist and songwriter Ayumi Hamasaki. It was released on July 9,2003,by record label Avex Trax. Hamasaki's fourth extended play,& consists of four recordings;"Ourselves","Greatful Days","Hanabi:Episode II",and "Theme of A-Nation 03",with three additional instrumentals of the first three tracks. It was released in two different formats;a stand-alone CD,and a digital EP. The artwork for the EP depicts Hamasaki posing in front of a cloudy backdrop,with the title of the work superimposed over her hair. & contains predominantly J-pop and dance music.
(Miss)understood is the seventh studio album by Japanese singer-songwriter Ayumi Hamasaki. It was released on New Year's Day 2006,by Avex Trax. Hamasaki acted as the album's sole lyricist,as she had on all of her preceding albums. (Miss)understood marked new musical directions for Hamasaki:she explored new influences such as funk and used gospel choruses in some of the songs,foreign to her previous works. This was the result of her having heard compositions by Geo from the German based pop music project Sweetbox and asking him for his works. Subsequently,Hamasaki rewrote the lyrics entirely to fit (Miss)understood. Lyrically,the album was a departure from her previous work,My Story,which had been primarily autobiographical.
"Audience" is a song by Japanese recording artist Ayumi Hamasaki from her third studio album Duty (2000). It was released as the album's fifth and final single on 1 November 2000 by Avex Trax. Hamasaki wrote the track and Max Matsuura Lewis produced it. Dai Nagao and HΛL composed both the single and album version. The single artwork was shot by Japanese photographer Toru Kumazawa and features duplicate clones of Hamasaki,resembling an audience. Musically,"Audience" is a dance–pop and disco song.
H is an EP by Japanese recording artist Ayumi Hamasaki,featuring songs later included on her fifth studio album Rainbow (2002). The EP contains the songs "Independent","July 1st" and "Hanabi",all written and co-composed by Hamasaki,alongside composer Dai Nagao and producer Max Matsuura. Hamasaki had written and recorded the three songs when she was still hurt and influenced by the events of the September 11 attacks and the completion of her fourth studio album I Am... (2002).
"Koi no Tsubomi" is a song recorded by Japanese singer Koda Kumi,serving as her 31st solo under Rhythm Zone. It was the first single to bring in the new era after Best:Second Session. The single was released in CD and CD+DVD and charted at number two on Oricon,selling over 140,000 copies in its first week and staying on the charts for 21 weeks. It became the highest selling song debut for a female artist,until Ayumi Hamasaki surpassed it with her single "Blue Bird",which came out a month later on June 21.
Secret is the eighth studio album by Japanese singer-songwriter Ayumi Hamasaki,released November 29,2006,by Avex Trax. As with all of her previous works,Hamasaki wrote all of the lyrics on Secret. The album's composition was handled largely by Dai Nagao and Tetsuya Yukumi,both of whom were frequent collaborators with Hamasaki. Generally a rock-pop influenced album,Hamasaki said that the meaning of the album was itself a secret,and that it incorporated secrets she was keeping about herself that the public did not know.
"Together When..." is a song recorded by Japanese recording artist Ayumi Hamasaki. It was released by Avex Trax on December 5,2007,and Rhythm Republic on April 9,2008 as a double A-side with one of Hamasaki's tracks "Game" as the third and final single from her ninth studio album,Guilty (2008). It was released as Hamasaki's first digital single in Japan,and was Avex Trax's first single to be distributed as a digital download only. The track was written by Hamasaki herself,while production was handled by long-time collaborator Max Matsuura. Musically,"Together When..." is a power ballad. The lyrical content is about the finishing and separation of a relationship between lovers.
Guilty is the ninth studio album by Japanese recording artist Ayumi Hamasaki. It was released on January 1,2008 by Avex Trax. Guilty marks Hamasaki's ninth consecutive album to be fully produced by Japanese producer and manager Max Matsuura,while she contributes to the album as the lead vocalist,background vocalist,and songwriter to all songs. Recorded in Japanese with minor phrases in English,Guilty is a rock album with numerous musical elements such as pop rock,heavy metal,synthrock,and power ballad melodies.
A Complete:All Singles is a greatest hits album by Japanese singer Ayumi Hamasaki. Avex Trax released it on September 10,2008 in a variety of formats,and was created to commemorate the singer's tenth anniversary since the release of her 1998 single "Poker Face". The album is divided into three sections,each highlighting a single released by Hamasaki from her debut in 1998 to her most recent single,"Talkin' 2 Myself" in 2007. Additionally,the compilation includes two new songs:the stand-alone single "Mirrorcle World" and a re-recorded version of "Who...".
"You Were..." is a song recorded by Japanese recording artist Ayumi Hamasaki,taken from her tenth studio album,Rock 'n' Roll Circus (2010). It was written by Hamasaki with production being done by long-time collaborator Max Matsuura. The song premiered on December 29,2009 as the album's second a-side single with the album track,"Ballad". Four formats were released for the single;a CD format,a CD and DVD bundle,a limited edition box set,and a digital download. The first three artworks feature Hamasaki laying in snow,whilst the limited edition box set has a long-shot of Hamasaki in a dress.
Rock 'n' Roll Circus is the eleventh studio album by Japanese recording artist Ayumi Hamasaki. It was released on April 14,2010,by Avex Trax. It was also released just a little over a year after her 2009 album,Next Level. Rock 'n' Roll Circus marks Hamasaki's eleventh consecutive album to be fully produced by Japanese producer and manager Max Matsuura,while she contributes to the album as the lead vocalist,background vocalist,and songwriter to all songs. Recorded in Japanese with minor phrases in English,Rock 'n' Roll Circus is a rock album with numerous musical elements such as electropop,J-pop,rock,pop ballad,and dance music.
Love Songs is the twelfth studio album by Japanese singer-songwriter Ayumi Hamasaki. The album was released on December 22,2010,through Avex Trax,eight months after her eleventh studio album Rock 'n' Roll Circus. A stylistic return to the aesthetic of her albums before Secret,Love Songs contains pop songs with lyrics primarily revolving around love,many of them ballads.
"Next Level" is a song recorded by Japanese recording artist and songwriter Ayumi Hamasaki taken from her tenth studio album Next Level (2009). The song was written by Hamasaki herself while the composition was by Dai Nagao and arrangement by HΛL. The song was conceived while Hamasaki was working on the studio album during her anniversary year,which was in April 2008. This year was to commemorate her ten-year anniversary since her debut single "Poker Face". "Next Level" was released as the album's lead and only promotional single on the same date as the album release digitally.
