Hamasaki Ayumi (浜崎 あゆみ, b. October 2, 1978) is a Japanese singer originally from Fukuoka. In her homeland she is commonly called by her nickname Ayu.
She is noted for her high-pitched voice, for an aversion to singing in the English language (which is rare among Japanese singers), and for writing her own lyrics. She is also known as one of Japan's most prolific recording artists, having released 25 albums and 40 singles as of January 2004. At one point, four of Hamasaki's albums were among Japan's top ten best-sellers. She is also the only individual to win the Japan Recording Award (日本レコード大賞) three years in a row, in 2001 (for "Dearest"), 2002 (for "Voyage"), and 2003 (for "No way to say").
Before her musical debut in 1998 with the single "Poker Face," Hamasaki was a television and film actress.
Her music has been a popular starting point for techno and trance artists: a series of albums called ayu-mi-x has been released featuring many renowned DJ's from around the globe.
