Ayumi Hamasaki – I am – Review

Ayumi Hamasaki

I am… (Avex Trax, Japan)
by Michael McCarthy

Allow me to hype I am…, the new album by Ayumi Hamasaki (Avex Trax, Japan). The album starts off with the title track, which begins with a verse sung acapella. By the time it was over, I had a feeling I was going to love the entire disc. Although no less beautiful, Hamasaki’s voice is not the sweet, Kahimi Karie-style whispering sort that Chara’s is. On the contrary, it’s powerful, powerful, powerful, Hamasaki undoubtedly capable of hitting any notes Mariah Carey or Celine Dion can hit (and she often does). That said, that sort of mainstream fluff is not her cup of tea. A friend of mine described her as “aggressive J-pop” when telling another friend about her, and he’s absolutely right. Even when she sings ballads, Hamasaki’s delivery is intense and emotional and the music is never generic (unlike that which backs many other contemporary J-pop artists, unfortunately). She can make you cry, even if you don’t understand a word she’s singing. (The songs on this disc all have English titles, yet the lyrics are entirely Japanese.) Most of the time, however, you’ll be inclined to want to dance or pound your fist. While some songs, like “Connected,” feature a hard and fast dance beat, others (the title track and “UNITE!.” for example) sport the sort of heavy metal guitars that made George Lynch a household name all those years ago. Yet all of these songs, which Hamasaki wrote and composed herself, fit together nicely. In fact, it’s ironic that these songs work so well as an album because many of them were previously released as singles over the past year or so, some even written for TV and movies.
(www.avexnet.or.jp)