Born on October 2nd 1978, Ayumi Hamasaki is a well-known Japanese singer and songwriter. Also nicknamed by her fans as Ayu, the former actress was considered the “Empress of Pop” due to her popularity and influence in Japan.

Raised in Fukuoka, Ayumi Hamasaki transferred to Tokyo when she was in her teens to pursue an entertainment career. By 1998, through the support of Max Matsuura, the chief executive officer of Avex, she released singles consecutively. These were then included in her debut record A Song for XX. The album ranked highly at the Oricon charts and was number one for four weeks, eventually leading to her popularity throughout the country.

Due to an image that is frequently changing; and as a result of the tight control over her creativity, Ayumi Hamasaki’s fame extended to the rest of Asia. Her fashion sense and music influenced many audiences, including those in Taiwan, Singapore and China. To add to her fame, she appeared in various advertisements and TV commercials; her music was even featured in television ads.

Her debut single in 1998 was “Poker Face” and since then, she has sold more than 50 million records in her country alone. As a result, she was named one of the best-selling singers in Japan, garnering the most number one hits, most million sellers and highest sales. From 1999 to 2009, Ayumi Hamasaki had at least one chart-topping single each year.

To date, Ayumi Hamasaki is still the first female recording artist to ever have eight successful albums each year, with every one of them topping the charts.