Ayumi Hamasaki

Ayumi Hamasaki, born 2 October 1978 in Fukuoka (Sawara ward), also known as Ayumi Hamasaki and initially performing as Ayumi Hamasaki, is a Japanese singer-songwriter, former actress and model.

At fourteen she moved to Tōkyō to pursue an idol career; after film and TV roles she released in 1995 her first single and a mini-album, both titled NOTHING FROM NOTHING, under the name “AYUMI” on Nippon Columbia, without commercial success.

Discovered in 1997 by producer Masato Matsuura, she signed with Avex Trax and, after modest singles, released in 1999 the album A Song for ××, which debuted at number one on Oricon for five weeks and sold over 1.4 million copies.

Subsequent albums consolidated her success: Duty (2000) exceeded three million sales; the compilation A BEST (2001) sold over four million. Million-selling singles include Boys & Girls, A, SEASONS, M and H.

With her thirty-ninth single Startin' / Born To Be… (2006) she became the solo female artist with the most number-one singles in Japan. Affected since 2000 by total deafness in her left ear due to tinnitus or Menière’s disease, her sales declined from the late 2000s, but she continued touring and releasing records; her latest known mini-album is TROUBLE (2018).

Among the world’s best-selling artists, she has sold around 80 million records (17 studio albums, 6 mini-albums, 7 compilations, 53 singles, 27 remix albums) and holds several records in Japan; her catalogue counts over 145 tracks.