is an award-winning
J-Pop singer. Commonly known simply as "Ayu," Ayumi Hamasaki is one of the most popular and influential Japanese pop singers, and has been dubbed “The Empress of JPop”. She was born and raised in
Fukuoka and moved to
Tokyo to pursue a career in the entertainment industry. Since her debut in 1998 with her first single
poker face, she has sold more than 45 million records in Japan alone, with the releases of her eight full-length studio albums, one mini-album, four compilation albums, 42 singles, and several non-studio albums, being the top selling solo and female artist and the fourth top selling Japanese artist in history. With the release of her 40th single
Blue Bird, Hamasaki's single sales have passed the 20 million mark, making her the first solo and female singer to reach that milestone.
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