Ayumi Hamasaki

Invariably dubbed ?the queen of J-pop,? Ayumi Hamasaki is arguably the biggest star Japanese pop has ever produced, rivaled only in terms of cultural impact and record sales by her near-contemporaries Namie Amuro and Hikaru Utada. Using less English in her lyrics than either of those two vocalists, Ayu?s high-pitch, sometimes screeching vocals have done the most to define the sound of J-pop to Western ears. Hamasaki?s uninterrupted reign at the top of the charts since debuting in 1998 has much to do with marketing as any raw talent. She is, after all, as likely to win an award for her nails as she is for her music, a mix of Eurobeat, rock and R&B balladry. And in an industry where image counts more than credibility, her ubiquity on television commercials and billboards has fostered her longevity, not hampered it, helping her sell more than 20 million singles and 30 million albums. To date, Ayu has scored 26 No. 1 singles (15 of them consecutively) and 37 top 10 hits.



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