Ayumi Hamasaki (浜崎あゆみ, Hamasaki Ayumi, real name 浜崎歩) (born October 2, 197… Read Full Bio ↴Ayumi Hamasaki (浜崎あゆみ, Hamasaki Ayumi, real name 浜崎歩) (born October 2, 1978, Fukuoka, Japan) is an award-winning Japanese singer, and one of the most popular and influential artists to come from Asia. Apart from being a singer, Hamasaki is also a songwriter, a model, an actress, a composer, a record producer, a spokesperson and an entrepreneur. Through her entire career, she has written all her lyrical content, and has sometimes composed her music.

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

M
浜崎あゆみ Lyrics

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'MARIA' 愛(あい)すべき人(ひと)がいて
キズを負(お)った全(すべ)ての者(もの)達(だち)...

周(まわ)りを見(み)渡(わた)せば
誰(だれ)もが慌(あわ)ただしく
どこか足(あし)早(ばや)に通(とお)り過(す)ぎ
今(こ)年(とし)も気(き)が付(つ)けば
こんなにすぐそばまで

冬(ふゆ)の気(け)配(はい)が訪(おとず)れてた

今日(きょう)もきっとこの街(まち)のどこかで
出(で)会(あ)って目(め)が合(あ)ったふたり
激(はげ)しく幕(まく)が開(あ)けてく

それでも全(すべ)てには
必(かなら)ずいつの日(ひ)にか
終(お)わりがやって来(く)るものだから

今日(きょう)もまたこの街(まち)のどこかで
別(わか)れの道(みち) 選(えら)ぶふたり
静(しず)かに幕(まく)を下(お)ろした

'MARIA' 愛(あい)すべき人(ひと)がいて
時(とき)に強(つよ)い孤(こ)独(どく)を感(かん)じ
だけど愛(あい)すべきあの人(ひと)に
結(けっ)局(きょく)何(なに)もかも満(み)たされる

'MARIA' 愛(あい)すべき人(ひと)がいて
時(とき)に深(ふか)く深(ふか)いキズを負(お)い
だけど愛(あい)すべきあの人(ひと)に
結(けっ)局(きょく)何(なに)もかも癒(いや)されてる

'MARIA' 誰(だれ)も皆(みな)泣(な)いている
'MARIA' だけど信(しん)じていたい
'MARIA' だから祈(いの)っているよ
これが最(さい)後(ご)の恋(こい)であるように

理(わ)由(け)なく始(はじ)まりは訪(おとず)れ
終(お)わりはいつだって理(わ)由(け)をもつ...

Overall Meaning

The song 'M' by Ayumi Hamasaki contains a verse about the concept of Maria. The verse speaks about the presence of someone that everyone should love, and the wounds that everyone carries with them. The lyrics explain that if you look around, everyone is rushing by, too busy to notice the winter chill creeping in. The lyrics are melancholic and speak of the inevitability of endings, even when we're caught up in moments of happiness. The verse ends with the singer hoping that her love story will be her last, with happiness being the final outcome.

Line by Line Meaning

'MARIA' 愛すべき人がいて
There is someone to love, MARIA.

キズを負ったすべての者達...
Everyone who has been hurt...

周りを見渡せば
If you look around...

誰もが慌ただしく
Everyone is in a hurry...

どこか足早に通り過ぎ
Passing by somewhere quickly...

今年も気が付けば
If you realize it's that time of year again...

こんなにすぐそばまで
So close, right beside us...

冬の気配が訪れてた
The feeling of winter had arrived...

今日もきっとこの街のどこかで
Today too, surely somewhere in this town...

出会って目が合ったふたり
Two people met, their eyes locking...

激しく幕が開けてく
The curtain opens fiercely...