NEXT LEVEL was Ayumi Hamasaki’s 10th studio album. It was released on March 25, 2009 and reached no. 1 on the Oricon Charts with 240,810 copies sold. This is her lowest first week sales of any studio album but with physical sales declining and digital sales increasing it’s to be expected. This album was released in 4 versions, a CD edition, CD+DVD edition, 2CD+DVD edition, and a 2GB USB flash drive.

Tracks:
1. Bridge to the sky
2. NEXT LEVEL
3. Disco-munication
4. EnergizE
5. Sparkle
6. rollin’
7. GREEN
8. Load of the SHUGYO
9. identity
10. Rule
11. LOVE ‘n’ HATE
12. Pieces of SEVEN
13. Days
14. Curtain call

Review:
It’s no surprise that opening the album is the heavenly introduction entitled Bridge to the sky.It’s a short intro that’s heavenly and ethereal, very calming altogether. The elegant synth riffs and electronic distortions really go well together, creating an up-tempo musical sensation. A magical opening that sets the beginning tone.

Following a magical intro is the title track NEXT LEVEL. The music surprisingly follows the intro in terms of genre and style. It’s up-tempo and up-beat not to mention just plain fun. The music is a mixture of up-tempo synth and electronic beats, and the occasional light percussion and guitar. This time around Ayu’s vocals aren’t as beautiful but they certainly sound refreshing compared to her muffled and distorted vocals, they’re reminiscent of BLUE BIRD actually. The music moved pretty quickly overall and the transitions were excellent. The chorus was pure bliss. It’s catchy, innocent, and flawless. This is one of her best title tracks in years.

Things take somewhat of an odd turn with the interlude Disco-munication. There’s nothing really exciting about this either. It’s just synth and heavy electronic distortions. I wasn’t all that crazy about the ad-libbing either. The only remotely good thing about this song is that sets the tone for the next section of the album.

The thumping beats and electronic beats really turned me off to EnergizE. It didn’t sound all that great and then Ayu’s English finished it seemingly. But I gave the song another listen and eventually the beats and heavy techno music began to grow on me. But despite the more than mediocre verses, the chorus turned out to be an explosive ride. It’s energetic, go figure, infectious and the rhythm is catchy. The slight rock elements were really great too, they probably made the song, the English lines didn’t.

The aggressive synth-techno Sparkle makes it’s mark on the album. This was perhaps Ayu’s first techno /electronic song. It’s by far one of the greatest tracks on the album. The aggressive techno beats, heavy synth music, and loud vocals really make this one of her most memorable songs in ages. Not only that but Ayu decided to tackle a different topic lyric wise. And like most of her songs it’s extremely infectious and catchy! Great rhythm and melody overall. And the PV which was released with the album was pure sex, well it was just that good.

I’m not exactly sure what Ayu was thinking when she wrote rollin’. The opening is a bit reminiscent of the carnival with the ominous music. Then the dead silence for a few seconds followed by the electronic beats? But what was the worst out of all of that was the distorted vocals. Can you say vocoder? Afterwards it did get better for the a while it sounded to boring. Things really didn’t get excited until the chorus. Things began to pickup and get a little more aggressive, music and speed wise. There were still some rock elements but most of the music was techno, not all that memorable sadly.

Luckily GREEN shows up in time to save the album from the horrendous display of techno. This is probably the oldest song on the album since it was part of the Panasonic CM back in August. It’s nostalgic in a sense with the epic oriental strings and the modern guitar riffs. The climax is the epitome of epic and regal music. It really blows most of the songs on the album away with it’s simple yet stylistic melody. And besides being a little nostalgic and oriental it does hold its own memorability wise.

Yet another interlude appears on this album. Load of the SHUGYO really made a lot of people question Ayu’s sanity on some level. I mean the name is so odd and weird that you can’t help but ask WTF??? In all seriousness though it does work as an interlude. The panting and the use of the electronic beats and techno music does prove to work. And the guitar riffs during the middle were genius, I still prefer the opening intro though.

The new identity appears after this interlude, and the interlude has done its job. You go from traditional oriental rock to aggressive punk rock. This song is more rock than anything, including techno thank god. I can’t really say much about Ayu’s vocals. I mean there was some variety but there was hardly any emotion at all. The only memorable part of this song was the chorus, which featured those same guitar riffs and some roaring instrumentals, and the wind, channeling decision to some extent are we? The whole “ID ID ID” part wasn’t all that impressive either. Such a flop.

Edginess, FIERCE, and aggressive!!! After mediocrity the album gets a well needed face lift with Rule. This will probably becomes Ayu’s biggest song outside of Japan thanks to the Dragonball movie, set to be released in April. The signature of this song is by far the muffled vocals and raging guitar riffs, and maybe even the percussion. It’s more aggressive yet by far more catchier than some of her previous songs.

Besides thinking that my computer started to lag LOVE ‘n’ HATE is really quite different. It’s a typical Ayu song but this time it’s a bit better. Besides just having average mundane guitar riffs this song utilizes the strings and various techno beats, giving it a unique sound. Although the melody is repetitive and the music isn’t all that great the song does remain catchy to some degree. The only bad part was that after the “1, 2, 3, 4…0” I was waiting for the song to pickup and become catchy, little did I know that that was the end of the chorus sadly. But I have to admit that during the bridge things got really good, it’s the only thing that saved this song.

The final interlude on this album is Pieces of SEVEN. I have to say that despite only have 6 new songs perhaps it’s best that this is an interlude. You’re going from rock to essentially ballads, and that always needs some sort of transition. That’s basically what this interlude is. It might be over two minutes long but it does a great job. The music is a little mysterious with the electronic and synth beats but with the panpipes I believe. And then suddenly after 40 seconds the song takes on a more majestic and angelic feel with the keyboard chords. But then the last minute of this interlude is just aggressive house and techno music with some guitars in the background.

Another of of Ayu’s glorious, heartfelt ballads follows. Days is still a favorite of mine today. The epic use of the strings and the guitar riffs really work well together to create a symphonic euphoria. The vocals are incredible and pure emotion. The lyrics are heartfelt and rather sad yet impressive and beautiful altogether. So touching and yet filled with so much sorrow.

The final song on this album happens to be Curtain call. First off it’s not hard to see that it’s a ballad. But unlike most ballads this one differs completely from the style. The arrangement is completely different. It’s slower paced and only features one instrumental, the piano, until the chorus. Again Ayu shows how gifted she is vocally with her lovely vocals that are strong. Honestly it was a bit boring during the first half, but afterwards it developed more emotion with a few more instrumentals as well as the the added background vocals, which made is sound a little choir gathering. I can say that it’s a wonderful song, but I just don’t think it’s all that memorable.

Overall Review: NEXT LEVEL was a new take on techno & electronica! I can honestly say that to some extent Ayu has taken her music to the NEXT LEVEL. She’s finally tackled the techno and electronic genre after many years of simple pop. I can say that after her rock inspired GUILTY it’s a nice change, although I still loved how she included a few rock songs. Honestly this album isn’t what I expected. I really wanted to hear some strong album tracks, and honestly the only one that was remotely strong was perhaps the title track NEXT LEVEL which actually had a PV, pity that it’s so soft though. Thank god for the interludes which were essential for the flow and transition. I was really expecting something amazing and explosive but all I got was a work of mediocrity. I guess after the excitement of the singles I got my hopes up too much. Sadly both GREEN and Days felt so out of place, I mean they were nothing like the the album’s new genre and style. Perhaps if there had been more stronger songs it would have been better. What a step down from GUILTY.

Final Grade

I am… was Ayumi Hamasaki’s 4th studio album. It was released on January 1, 2002 and reached no. 1 on the Oricon Charts with 1,751,360 copies sold. In all this album has sold over 2,308,112+ copies in Japan, while worldwide sales are over 3,750,000 copies, making it her best foreign selling album. I am… also marked a new era in not only her singles but in her albums. Her albums from this point would have a lighter tone and would be full of happiness. Time for some background information. You will also notice the dove in almost all the pictures in the booklet for this album, that is because the dove is representing peace. Ayumi was shocked and horrified at the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks and put the dove into the album respectfully to symbolize peace. And many of the songs from this album talk about love or friendship, but they all carry a happy tone. This album was also no. 2 on the yearly charts behind Utada Hikaru’s Deep River.

Tracks:
1. I am…
2. opening Run
3. Connected
4. UNITE!
5. evolution
6. Naturally
7. NEVER EVER
8. still alone
9. Daybreak
10. taskinlude
11. M
12. a song is born
13. Dearest
14. no more words
15. Endless sorrow ~gone with the wind ver.~

Review:
Opening her album is the title track I am… Most of her title tracks are lacking in more than one way so I was shocked at how good this song was. It’s certainly not all that catchy at first but it grows on you. However despite it not being so catchy, it’s pretty smooth rock. The consistent percussion along with the steady guitar riffs make for a great and powerful combination. The verses really aren’t all that special, they sound mediocre at best but the chorus flat out rocks. I guess it’s because the music sounds so repetitive. However during the chorus there’s a lot of power in Ayu’s vocals and the music is actually catchy, instead of mid-tempo and drab like in the verses. It’s by far the best part of the song. I particularlly loved the beginning as it was just Ayu’s vocals, no music or instruments; and the ending, distorted vocals but effective. But most of all I loved the lyrics, “I’ve been searching for just one word” and “If this is a lie, then at least keep the lie going to the end” it’s romantic and profound in a way. A profound and impressive opening.

And now we come to the first of two interludes. opening Run is a quick paced song. The beginning is rock for the most part, yet it does feature some rather fast beats and the synth lines, there are also some piano chords, hinting that a new genre is up.

Leave it to Ayu to have a trance song on the album. Connected follows next and it makes you thrilled that there was an interlude. It’s very unique in the sense that it is a trance song, filled with various house-like music and trance beats. It seems a little out of place considering most of the music is either rock or pop, but it serves its purpose. The beats are ambient and pretty ethereal at times, and it gives it a distinct sound. The vocals were obviously distorted in some way, but not to the extent of Ami or Sowelu, and you can still hear a lot of emotion. The melody was a real thrill, so exciting and so catchy. It’s different yet bold and exciting.

Continuing with the dance-likeness is UNITE! This is still in my opinion one of her best singles. It’s fast so getting swept off your feet is pretty easy. The energetic beats, the guitar riffs, and blaring percussion, and the keyboard chords are just astounding. The melody is just so infectious and so riveting. I have to commend Ayu on her vocals, which were pretty powerful, and even with the loud music you could still hear them. And one of the most amazing things is that despite the chorus being so short in terms of lyrics, Ayu managed to lengthen it.

Truthfully evolution is just like the older brother of UNITE!. Again there are some differences but the arrangement seems somewhat similar. The opening is sweet with the piano chords, and then things speed up and get heated with the guitar riffs. From there things really get exciting. The rock elements are pretty strong like the percussion and the electric guitar,which is just overwhelming. The chorus is explosive and the level of infectiousness is unconceivable, it’s really a marvel. Sure it’s extremely fast but it’s Ayu after all.

Naturally begins right where evolution left off. But there are still some major differences, like how this song is more heavily dance oriented. If the opening doesn’t hook you in than nothing will. It’s filled with the sounds of synth riffs, guitar riffs and various programing complements of CMJK. The verses are oddly enough infectious and very memorable. I’m sure it’s due to the fact that during a few lines Ayu’s vocals are distorted. And if that wasn’t catchy enough the chorus is. It still utilizes various beats and distortions and the melody is to die for. Ayu’s vocals are pretty powerful, there’s even some emotion. All and all one of the best songs on the album.

I never really liked NEVER EVER and I still don’t. The best way to describe this song is as a sweet, music box song with an aggressive rock chorus. I usually love all of Ayumi’s singles but this single wasn’t that great and neither was the song. Yet despite that it does fit in with all the other rock oriented songs. I never got into it, but perhaps other people might like it. The melody wasn’t all that great IMO, but that’s me. Her vocals were a little shaking at times, either that or they just weren’t all that good. It sounding like there were two Ayu’s at times, and on top of that her vocals made it sound like she was a little girl at times.

Time for a some epic rock with still alone. This song is somewhat of a ballad. It starts off with the some light beeps but suddenly the drums take over. It basically sets up for the chorus, which is full of life. It’s dark compared to some of her songs but that’s due to the strings, electric guitar, and various beats. Her vocals sounded a little loud at times, but I guess that’s so that they won’t be drowned out by the music. The music is eerie and a little creepy at times, yet still amazing.

I’m still in love with Daybreak to this day. It begins with techno beats followed by a series of guitar riffs and percussion. The chorus is really the main attraction in this song as it’s good not only in the music department but also in the lyric section. And the fact that it’s catch doesn’t hurt either. The bridge is a strong electrical guitar solo with a few instruments here and there. It then leads into the final chorus which completes the song in its entirety. It’s a little epic and unforgettable, a powerful combination. Another last note about this song is that it was later released as a single after the album, making it her last re-cut single.

We now come to taskinlude, the final interlude on the album. One thing I noticed is that this interlude contains the taskin, like some other interludes found on her albums, kinda interesting when you think about it. This interlude contains some percussion but you can also hear some guitar riffs and some heavy synth. It’s an okay interlude, but the beginning one was better.

And now we get into the ballad section of the album. M is the closest thing to a rock ballad, and it’s truly astounding. This was the first song of the I am… Era, and it’s one of her most beautiful compositions as well as songs. One of the most notable things in the song is that the rhythm increases towards the chorus, which is towards the second half of the song. The instruments comprise of the angelic strings, heavenly piano, and the vibrant guitar, a divine combination. And it’s also a little different as the whole song goes. There’s really three choruses at the end, odd but it works. The song takes a while to get good but it’s worth the wait.

Following is a song is born, the original duet with Keiko from Globe. This song was written by Ayu for the Song+Nation which was a project by Avex to help the victims of the 9/11 Tragedy. It was originally sung with Keiko but this version is with Ayu’s solo. It’s a sweet ballad that’s so beautiful and profound. When Ayu sings in this song, her voice seems higher than normal, but it sounds so fantastic. I really enjoyed the chorus as it was simple and yet so memorable. It’s pretty good with all that, so give it a listen.

One of her most famous songs Dearest is next. Dearest was the last song to be released along in her I am… Era. Anyway this is a wonderful ballad that’s very powerful and beautiful. The instrumentals are a little unexpected, I guess the piano is expected but the guitar? The vocals are soft and yet so powerful and filled with emotion. I just couldn’t get over how sad and somber this song sounded, it almost put me to tears. I did love to grow this song though, perhaps it’s because it was used as one of the InuYasha ending theme songs.

And now the final new song, or is it? Anyway no more words is another ballad. It begins with a minute intro that is lead by the piano and violin. At this point I’m all ballad-ed out. But this song still manages to sound good. However with that being said I think that both M and Dearest are a lot better in the ballad department. It’s not all that catchy despite sounding so calm and classical. This song was used as the ending song for one of the Inuyasha movies, perhaps it helped with the song’s popularity. Still it is easy to listen to.

Who would’ve thought that there was a better version of Endless sorrow? Well that’s just what Endless sorrow ~gone with the wind ver.~ is, a new and improved version. Instead of the original, this new version appears. This version is more laid back compared to the other version and the instrumentals differ. The music is softer and isn’t nearly as heavily rock oriented, or as aggressive and loud. It’s calmer and has a more transcendent atmosphere. This version is really beautiful as it’s simpler and it allows Ayu to showcase more of her emotions.

Ending the album is the secret flower garden aka. the hidden track. This song is a hidden track just like kanayria of LOVEppears, and + (more than) from RAINBOW. This is mid-tempo rock song. There was a reason why Endless sorrow ~gone with the wind ver.~ was over 8 minutes long, it was because it contained this song. After a period of silence this song begins. As I said it’s a mid-tempo song that’s filled with various rock instrumentals. The overall song is catchy and the chorus sounds amazing. Pretty good for a hidden track. A nice way to end her 4th studio album.

Overall Review: I am… was such a phenomenal album! It was lighter in terms of songs and the tone was that of joy and love with some friendship, much like Ayumi’s albums of today are like. It was a bit improvement from her 3rd album. And it featured some great ballads, a few upbeat pop/rock songs and the occasional dance songs. Some songs are forgettable but the overall album is in an atmosphere of peace. This is my 2nd favorite album from Ayumi, the quality of the songs are so great. And it doesn’t hurt that the cover looked so beautiful, natural, and just plain amazing. This is one of her most beautiful albums to date.

Final Grade: 100A+

Days / GREEN was Ayumi Hamasaki’s 44th single. It was released on December 17, 2008 and reached no. 1 on the Oricon charts with 127,650 copies sold. GREEN was used in a CM for Panasonic. This single was released in a total of two versions and six editions, like her previous single Mirrorcle World. The first version is Days / GREEN and GREEN / Days, there are two First Press CD+DVD editions, two regular CD+DVD editions, and two CD only editions. Each respective version comes with either a 10th Anniversary recording of either LOVE ~Destiny~ or TO BE.

(Days / GREEN Version)
Tracks:
1. Days (Original Mix)
2. GREEN (Original Mix)
3. LOVE ~Destiny~
(10th Anniversary version)
4. Days
(Original Mix -Instrumental-)
5. GREEN
(Original Mix -Instrumental-)
6. LOVE ~Destiny~
(10th Anniversary version -Instrumental-)

(GREEN / Days Version)
Tracks:
1. GREEN (Original Mix)
2. Days (Original Mix)
3. TO BE
(10th Anniversary version)
4. GREEN
(Original Mix -Instrumental-)
5. Days
(Original Mix -Instrumental-)
6. TO BE
(10th Anniversary version -Instrumental-)

Review:
Ayumi never ceases to amaze me, even after 10 years Ayumi is still topping the charts and with Days she’ll continue to do so. This heartfelt ballad is utterly beautiful and truly astounding. Like all of her ballads, this one is emotional and powerful. It’s another epic ballad that’s about love. And like her previous songs, this song features the electric guitar as one of its signature instruments along with the drums, some lovely bells, the strings and piano. The melody is simplistic in my opinion but it works very well with this song and the music. Ayumi’s vocals are outstanding in this song, especially when she hits those high notes in the chorus, simply flawless. That being said, they’re pretty deep compared to her earlier works, but they’re still impressive. The music seemed to get better as the song progressed, as did Ayumi’s vocals. I couldn’t really help but feel sad when I heard this song, the lyrics were so sad, I mean it’s about loving someone even though they have someone else, it’s really depressing. That being said though, it’s beautiful and a ballad for the ages.

If you thought the single couldn’t get better, you were wrong. GREEN was originally used in a CM for Panasonic back in August and it caused some commotion. People were excited to hear this song, and after 3 months their prayers were answered. GREEN is known for having a heavy Chinese feel to it, and containing some exquisite Chinese instruments; go figure since the PV was filmed in China and about a showgirl in China in the 30s. In this song, Ayumi’s vocals are deeper than in Days, yet just as powerful. And honestly I love them like this, they’re deep yet very powerful and crisp. The melody is incredibly catchy and infectious to say the least. Anyway, there are some classical strings, along with the Chinese instrumentals & strings, and yes the guitar makes an appearance. The verses were pretty short and actually sounded pretty good. The climax was just dramatic, but in a good way. As for the chorus, well Ayumi really outdid herself, I mean it was short yet memorable, and fast yet catchy. Ayumi sung really fast compared to her other songs, might just be because the song is a little faster paced than her usual material. Lyrically it’s not as strong or as heartfelt, it’s more optimistic, talking about telling someone how they feel when the wind changes. Somewhat romantic, and still epic. This song is actually my favorite song, I just wished that it was a little longer.

On the Days / GREEN version of the single is LOVE ~Destiny~ (10th Anniversary version). Like her previous 10th Anniversary versions, the instrumentals are altered and its been rerecorded. Although I honestly didn’t really like the original version of LOVE ~Destiny~, it was so generic and average and I couldn’t get into it. The piano was the main instrumental and the strings were great, but they were so light and soft. It was still just as dull as before. Her vocals sounded nicer, but it’s still lacking that wow factor. However, just like the original it sounded great towards the end, that was it though.

Now on the GREEN / Days version of the single, the song TO BE (10th Anniversary version) appears. Despite this song being so old, I love it so much, even when it appeared on A BALLADS, and this 10th Anniversary version makes me love it even more. The song was already rock oriented, but this time the rock instruments are stronger in a music sense yet softer overall. Again her vocals are different but 10 years can do that, they’re deeper and more mature sounding, and just plain better. However it seemed as if she was struggling towards the end of the song, she still pulled it off though in the end. The song still sounds as good as ever, even with the new vocals, and different instruments. There seems to me more of a synth quality to it, especially during the chorus. And this song still sounds as catchy as the original version, and is definitely better than the other 10th Anniversary song featured.

Overall Review: Days / GREEN was love bliss! Both songs have a completely different sound, but both are essentially about love, topics that Ayu writes about frequently. Days sounded absolutely phenomenal yet sad at the same time. GREEN on the other hand was just so exotic and foreign yet just as magnificent and regal. Her 10th Anniversary re-recordings are as impressive as always, the instrumentals and vocals are a lot better and more modern; that being said one could use some work. Either way though, this is certainly one mind blowing single that’s sure to be another signature single from Ayumi, or a perfect Christmas gift!

Final Grade: 100A+

MY STORY was Ayumi Hamasaki’s 6th studio album. It was released on December 15, 2005 and reached number 1 on the charts with 574,000+ copies and in all has managed to sell over 1,132,000+ copies. My Story was also the first new studio album since RAINBOW is 2002, but then again she did release one best collection and a mini-album. This was also her first album to be released in CD and CD+DVD editions and have different covers. The album contained a total of five different covers, four CD+DVD covers and one CD cover.

Tracks:
1. Catcher In The Light
2. About You
3. GAME
4. my name’s WOMAN
5. WONDERLAND
6. Liar
7. HOPE or PAIN
8. HAPPY ENDING
9. Moments
10. walking proud
11. CAROLS
12. Kaleidoscope
13. INSPIRE
14. HONEY
15. Replace
16. winding road
17. Humming 7/4

Review:
Beginning the album is Catcher In The Light. It’s pretty interesting as far as intros go, mostly because of its genre. At first it’s rock oriented with the drums and guitar riffs. And it’s pretty much very rock oriented, but when Ayu begins to ad-lib it changes into a synth oriented song that still has some rock influences. And after all the singing, the song basically becomes rock again. Not bad really.

The first true song on the album that’s new is the aggressive About You. And even with the heavy guitar riffs and aggressive drum beats this song is still a little odd. Ayu’s vocals seem a little deeper and this song definitely has a darker feel to it. The instrumentals are great, but so reason I could not get into this song all that much. Now I did listen to it, but it lacks that catchy factor and it’s not all that memorable. I think what killed it the most was the melody. It didn’t really work of the song at all, especially the chorus. And Ayu’s vocals sounded so grudgy almost punk-like, far fetched but it’s possible.

Continuing with the rock trend is GAME. Although the song does sound so innocent and lovely in the beginning, it transforms into a powerhouse for rock. The light instruments are replaced by the dark guitars and the angry drums as they seemingly battle for control. The first thing I notice after that are the vocal distortions which are pretty good. And despite being so short I really like the verses, they were actually catchy. But the blaring chorus was explosive. With the instruments pounding away and the powerful vocals it’s easily the best part. And the end was surprising, a new set of lyrics that sound somewhat sad. It was kind of abrupt but I like how it just ended afterwards.

This song is all about women and some might call it girl power; either way my name’s WOMAN, is a powerful song. This song is another rock song, although not nearly as powerful as GAME or INSPIRE. The guitar riffs are incredible and there also appears to be some sort of synth element. The verses are short but simple and get right to the point. And the chorus was insanely catchy. The melody is just so incredible and so infectious. Ayu’s vocals sound a bit angry but powerful nonetheless. And besides all of that, the music is just oozing with rock spirit and the arrangement is perfect, you can thank HΛL for that.

And the first interlude is WONDERLAND. The melody is dull and the music sounds almost like at a carnival, and not a scary one, more or a kiddie one. You can also here some children in the background during the beginning. Then once the storm rolls in things become dark. Some evil laughs are heard too until the end, kind of spooky really.

The rock vibe continues with Liar. It’s a very nice song, with some odd beginnings. Now the instrumentals are great and I love the beginning. With the church bells it’s very ominous, and then once the guitars and drums enter things become another story. But just as things get good, it goes back to the soft instrumentals and Ayu’s gentle, soft vocals. And when the chorus starts the guitar and drums start up again and things become more rock oriented, that and there are also some strings during and after which make it pretty memorable. Overall it’s catchy surprisingly. An odd yet incredible fusion of genres.

Following is a somewhat of a lighter rock song entitled HOPE or PAIN. The very beginning is filled with the strings which are so classical, and once the guitar enters things take a slightly darker turn. The music is normal paced, but a little closer to mid-tempo. The guitar riffs for the beats sound a little odd, but they work. And as the song builds up momentum till the chorus, it gets better. It leads to a catchy chorus that’s a bit too short for my liking but it’s great. The only thing that this song needs is some more variety in the vocal department, but at least towards the end it got better. The electrical guitar during the bridge was absolutely phenomenal as usual. It’s a nice addition to the album.

Things teem to take a bad turn at the mediocre HAPPY ENDING. This song is ballad with the piano and acoustic guitars. It also has a little orchestra flare to it, but not much else. I did like her vocals though, they were high for the most part but I liked it.The melody wasn’t all that great, somewhat simplistic really. This song just needs some work, that’s all.

The album takes a better turn with one of Ayumi’s best ballads, Moments. At this point the album is really lacking in ballads so it’s nice to see one so vibrant and impressive. The ad-libbing in the beginning is only strengthened by the strings, drums, and piano. The ad-libbing continues for about a fifty seconds but afterwards things get so much better. The verses are pretty long but with the calming vocals things sound so beautiful. And with the guitar playing it’s really great. The synth line before the chorus and the guitar playing over and over make for such a climax and leads into a superb chorus. Her vocals are so impressive and the chorus is incredibly catchy, which is due to the beautiful and great melody. The bridge is the aggressive electric guitar that sounds absolutely mesmerizing.

Another ballad is next and walking proud is such an incredible one. The piano in the beginning and the light guitar riffs in the beginning are so beautiful. But then once the rock elements enter things become more rock oriented, similar to Moments. But thankfully they get toned down for a while. The acoustic guitar instead is played and with the piano they’re incredible. The verses, which are really mediocre, lead into such an amazing chorus. I love the melody, but what I really love are Ayumi’s vocals. They’re so powerful and filled with emotion, and they’re really the highlight of the song, despite such a great melody. And the strings in this song were so phenomenal.

Again with the sensational, and this time powerful, ballads is CAROLS. This song is so amazing and possesses a spell binding chorus that is mesmerizing to all. This ballad for some reason seems to have a solemn feel to it, it might be the sad piano solo during the beginning. But this song is quite the winter ballad, featuring an array of strings, and even a bell or two. One of the reasons why I love this ballad is because of Ayumi’s vocals. She hits those high notes with ease and they complement the guitar and drums during the chorus. Such an awing ballad, perfect for the album.

The final interlude is Kaleidoscope thankfully. This intro begins with some mystical piano music that’s very surreal. Following appears to be some magnificent synth lines that add to the strange music. It does prove to be a great transition though.

It’s seems that the album gets back to the rock theme with INSPIRE. After those nice ballads it’s nice to hear this rock inspired tune. To date, I still feel that this is one of her most rock inspired tunes to date. This song is so invigorating and commands total attention. The guitars are aggressive and relentless throughout the entire song. As always Ayumi’s vocals were impressive and powerful. The music is fast-paced and Ayumi handles it with ease. The verses were great and not too long, and Ayumi’s slightly deeper vocals suited them well. But Ayumi’s fierce and seemingly angry vocals suited the exuberant chorus that was memorable and very catchy.

The sweetest track on the album appears next as HONEY. This song starts off all happy and up-beat, even with the electrical guitar. The beats are amazing and are filled with happiness; and unlike most tracks, this song is up-beat which makes it quite memorable. This song also features an great chorus that’s so catchy, due to the incredible synth lines no doubt. I like how the chorus features the English line “my HONEY,” it’s a nice addition. The violins after the chorus sound pretty good too. Overall this was one of my favorite new tracks on the album.

Another rather up-beat track on the album is Replace. And this song is a bit classical, and yet a little rock at the same time. After the first two lines, Ayumi begins to sing in some distorted vocals. However after that the more up-beat synth & classical music returns. And at the same time, the rock elements gradually begin to appear throughout the song. Despite the verses being rather long, the chorus is actually quite shorted when and it’s very up-beat. Ayumi’s vocals seem to have some sort of happy feeling to them. The rock instruments that were in the chorus were actually nice and added to the happy mood. It’s not all that memorable, but it’s nice.

Although not that up-beat, winding road follows shortly. This song features an incredible guitar along with some orchestra instruments and an acoustic guitar. I normally love songs like this, but I thought that this song was too dull. The chorus wasn’t that great, but I’ve heard a lot better. The music was too mid-tempo for my taste, but perhaps others will find it more appealing. The whole rock ballad aspect of it was a bit lost on me too sadly. I think this song sounds beautiful, evident by Ayumi’s emotional vocals.

Honestly, Humming 7/4 is probably my least favorite track on the entire album. I didn’t mind the whole rock genre thing that much. Her vocals weren’t all that bad, but nothing really special in this song. The melody was mediocre and quite dull, but that’s not what killed it for me. It was the English. Normally I love English, but it was mostly a mixture of different background vocals, and that killed it. Other than that the chorus wasn’t all that bad, but the English just really turned me off to this song. On the bright side though the instrumentals were insanely good. The electric guitar was strong and the drums were amazing. It’s just too bad that this song is so lackluster and so annoying. Not the best way to end her sixth studio album.

Overall Review: MY STORY immerse rock with impressive ballads. That being said though, I have my doubts about this album. The album had quantity, but lacked quality. But this goes to show you that it’s really quality of quantity, GUILTY was much better even though it only had a few songs. The singles in this era was great however, so that made up for it. And despite some of the new songs on the album being less than perfect, some of them were amazing and memorable. This isn’t my favorite album from Ayumi, but it’s not my least favorite, I still think it outranks (miss)understood.

Final Grade: 88B

GUILTY was Ayumi Hamasaki’s 9th studio album. Originally released on the Christmas of 07, it was intended to be released on January 1st, 2008. This album reached no. 2 on the charts with 432,000+ copies sold. It would’ve reached no. 1 on the charts with 202,000 copies sold in the first week but fell down to number 2, due to the Oricon charts putting the first two weeks of the new year together, with 22,000 less copies sold than the no. 1 album. In all this album has sold over 568,288+ copies domestically.

Tracks:
1. Mirror
2. (don’t) Leave me alone
3. talkin’ 2 myself
4. decision
5. GUILTY
6. fated
7. Together When…
8. Marionette -prelude-
9. Marionette
10. The Judgement Day
11. glitter
12. MY ALL
13. reBiRTH
14. untitled ～for her～

Review:
Beginning Ayu’s eighth album is Mirror. It starts off with a the dial-up connection sound and quickly turns into a carnival oriented track, backed by electric guitars and drums. The lyrics seem to be asking about the future and if things turned out they way they planned. The vocals sound so fierce especially with the aggressive guitar riffs. Her best intro to date.

One of the three promotional tracks follows, and this time it’s (don’t) Leave Me Alone. This song is an electric guitar powered song filled with many explosive rock elements. The verses were quite interesting, the melody was actually good. And Ayu’s vocals were a bit deeper than usual and they sounded a little fierce but it’s all good. As for the chorus, well it was insanely incredible. Despite it being so short the vocals and music made up for it. I mean the electric guitar, drums, and even the strings made for one hell of a combination. This song truly showcases Ayu’s new rock style.

The album takes a darker turn with the bone chilling talkin’ 2 myself. There’s ominous vibe to this song that’s very dark and desolate. The song itself actually sounds pretty scary at first, but towards it gets better. There are some strong rock elements, an aggressive electric guitar and the intense drums. Her vocals might have been deep, but they were to die for.

decision follows shortly and it continues where the previous song left off. This song is pretty rock oriented too, and is basically a toned down version of talkin’ 2 myself. This song however features the incredible sounds of a piano which really brings the song to life. Although this song also seems to be more electric and synth oriented. Again her vocals were pretty deep but they sound great.

The title track GUILTY follows, and this dark horizon sounds pretty spooky. This song is one of the many other rock oriented songs, but I love how this song uses the bells. Despite all of the dark and grim music, the bells give it somewhat of a church feel, yet the overall feel is still dark and desolate. Most of her title tracks aren’t all that attractive and this one follows that pattern. Don’t get me wrong, I like the song, but it was too slow and the music seemed to be the same for the most part, I mean there was hardly any variety. Not only that but the vocals weren’t all the impressive, although they did get better towards the end, but that repetitive feeling remained. However the little English was a nice addition to the song. But still, this song is quite forgettable, and I had just high hopes for this song.

The album then takes a more gentle and regal side with fated. This song was originally released as a double a-side along with glitter, and is one of the first songs that began the GUILTY Era. fated is also the first ballad on the album, as well as the only rock oriented. The music is very rock oriented yet it’s still serene and beautiful. It’s odd to hear how beautiful and majestic the guitar, drums, and bass can sound. The melody was incredible, as were the vocals which were deep yet again. This song overall is so phenomenal and such a beautiful treat.

One of her more epic ballads is next with Together When… It’s her second ballad of the album and one of the stronger ones. The song was originally released as one of her digital only singles after lackluster physical sales. It ended up with over 1 million downloads, and it’s not hard to see why. The instrumentals include the piano, the guitar, drums, the bass, and the classical strings. It’s really a marvelous ballad that’s somewhat traditional as far as ballads go. Her vocals were great and pretty powerful when they needed to be. And the lyrics were so beautiful, somewhat bittersweet too. This was also one of the sounds used to promote the album.

The first of the three interludes, or in this case preludes, is Marionette -prelude-. This prelude is just so bone chilling, with the music box and the sound of a key being wound up. It creeps me out but it’s still a good instrumental. Towards the end there appears to be a flute, somewhat ending the prelude on a lighter note.

The grand and oh so epic Marionette is next. It’s the final promotional song and it’s pretty dramatic. This song could almost be called a ballad except for the fact that it’s so powerful and rock oriented. It has that same dark vibe like the prelude, except this song is more dramatic and regal. The first set of instrumentals include the piano and some synth elements. But during the chorus which is incredible, the strings and electric guitar take center stage along with the drums. Despite it being mid-tempo it’s catchy sounds destructive. The vocals were so powerful and so strong. The bridge was a work of art, I mean the aggressive electric guitar and some ad-libbing, so intense. One of the more memorable tracks on the album.

The second interlude entitled The Judgement Day follows. At first I thought that this would be a full song, but was disappointed after it turned out to be an interlude. Anyway, initially the song began on a very creepy note with the bells echoing. Then the music started to pick up with an organ playing followed by some ad-libbing. Then out of nowhere the song speeds up and transforms into a fast paced synth interlude that has somewhat of a dance vibe to it. It’s kind of odd to think that this leads into two of the pop oriented songs. I personally think this would make an amazing song

The first of two pop songs is glitter. This song really began the GUILTY Era and it’s pretty memorable. Although initially most people could not stand this song because it’s so up-beat and so happy, I love it. It might not be as great as fairyland or BLUE BIRD per say, but it is incredibly optimistic sounding. As for the song itself, it’s pretty much your basic summer pop song with some synth elements and the electric guitar. There’s even some English during a few of the verses. The chorus was extremely catchy though, makes up for everything that was seemingly bad.

The final up-beat, sugary pop song is entitled MY ALL. And this song immediately begins with a electric guitar intro. While some have said it’s forgettable, I love it, it has a catchy chorus and is quite memorable in my opinion. The music consists of the electric guitar and some synth elements that are pretty fast paced. The vocals sound up-beat and happy and they’re actually soft, not all that deep. I loved how the verses built up to the climax where the chorus takes over. And the chorus was so catchy. The music was light and sweet, not to mention an irresistible melody. Too bad this is the final pop song.

The final interlude on the album is reBiRTH. It’s the perfect interlude to separate sugary pop from a solemn ballad. The music sounds surreal like with the piano and the violin, almost ambient dare I say. After the first thirty seconds though the music does begin to sounds more beautiful and classical. Such a beautiful interlude, and thank god the last.

The final song is a ballad entitled untitled ~for her~ and it’s perhaps the most solemn song on the album. On Ayumi’s album there was a note that stated “This album is dedicated to a dearest person. May she rest in peace … 1976 ~ 2007.” We can assume that this song was written about this person who was very close to her. The song has an orchestra quality and is beautifully written as well as sung. The chorus is breathtaking and Ayumi’s voice is so filled with so much emotion and strength. The bridge is again an electric guitar that oddly enough doesn’t sound so out of place. The acoustic piano and Hammond organ were just perfect in this song. Perhaps one the most moving songs she’s written on any album that I’ve listened to. This was one of the best ways to end her ninth studio album.

Overall Review: GUILTY was an explosive rock album. This is by far one of Ayumi’s most magical and beautiful albums to date. Although this is also one of her most rock oriented albums, it’s still sweet and gentle with the ballads. You can feel all the emotion in these songs and the lyrics with each listen. I really do wish though that the album would’ve had a few more new songs, I mean three interludes, but it’s still a great album. I did feel that the pop sounds sounded so out of place, but thank goodness the arrangement was good. There’s still no better way to begin the third chapter.

Final Grade: 100A+

RAINBOW was Ayumi Hamasaki’s 5th studio album. It was released on December 18, 2002 and reached no. 1 on the charts with 1,016,482 copies sold. It would go on to sell over 1,858,000 copies in Japan, making it her first studio album since A Song For XX not to sell two million copies domestically. This album has shipped over 2,275,000 units across Asia. This album featured the singles Free & Easy, H, and Voyage. Rainbow was also the first album to feature any English. And although the song RAINBOW was not featured on this album it was later released on her 2nd A BEST album entitled A BALLADS.

Tracks:
1. everlasting dream
2. WE WISH
3. Real me
4. Free & Easy
5. Heartplace
6. Over
7. HANABI
8. taskinillusion
9. everywhere nowhere
10. July 1st
11. Dolls
12. neverending dream
13. Voyage
14. Close to you
15 independent+

Review:
Beginning RAINBOW is everlasting dream. Although the song’s opening is very dark, it becomes very peaceful with the synth elements and the ad-libbing. It’s surreal, and almost dream-like. What a fantastic opening for her fifth studio album.

WE WISH follows shortly and this synth/pop song doesn’t disappoint. The synth/pop opening is rather catchy and the guitars sound just plain awesome. The song features an incredibly catchy chorus, although it is a bit slow. Nevertheless the melody and the vocals make up for that. But then again the song in general is a bit mid-tempo for the most part. The vocals for the most part were a little deeper than usual, but I still loved them. The bridge was mostly an electric guitar and some synth elements, still excellent though. And although I like this song, I prefer one of the remixes on her remix album. If the song was shortened it’d be even better.

Up next is the promotional track Real me. This song is famous for the frequent use of English. And to date it still uses the most English, even more than STEP you. It begins with a nice intro from the some string playing or being strummed rather and some drums. And although it might be a little different it’s still good. The synth elements really blew me away, that and the awesome melody. I have to admit that I loved the verses, despite being so slow. The climax was pretty sweet, but the chorus is still the best. It was mostly English that made it some memorable that and that it was so catchy, such a simple rhyme scheme. The distortions towards the end were pretty good too. Such an amazing pop song, although it could be a little better still.

Her first song that began the era was Free & Easy. It’s a unique song that features both rock and ballad elements. This song features a soft piano and an aggressive guitar, very contradicting. Yet it’s still such an amazing song. The chorus is both aggressive and riveting. Not to mention that this song is catchy.

The unusual rock oriented Heartplace follows. The song features some rather light beginning music but then transforms into a vibrant rock song. And although the song does feature some English it’s not nearly as catchy as her other songs that feature some English. Furthermore, her English isn’t the best here but you can hear some distortions in Ayumi’s voice. It does flow together nicely and has some nice arrangement. And the strings right before the bridge was such a nice touch, the only thing that ruined it were the guitar riffs sadly. Although towards the end the song did begin to sound epic, too bad it didn’t last that long.

After such an aggressive song, we come to the peaceful, beautiful Over. The song is such a beautiful and magnificent ballad that features the piano as the main instrument. Oddly enough this song features some English too, but it uses a very little amount of English. The chorus however becomes more like a pop ballad. The instrumentals are more synth oriented, and the vocals are a little more sad sounding. Such a great song though.

One of the finer ballads appears next, this one entitled HANABI. This song was originally released as part of a triple a-side single entitled H. The melody is somewhat bland really, yet so unique. It seems as though the verses are about to build up to an aggressive chorus, yet instead it’s so beautiful and classical with the strings. There are a few rock elements present, although they’re not nearly as strong as Heartplace. But despite being a ballad, the song is somewhat up-tempo, it’s on the faster side of music. Yet it is still one of her finer ballads.

The first interlude appears next as taskinillusion. This interlude is fast paced and features a music box playing. Although there are some rock elements present, and some nice ad-libbing. But the sound is a little odd, yet still very fitting.

The odd yet up-beat dance oriented everywhere nowhere appears next. There’s even some English in this song, although it’s in the beginning. This song is pretty dance oriented and features some heavy dance beats. The chorus is very infectious and despite the dark sounding verses, the chorus sound so up-beat and so happy. The guitars were a great touch in addition to the synth/pop elements. And her vocals were amazing, they were so up-beat sounding and both deep and high. Give it a few listens, you might like it. There’s finally a great dance song on this album, it’s too bad she hasn’t continued writing songs like this.

Continuing the trend of up-beat dance songs is July 1st. This was released along with HANABI and independent as the single H. It takes some time for the song to get started but once it does it’s amazing. The chorus here was absolutely magical, well just extremely catchy. The vocals were amazing too, so up-beat and happy. It could’ve been a dance song, just with guitars and more pop oriented.

Beginning very oddly is Dolls. It begins with some odd yet organic music at first but then changes into an orchestra of beautiful and mystical music. Compared to some of her other ballads, this one is quite light. The strings are pretty intense though during a few points and the synth elements were just magnificent. The melody sounded great. The vocals however sounded sad somehow, but I still enjoyed them. And during some points the song sounded a little dark and foreboding. Despite not being as powerful or as strong as most of her ballads it certainly is still sweet and beautiful.

The final interlude on the album is neverending dream. It has such a mystical and soothing quality to it. You can also detect a little synth in it but most of the music is mostly from the strings, a piano, and a harp. It does provide for such a beautiful, ethereal transition though.

The final song to be released as a single during this era was the serene Voyage. This song is truly the epitome of epic. I mean the strings, piano and the music box were such a beautiful choice of instrumentals. This song is such an outstanding ballad that it was even featured on her A BALLADS album, and was unedited. The music and the lyrics go together so well too.And the climax was just so explosive and so incredible. The final chorus was just so epic, so dramatic, so regal sounding, it was just so awing. If you hear one ballad from this album you HAVE to make it Voyage, you won’t be disappointed at all.

The church oriented Close to you appears as the final new track. This song features some beautiful bells, hence the church feel, and it’s a rather sweet ballad. And although it’s not nearly as strong as her previous ballad, it’s still a little stronger though than Dolls. Ayumi’s vocals are stronger here yet also softer. Here the chorus outshines everything else in the song. The church sound gives it a nice distinct quality.

Very fun and up-beat is independent. Not only is it an up-beat summer fun song, but it was released along with two other songs to create the H single. This track is very upbeat and full of energy. It screams summer and you’ll know why with one listen. The chorus sounds so catchy, so quick, and it has that summer fun quality to it. The rock instrumentals were so energetic and so impressive.

The final song is +, aka. More Than. You might have wondered why there was a plus added well that’s the reason it’s a hidden track. It comes a few seconds after independent ends and has a nice little rock vibe. The last hidden song was flower garden from I am… I do like the fact that you can look forward to hearing something new in this track. There’s a lot of ad-libbing but it’s tolerable. The chorus was great, but the others were a bit better I must admit. Maybe the guitars didn’t work all that well in this song. Still, it was a nice way to end her fifth studio album. This song was also used as the ending song to Ayumi’s own TV show that she hosted for a while.

Overall Review: RAINBOW magical synth paradise. I loved how most of the songs incorporated some incredible synth elements and some amazing English. But with that being said I really didn’t like some of the rock oriented songs. The one thing going for it was the overall sound and music or the whole theme, which was in my opinion a dream or rainbow paradise with mystical sounds. The album did feature an array of genres making it very diverse. Still the album is great and the singles of this era were good also. This album is like a RAINBOW, each song magical, unique, and colorful.

Final Grade: 93B+

Hey everyone, I hope things are going good for everybody. Sorry I haven’t been able to post much, it’s been hard to get on the computer and posting, especially after writting so many papers. Anyway, I plan to post some more reviews, namely Kuu and Ayu, and the occasional melody. and Perfume. But reviews will be on hold for a while until I return home with all of my music and own computer. But I hope that everyone in the US had a great Thanksgiving, I know I did, and I hope everyone has a safe Black Friday. I know people can get a little crazy on Black Friday, especially when it comes top shopping and finding the best deals. So stay safe and be careful. And enjoy the other many reviews!

By the way, the new covers have been released for Ayu’s Days / GREEN, and they look amazing. Credits go to Japan Roll!