Ayumi Hamasaki is a Japanese singer, songwriter, record producer, actress, model, spokesperson, and entrepreneur. Through her entire career, she has written all her lyrical content, and has sometimes composed her music.
Duty is the third studio album by Japanese recording artist Ayumi Hamasaki. It was released on September 27, 2000 by Avex Trax. Duty is Hamasaki's first studio album inside the 2000 decade, and her third consecutive studio album to be fully produced by Japanese musician and businessman Max Matsuura. The album's composing and arrangement was handled by several music collaborators, such as Ken Harada, Kazuhito Kikuchi, Dai Nagao, HΛL, among many others. Hamasaki contributed to the album as the primary and background vocalist, and songwriter to every song. Three different formats were released to promote the album: a standalone CD, a limited edition Playbutton, and a digital download. The cover sleeve has Hamasaki wearing a leopard-print cat suit.
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.
& 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.
"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.
"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).
"Daybreak" is a song recorded by Japanese recording artist and lyricist Ayumi Hamasaki, released on March 6, 2002 as the eighth and final single on her fourth studio album I am.... Influenced by the recent events off the September 11 attacks in New York City and Washington D.C. in North America, Hamasaki sought a new inspiration for her then-forthcoming album; instead off writing songs about confusion, loneliness and love like her previous efforts, she was encouraged to engage in more peaceful and worldly themes. This resulted in several songs on I Am..., including "Daybreak".
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).
Japanese singer Ayumi Hamasaki has released seventeen studio albums, five compilation albums, twenty-six remix albums, four live albums and numerous singles and promotional singles. She debuted in 1995 under Nippon Columbia with the stage name Ayumi, releasing an extended play Nothing from Nothing, which was a collaboration with Dohzi-T and DJ Bass. Three years later, Hamasaki debuted again as a singer under Avex Trax with the single "Poker Face" (1998). Her first album A Song for ×× (1999) debuted at number one on Oricon's albums chart, and sold over 1.4 million copies.
The Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ) is an industry trade group composed of Japanese corporations involved in the music industry. It was founded in 1942 as the Japan Phonogram Record Cultural Association, and adopted its current name in 1969.
"Connected" is a song recorded by Japanese recording artist and lyricist Ayumi Hamasaki for her fourth studio album I Am..., released on January 1, 2002. The song was written by Hamasaki herself while it was produced by Dutch disc jockey Ferry Corsten. The song was first conceived when Corsten had developed a track in Europe entitled "The Lots of Love". Despite him playing it at several events and shows throughout Europe, he did not release the track. After this, Hamasaki and Corsten had started to collaborate and the pair had changed and used the finishing result to create "Connected".
"Flavor of Life" is Hikaru Utada's 18th Japanese single. The physical single was officially released on February 28, 2007.
"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.
"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.
"Progress" is a song by Japanese musician Ayumi Hamasaki. It was one of the promotional tracks from her third extended play Five, released on August 31, 2011. The song was used as the theme song for the PlayStation 3 role-playing game Tales of Xillia, the thirteenth main entry in the Tales series. The song was a commercial success, certified gold by the RIAJ.
Japanese musician Ayumi Hamasaki has released more than 100 music videos since her debut in 1998, creating works for songs she has released as singles, as well as songs found exclusively on albums. Hamasaki has released 37 video albums, including 27 concert footage releases. Many of these have been successful, debuting at number one in Japan or Taiwan, while several have been certified gold by the RIAJ: Complete Live Box A (2003), A Museum: 30th Single Collection Live (2004), Arena Tour 2005 A: My Story (2005) and Arena Tour 2006 A: (Miss)understood (2006). Most of these concerts feature footage from her arena tours in Japan, or from her annual Countdown Live New Year's events. Her Tour of Secret video album featured footage from her concerts in Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Shanghai in 2007, while her Ayumi Hamasaki Asia Tour 2008: 10th Anniversary concert recording was filmed exclusively in Taipei, Taiwan.
"You & Me" is a song by Japanese musician Ayumi Hamasaki. It was the leading promotional track from her summer song compilation album A Summer Best, released on August 8, 2012. The song was a commercial success, certified gold by the RIAJ, and became a part of the track list for Hamasaki's 14th studio album, Love Again (2013).
