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

vogue
浜崎あゆみ Lyrics

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Kimi wo saki hokorou
Utsukushiku hana hiraita
Sono ato wa tada shizukani
Chitte yuku kara...

Kizukeba Itsudemo
Furi mukeba kimi ga
Waratte imashita

ha-ha-haaa-

Kizukeba Itsushika
Kimi no koto bakari
Utatte imashita
ha-ha-haaa-

Dakedo sore wa kesshite
Koukaide wa nakute
Ano hibi ga
Atta akashi nano deshou

Kizukeba Konnani
Tooi tokoro made
Hashitte kimashita
ha-ha-haaa-

Dakedo sore mo kesshite
Koukaide wa nakute
Ano goro no kimi ga
Itakara deshou

Kimi wo saki hokorou
Utsukushiku hana hiraita
Sono ato wa tada shizukani
Chitte yuku kara...

Kimi wo saki hokorou
Utsukushiku hana hiraita
Sono ato wa tada shizukani

Chitte yuku kara...
halahala...

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "vogue" by Japanese singer Ayumi Hamasaki are about reminiscing about a past love and the memories that come with it. The first verse talks about how the singer will hold her head up high and open up like a beautiful flower, but after that moment is over, everything will simply scatter away quietly. This sets the tone for the entire song, as it explores moments and memories that are both beautiful and fleeting.

The chorus of the song talks about how, before the singer knew it, all she was doing was thinking about this past love and singing songs about him. The ha-ha-ha's that punctuate this part of the song add to the bittersweet feeling of nostalgia that the singer is experiencing. The bridge of the song sets a more melancholic tone, as it speaks to the fact that the memories that the singer is holding onto are no longer effective in the present. The memories themselves are evidence that something once existed, but they are no longer powerful enough to hold the singer in the past.

Overall, "vogue" is a song that explores the beauty and sadness of memories, and the ways in which we hold onto them even when they no longer serve us.

Line by Line Meaning

Kimi wo saki hokorou
Let's move forward with pride

Utsukushiku hana hiraita
Beautiful flowers bloomed

Sono ato wa tada shizukani
After that, just quietly

Chitte yuku kara...
They scatter away...

Kizukeba Itsudemo
I realize that anytime

Furi mukeba kimi ga
When I turn around, you were

Waratte imashita
Smiling

ha-ha-haaa-
Ha-ha-haaa-

Kizukeba Itsushika
Before I knew it

Kimi no koto bakari
I was only singing about you

Utatte imashita
I was singing