Editing Ayumi Hamasaki (section)

==Artistry==
=== Lyrics ===
{{quote box
| quote = In the beginning, I was searching for myself in my music. My music was for me. I didn't have the mental room to be conscious of the listener; I wrote to save myself. I didn't understand what it was to write songs. But over time I began to see many things, my influence, the responsibilities that gave me.
| source = — Hamasaki on the new lyrical directions in ''I Am...''.<ref name="TimeInterview"/>
| width = 30%
| salign = left
}}

Having trouble voicing her thoughts out loud, Hamasaki began writing as an outlet; she draws inspiration from her own experiences and emotions, as well as from the lives of those around her.<ref name="AvexProfile">{{cite web |title=Ayumi Hamasaki's Profile (Avex) |url=http://www.avexnet.or.jp/english/ayu/#profile |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051217103237/http://www.avexnet.or.jp/english/ayu/#profile |archive-date=December 17, 2005 |access-date=March 23, 2008 |publisher=[[Avex Trax|Avex Network]]}}</ref> She has stated that honesty is essential to her lyrics, saying, "If I write when I'm low, it will be a dark song, but I don't care. I want to be honest with myself at all times".<ref name="AvexProfile" />

In Hamasaki's debut years, Tetsu Misaki noted a large change in the lyrical style between ''A Song for ××'' and her following albums ''Loveppears,'' and ''Duty''. Misaki believed that Hamasaki's meteoric rise to fame had impacted her perspective, signaled by her using the words {{nihongo|''bokura''|僕ら||"we"}} and {{nihongo|''tsutaeru''|伝える||"convey/tell"}} more often; it gave the impression that she was thinking more on her influence as a public figure.<ref name="Jpopnonihongo1" /> Hamasaki's awareness of her fame went on to shape the lyrical direction of her albums ''I Am...'' and ''Rainbow,<ref name="Time" />'' only returning to a more autobiographical style with ''My Story''; in a 2004 interview, she stated that her goal was to return to making something "unmistakably human", instead of writing to give people hope or comfort.<ref>{{Cite book |title=NEW ALBUM [MY STORY] INTERVIEW |date=December 2004 |publisher=Avex: Team Ayu Magazine }}</ref>

Hamasaki's lyrics went on to define her public image; in two surveys conducted by Oricon, respondents voted Hamasaki's writing as their favorite aspect of her artistry.<ref name="10thoricon">{{cite web |date=September 10, 2008 |title=Ayumi Hamasaki 10th Anniversary Commemoration: Different Aspects of Her Charm! |url=https://www.oricon.co.jp/music/special/080910_04.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090601114243/https://www.oricon.co.jp/music/special/080910_04.html |archive-date=June 1, 2009 |access-date=October 17, 2008 |publisher=[[Oricon]] |language=ja}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Yuuki |first=Tai |date=February 28, 2007 |title=A Thorough Analysis! Her Best-of Albums and Approaching Her Charm! |url=http://www.oricon.co.jp/music/special/070228_01.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070302074028/http://www.oricon.co.jp/music/special/070228_01.html |archive-date=March 2, 2007 |access-date=November 3, 2009 |work=[[Oricon Style]] |publisher=[[Oricon]]}}</ref> Steve McClure of ''[[The Japan Times]]'' noted that Hamasaki quickly developed a reputation as a "thoughtful, introspective lyricist";<ref>{{cite web |last=McClure |first=Steve |date=December 19, 2001 |title=2001 – A Sound Odyssey |url=http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/fm20011219a1.html |access-date=November 4, 2009 |work=The Japan Times |publisher=The Japan Times Ltd.}}</ref> ''[[The Village Voice]]'' went further, complimenting her ability to sing of "the pain and happiness of millennial life".<ref name="VillageVoice" /> Subaru Tomioka, in regard to the singer's impact on the [[LGBTQ]] community, appreciated how she "replaced love songs between men and women with ones between people of the same sex, in a world where role models hadn't previously existed outside of your own imagination."<ref name=":6" /> Tomioka also highlighted her ability to bring emotion into her work, specifically the enmity Hamasaki has conveyed through songs such as "[[My Story (Ayumi Hamasaki album)|My Name's Women]]", "[[Rock 'n' Roll Circus|Lady Dynamite]]", and "[[Remember You (album)|Vibees]]".<ref name=":6">{{Cite web |title=浜崎あゆみが表明する社会への「怒り」。フェミニズムの視点で歌詞を紐解く {{!}} CINRA |url=https://www.cinra.net/article/202302-ayumihamasaki |access-date=2024-11-05 |website=www.cinra.net |language=ja}}</ref>

A notable aspect of Hamasaki's discography is her consistent use of English for her song, album, and tour titles; in an interview for her fifteenth anniversary, the singer stated "The meaning would be more restricted in Japanese—for example, if I use 'red' instead of 'aku' (赤), wouldn't you wonder, "What's the meaning? It's not simply 'aku', right?" I want to evoke more ideas (from the reader)."<ref>{{Cite book |title=ayu x TA INTERVIEW: 15 years of history |publisher=Team Ayu Magazine |year=2014}}</ref>{{Listen
|filename=Ayumi_Hamasaki_-_Evolution.ogg
|title="Evolution" (2001)
|description=Many of Hamasaki's songs are dance tunes, such as "Evolution" (2001), a self-composed single that also has rock elements.
|filename2=Ayumi_Hamasaki_-_M.ogg
|title2="M" (2000)
|description2="M", the first song composed by Hamasaki under the pseudonym "Crea", shifts to a [[relative key]], like most of her self-composed songs.<ref name="sheet">''Ayumi Hamasaki&nbsp;— Piano Solo&nbsp;— New Piano Sounds Top 25''. Volume 7. {{ISBN|978-4-89638-944-9}}</ref>
|filename3=Ayumi_Hamasaki_-_Bold_&_Delicious.ogg
|title3="Bold & Delicious" (2005)
|description3=Hamasaki took new directions on ''(Miss)understood'', as epitomized by the single "Bold & Delicious", a [[funk]]-influenced song that used a gospel-style chorus.
|pos=right
}}

=== Musical style ===
Hamasaki has released almost three hundred original songs; through them, she has covered a wide range of musical styles, such as [[dance music|dance]], [[Heavy metal music|metal]], [[Rhythm and blues|R&B]], [[progressive rock]], [[pop music|pop]], and [[classical music|classical]]. Hamasaki has cited Madonna, [[Babyface (musician)|Babyface]], [[En Vogue]], [[Led Zeppelin]], and [[Deep Purple]] among her early influences, and has openly appreciated the works of [[Seiko Matsuda]], [[Michelle Branch]], [[Yumi Matsutoya]], [[Rie Miyazawa]], [[Hikaru Utada|Utada Hikaru]], [[Joan Osborne]], [[Miyuki Nakajima]], and [[Keiko Yamada]].

Hamasaki began commissioning remixes of her songs early in her career, and this practice also influenced the diversity of her music.<ref name="VillageVoice" /> These remixes span a variety of genres such as [[Eurobeat]], [[house music|house]], and [[trance music|trance]], as well as [[acoustic music|acoustic]] mixes, classical and [[Music of China#Traditional music|traditional Chinese music]]. The musicians and acts she has worked with directly include [[Above & Beyond (band)|Above & Beyond]], the [[Lamoureux Orchestra]],<ref group="fn">
For a comprehensive list of Hamasaki's Avex-sanctioned remixes released in Japan, see Hamasaki's discography at [http://music.mu-mo.net/DispDetailArtist.php?id=%E6%B5%9C%E5%B4%8E%E3%81%82%E3%82%86%E3%81%BF&subgenre=0&filetype=0 mu-mo.net] {{Webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20090116163809/http://music.mu-mo.net/DispDetailArtist.php?id=浜崎あゆみ&subgenre=0&filetype=0 |date=January 16, 2009 }}. 
</ref> [[Tom Holkenborg|Junkie XL]], and the Princess China Music Orchestra.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.avex.com.tw/4th/artist/artist.asp?aid=306871&aname=pcmo&main=1&cateid=2 |title=Artist profile of Princess China Music Orchestra |access-date=May 2, 2008 |publisher=[[Avex Trax|Avex Taiwan]] |language=zh |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081009103208/http://www.avex.com.tw/4th/artist/artist.asp?aid=306871&aname=pcmo&main=1&cateid=2 |archive-date=October 9, 2008 }}</ref>

In addition to writing her own lyrics, Hamasaki has involved herself in other aspects of production throughout her career. Though Max Matsuura is officially credited as the producer of her records, he said of Hamasaki, "Ayu is a very meticulous worker behind the scenes. A lot of the work she does by herself is more in the producer's arena. I think really we should say 'Produced by Ayumi Hamasaki'."<ref>{{cite web|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040820032901/http://www.avexnet.or.jp/beatfreak/142/artists/ayumi.html|archive-date=August 20, 2004|url=http://www.avexnet.or.jp/beatfreak/142/artists/ayumi.html|title=Loveppears|last=Kazuki|first=Okabe|work=Beat Freak Online|publisher=[[Avex]]|access-date=November 6, 2009}}</ref> In 2022, Matsuura stated that he stepped away from the lead producer role in 2000 as Hamasaki took on more responsibilities.<ref>{{cite AV media |date=July 22, 2022 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vwbW2ifrwEs |title=【松浦勝人】 浜崎あゆみの歌を作らなくなった理由を語る‼︎【切り抜き/avex会長/ayu /エイベックス /生放送】 |publisher=松浦勝人の切り抜き君【avex】 |via=[[YouTube]] |access-date=January 15, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221109080434/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vwbW2ifrwEs |archive-date=November 9, 2022 |url-status=live}}</ref>

Hamasaki began to pen her own compositions in 2000, beginning with her single "[[M (song)|M]]".  During its production process, she struggled to find a melody that matched what she had in mind, and decided it would be faster to compose it herself.<ref name="TimeInterview2" /><ref name="Rockin" /> In a 2001 interview, she stated that 'I never thought it was important for me to start writing original songs... with "M", it just so happened that the melody I wrote fit the best.' In the same interview, Hamasaki said she felt no pressure to continue composing, and that she felt she could 'only go so far' with it due to her lack of formal knowledge.<ref>{{Cite web |last=kimonobeat |title=MUSIC CREATOR April–May 2001: Hamasaki Ayumi "A BEST" & "NEVER EVER" (translation) |url=https://ko-fi.com/Blog/Post/MUSIC-CREATOR-April-May-2001-Hamasaki-Ayumi-A-BE-H2H5KU8D}}</ref> Her final published composition was "Will", the b-side track to the 2005 single "[[Heaven (Ayumi Hamasaki song)|Heaven]]".

=== Videos and stage ===
[[File:Ayumi Hamasaki Asia Tour 2008 Mirrorcle World.jpg|thumb|A performance of "[[Mirrorcle World]]" (2008)]]
Hamasaki is often involved in the artistic direction of her music videos.<ref name="hpsecretinterview" /> The themes of the videos are varied; many contain short storylines, some of which use symbolism to convey their respective messages.<ref name="10thoricon" /> Additionally, the videos of "Fairyland", "[[My Story (Ayumi Hamasaki album)|My Name's Women]]", "Jewel", "Green", and "[[L (Ayumi Hamasaki EP)|Virgin Road]]" are among the top twenty or so [[List of most expensive music videos|most expensive music videos]], making Hamasaki the only non-American artist to hold such a distinction.<ref name="Welt">{{cite news | url=https://www.welt.de/vermischtes/article836335/Die_teuersten_Musikvideos_aller_Zeiten.html | title=The Most Expensive Music Videos of All Time| publisher=[[Axel Springer AG]]| access-date=November 6, 2009 | work=[[Die Welt]]| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20091126054209/http://www.welt.de/vermischtes/article836335/Die_teuersten_Musikvideos_aller_Zeiten.html| archive-date= November 26, 2009 | url-status= live|language=de}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | last=Hurley | first= James| url=http://entertainment.uk.msn.com/music/features/gallery.aspx?cp-documentid=3917826&imageindex=7 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080524060616/http://entertainment.uk.msn.com/music/features/gallery.aspx?cp-documentid=3917826&imageindex=7 |archive-date=May 24, 2008 | title=Ayumi Hamasaki – "fairyland"| publisher= [[MSN]] | access-date=January 24, 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | last=Hurley | first= James | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080822082000/http://entertainment.uk.msn.com/music/features/gallery.aspx?cp-documentid=3917826 |archive-date=August 22, 2008 | title= The Most Expensive Music Videos Ever Made|publisher=MSN|url=http://entertainment.uk.msn.com/music/features/gallery.aspx?cp-documentid=3917826}}</ref>

Hamasaki is also involved in the production and artistic direction of her live performances; they, like her videos, are often lavish productions and use a variety of props, extravagant costumes, and choreographed dances. She has used large video screens, fireworks, simulated rain drops, trick stage floors, and suspended devices.<ref name="RelaxedSmile">{{cite magazine | author=Tsuriya, Takako | title = Relaxed Smile| magazine = [[Cawaii]]| pages = 15–16|date=August 2006|language=ja}}</ref>