“Mirrorcle World” is Ayu’s 43rd single released on 2008.04.08. The single was released exactly 10 years after her major label debut single, “poker face”. The single came in 6 different versions! 0.o

The single opens with Mirrocle world, the longer version of Mirror. Silky strings open the song setting a dramatic and dark atmosphere, sounding slightly forlorn before the song suddenly builds up, introducing the heavy synth- the strings become frantic, the song sounding even darker and far more angry than before. Ayu like always gives a powerful and emotional vocal performance, driving the song forward. And then the chorus literally hits you, breaking out into a harder angrier rock. The song goes through many other phases, presenting many emotions and introducing new sounds, like the softer more ethereal bit in the middle and the sound of glass cracking before the end. It’s pretty cool song, but after listening for a while I promptly got bored. It’s so over the top. It’s so FAKE. For the first time Hamsaki’s voice annoys me. I prefer the short version, always.

The single picks up a little though with the soft rock number LIFE. Unlike Mirrocle world there’s something very simple about this song. The song is calmer with more reserved and bittersweet vocals from Hamasaki Ayumi. The instrumentation still has that rock feel, but it’s more relaxed without any unnecesary effects. I really like this instrumentation and I think it really compliments Ayu’s voice : ) Furthemore I really like how the song changes in the chorus, sounding very light and I love how Ayu sings here. Throughout the song she gives a beautiful vocal performance. The ending is the best with some gorgeous adlibbing- her voice carries some amazing emotion. It’s a very beautiful song, it doesn’t stand out as the most amazing thing she’s done: but it’s got a subtle emotion to it, and it’s not OTT or as FAKE as Mirrocle world. Overall I think it’s a beautiful song which is very relaxing to listening to  and far better than mirrocle world.

The single then carries two remakes of the Ayu classics YOU and Depend on You- both of which are signature Ayu tunes that every ayu fan can immediatly recognise. I’ve only listened to the original’s once or twice, yet the melodies always stuck with me!! Of course these came from her Song for XX period- and feature some rather piercing, immature vocals from Ayu. So indeed hearing these resung is a breath of fresh air, however the new instrumentation simply sucks, Depend on You’s sounds like a rip-off of another song,  and You suddenly trying to be rock is just… not quite right.  Although if I had to pick one I’d say You is slightly better and is actually listenable. Ayu’s deep vocals do bring out another element in this song. Although there’s something that irritates me about the instrumentation. And overall it just feels boring as hell. To be honest I didn’t really like the originals (I just respect them as Ayu classics), and I don’t really like how they’ve redone them here too.

Overall Rating: 3/5 (OK. Pretty Average and a dissapointing effort from Ayu)
Favourite Tracks: LIFE

This was a rather dissapointing single from Hamasaki Ayumi. You’d think after GUILTY, and the fact this is an anniversary single she’d come up with something better. Mirocle world was better as the short mirror, Life was the best song on the single being a mellow yet emotional soft rock number and the covers were just aweful- I do like the new vocals, but the arrangements are cheap. Almost everything about this single feels fake and is easily forgetabble- no, I want to forget this. If it was not for this review I wouldn’t een have listened to this crap again. I just hope GREEN is better, else I’ll feel really dissapointed. I don’t care how many times she released the same things, along as it contains some sort of emotional power it doesn’t matter. This single, apart from life fell flat. In one word: FAKE.

GUILTY is Hamasaki Ayumi’s 9th album released on 2008.01.01. The first press of the album contains a 32 page photo book. This album was the first of her studio albums not to reach #1, and it also has her lowest two-week sales, selling 432,113 copies. So far, Guilty is Hamasaki’s lowest album debut chart and sales. However the album did well on the world chart, debuting at #7. Despite its low sales compared to her other albums, this is still (as of 2008.07.04) 2008’s 10th best-selling album.

GUILTY opens with Mirror. Twinkling sounds and anxious strings over a steady beat start this song: overlaid with bitter vocals from Hamasaki Ayumi. The song builds up, and then breaks out into a furious and powerful rock number laced through with synth effects. Again, nearing the end the song changes getting a lighter, slightly ethereal and far more hopeful feeling before it fades away. It’s a deeply emotional and beautiful album opener- the powerful, angry rock feel combined with dramatic synth a preview for what’s still to come.

After Mirror, follows (don’t) Leave me alone. The opening to this is slightly tacky with heavy synth, but the song quickly builds up to be a softer rock number with reliance on synthetic sounds to give a strong, dramatic feeling to the song. Hamasaki sounds just as mature as she did in mirror, her vocals bitter and I adore her adlibbing. The chorus is where the song really shines, with a wonderful forlorn feeling- rock instrumentation combining with sad strings for gorgeous effect. I love the instrumental section and the bridge too. The section with just Ayu’s vocals is lovely too. The song, like so many of Ayu’s works, is a blend of style, feeling and genre- coming together for another powerful and mature track. Even if generally of the same style t’s softer than Mirror, but yet that only makes it sound even more bittersweet.

Continuing the rock theme, Fast rhythms with deep synth start talkin’ 2 myself off, before grungy rock instrumentation really comes in full force- the heaviest of Ayu’s song so far. At first the heaviness of the song was off-putting, it was too in your face, but it really grew on me!! The song is so damn angry, so filled with that Hamasaki Ayumi attitude and I think that is what really makes talkin’ to myself what it is. Hamasaki Ayumi has something has something to say- so she’ll say it with everything she has. Combine that with the admittedly beautiful instrumentation, a blend of heavy rock, synth effects and dramatic string part and it’s absolutely stunning. I love the part where Ayu’s vocals are distorted too. The song is so filled with feeling, you just want to put it on really high and turn all you’re attention to it- absorbing the many different parts of it and the overall feeling. I love the PV to this too, I will always think of the dirtied Hamasaki dancing in the rain. A very unique Ayu song, yet another powerful one fitting in neatly after Mirror and (don’t) leave me alone.

Talkin’ to myself flows into its (as in the single) B-side, decision. Unlike it’s A side this song caught my attention on first listen. The forlorn strings with the gentle piano that starts the song, before the interesting guitar rhythms come in, the song toning down for soft verses driving by Ayu’s vocals- finally building up to the loud and bitter chorus packed with epic instrumentation and amazing emotion. This is a gorgeous, emotive softer rock number. I love the feeling of the song and the way it flows from bit to bit, varying all the time. Technically the instrumentation is interesting and Ayu’s vocals are mature and powerful. Her adlibbing at the end just completes the song. Put short, it’s amazing and perfect after the heavier, angrier talkin’ to myself.

Track 5 is GUILTY. Haunting is the best word for this song, a beautiful blend of heavy rock and a piano sound- much like that one in Too destination’s EDEN. The chiming sounds just add to the darker feeling- and I really love them. The instrumentation is really beautiful and along with Ayu’s emotive vocals creates an amazing, and dramatic atmosphere filed with gorgeous emotion. I also love the way Ayu’s vocals sound so far away in the verses, and so forlorn throughout. The chorus is where it gets really awesome, with Ayu’s vocals taking on the most beautiful tone, presenting such a desperate emotion only heightened by the powerful instrumentation. The song, cheesy as this will sound, sounds GUILTY. It is filled with bittersweet feelings and the feeling of regret. It sounds incredibly personal; Ayu shows a much more vulnerable side of herself in this song I think. The one thing I don’t really like is the English lines “guilty?” “or not guilty” because I feel it is slightly tacky. Thankfully, they are not too obnoxious and can be safely ignored.

The album so far has presented some powerful rock and it’s definitely time for a slower, calmer song. This is delivered through fated which after some really epic synth at the beginning that makes you think it will be a rock number yet the song becomes quieter and gentler with a bittersweet feeling- turning out to be a nice mellow ballad. Ayu still hasn’t let go of her string, rock instrumentation and synth but hey…it’s still beautiful. The song is calming with a steady beat and soft electric guitar work overlaid with synth effects. Ayu’s vocals are soft and sincere, sounding bittersweet and I love the voice distortion that comes now and then. Just as I first wrote when I review the single – I LOVE fated. It’s a truly beautiful and moving ballad.

There is another ballad right away with Together When…. What I really hate about Together when…. is that is it so quiet at first you put it on full volume in order to hear it, then suddenly it becomes really loud and it’s like “woa..”. Anyway, Together When… The song with a gorgeous feeling and beautiful lyrics. Starting with an amazing piano part, being quiet and reserved it builds up to be very powerful and packed with emotion. Personally I would have liked the piano and strings with maybe a bit of synth to stay the focus of the song instead of the way it changes halfway to a more rock influenced sound. But I suppose despite my grudges against the rock sound, it does make the song truly epic with a very dramatic and powerful feeling the way it varies and the different dynamics and texture to it. Ayu once again gives a truly beautiful vocals performance adding all the right emotion to it. It is decent track, something that I sometimes feel a bit sick of- but still…it’s lovely and certainly something different.

The next track, Marionette -prelude- is the second interlude on the album and it is time for something creepier, as distorted sounds start this off, then a childish synth part coming in sounding equally disjointed. The interlude continues to have a very simple, but dark and oddly childish feeling to it.

The prelude is followed by the full song- Marionette. The actual song is a powerful alternative rock song. Still that disjointed, strangely childish sound combined with the heavy echoing beat and dark piano part. Epic strings and dramatic instrumentation comes in full blast over Ayu’s bitter vocals for the first chorus and continue throughout the song. Hell, this is very dramatic song with such a dark and wonderful feeling. I love it when Ayu adlibs at the end, her adlibbing is just…wow. The lyrics are amazing too- “Now, let’s stand up without fear For the sake of no one else And rip off the masks With our own hands” The last of the powerful rock numbers, but a good way to go.

The second interlude comes in close to the second. The Judgement Day is just another interlude; a very typical one for Hamasaki Ayumi. Warped synth over a heavy foreboding beat before Ayu’s light adlibbing and more ethereal type synth comes in. I really love how it becomes halfway through, with a thumping dance beat and heavy synth. Not bad, and insanely catchy- but unnecessary.

GUILTY changed at some point, and now it’s time to lose the powerful rock and move into the realm of typical Ayu pop. glitter is the happy happy, very out of place upbeat pop number on this album. This is how I first described the song and it’s still appropriate- “an uptempo, pop song that sounds like a mix of a few other Ayu summer songs. It’s catchy, and Ayu’s English is good but really nothing special. I still love listening to it- just caus’ it makes me smile.” Indeed. I really do think the song is cute, especially Ayu’s accented little English lines. But man, happy happy pop? Maybe. Sometimes……..I guess that this sort of track is needed after such angst presented in the first half of the album.

Hopeful guitar starts the next upbeat pop song, MY ALL off. The song annoys me. It’s really nothing special at all, very typical. Pretty nice instrumentation and lovely vocals, but it’s average and totally bland. After this boring track comes another airy, synthy little interlude- reBiRTH. I do like the dreamy, yet darker feeling to it and how urgent it becomes before becoming even more ethereal halfway. A pretty interesting number, but much like a lot of her other interludes.

Ending with untitled ~for her~. I know why she wrote this, and this makes me want to like it but I find the song boring instead of beautiful. I don’t like it at all.

Overall rating: 9/10 (Let down by weaker tracks)
Favourite Tracks: talkin’ to myself, decision, GUILTY, fated, marionette

Ayu always presents a new sound with each of her albums, whilst still notably drawing on previous songs. This album is mature; darker, and angrier with very noticeable bitter feelings. As I said for one of the tracks, Ayu has something to say and she’ll say it and she will make you listen and she will make you feel it through the emotion in her voice, through the epic instrumentation. However for me the album can clearly be split. I prefer the first half of the album, the angry rock numbers like talkin’ to myself and GUILTY continuing to Marionette. This is the Ayu I adore- strong with tracks that are heavy and filled with raw emotion. The second half of the album is not bad at all, but it’s not quite so angry with a more prominent pop sound and the bluebird of the album “glitter”. I find something missing when it comes to Ayu’s pop side, it’s still nice but somehow it doesn’t reach out to me like the darker, A-BLACK side of Hamasaki Ayumi. You can see me writing less as the album goes on, because I grow bored. I don’t find the second half of the album very interesting at all.

This album definitely comes off as very mature though, with a great flow to it (I suppose even the many, almost unnecessarily so interludes account fort this) and a beautiful, darker feeling to it. Pretty different from what Ayu usually does, but man the overall package was awesome.