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
Seasons
浜崎あゆみ Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
作詞: 浜崎あゆみ 作曲: D.A.I.
今年もひとつ季節が巡って
想い出はまた遠くなった
曖昧だった夢と現実の
境界線は濃くなった
夢に嘘はひとつもなかった
La La-i
今日がとても楽しいと
明日もきっと楽しくて
そんな日々が続いてく
そう思っていたあの頃
繰り返していく毎日に少し
物足りなさを感じながら
不自然な時代のせいだよと
先回りして諦めていた
La La-i
今日がとても悲しくて
明日もしも泣いていても
そんな日々もあったねと
笑える日が来るだろう
幾度巡り巡りゆく
限りある季節の中に
僕らは今生きていて
そして何を見つけるだろう
Romaji
Lyrics: Ayumi Hamasaki Music: D.A.I.
Kotoshi mo hitotsu kisetsu ga megutte
Omoide wa mata to oku natta
Aimai datta yume to genjitsu no
Kyō kai sen wa nōku natta
Sore demo itsuka kimi ni hanashita
Yume ni uso wa hitotsu mo na katta
La La-i
Kyō ga to te mo tanoshi i to
Asu mo kitto tanoshikute
Son na hibi ga tsuzuiteku
Sō omotte ita ano koro
Kuri kaeshiteku mai nichi ni sukoshi
Mono tari nasa wo kanji nagara
Fujizen na jidai no seida yo to
Saki mawari shite akirameteita
La La-i
Kyō ga totemo kanashikute
Asu moshi mo naite itemo
Son na hibi ga attane to
Wara eru hi ga kuru darō
Ikudo meguri meguri yuku
Kagi ri aru kisetsu no naka ni
Bokura wa ima ikite ite
Soshite nani wo mitsukeru darō
Translation
This year, another season has passed.
Memories have become faded.
The border between my vague dream and
reality has become blurred.
Even so, the dream I once told you of
had not a single lie in it.
La La-i
Today was fun,
and tomorrow will surely be fun as well.
"These days will continue forever,"
or so I thought at the time.
Throughout the endless days I felt
as if something was missing.
I blamed it on these unnatural times,
and just gave up.
La La-i
Today was very sad,
and even if I cry tomorrow,
someday the time will come that I can laugh
and remember the time we had together.
How much time must pass by,
in this finite existence of ours?
We'll live in the now,
and what will we find?
Chinese translation
今年又是一个季节来去
回忆更形遥远
梦与现实间嗳昧的界限
变得又浓了些
仅管如此曾经对你诉说的梦想
其中不曾有过一丝虚假
La La-i
每一个快乐的今天
会带来同样快乐的明天
这样的时光将持续永远
当时曾如此深信不疑
纵使在日复一日里
感受着缺少了什么
怨只怨这不自然的年代
早早我便放弃的太快
La La-i
那怕今天有再多的伤悲
那怕明天同样会掉眼泪
或许将来有那么一天
可以回首笑看这段过去
几度春来秋去
在这有限的季节里
我们活在此时此刻
究竟将寻到什么
SEASONS by Ayumi Hamasaki is a song that delves into the passing of time and how it affects us. The lyrics are contemplative and reflective, talking about how memories become more distant with each passing season, and how it sometimes feels as if something is lacking in our lives. The border between dreams and reality becomes blurred, and the singer reflects on how even though life may seem ideal in the moment, the feeling of emptiness never quite fades away.
The song also touches on the idea of resilience and hope for the future, with lyrics such as "Today was sad, and even if I cry tomorrow, someday the time will come that I can laugh and remember the time we had together". The singer acknowledges the cyclical nature of life, with seasons coming and going, and talks about the limitless possibilities that exist within the finite existence of life.
Overall, SEASONS is a beautiful and melancholic song that inspires reflection on the passage of time and the transience of life, while also promoting hope and resilience.
Line by Line Meaning
今年もひとつ季節が巡って
Another season has passed this year.
想い出はまた遠くなった
Memories have become more distant.
曖昧だった夢と現実の境界線は濃くなった
The line between my vague dreams and reality has become blurred.
それでもいつか君に話した夢に嘘はひとつもなかった
However, the dream I once told you of had not a single lie in it.
今日がとても楽しいと 明日もきっと楽しくて
Today was fun, and tomorrow will surely be fun as well.
そんな日々が続いてく そう思っていたあの頃
Or so I thought at the time that these days will continue forever.
繰り返していく毎日に少し 物足りなさを感じながら
Throughout the repetitive days, I felt a bit unsatisfied.
不自然な時代のせいだよと 先回りして諦めていた
I blamed it on these unnatural times, and just gave up.
今日がとても悲しくて 明日もしも泣いていても
Today was very sad, and even if I cry tomorrow,
そんな日々もあったねと 笑える日が来るだろう
Someday the time will come that I can laugh and remember the time we had together.
幾度巡り巡りゆく 限りある季節の中に
How much time must pass by, in this finite existence of ours?
僕らは今生きていて そして何を見つけるだろう
We'll live in the now, and what will we find?
Contributed by Caleb O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.