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

Surreal
浜崎あゆみ Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

好きなモノだけを選んでくのが
無責任だってワケじゃない
好きなモノさえも見付けられずに
責任なんて取りようもない
背負う覚悟の分だけ可能性を手にしてる

いらないモノならその同情心
まるで役にも立たないね

大事なモノならそこに必ず
痛み伴うはずだよね
ひとりぼっちで感じる孤独より
ふたりでいても感じる孤独のほうが
辛い事のように

どんなに孤独が訪れようと
どんな痛みを受けようと
感覚だけは閉ざしちゃいけない
たとえ言葉を失くしても
いくらどうでもいいなんて言ったって
道につまづけば両手ついてる守ってる
そんなモノだから

Ah 指切りをしたあの日の約束は
ひとりじゃ守りようがない
Ah 語り明かしたいつかの夢だって
ひとりじゃ叶えようもない
誰にも言えない誰かに言いたい
あの人が誰より大切って

La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la
どこにもない場所で私は私のままで立ってるよ
ねえ君は君のままでいてね
そのままの君でいて欲しい

La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la
どこにもない場所で私は私のままで立ってるよ

ねえ君は君のままでいてね
いつまでも君でいて欲しい

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of 浜崎あゆみ's SURREAL reflects an individual's quest for self-discovery and self-acceptance. The song begins with the phrase "Choosing only what you like isn't irresponsible." This line highlights the importance of making choices based on one's own interests and desires, which is not wrong. However, it also suggests that being indecisive and failing to identify what is truly valuable is irresponsible.

The lyrics go on to emphasize the importance of acknowledging and taking responsibility for one's choices. They suggest that even if one has nothing in life, accepting the burden of responsibility will give them the chance to uncover possibilities for themselves. The lyrics also mention that feeling alone, even in the presence of others, is much more painful than being alone.

The chorus, "no matter how much loneliness may come, no matter the pain I may feel, I must keep my senses open," demonstrates that despite the hardships and challenges she will encounter, she won't shut down her emotions. She would instead hold onto the memories of the past, including the promises that she made to herself and the people that she loves.

Overall, the lyrics emphasize the importance of being true to oneself, making choices based on one's own interests and desires, being responsible and acknowledging the difficulties that may come with it, and enduring the hardships and challenges that life throws.

Line by Line Meaning

好きなモノだけを選んでくのが
Choosing only what you like

無責任だってワケじゃない
Isn't entirely irresponsible

好きなモノさえも見付けられずに
Without finding what you love

責任なんて取りようもない
No way to take responsibility

背負う覚悟の分だけ可能性を手にしてる
Only by being prepared can you seize opportunity

いらないモノならその同情心
Sympathy that's unneeded

まるで役にも立たないね
Seems truly useless

大事なモノならそこに必ず
When it's important, there must be

痛み伴うはずだよね
Pain that comes with it

ひとりぼっちで感じる孤独より
Rather than loneliness felt when alone

ふたりでいても感じる孤独のほうが
Feeling even more lonely when with someone