Ayumi Hamasaki

Remember You

Ayumi Hamasaki is an artist who I’ve gradually listened to more and more this last year. Her first full album in 7 years “Remember You” builds on all of her past work, and has some fun ideas - but generally it failed to fully engage me and feel complete.

Album opener “Nonfiction” begins the album with a majestic sounding introduction that eventually pops into blares of electronics. I really like the rhythm in the verses and the transition to the chorus is quite ... read more

A true return to form.

After a bad decade for Ayumi Hamasaki, Japan's "empress of pop", with controversial releases such as "Colours" and "Party Queen" that were, not only commercial failures, but low points in her discography, "Remember You" is the the singer's attempt to reconnect again with her music and redeem with her audience.

Her first album in over 6 years could best be described as a collection of singles released during the period. It includes ... read more

Com momentos muito simpáticos, "Remember You" realmente nos lembra dos dias em que Ayumi Hamasaki ainda tinha um nome de peso no cenário musical japonês. Em todos os álbuns de Ayu, temos um rockzinho safado, uma baladinha mais dramática do que realmente deveria ser e algumas faixas apostando no dance/trance/house. Em Remember You, a artista nos faz lembrar das suas maiores qualidades e de seus maiores defeitos, dentre eles o mais notável: ... read more

Ayumi Hamaski, known as the Empress of J-Pop, is back with a new studio album following 2016's "Made In Japan" and I gotta be honest here, out of all three mothers of J-Pop (Hikaru Utada, Ayumi and Namie Amuro), Hamaski was the one I was less familiarized with. That's kinda ironic of it's own considering Ayumi is the best selling Japanese solo artist of all time but "Remember You" was the first album from the singer that I've heard from start to finish and I really enjoyed ... read more

ᴅɪꜱᴄʟᴀɪᴍᴇʀ: ᴛʜɪꜱ ʀᴀᴛɪɴɢ ɪꜱ ʙᴀꜱᴇᴅ ᴏɴ ᴍʏ ᴏᴘɪɴɪᴏɴ. ɪᴛ ᴍᴀʏ ʙᴇ ᴡᴇɪʀᴅ ᴛᴏ ꜱᴏᴍᴇ ᴏʀ ᴡʀᴏɴɢ ᴛᴏ ᴏᴛʜᴇʀꜱ, ʙᴜᴛ ɪᴛ'ꜱ ᴊᴜꜱᴛ ᴀɴ ᴏᴘɪɴɪᴏɴ. ɪᴛ ꜱʜᴏᴜʟᴅ ɴᴏᴛ ʙᴇ ᴛᴀᴋᴇɴ ꜱᴇʀɪᴏᴜꜱʟʏ. ɪ'ᴍ ᴊᴜꜱᴛ ᴛʀʏɪɴɢ ᴛᴏ ᴇɴᴊᴏʏ ɴᴇᴡ ᴍᴜꜱɪᴄ ᴏʀ ᴄᴀᴛᴄʜɪɴɢ ᴜᴘ ᴡɪᴛʜ ꜱᴏᴍᴇ.

Nonfiction - ... read more

Nonfiction: 70
(Not) Remember You: 75
Dreamed a Dream: 82
23rd Monster: 70
Summer Again: 68
Ray of Truth: 70
Remember You: 85
オヒアの木: 60
春よ、来い: 90
Taskinson: 70
Mask: 85
Vibees: 75
Nonfiction (Yohanne Simon remix): 70
Just the Way You Are: 72

To be fair, this is much better than expected. This is the most excessive way to be back to her roots with Swedish House Mafia-ish sound. I couldn't stop giggling.