Deep Dive: Ayumi Hamasaki Part Twenty-Eight (Remember you)
Hamasaki Ayumi released her latest studio album, Remember you, and then trolled us with "one last big announcement" which was for a tour. Everyone just knew she was going to announce retirement as she hadn't released anything in 5 years, and then we got a full-length album. I guess we were all still shell-shocked from Amuro Namie retiring. So anyways, this is Hamasaki's 18th studio album and most current one. There's... A lot of familiar songs here. But we will get into that. Let's remember Ayu and deep dive!
"Nonfiction," our opening track. Seems a little dated. It's got some 2010s electropop goodness going on with some dubstep influences. So more 2010s goodness. But it's got just enough to make it a little current and even make it feel like a throwback at times. It's not bad. It's not something you'd probably seek out to listen to a lot either.
Then we have "(NOT) Remember you" as the second track. Another upbeat one. And I believe Hamasaki's only song to have an explicit label on it on iTunes because she drops the F bomb. Which... I'm not that big on. Like I get it, but when I think of early Hamasaki she just had this untouchable, glossy, classiness to her that I feel like her stunts like this cheapen and tarnish her image. It feels... Immature. Which can be good at times, but I don't think it is here. Cussing just to cuss is rarely good on songs, I think.
As for the song itself, we're in store for another roller coaster ride. The mix kind of drowns out Hamasaki just a tad bit too much. It's got strong Rock'n'Roll Circus vibes though. So if you liked that version of Ayu, you'll probably like this one too.
My hot take is that I love "Dreamed a Dream." It's a damn good song. It's a proper return to form for Hamasaki. Everything is good about it. The composition. The lyrics. The vocals. Hamasaki sounds the best here than she has sounded in years. It's just thrilling and fun. The hook is fun to sing along to too. Hamasaki doesn't reinvent the wheel here, but she takes what she does best and does a damn good job at it. This is the post-2015 Hamasaki song I listen to the most.
Hamasaki finally gave us a summer bop again. "Summer Again" is the first summer song since the mini-album, sixxxxxx, in 2015. It's a 90s throwback too during the verses. I think the fans are really fond of this one. So far, Remember you has been very consistent sound-wise. Which is very much appreciated it.
Then we get our first interlude, "ray of truth." It's giving me Secret vibes. More specifically "Labyrinth" from that album. I'm actually fine with this one staying an interlude. I think it accomplishes that job.
And with that we are led into the ballad section of the album with the title track, "Remember you." I think "ray of truth" should have been included in the beginning of the song and made it have a luxurious long intro. Just to help it be more of a standout amongst all of Hamasaki's ballads. As is right now, it's very pretty. But I don't think you'd choose it over "JEWEL," "Dearest," or "SEASONS."
Gorgeous strings. Beautiful piano. "Ohianoki" is a touching, sentimental ballad. Though it is a bit of a slog. Especially after the opening run of high-risk songs we got at the opening. Plus we've heard this one before. And I believe this song should have stayed on A BALLADS 2.
Speaking of staying on A BALLADS 2, "Haru yo, Koi" should have also stayed there to make the album unique and worth collecting. This take on Yuming's classic spring ballad is nice and refreshing. It retains what makes the original so hauntingly fragile and breath taking. The added traditional instruments are a great touch. Hamasaki should go more in this direction in the future.
Nothing holds a flame to the original though. "Haru yo, Koi" is that song. It has a mystic power that makes you nostalgic.
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Now "taskinson" should have been a full-length track. That is all.
"MASK" is another 90s throwback. Which is appropriate for an artist that debuted in the 90s. The song kind of sounds like it belongs on one of Hamasaki's early remix albums. Which is welcomed. We're back to the fun and upbeat here. It's got a lot going on.
"VIBEES" lets us know the sound at the beginning wasn't a fluke. Hamasaki full committed to it. And we're getting it to help close us out at the end. Hamasaki songs are often best when they are played loud and proud. This is one of those songs. The hook is a little weak though.
Then we get a "Nonfiction" remix. Not bad. I like the original better though. It would have been cool if she switched up the lyrics a bit and called this one "Fiction." That way we would have had another parallel on the album like "(NOT) Remember you" and "Remember you."
"Just the way you are" returns us to the string sound featured on the middle, ballad-section of the album. Once again, the strings are just beautiful. It's more of an acoustic take. A bit of a let down of an album ender though. Not much goes on. It's just a standard ballad. It's like "How Beautiful You Are" 2.0.
Overall, I have to say that I think this is one of the more consistent Hamasaki albums which is surprising considering we saw a few of the tracks in various places before its release. Is it an album you'll seek out to listen to often? Probably not just unless you're feeling nostalgic for Hamasaki and want to see what she's up to lately. Though there's a few gems here or there that you may return to.
Rank: C Rank
Recommendation: For nostalgic purposes.
Standouts:
Dreamed a Dream
Haru yo, Koi
So! We're finally done with our Hamasaki Ayumi Deep Dive. It's been a long one. I thoroughly enjoyed it though! It's nice taking a walk down memory lane with an artist I was once obsessed with, and I still am for the most part. Hamasaki was arguably the face of Japanese pop since her debut album dropped. Her influence still resounds through the industry today, and she'll always be a legend even if she has become a legacy act. Her discography through FIVE still holds up so well and will forever.
This is going to be tough as hell, but I'll try to rank her discography now:
- I am... (Sound. Lyrics. Impact. Legacy. I am... has it all. It's still a thrill to this day, and was Hamasaki flexing at her peak. It's absolute fun, has a great message, and there's not a dull song here. It set Hamasaki up for every album to follow sound-wise and overall direction.)
- LOVEppears (It was a tough fight for number one. I am... edged out this essential though. She pretty much abandoned the dance-influence in follow ups. Still, you can't ignore that this album is a career highlight for ANYBODY. This album is still a thrill from Introduction to Kanariya.)
- Duty (Another tough one. If LOVEppears is the light then Duty is the dark. These albums wouldn't have existed without the other. There's so much goodness here, there's nothing not to love. Every track deserves to be on your playlist, ruler of your heart, and caught in your mind.
- MY STORY (Hamasaki's personal favorite and for good reason. Arguably her most-consistent. There are no misfires here. It would set up a formula Hamasaki would follow-up on for years.)
- RAINBOW (Lots of experimentation and layers. A thrill for any pop fan. A little bloated at times, but RAINBOW always brings you back for more.
- Memorial Address (Each track is great and is just a compelling pop listen with a bunch of different flavors and charms sprinkled through it.)
- Rock'n'Roll Circus (Might be controversial, but I listen to this album all the way through regularly. Hamasaki reinvented herself and combined everything she does well into one album)
- (miss)understood (the diversity of styles keeps you from being bored though it does feel like "everything and the kitchen sink" at times.)
- A Song for xx (The birth of a legend though it's a little too safe at times.)
- GUILTY (Hamasaki plays up to her strengths and finds comfort in the darkness with glimmers of light, but the excessive interludes bog it down a tad.)
- Secret (It almost made the top 10. Secret and GUILTY flip flop in ranking for me quite a bit as they almost feel like sister albums where Secret is the dawn and GUILTY is the dusk. There are beautiful things going on here nonetheless.)
- Love songs (proof that Hamasaki doing her own thing is a good thing.)
- FIVE (5 experimental songs that make a killer EP.)
- NEXT LEVEL (I love this album. The highs are highs, but the lows are lows.)
- Party Queen (I love this album too. Fight me. That first half is bliss.)
- Colours
- LOVE again
- sixxxxxx
- A ONE
- M(A)DE IN JAPAN
- Remember you
I think that is the best I can do. I added small explanations just to explain my reasoning. This was so hard... Too hard. Hamasaki has so many of my very favorite songs. She'll always have something you like. And her discography is so large and diverse. Her output and hard work for 17+ years was insane.
I think the next artist for our deep dive series is going to be The Weeknd. He's rumored to drop an album this year, and I think this would be a good lead up to that. I want to cover an artist that is popular in English-speaking territories and also a male because females have been dominating the blog so far. Hahaha which is a good thing. We've talked about nothing but great, incredible music and I look forward to continuing.
See you next time!
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