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 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.
"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.
& is an extended play by Japanese recording artist and songwriter Ayumi Hamasaki. It was released on 9 July 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,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.
A is an extended play (EP) by Japanese recording artist Ayumi Hamasaki. It was released by Avex Trax in Japan and Hong Kong on August 11,1999,in 10 different editions,and through Avex Entertainment Inc. worldwide in September 2008. It additionally served as a single from her second studio album Loveppears (1999),and is her first single marketed as an EP. The 12-track EP contains four new original songs:"Monochrome","Too Late","Trauma",and "End Roll",and eight remixes. All songs were written by Hamasaki,while production was handled by long-time collaborator Max Matsuura.
"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.
"M" is a song written by Japanese singer Ayumi Hamasaki from her album I Am... (2002). The lead single from the album and Hamasaki's nineteenth overall,"M" marked Hamasaki's increased creative control over her music,as it was the first song she composed,under the pseudonym "CREA".
"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.
"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.
"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.
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.
"Fairyland" is the 36th single released by Ayumi Hamasaki. It was released on August 3,2005. It instantly shot to #1 on the Oricon charts where it stayed for the entire week. After one week of sales,"Fairyland" sold over 172,000 copies,the most any of Hamasaki's singles sold in one week in 2005. "Fairyland" is also Hamasaki's first single that featured different covers for both the CD and the CD+DVD.
