Hamasaki started her musical career in 1994 and released her first album "NOTHING FROM NOTHING" in 1995; the album was not successful, and she was subsequently dropped by her record label. In 1998, Hamasaki released her first single, poker face, via the Avex Trax label, after being discovered by label head Masato "Max" Matsuura partying at the Avex-owned club, Velfarre. Hamasaki's debut album, "A Song for ××", was released in 1999, and won her a Gold Disk Award. She has since sold more than 50 million records in Japan alone with the releases of her 9 full-length studio albums, 1 mini-album, 4 compilation albums, 45 singles, and 17 remix albums, becoming the top selling solo and female artist and the 4th top selling Japanese artist in history. With the release of her 40th single "BLUE BIRD", Hamasaki's single sales passed the 20 million mark, making her the first solo and female singer to reach that milestone.
With the release of her 45th single "Rule/Sparkle", Hamasaki currently has 20 consecutive #1 singles (starting from "Free & Easy") and 32 #1 singles in the Japanese ORICON charts. In addition, she is the first Japanese artist to have her first original 8 studio albums top the charts.
Hamasaki released her ninth studio album, GUILTY on January 1, 2008. Shortly after the release, Ayumi revealed that she had become completely deaf in her left ear, and that it is inoperable. It is believed that she suffers from tinnitus, and Ayumi has known about the condition of her left ear since 2007 after an examination. She also stated that she would continue on with her career for her fans, explaining that "nevertheless, I would like to continue as a singer. That's why I would like to continue singing until I reach the limit with my remaining right ear".
In addition to serving as background music for television advertisements, some of Hamasaki's songs have been used as themes for video games and film productions such as television shows and motion pictures. "Depend on you" and its b-side "Two of us" were used as the opening and ending theme, respectively, of the video game Thousand Arms, while the video game Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams used "Startin'" and "rainy day" as its opening and ending theme, respectively. The dorama My Little Chef featured "Voyage" as its theme, while the anime InuYasha featured "Dearest." Finally, Hamasaki's songs "HEAVEN", "Secret", "fated", and "Rule" have been used as the themes for the movies Shinobi: Heart Under Blade, Confession of Pain, Kaidan, and DragonBall Evolution, respectively.
In January 2008, Hamasaki announced on her blog that an inoperable condition, possibly tinnitus or Ménière's disease, had caused complete deafness in her left ear. She had been diagnosed with the condition in 2006 and that the problem dated to 2000, when she developed an ear infection but continued to perform against the advice of doctors. Despite the setback, Hamasaki stated that she wished to continue singing, and that "as a professional", she wanted to "deliver the best performance for everyone". On May 20, 2017, she wrote that she is also losing hearing in her right ear, and had experienced dizziness and nausea. She vowed to continue performing, writing: "The stage is where I belong. It's the only place I really, truly exist. I don't know anything else."
Official site: http://avexnet.or.jp/ayu
Friend
浜崎あゆみ Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
自分の幸せに気づくこと出来てなかったよ
もう戻ることはできない
あの夏懐かしくなっても
細くてでも強いその手離したの私だから
大切な人だから気付かなくて
見失いそうになるけれど
この世界に君はひとりしかいない
季節の変わり目を告げる風が吹いて
君を少し遠く感じる自分に怯えたよ
二人まだ一緒にいた頃
真剣に恋して泣いたね
今より傷つきやすくて
でもきっと輝いてた
信じられそうなもの見つかったら
必ず手を伸ばしてみよう
くり返しくり返し言い聞かせるよ
離れてても胸の奥で友達だよ
晴れた日は青空を見上げながら
雨の日は水たまり蹴って
くり返しくり返し知っていくよ
生まれた訳
生きる意味を
切なさに負けそうで苦しい日も
夜に逃げ込みたくなっても
くり返しくり返し君との日々
思い出して
支えにして
The song "FRIEND" by 浜崎あゆみ speaks about the realization of one's happiness through moments of genuine laughter and fulfillment. The lyrics convey the message of appreciating and recognizing the little moments of happiness that one experiences and how they make one feel complete. The opening lines "Kokoro kara waraete mitasareru toki ni wa, jibun no shiawase ni kizuku koto dekite nakatta yo" can be interpreted as having been so caught up in the routine of daily life that one forgets to take a moment to appreciate and recognize moments of happiness. The singer reminisces about a past relationship and how they let go of someone they loved, but it is too late to go back. The past relationship is reminiscent of a summer that she misses, but she cannot return to it.
As the song plays on, the singer talks about how it can be challenging to recognize the importance of people when they are still around, and she shares an acknowledgment that there is no one else like them. The lyrics "Kurikaeshi kurikaeshi iikikaseru yo, kono sekai ni kimi wa hitori shikanai" shows the importance of this one person and how vital they are in her life. Then, as she describes the change of seasons and how it made her feel, she admits feeling scared at how distant her partner had become, yet she has not forgotten the beautiful moments they had together.
In conclusion, the song is about living life to its fullest regardless of the challenges we face, and the importance of recognizing the significance of individual people in our lives.
Line by Line Meaning
心から笑えて満たされるときには
When I am fulfilled and can laugh from the bottom of my heart
自分の幸せに気づくこと出来てなかったよ
I didn't realize that it was because of my own happiness
もう戻ることはできない
I can't go back anymore
あの夏懐かしくなっても
Even if I get nostalgic for that summer
細くてでも強いその手離したの私だから
I let go of that thin but strong hand, because it was me
大切な人だから気付かなくて
Because you are so important, I didn't notice
見失いそうになるけれど
I almost lost sight of you
この世界に君はひとりしかいない
There is only one you in this world
季節の変わり目を告げる風が吹いて
The wind blowing tells of the change of season
君を少し遠く感じる自分に怯えたよ
I was scared of feeling like you were a little far away
二人まだ一緒にいた頃
When we were still together
真剣に恋して泣いたね
We cried because we were in love for real
今より傷つきやすくて
We were more susceptible to getting hurt than we are now
でもきっと輝いてた
But we must have been shining brightly
信じられそうなもの見つかったら
If you find something that you can believe in
必ず手を伸ばしてみよう
You should definitely reach out for it
離れてても胸の奥で友達だよ
Even if we are apart, we are still friends in my heart
晴れた日は青空を見上げながら
On sunny days, we looked up to the blue sky
雨の日は水たまり蹴って
On rainy days, we kicked puddles of water
生まれた訳
The reason for being born
生きる意味を
The meaning of life
切なさに負けそうで苦しい日も
Even on days when I feel like I'm losing to my sorrow and struggling
夜に逃げ込みたくなっても
Even if I want to take refuge in the night
思い出して
I remember
くり返しくり返し君との日々
Over and over again, the days spent with you
支えにして
Become my support
Writer(s): 浜崎 あゆみ, 星野 靖彦
Contributed by Grace A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.