Deep Dive: Ayumi Hamasaki Part Eighteen (FIVE)

    Holy cow, we are on part 18 of this Deep Dive, and we've still got a lot left to cover. The next artist we do will have a significantly smaller discography! Hahaha! Not that I regret doing this or anything, I have had a blast just talking about music.

    Anyways, today we have Hamasaki Ayumi's second mini-album (we don't count or talk about NOTHING FROM NOTHING) FIVE! This EP comes during an interesting time both in the world itself and Hamasaki's career. Digital downloads was gaining popularity during a time of dwindling CD sales. This album was also her first to not feature any singles being released prior to it. It was also released 5 months after the disastrous 2011 earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan. This is no coincidence as Hamasaki hid a message in the album's title artwork which spells out "HOPE" with a heart replacing the O. So along with the album's 5 tracks, there is a theme of 5 here. And also, this was the world's first album to have a Blu-ray release! Much like the USB version of NEXT LEVEL, Hamasaki kept up with technology all the time. Further proving she's a revolutionary.

 

    I think this mini-album was a good strategy for Hamasaki, her team, and Avex to do at the time. Each track had a commercial tie-in which helped the new songs reach the public. Plus with Hamasaki releasing so frequently it gave the public a break in a sense yet raised anticipation for her next full-length studio record. Plus it's easier for an artist to give 5 really great songs over a whole 10-12-15 songs in a year, year and a half timeframe. Additionally, it gave her time to work on her next full-length too. No matter how you feel about it. 

    Anyways, that was a long introduction for such a short album. Let's deep dive into FIVE!

    Our first song here is "progress." Which has always reminded me a lot of "M" which was released over 10 years prior. It has that same build of it becomes a totally different song after the first chorus. I like "progress" a lot and even the desperation of how Hamasaki sings. Lots of emotion!

    "ANother song" marks the second time Hamasaki has collaborated with Urata Naoya from AAA. The first time was on "Dream ON" which was Urata's debut solo single which was released on the same day as Love songs. "Dream ON" is a fantastic song, if you have not heard it. It's got lots of energy. I meant to talk about it on the Love songs article, but I forgot. So you all just got a quick review of it here. 

    Back to "ANother song." Did you notice how the A and N are capitalized? It's for their names! How cute and clever! "ANother song" is so breezy and airy. I'd dare to call it an R&B song with that beat and their soulful vocals together. So I appreciate how Hamasaki tried new things here on FIVE even with the limited space. There's also 3 collaborations here which is rare for a Hamasaki release too. So I'd like to think she just let loose and had fun giving her all to make these 5 tracks. And I think her enthusiasm shows in the material presented. 

    "Why..." continues the trend of sound set with the first 2 tracks. It's Hamasaki updated to match that alternative kind of pop that we was beginning to see in 2011. And it all sounds good. The burst of freshness we get here with "Why..." makes it one of my most favorite Hamasaki tracks. It features JUNO. If you don't recognize him, you probably would his twin brother. Xia Junsu from Tohoshinki/JYJ fame. JUNO's vocals here are gentle yet powerful and they give the song an extra dimension. The chorus is a chef's kiss, y'all. It's perfect. We get a lot of experimentation and risk here on FIVE with tracks like "Why..." but they all pay off and are perfect.

    I think "beloved" is the album's weakest track, but it's still great. It's like the worst amongst the NFL teams, yet they're still better than a lot of college teams. It feels like the most familiar territory for Hamasaki here, and she's in her comfort zone. Not that that's a bad thing. Just the other tracks are better. There's an orchestra version of this song too. It's also nice.

    

    Let's get one thing straight: I LOVE "BRILLIANTE!" It's a fantastic song and a great addition to the Hamasaki canon. The quirky beat. The ancient tribe background chants from Timmy. It feels Egyptian? Or at least like Hamasaki is ruling her pop empire as the Empress. It's lush and beautiful. Experimental and well-thought-out. Hamasaki sounds great on the track too. I usually give this multiple spins during the summer on my summer playlist. It just sounds great in the heat of the day.

    Since Wellard produced this song, it hyped me up for Party Queen. That's a topic for another day though. Uhh. Yeah. We will talk about that soon.

    Then we get a hidden track. Which is an entirely different version of "Why..." except this time it features Urata Naoya. And it still sounds fantastic. I can't tell which version I prefer more over the other. It just depends on my mood, really. Today I love both equally because I've hyped both of them up. 

    FIVE is a solid body of work. One of Hamasaki's most solid and well-planned for sure. It's a much-needed addition to Hamasaki's discography, and it further proves she's capable of making a cohesive body of work. I'd argue it even gives her more artistic integrity during a time when critics were questioning if she's a real artist or releases albums out of obligation. Give it a spin! I don't think you'll be disappointed!

Rank: S Rank

Recommendation: When you want 0 filler and don't have a lot of time.

Standouts:

    The whole mini!