Ayumi Hamasaki – Voyage

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Voyage

“Voyage” is the 28th single released by Japanese singer Ayumi Hamasaki, serving as the third and final single for her fifth studio album, Rainbow (2002). It was released by Avex Trax in Japan and Hong Kong on September 26, 2002. The track was written by the singer herself, while the composition was done by the singer herself under the pseudonym Crea and Dai Nagao. Production was handled by long-time collaborator Max Matsuura. Musically, the song is a power ballad that lyrically describes the equality between women and men.

Upon its release, “Voyage” received positive reviews from music critics, praising its production quality and describing it as graceful. Commercially, the single experienced success in Japan, being her sole single to spend three consecutive weeks at number one on the Oricon Singles Chart. It went on to sell over 760,000 copies, and was certified triple Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ). It became one of the most successful songs in Japan of 2002, and won the 44th Japan Record Awards’ Grand Prize by the end of the year.

“Voyage” was used as the theme song of the Japanese film Tsuki ni Shizumu, which was created in lieu of a music video for the single. In order to promote the single, it appeared on several remix and greatest hits albums and live concert tours conducted by Hamasaki. It was also used as the ending theme of the dorama My Little Chef, which starred Hiroshi Abe and Aya Ueto.

“Voyage” was written by Hamasaki herself, while production was handled by long-time collaborator Max Matsuura. The song was composed by Hamasaki using the pseudonym Crea with the assistance of Do As Infinity composer Dai Nagao under the alias D･A･I. It was arranged by Ken Shima. It was also mixed by Yasuo Matsumoto, and mastered by Shigeo Miyamoto.

Musically, “Voyage” is a power ballad which features Hamasaki singing positive lyrics with a strong voice, accompanied by strings and piano.

The person responsible for focusing the track precisely on the musical image that Hamasaki desired was the arranger, Ken Shima, who was responsible for giving the song an elaborate string line and a gospel-style chorus provided by African-American singers. About the song, Hamasaki said:

D･A･I and I had the melody, and I had the lyrics and vocals, but there was just something missing. That's when Ken Shima's arrangement came into the picture. When I heard the finished product, I realized the song had reached amazing heights that I could not have achieved.

“Voyage” served as the third and final single from the album Rainbow. It was released by Avex Trax in Japan and Hong Kong on September 26, 2002.

Its CD edition featured a total of four tracks, two of which were remixes of the songs “Hanabi” and “Independent” and its instrumental. The cover art is photographed by Mitsuo Yamamoto and depicts Hamasaki wearing a coral kimono in the woods with a white horse in the back.

Who is Ayumi Hamasaki?

Ayumi Hamasaki (浜崎あゆみ, Hamasaki Ayumi, born October 2, 1978) is a Japanese singer-songwriter and producer. Nicknamed the “Empress of Pop” on account of her influence throughout Asia, she is widely recognized for her versatile music production, songwriting, and live performances. Hamasaki is the best-selling solo artist in Japan, and a cultural icon of the Heisei era.

Born and raised in Fukuoka, Hamasaki moved to Tokyo at 14 in 1993 to pursue a career in singing and acting. In 1998, Hamasaki released her debut single “Poker Face” and debut major-label album A Song for ××. The album debuted at the top of the Oricon charts and remained there for five weeks, selling over a million copies. This rapid rise to fame was attributed to her style of lyric-writing, listeners praising her poetic way of conveying relatable subjects.

Her next ten albums shipped over a million copies in Japan, with her third, Duty, selling nearly three million. A Best, her first compilation album, further established her position as a crowning artist with more than four million copies sold in Japan. It was at this time that she represented more than 40% of her record label’s income.

After A Best, Hamasaki went on to experiment with her music style and lyricism, incorporating English into her work from Rainbow onwards. Later albums would range from electronic dream-pop to rock genres, the singer commenting that she focuses on what she wants to create “whether it is trendy or not”. Hamasaki currently holds the record for the most albums to place in the top ten by a female artist in Japan.

Hamasaki has sold over 64.50 million units in Japan, and has several domestic record achievements for her singles: the most number-one hits by a female artist (38); the most consecutive number-one hits by a solo artist, and the most million-sellers.

From 1999 to 2010, Hamasaki had at least two singles each year topping the charts. Hamasaki is also the first female recording artist to have ten studio albums since her debut to top the Oricon, and the first artist to have a number-one album for 13 consecutive years since her debut.

In addition to this, Hamasaki’s remix albums Super Eurobeat Presents Ayu-ro Mix and Ayu-mi-x II Version Non-Stop Mega Mix, are recognized as two of the best selling remix albums of all time worldwide.

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Discography

A Song for ×× (1999)
Loveppears (1999)
Duty (2000)
I Am… (2002)
Rainbow (2002)
My Story (2004)
(Miss)understood (2006)
Secret (2006)
Guilty (2008)
Next Level (2009)
Rock ‘n’ Roll Circus (2010)
Love Songs (2010)
Party Queen (2012)
Love Again (2013)
Colours (2014)
A One (2015)
Made in Japan (2016)
Remember You (2023)

Awards and nominations

Ayumi Hamasaki Voyage · 浜崎あゆみ

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