Ayumi Hamasaki is a Japanese singer,songwriter,record producer,actress,model,spokesperson,and entrepreneur. By 2002,Hamasaki had earned the nickname "Empress of J-pop" due to her popularity in Japan and throughout Asia.
A Best is the first greatest hits album by Japanese singer-songwriter Ayumi Hamasaki. It was released on March 28,2001,by Avex Trax and Avex Music Creative Inc. Hamasaki had originally planned to release the greatest hits album after her 2002 studio album I Am...,but the idea was denied by Avex head staff. Instead,Avex released the album in 2001,which caused conflict between the label and Hamasaki. The compilation was released in two different formats including a physical and a digital release. Seven different artworks were released in several editions of the album. The album includes one new track,three re-recorded tracks,and the rest of previously released singles.
"Heaven" is the thirty-seventh single released by Ayumi Hamasaki,released on September 14,2005. "Heaven" ended up selling over 325,000 copies,making it Hamasaki's second highest-selling single of 2005 as well as her last single to date that has sold over 300,000 physical copies. "Heaven" was used as the theme of the Japanese film Shinobi Heart Under Blade,while "Will" was used in a television commercial for Panasonic.
"Step You"/"Is This Love?" is the 35th single released by Ayumi Hamasaki. It was a double a-side single released on April 20,2005. "Step You"/"Is This Love?" was the first single released by Ayumi Hamasaki in 2005. "Step you"/"is this Love?" was the best-selling solo single of 2005 by a female artist until September 2005,when Mika Nakashima's "Glamorous Sky" outsold it. The DVD featured 3 PVs,including one for "Step You","Is This Love?",and also for "My Name's Women" from Hamasaki's 2004 album,My Story. Chiharu and Etsu from TRF were featured alongside Ayu in the PV. The "My Name's Women" PV is currently the second most expensive music video by a Japanese artist,behind Hamasaki's "Fairyland" PV. To date,the single has sold over 345,000 copies,making it her best-selling single of 2005.
"Carols" is the thirty-fourth single released by Ayumi Hamasaki. It was released on September 29,2004. It became her 21st single to claim the No. 1 spot on the Oricon charts and has sold over 380,000 copies to date. 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 the album My Story.
Inspire is the thirty-third single released by Ayumi Hamasaki. It came out on July 28,2004. The single was the number-one single on the Oricon charts for that week. To date,Inspire has sold over 330,000 copies,making it Hamasaki's highest selling single of 2004. The PV for Inspire was filmed in Los Angeles,California.
"Moments" is the thirty-second single released by Ayumi Hamasaki and her nineteenth number-one single. It came out March 31,2004. "Moments" was the first single in 2004 released by Hamasaki. The single debuted at the number one spot for the daily,weekly and monthly Japanese charts and went on to sell over 310,000 copies throughout its release. "Moments" was also featured on the album My Story,which came out in December that same year.
"Surreal" is a song by Japanese recording artist Ayumi Hamasaki,taken from her third studio album Duty (2000). It was written by Hamasaki and produced by Max Matsuura. The song is a rock with elements of alternative rock. "Surreal" describes Hamasaki's madness and sense of confusion,while the themes of "Surreal" are based on Hamasaki's concept of loneliness,chaos,confusion,and the burden of her responsibilities,aimed mostly toward her public image as a recording artist. It was released as the fourth single from the album on 27 September 2000 by Avex Trax and Avex Taiwan.
(Miss)understood is the seventh studio album by Japanese singer-songwriter Ayumi Hamasaki,released January 1,2006 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 Sweetbox and asking him for his works;subsequently,Hamasaki rewrote the lyrics to fit (Miss)understood. Lyrically,the album was a departure from her previous work,My Story,which had been primarily autobiographical.
"Whatever" is a song recorded by Japanese recording artist Ayumi Hamasaki for her second studio album,Loveppears (1999). It was written by Hamasaki,while production was handled by Max Matsuura. The track is Hamasaki's sixth single with Matsuura since her debut single in April 1998,"Poker Face". "Whatever" premiered on February 10,1999 as the lead single from the album. It was re-released on February 28,2001 as a CD single.
"Boys &Girls" is a song recorded by Japanese recording artist Ayumi Hamasaki,serving as the fourth single for her second studio album,Loveppears (1999). It was released by Avex Trax in Japan and Hong Kong on July 14,1999,and through Avex USA in North America in early 2001,while being re-distributed in 2003. "Boys &Girls" marks Hamasaki's first single to be made available for purchase as a maxi single with additional remixes. The track was written by the singer herself,while production was handled by long-time collaborator Max Matsuura. Musically,the song is a dance recording,a genre that heavily influences Loveppears. The single's lyrical content is written in third-person perspective.
"Appears" is a song recorded by Japanese recording artist Ayumi Hamasaki. It was released by Avex Trax on November 10,1999 as the sixth single from her second studio album Loveppears (1999),which was released on the same day. Alongside this,it has been released in several other territories with different release dates under her Western alias Ayu. It also served as Hamasaki's first limited edition single,limiting physical sales to 300,000 copies. The track was written by Hamasaki herself,while production was handled by long-time collaborator Max Matsuura. Musically,"Appears" is a dance song written in third person perspective,and is about the third person watching what appears to be a happy and loving relationship. Upon its release,"Appears" received positive reviews from music critics. Alexey Eremenko,writing for AllMusic,selected the track as the best song from the album and her career. However,an editor from CD Journal criticized the amount of remixes on the CD single.
"Evolution" is a song recorded by Japanese recording artist and lyricist Ayumi Hamasaki,released on January 31,2001,as the second single from her fourth studio album I Am... (2002).
"Blue Bird" is the 40th single released by Ayumi Hamasaki. It was released on June 21,2006. "Blue Bird" was Hamasaki's 15th consecutive single to top the Oricon and 27th #1 single in total. Initially planned to be a triple A-side single,it features two new songs,"Blue Bird" and "Beautiful Fighters". "Blue Bird" was the CM song for Zespri Gold Kiwifruit while "Beautiful Fighters" is featured on a Panasonic D-snap and D-dock commercial. A rearrangement of "Ladies Night",featured in her (Miss)understood album,called "Ladies Night " is also featured on this single. A trance remix to "Blue Bird" is also on the single. On her official website,she describes "Blue Bird" as being a summer song,and "Beautiful Fighters" as being a song praising women.
"Glitter"/"Fated" is the forty-first single by Japanese pop singer Ayumi Hamasaki,released on July 18,2007. "Glitter"/"Fated" was Hamasaki's first single of 2007 and first single in over a year,since the release of "Blue Bird" in June 2006.
"Talkin' 2 Myself" is J-Pop singer-songwriter Ayumi Hamasaki's 42nd single,which was released on September 19,2007. The single contains two rock tracks,one acoustic orchestra remix of her previously released "Fated",and the instrumentals of the main tracks. It is her 29th #1 single,breaking her own record for the most #1 singles by a solo female artist. The drums in both Talkin' 2 Myself and Decision are played by Andy Selway from the band KMFDM.
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.
"Mirrorcle World" is the forty-third physical single and forty-fourth single overall by Japanese singer Ayumi Hamasaki. The title track is an extended version of the song "Mirror," a two-minute introductory track on Hamasaki's ninth studio album,Guilty. The single was released on April 8,2008,exactly ten years after her debut single,"Poker Face";the single features two new recordings of her second and fifth singles,both released in 1998,"You" and "Depend on You," respectively.
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.
Made in Japan is the seventeenth studio album by Japanese recording artist Ayumi Hamasaki. It initially debuted on the streaming service AWA Japan on May 11,2016,before receiving a physical and digital release on June 29,2016. It is Hamasaki's seventeenth consecutive studio album,since her debut album A Song for ×× (1999),to be fully written by her and produced by Japanese musician Max Matsuura. Musically,the album encompasses a variety of genres including hard rock,ballad,and electronic dance music.
