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My Story
Studio album by Ayumi Hamasaki
Released	December 15, 2004 (2004-12-15)
Recorded	2004
Studio	Prime Sound Studio Form (Tokyo) Avex Studio Azabu (Tokyo) Sony Music Studios (Tokyo) Hitokuchizaka Studio (Tokyo) Bunkamura Studio (Tokyo) Blue One Music Studio
Genre	Pop, pop rock
Length	74:37
Label	Avex Trax
Producer	Max Matsuura
Ayumi Hamasaki chronology
Memorial Address (2003) My Story (2004) (Miss)understood (2006)
Singles from My Story
"Moments" Released: March 31, 2004 "Inspire" Released: July 28, 2004 "Carols" Released: September 29, 2004

My Story (Stylized in all caps) is the sixth studio album by Japanese singer-songwriter Ayumi Hamasaki, released on December 15, 2004, by Avex Trax. The album's lyrics were written in their entirety by Hamasaki herself, with composition on the album handled by a team of composers including Kazuhito Kikuchi, Bounceback, Tetsuya Yukumi, and, on some songs, Hamasaki, under the pen name Crea. The track order of this album is structured so that there are rock songs at the beginning, ballads in the middle, and pop songs at the end.

My Story was positively received by music critics, who appreciated its aggressive style compared to Western pop music at the time and its alternative sound. A commercial success, it became Hamasaki's sixth consecutive number-one album in Japan, debuting at the top spot with first week sales of over 574,000 copies. In its 43-week chart run, My Story sold 1.132 million copies and became the seventh best-selling album of the year in Japan, which also makes it the 222nd best-selling album in Japan of all time. Combined with the sales of its three singles, My Story sold 2.073 million copies.

To promote My Story, Hamasaki released three singles from it. The lead single "Moments" was released on March 31, 2004, to positive reviews from critics, who praised its rock influences. It was a commercial success too, debuting at number one, selling over 300,000 copies, and receiving a platinum certification. The second single, "Inspire", was successful as well, reaching number one and being certified platinum; it sold over 329,000 units, becoming the highest-selling single from My Story. Similarly, "Carols" topped the charts in Japan and was certified Platinum.

Background and production

“The title My Story is just like that, and it feels like I've looked back on everything from when I was a child, even before my debut, to the present, with the feelings I had at the time.”

By the end of her 2003–2004 arena tour, Hamasaki became dissatisfied with her position at Avex. She felt that the company was treating her as a product rather than a human being and artist. She felt that her two previous efforts, I Am… and Rainbow, had been rushed. As a result, Hamasaki decided that on her next record she would not write to "give people hope" or write "something good"; instead, she simply wrote "freely and honestly" with no set theme. These writing sessions resulted in autobiographical lyrics, exploring Hamasaki's own emotions and reminisces about her career.

The music of My Story reflects the free theme of the lyrics; its noticeable rock overtones expressed Hamasaki's liking for rock music. Hamasaki wondered if she had been able to properly convey something, so she thought there was no point in forcing herself to make an album for a year. She thought about the kind of sound she want to make and what she wanted to write, and as a result, decided to make it a mini-album; but this time, Hamasaki absolutely wanted to release a full album, so she started working on My Story at a fairly early stage. Pleased with its sound, Hamasaki declared that My Story was the first album of her career with which she felt truly satisfied.

Promotion

The album includes the three singles: "Moments", "Inspire", and "Carols". During its first release, four different limited edition covers were released for fans to choose from. There were also two versions released, the first that included the CD only and a second that included a DVD that contained music videos to some (including the singles) of the tracks from the album. For promotional purposes, Ayumi Hamasaki Arena Tour 2005 A: My Story was scheduled from January to April. During the concert tour, My Story was released again in two more formats, SACD and in DVD Audio on August 24, 2005. All of the lyrics on the album were written by Hamasaki and three of the tracks, "Wonderland", "Winding Road" and "Humming 7/4", were composed by her under the pen name "Crea". It topped the Oricon charts for several weeks (the Japanese equivalent of Billboard). It is currently certified four times platinum in Japan. My Story is the 222nd best-selling album in Japan to date.

Since the single "Moments", her singles have been released in at least two versions, CD and CD+DVD format. "Carols" featured four versions of the single: CD, CD+DVD, SACD, and DVD Audio.

Track listing

All lyrics are written by Ayumi Hamasaki

My Story Classical

My Story Classical is a compilation with classical versions of the songs from Ayumi Hamasaki's album My Story. My Story Classical was released on March 24, 2005. Most of the tracks were recorded with the Lamoureux Orchestra of France.

Charts

Sales and certifications

Release history

Notes

1. Crea is the pseudonym of Ayumi Hamasaki.

References

1. ^ "Ayumi Hamasaki: Always our Princess". Cawaii! (in Japanese). Japan. January 2005. pp. 10–15.
2. ^ "初めての"人間くさい"浜崎あゆみ". Oricon Style (in Japanese). Japan. December 27, 2004. pp. 15–19.
3. "ニュー･アルバム「ＭＹ ＳＴＯＲＹ」を１２月１５日リリース。". Girlpop (in Japanese). Japan. January 2005. p. 21.
4. ^ "浜崎あゆみ ・ エイベックスお家騒動から新構想までを語る". Nikkei Entertainment! (in Japanese). Japan. February 2005. pp. 32–34.
5. ^ "Corner Ranking Album - RIAJ". Music TV Program. Recording Industry Association of Japan. Archived from the original on 1 February 2017. Retrieved 18 April 2015.
6. 浜崎あゆみ - MY STORY. Oricon (in Japanese). Retrieved November 26, 2024.
7. "RIAS Regional Album Rankings". RIAS. Archived from the original on February 6, 2005. Retrieved April 6, 2024.
8. "2004 12月売上ランキング" (in Japanese). Archived from the original on March 29, 2014. Retrieved November 26, 2024.
9. "2005年　アルバム年間TOP100". Archived from the original on November 6, 2018. Retrieved January 28, 2024.
10. "2000年代アルバム売上ランキング" (in Japanese). Retrieved July 20, 2024.
11. "オリコンランキング情報サービス「you大樹」" [Oricon Ranking Information Service 'You Big Tree']. Oricon (in Japanese). Retrieved May 21, 2014.
12. "Japanese album certifications – Ayumi Hamasaki – Secret" (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan. Select 2004年12月 on the drop-down menu

• Ayumi Hamasaki albums
• 2004 albums
• Avex Group albums
• 2000s Japanese-language albums