Deep Dive: Ayumi Hamasaki Part Eleven (Secret)

    

    Hamasaki Ayumi's eighth studio album, Secret, was released hot on the heels of her previous effort, (miss)understood. It was released mere months after her seventh in the same year, 2006. Secret is said to be Hamasaki's most successful worldwide, and she did promote Asia wide around this time. It topped the charts all around Asia. The album itself keeps this in mind as it features English lyrics much like Hamasaki's most recent efforts to this point. The sound is also more friendly and straightforward than its predecessor. We still have some Hamasaki classics here which I'm so excited to talk about. Without further ado, let's whisper into a new deep dive!

    Hamasaki stated the theme of this album was a secret itself. Which is interesting to think about. I feel like her playful personality really shines on Secret. On songs like "Startin'," "1 LOVE," and "Beautiful Fighters." She also stated that the album contains secrets about herself that the public does not know. Which raises a lot of curiosity about the contents. 

    The album was originally supposed to be a 7 track mini-album in the vein of Memorial Address. Hamasaki, however, began brimming with things to say and the album evolved into the 14 tracks we know and love today. And she says a lot on this album.

    Sonically, we have this airy and fresh pop rock sound that dominates the record. Secret is largely more cohesive than its quirky predecessor, (miss)understood. It's still a lot of fun and progressive too. There's a classy maturity here that Hamasaki's previous works lack.

    Our first song that opens this record is the brief "Not Yet." Which sounds like an ominous secret that we have to lean in to get the full meaning of and hear it. There's a lot of drama here on Secret, so I feel like this is a good opening track for it. In 2 minutes it introduces us to the album's principle sound.

    "until that Day" also has an ominous air to it. Then it opens up with crashes and vocal effects. The chorus sounds like a wide open plain. It's a pretty cool track. I'd argue that this track along with "Not Yet" are both the album openers. Like where "Bold & Delicious," "Catcher In The Light," and "ANGEL'S SONG" welcomed us on Hamasaki's previous efforts in one song, Secret uses these two songs to fully welcome us to what's to come. 

    "Startin'" is quirky and a little edgy. It also has a princess-like feel to it. It leans into bad assery with just a touch of refinement which seems to be a theme of this album. It's a great mostly-pop-rock song to get hyped up to.

    Not sure why I can't find the official videos on Hamasaki's channel using Blogger's Youtube search function sometimes. But it's pretty grating sometimes! Hahaha please look up the "1 LOVE" video on Hamasaki's channel for a high quality music video!

    Anyways, "1 LOVE" perfectly encapsulates what this album and its sound are all about. It's fun, Hamasaki pop rock. The "just 1 love" part is so fun to sing along with. The whole chorus as well. It's great.

    

    "It Was" was originally supposed to appear on (miss)understood, and all it takes is one listen to see why it was left off. It's not (miss)understood-like at all. It definitely fits the vibe and concept of Secret. The song itself is dramatic. Much like the rest of the album, especially the winter ballads. The opening is chilling and haunting. 

    Then we're greeted with the polar ice of "LABYRINTH." An interlude that prepares us for the wintery parts of Secret. And its one of two interludes for the album. 

    "JEWEL" is one of my favorite Hamasaki songs. Ever. Period. Point blank. It's a GORGEOUS piano-led ballad with these little ice drop sounds for a snowy effect. In my mind, Secret exists solely for "JEWEL" and "momentum." They are the best songs on the record. I've said that Hamasaki is an expert at crafting ballads, and everything just shines brilliantly on "JEWEL." The simplicity of the music, the precious lyrics, and the cold yet warmness of the song's atmosphere. 

    Whereas "JEWEL" is a calm artic sea, "momentum" is the stormy, icy one. If "JEWEL" is a gentle, powder snow, then "momentum" is a mighty blizzard. It's a fantastic thrill of a song, and is the song on the album that utilizes thrills, twists, and turns the best. The chorus is just an explosion of emotion. 

    The legend is that Hamasaki had trouble recording "momentum." She was nearing the deadline for the album to be turned in, so she did many takes of this song and was very frustrated. She ended up having to record the album's final song and title track, "Secret" in one take. And fortunately she nailed it. I'm glad she was a perfectionist for "momentum" though. It truly paid off. It's a great song. 

    Due to these songs, the date the album was released, and the visual concept, I largely describe Secret as a winter album. I always listen to all of it outside of "BLUE BIRD" (this one is reserved exclusively for summer) during the winter months. 

    Then we have "taskinst" as the album's second interlude. It is leading us out of the wintery section that largely defines the album. And sees us move into warmer, more springy territory. 

    

    "Born To Be..." is an anthem. Just listen to that chorus. It pounds. It soars. It is the wind. It's wonderful. The chorus of background singers is really nice and unique and is a technique Hamasaki carried over from her last album. It works really well here. I give it a spin every spring.

    "Beautiful Fighters" features a cool keyboard on it that reminds me of a toy keyboard I had when I was a super young kid. It's an upbeat, jovial, happy song that really contrasts the first 75% of the record. It's a nice change of pace. 

    "BLUE BIRD" is an alluring song. It's a golden summer song. It just breathes summer. Very beautiful. It's a fan favorite and for good reason. That opening is just magical and the chorus is definitely one you would scream along with if you heard Hamasaki sing it live. It's one of my favorites here and shows off Hamasaki's versatility. 

    "kiss o' kill" is possibly the album's most unique track just based on that intro alone. It also begins to wind us down as we're almost finished with the album. After that first verse, it livens up with the album's signature lively sound. The chorus is super dramatic.

    Then our final song is the title track, "Secret." It possesses a vibe the rest of the album does not have. It sounds very Shakespearean to me? Very romantic. And Hamasaki's vocals have a certain rawness to them that we don't usually see from her. Which is nice to see. It's an interesting ending to the album. Hamasaki is usually one to go for the extravagant, but this midtempo conspicuous number wraps it all up nicely. 

    Overall, I think Hamasaki crafted a cohesive record here for the most part. Where it goes off the rails a little bit, like with its winter ballads, is where the record really shines simply because it shakes the formula up. Hamasaki didn't have to abandon her love of rock to sharpen her pop sensibilities, she perfectly combined the two for songs that can satisfy fans of either genre. I also appreciate that Hamasaki's lyrics are groundbreaking revelations, but small details that make for interesting tidbits that are so relatable they touch your heart. That's very nice. 

Rank: S(ecret) Rank. Shh. I know I give many album's S ranks, but Hamasaki deserves them.

Recommendation: When it snows outside, throw on Secret.

Standouts:

    Startin'

    1 LOVE

    JEWEL

    momentum

    BLUE BIRD