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Hamasaki Ayumi (浜崎あゆみ) is a Japanese singer-songwriter, record producer, actress, model, spokesperson, and entrepreneur. By 2002, Hamasaki had earned the nickname "Empress of J-pop" due to her popularity in Japan and throughout Asia. Due to her success and relevance throughout her career, she is considered one of the top solo female artists of the Heisei era , both for her influence on various fashion trends and the music industry.
Born and raised in Fukuoka , Fukuoka Prefecture , Hamasaki moved to Tokyo at 14 in 1993 to pursue a career in singing and acting. In 1998, Hamasaki released her debut single " Poker Face " and debut major-label album A Song for ×× . The album debuted at the top of the Oricon charts and remained there for five weeks, selling over a million copies. This rapid rise to fame is typically attributed, among other factors, to her unique style of lyric writing; this would continue to be a defining aspect of her work
After A Best , Hamasaki went on to experiment with her music style and lyricism, incorporating English into her work from Rainbow onwards. Later albums would range from electronic dream-pop to rock genres, with Hamasaki herself saying she does not feel tied to follow music trends, instead focusing on what she enjoys and wants to create "whether it is trendy or not". This perspective would continue to resonate with the public throughout her career, with her albums consistently placing in the top five of the