Ayumi Hamasaki (浜崎あゆみ, Hamasaki Ayumi; born October 2, 1978) is a Japanese singer-songwriter and producer. Nicknamed the "Empress of Pop" on account of her influence throughout Asia, she is widely recognized for her versatile music production, songwriting, and live performances. Hamasaki is the best-selling solo artist in Japan, and a cultural icon of the Heisei era.
Born and raised in Fukuoka, Hamasaki moved to Tokyo in 1993 to pursue a career in modeling and acting. In 1998, Hamasaki released her debut single "Poker Face" and debut major-label album A Song for ××. The album debuted at the top of the Oricon charts and remained there for five weeks, selling over a million copies. This rapid rise to fame was attributed to her lyrics, listeners praising her insight and relatability. Her next ten albums shipped over a million copies in Japan, with her third, Duty, selling nearly three million. A Best, her first compilation album, further established her position as a crowning artist with more than four million copies sold in Japan. It was at this time that she represented more than 40% of her record label's income.
After A Best, Hamasaki went on to experiment with her music style and lyricism, incorporating English into her work from Rainbow onwards. Later albums would range from electronic dream-pop to rock genres, the singer commenting that she focuses on what she wants to create "whether it is trendy or not". Hamasaki currently holds the record for the most albums to place in the top ten by a female artist in Japan.
Hamasaki has sold over fifty million units in Japan, and has several domestic record achievements for her singles: the most number-one hits by a female artist (38); the most consecutive number-one hits by a solo artist (25), and the most million-sellers. From 1999 to 2010, Hamasaki had at least two singles each year topping the charts. Hamasaki is also the first female recording artist to have ten studio albums since her debut to top the Oricon, and the first artist to have a number one album for thirteen consecutive years since debut. Hamasaki's remix albums Super Eurobeat Presents Ayu-ro Mix and Ayu-mi-x II Version Non-Stop Mega Mix, are also recognized as two of the best selling remix albums of all time worldwide.
Life and career
1978–1997: Childhood and early endeavors
Born in Fukuoka, Fukuoka Prefecture, Hamasaki was raised as an only child by her mother and grandmother. At age seven, while in elementary school, Hamasaki began modeling for local institutions to supplement the family's income. She continued this career path by moving to Tokyo alone at fourteen, signing as a model under the SOS talent agency. Under the name "Ayumi", Hamasaki released a rap EP, Nothing from Nothing, on the Nippon Columbia label in 1995. After her mother moved to Tokyo, Hamasaki began attending Horikoshi Gakuen, as well as taking on acting work in movies and television dramas. From August 1995 to March 1996, Hamasaki co-hosted the SoundLink show Hōkago no Ōsama (After-School King) for Nintendo Satellaview with Shigeru Izumiya.
Hamasaki struggled to adjust to student life, and described living aimlessly after dropping out in tenth grade. It was during this time that she was introduced to Max Matsuura through an acquaintance, who offered her a record deal after hearing her sing at the Velfarre nightclub. Hamasaki suspected ulterior motives and turned the offer down, saying later "I'd never heard of Avex. When he asked if I wanted to pursue a singing career, I said, 'No way.' He was this older guy, and I thought the whole thing sounded fishy."
Matsuura persisted, and Hamasaki eventually agreed to take voice lessons in 1996, most of which she would end up skipping due to reminding her of school. When Matsuura found out, he offered to send her abroad for one-to-one training instead. "I thought he was kidding," Ayu said later of this time. "I mean, I was seventeen." Hamasaki stayed in New York for three months, corresponding frequently with Matsuura. Due to difficulties voicing her thoughts, that correspondence was usually through letter; impressed by her writing style, the producer asked her to try her hand at lyrics while they prepared for her debut through 1997. "No one had ever asked anything of me before, or expected anything," the singer said later. "He's the one who found me and drew me out."
1998–1999: Musical beginnings, A Song for xx, and Loveppears
Hamasaki made her debut on April 8, 1998 with the single "Poker Face". Almost a year later, the singer released her debut studio album A Song for ××; it was an unprecedented success, topping the Oricon charts for five weeks and selling over a million copies. Later in 1999, she received the Japan Gold Disc Award for "Best New Artist of the Year".
Ayu-mi-x (March 1999), the first of a series of remix albums, signaled Hamasaki moving beyond the pop-rock sound of A Song for ××. She began to experiment with musical style in her singles, releasing remixes which spanned reggae and house. Later singles became milestones: Hamasaki earned her first number-one single ("Love: Destiny") and first million-selling single ("A"). Her second studio album, Loveppears (November 1999), topped the Oricon charts and sold nearly 3 million copies. In support of Loveppears, she held her first tour: Ayumi Hamasaki Concert Tour 2000 A. Two DVDs of the tour were released: Ayumi Hamasaki Concert Tour 2000 Vol. 1 on September 13, and Ayumi Hamasaki Concert Tour 2000 Vol. 2 on September 27, 2000.
2000–2002: Duty, A Best, I Am..., and Rainbow
From April to June 2000, Hamasaki released the "despair trilogy": "Vogue", "Far Away", and "Seasons". Her subsequent studio album, Duty, reflected on the artist's feelings of loneliness, chaos, confusion, and the burden of responsibility; it resonated with fans, and became Hamasaki's best-selling studio album. At the end of 2000, Hamasaki held her first New Year countdown concert at the Yoyogi National Gymnasium.
In 2001, Hamasaki released her first compilation album, A Best. In support of Duty and A Best, Hamasaki held a tour of Japan's domes.
In 2002, the singer released her fourth studio album, I Am..., which featured her own compositions under the pseudonym "Crea". In light of the September 11 attacks, Hamasaki revised her vision of the album, focusing on issues such as faith and world peace. "A Song Is Born", a duet with Keiko Yamada, was released as part of Avex's Song Nation project. She also changed her idea for the album cover, opting instead to be portrayed as a "peace muse": I had a completely different idea for the cover at first. We'd already reserved the space, decided the hair and makeup and everything. But after the incident, as is typical of me, I suddenly changed my mind. I knew it wasn't the time for gaudiness, for elaborate sets and costumes. It sounds odd coming from me, but I realize what I say and how I look has a great impact. In support of I Am..., Hamasaki held two tours: Ayumi Hamasaki Arena Tour 2002 A, and Ayumi Hamasaki Stadium Tour 2002 A. Live albums of both tours were released in 2003. Later that year, Hamasaki performed at the MTV Asia music awards ceremony in Singapore, and received the award for "Most Influential Japanese Singer in Asia". In November she released her first European single, "Connected", under the name "Ayu". It was released in Germany on the Drizzly label. Hamasaki continued to release singles in Germany until 2005.
The singles "Free & Easy". "H", and "Voyage" were released ahead of Hamasaki's next studio album, Rainbow (December 2002).
2003–2006: My Story, (Miss)Understood, and Secret
In 2003, Hamasaki released three singles, "&", "Forgiveness", and "No Way to Say". The singer then held the A Museum concert at the Yoyogi National Gymnasium. The singer's next release, the EP Memorial Address, topped the Oricon chart and sold over a million copies. Despite this, sales of Hamasaki's singles began to wane — although all three of the album's singles topped the Oricon charts, "&" was Hamasaki's last single to sell over 500,000 copies. By the end of Arena Tour 2003–2004, Hamasaki had grown disillusioned with her position in Avex. This period of reassessment led her to begin work on her next studio album, My Story, ahead of schedule.
My Story and its singles, "Moments", "Inspire", and "Carols", all topped the weekly Oricon charts; moreover, with sales of over 1,100,000 units, My Story became Hamasaki's last million-selling studio album according to Oricon. From January to April 2005, Hamasaki held the nationwide Ayumi Hamasaki Arena Tour 2005 A: My Story tour. My Story Classical, a classical version of My Story, was released in March 2005.
(Miss)understood, Hamasaki's seventh studio album, was released in January 2006. In support of the album, Hamasaki held the Ayumi Hamasaki Arena Tour 2006 A tour, which spanned three months with thirty concerts.
"Startin'", Hamasaki's twenty-sixth number-one single, was released in March 2006. The subsequent studio album, Secret, was released in November 2006.
2007–2008: A Best 2, Guilty, and A Complete
In February 2007, Hamasaki released A Best 2. The two versions, White and Black, debuted at the first and second positions on the Oricon weekly charts. Tour of Secret was then held from March to the end of June.
Hamasaki released "Glitter/Fated", "Talkin' 2 Myself", and "Together When..." ahead of her ninth studio album, Guilty, released in January 2008. In April, Hamasaki released the single "Mirrorcle World" to commemorate her tenth anniversary since debut. Between April and September 2008, Hamasaki held her second tour of Asia: Asia Tour 2008: 10th Anniversary. On September 10, Hamasaki released A Complete: All Singles.
2009–2011: Next Level, Rock 'n' Roll Circus, Love Songs, and Five
Hamasaki's next two releases, "Days/Green" and "Rule/Sparkle", continued her streak of number-one singles. The subsequent studio album, Next Level, was released on March 25, 2009. Next Level reached the top of the Oricon charts, making Hamasaki the only artist to have a number-one album every year for eleven years in a row since her debut. On August 12, 2009, Hamasaki released "Sunrise/Sunset (Love Is All)". "Sunrise (Love Is All)" was used as the theme song for the Japanese television drama Dandy Daddy?. Hamasaki's third single of the year, "You Were.../Ballad", was used for Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure in Japan.
Hamasaki's eleventh studio album Rock 'n' Roll Circus was released on April 14, 2010. Hamasaki also began expanding her online presence, setting up accounts on MySpace, Ustream, and Twitter. In July, entertainment company Livespire announced that Hamasaki's 2009 Next Level tour would be shown in 3D at Toho cinemas nationwide during August 2010. Later that year, Hamasaki released singles "Moon/Blossom", "Crossroad", and "L". On December 22, Hamasaki released Love Songs, which debuted atop the Oricon album chart.
In February 2011, it was announced that her upcoming tour, Hotel Love Songs, would start in April. It was later renamed to Power of Music and delayed until late May due to the Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami disaster, Hamasaki instead focusing on charity efforts in the immediate aftermath.
On April 20, 2011, Hamasaki simultaneously released four Ayu-mi-x 7 remix albums: House, Acoustic Orchestra, Trance 4, and Ayu-ro Mix 4. On the same day, 2010 Rock 'n' Roll Circus Tour and A 50 Singles: Live Selection topped the weekly chart at number one and two respectively. The simultaneous releases made Hamasaki the first artist ever to have four albums in Oricon's top ten, and also the first artist to hold the two top positions on the Oricon DVD chart.
On August 31, Hamasaki released her second mini album: Five. It topped the Oricon chart for two weeks.
2012–2013: 15th anniversary, Party Queen, Love again, and A Summer Best
On March 21, Hamasaki released her thirteenth studio album, Party Queen. During the press tour, Hamasaki would say that she had considered making the release her first double album due to "how easy" songwriting had been during production.
On August 6, 2012, Hamasaki released her sixth compilation album A Summer Best. In September, it was announced that there would be new material for five consecutive months to celebrate the artist's fifteenth anniversary; these releases consisted of Love, Again, A Classical, Love Again, and Arena Tour 2012 A: Hotel Love Songs.
In April 2013, Hamasaki began the 15th Anniversary Tour: A Best Live tour. Its setlist, selected by an online fan survey, was later released as her first live CD.
2014–2015: Colours, A One, and Sixxxxxx
From May 30 to July 6, 2014, Hamasaki held her Premium Showcase: Feel the Love tour. Hamasaki's fifteenth studio album, entitled Colours, was released on July 2, 2014; recorded in Los Angeles, it was the sole project the singer worked on entirely in the United States. Of its creative direction, Hamasaki said: "Now that I'm living in L.A., I thought 'I want to do work I could only do in L.A'... I was very proactive about it."
A One, Hamasaki's sixteenth studio album, was released on April 8, 2015; during its press tour, the singer described the album as a return to "the 'Ayumi Hamasaki' of the past". Between April and July 2015, Hamasaki embarked on her Arena Tour 2015 A: Cirque de Minuit tour, followed by the release of Sixxxxxx, her sixth EP. To promote the release, Hamasaki held her first fan club exclusive tour in twelve years. On December 23, 2015, Hamasaki released Winter Diary: A7 Classical.
2016–2020: Made in Japan, 20th anniversary, Trouble
A 15th anniversary edition of A Best was released on March 28, 2016. In May 2016, Hamasaki began the Arena Tour 2016 A: Made in Japan tour.
On May 11, 2016, Made in Japan was released on the streaming platform AWA. A year later in May 2017, Hamasaki embarked on her Just the Beginning Tour 2017 tour. The second part of the tour, Just the Beginning Part 2: Sacrifice, was held between September and November. On September 6, Hamasaki released "Words" as a free download for tour attendees. The third chapter of the tour was held in December 2017 through February 2018.
The Power of Music: 20th Anniversary tour ran from April 7 to July 22, 2018. Trouble, her seventh EP, was released on August 15, 2018. In October, Hamasaki began the Ayumi Hamasaki Live Tour: Trouble 2018–2019 tour, which was then extended from May 2019 into Trouble Tour 2019–2020: Misunderstood. In between, Hamasaki held her annual New Year's Eve concert: Countdown Live 2019–2020: Promised Land.
In February 2020, the singer began her Trouble Tour 2020: Saigo no Trouble tour; it was later canceled after two dates due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In response, Hamasaki organized and took part in multiple online concerts: Premium Limited Live A: Natsu no Trouble on July 25, A-Nation Online 2020 on August 29, Trouble Tour 2020: Saigo no Trouble – Final on October 2, and Special Showcase Xmas Eve 2020 on December 24. Countdown Live 2020–2021 A: Music For Life, two concerts for December 30 and 31, was canceled on December 29 due to a member of staff testing positive with COVID-19. Two singles, "Ohia no Ki" and "Dreamed a Dream", were released in July 2020.
2021–2022: A Ballads 2
Hamasaki released the compilation album A Ballads 2, which peaked at number three in the Oricon top ten, and single "23rd Monster" on April 8, 2021.
In June 2021, Hamasaki held Music for Life: Return, which used some of the concept and setlist initially planned for the canceled Countdown Live 2020 – 2021: Music For Life concert. Summer Party 2021 was held on August 23. Hamasaki then embarked on Asia Tour 2021–2022 A: 23rd Monster from October 2; despite the name, there were no confirmed dates outside of Japan due to COVID-19 restrictions.
On November 4, it was reported that Hamasaki had fractured her ankle but that her concerts later that week would still be held. On November 6, the artist was found unresponsive after that evening's event, and was hospitalized for anaphylactic shock. Hamasaki returned to work on November 13 for 17LIVE 4th Anniversary meets Ayumi Hamasaki, and later had surgery for her ankle on November 16. At the end of the year, her Countdown Live 2021 – 2022 A: 23rd Monster concerts were held in Tokyo along with a livestream on dTV.
Hamasaki held an anniversary concert titled Asia Tour: 24th Anniversary Special on April 6, 2022, and toured July through August for Summer TA Party 2022. After announcing that work had begun on an upcoming studio album, singles "Nonfiction", "Summer Again", and "Mask" were released, each debuting in the top five of the Oricon Daily Digital Singles Chart.
The final show for Asia Tour 2021–2022 A: 23rd Monster took place on December 10, 2022, in Nagoya. Countdown Live 2022–2023: Remember You was held on December 30 and 31 at Yoyogi National Stadium. It marked the singer's twentieth new year concert ahead of her 25th anniversary since debut.
2023: 25th anniversary, Remember You
On January 25, Hamasaki released her eighteenth studio album: Remember You. The album's subsequent performance earned her the distinction of becoming the female artist with the most albums to reach the top ten on the Oricon charts.
On March 28, Hamasaki was announced as a brand ambassador for Rhythm Co. Ltd. When asked about her 25th anniversary, the singer said: "I couldn't do all of this alone for 25 years, if I'd only done it for myself. I want to repay the people who took care of me. (...) I don't really feel like celebrating myself at all." The singer held her 25th Anniversary Live concert on April 8 alongside a livestream hosted by Abema. From April 7, the 25th Anniversary Shibuya109 Campaign took place to celebrate Hamasaki's milestone year.
On July 8, Hamasaki began her 25th Anniversary Tour, announcing three different acts that ran until March 2024. The scheduled dates included locations in all 47 prefectures of Japan, a first for the singer; Hamasaki would say later that this came from a wish to "see all of Team Ayu" for her 25th anniversary. Hamasaki's new year concert, Countdown Live 2023–2024: A Complete 25, took place later that year at Yoyogi Stadium on December 30–31. A livestream of the final date was broadcast by Abema.
2024–present: I am Ayu
In March 2024, Hamasaki released a cover of Miyuki Nakajima's "Jidai" as the theme song for Banpaku no Taiyo. In April, "Bye-Bye" was used as the April–May theme for Minna no Uta, becoming Hamasaki's first contribution to the program. On May 21, "Aurora" received a limited release as the theme for Azur Lane's seventh anniversary; it was released internationally on June 26.
On September 1, Hamasaki performed on the main stage at A-Nation 2024. Other performers included Koda Kumi, Red Velvet, and TRF. From September 2 to October 2, Hamasaki embarked on the TA Limited: Thank U Tour, holding seven concerts across four locations in Japan. Hamasaki's third tour of Asia, the I Am Ayu Tour, began in Shanghai on November 1, and included dates for her annual Countdown Live concerts in Tokyo.
On April 8, 2025, the Asia Tour 2025: I Am Ayu Ep. II tour began in Tokyo, Japan. "Mimosa" was released on the same day to commemorate the singer's 27th anniversary, and was used for the third season of Second to Last Love. On April 15, Hamasaki received the Best Artist award during the 2025 Weibo Culture Exchange Night. An NHK special, titled NHK Songs Ayumi Hamasaki, aired on June 26. It consisted of a long-form interview held by Yo Oizumi, behind the scenes clips and interviews from the singer's Hong Kong concert earlier that same month, and performances of "Inspire", "Mirrorcle World", and "Mimosa". On August 31, Hamasaki performed at A Nation 2025, her set ending with a group showcase of "Wow War Tonight" alongside artists including Hey! Say! JUMP, Da-ice, and TRF. She finished the year with Countdown Live 2025-2026 A: We are Ayu, holding concert dates on December 30 and 31.
A tour of Japan was announced on January 21, 2026, titled Japan Tour 2026 A: Scapegoat. It will run from April 8 until November 27, 2026.
Artistry
Lyrics
Having trouble voicing her thoughts out loud, Hamasaki began writing as an outlet; she draws inspiration from her own experiences and emotions, as well as from the lives of those around her. She has stated that honesty is essential to her lyrics, saying, "If I write when I'm low, it will be a dark song, but I don't care. I want to be honest with myself at all times".