Duty

There's a reason this remains Ayumi Hamasaki's top selling studio album to date. This was when Ayu was really at the top, outselling most other artists in Japan at the time. Featuring the commercially successful songs SURREAL and SEASONS, this album displays some one of the most pivotal times of Ayu's career, a time when she was learning what her identity was in the midst of stardom. In my opinion, this album set in stone her role in the world of J-Pop as "Empress" due to her style, lyrics, and overall aura. Duty is very dark, contemplative, and carries a bittersweet and melancholy feeling in just about every track. I love the 90s sound it has, especially.

Track list:> 1 Starting over/ 2 Duty / 3 Vogue/ 4 End of the world/ 5 Scar/ 6 Faraway/ 7/ Surreal/ 8 Audience/ 9 Seasons/ 10 Teddy Bear/ 11 Key/ 12 Girlish. Well, this is SLIGHTLY disappointing after the powerful last project "LOVEppears". The energy and speed is gone and Ayumi has slowed the pace down considerably, opting for a more rock oriented direction. This is fine and it allows her talent to shine, her strong, high-pitched vocals to reign over the music. The vocals hit correct and there is no denying the infectious tunes -the girl can pen a great song and hit all the notes! However tracks like "Seasons" and the piano-led "Teddy Bear" come across as bland rock ballads -certainly lacking the originality and beauty that surfaced on "LOVE". The set opens with the misleading, futuristic intro, "Starting over" that springs into the big title track, which, with it's slow feel, Enigma-like chanting and broken beats, is a strange delivery. The fabulous "Vogue", opening with the sounds of a cheering crowd, takes the tempo up a touch. It's a gorgeous mid-tempo dance track with a bouncy "La Isla Bonita"-like energy and catchy synthesizer hooks; a definite crowd pleaser! From then on, Ayumi heads straight into the big anthemic rock journeys like "End of the world", "Scar" and "FarAway". Track 7, the delightful "Surreal" breaks up the set and leads into some teasing and rock guitar-powered dance beats. BUT it's the fantastic track 8, "Audience", that is the big dance hit here -a blinding, beat-driven slice of J-Pop that is the closest thing to the anthems that hit on "LOVE" and it's a great reminder that Ayumi is still in a league of her own. The closing track, "Girlish", is a fun feeling, unplugged romp complete with jangling guitars that reminds me of Janet Jackson's "Whoops now", that closed her "Janet" CD. It's hard not to compare "Duty" with the last set, considering that "LOVEppears" was such a huge success that catapulted her into a Mega Star status in the Far East. "Love" stood out because it sounded like nothing else before, wheras "Duty" sounds slightly borrowed, tried and tested. It's good to see Ayumi show some change in direction, be creative and her focus is still bold and confident but this project is not as hugely inspiring as before. Don't get me wrong, I still think she's great and I'm still going to buy everything that the girl puts out! I'm trusting that the forthcoming Remix CD -"A-yu-mi-x 3" (which includes remixes of "Duty" by various UK and US DJs) will spark my further interest. Buy it and make your own mind up. Whatever happens, you won't be TOO disappointed.

To be honest, when first hearing this album...I was surprised. This album seemed incredibly dark compared to her previous works. I never would of thought Ayu would be capable of creating masterpieces like this. I mean, when hearing these lyrics, they seemed to focus on the concepts of hopelessness. Almost as though Ayu was incredibly saddened by the fact that she couldn't express herself openly like she did through her previous works. Personally, out of all her albums, this one is takes the cake. This album made me see that Ayu was just as much of a human being like the rest of us. She proved that to me again and again through her lyrics. Each of tracks contained their own story. Focusing on the themes of loneliness, confusion, chaos, and a sneak peek of the burden of Miss Hamasaki's responsibilities. I loved this album. I loved the theme. I loved the covers and artwork! They touched my heart and gave me a reason to support this remarkable artist. I love nearly all the tracks, but the ones that stood out to me the most were: "Starting Over" "Duty" "Vogue" "Scar" "Seasons" "Surreal" "Teddy Bear" "End of the World" "Audience" and finally "Far Away". I loved the fact that she uses her experiences as a way to connect to her listeners. It's deeply warming that she can share such heartfelt words with us. It makes me more aware of the feelings I've experienced through the years I've been here...and I love her even more for that. Ayumi Hamasaki is an remarkable artist. If you're new to her, I recommend this album. There's a reason this album is her best-selling album to date. (Up to 2.9 million copies sold!) Maybe if you'd gave this album a try, you'd discover the reason why. (◠ ‿ ◠)

It's hard to pick a favourite Ayumi Hamasaki album, as she has 12 of them. But after listening to them all numerous times, I have decided that Duty has to be my favourite. Why? Read on and find out! Duty is Ayu's third studio album, released in September 2000. It has stood up to the test of time, as it's now over 10 years old. The album features 12 tracks, every single one of them great in some way. Duty also features my favourite Ayu song ever, so maybe that's why it's my favourite album by her. Ayu also wrote the album herself, another plus. If I had to put this album into a genre, it's more rocky then anything else she's ever done. This is a very, very good thing. Let's have a rundown of the tracks, as it's impossible to pinpoint just a couple of standouts: 01. Starting Over Duty opens with an instrumental, something Ayu is famous for. She has many instrumentals on her albums, and usually they're all great. Starting Over is no exception. Clocking in at 1:36, this is a fast paced little ditty, and a great way to begin the CD. With a male voice saying "people, searching for what they can't see" and Ayu going "na na na na" it's sure to catch your attention. Also, this is only interlude/intro type song on the album. 02. Duty The title track! And it's fantastic! A favourite of mine, this song is dark and brooding. Sounding almost ethereal, this song has a great backbeat and great vocals from Ayu. It wasn't a single, but definitely should have been. The chorus is VERY catchy and makes you sing along. This song is definitely one of the darker songs Ayu did in her early career, and it's a fantastic title track, and lives up to the hype. A definite standout. 03. vogue The hits keep coming, as this is also a standout! The album's lead single, this song is a vast contrast from "Duty" as it's fast-paced and upbeat. "vogue" has a Bollywood feel to it, just listen to those instruments! Even catchier then the previous track, this song is infectious. This song sold over 700,000 copies in Japan and provided an excellent launching pad for the album. I can't get over how catchy this track is! A favourite. 04. End of the World This track is slower then what we've heard so far, until that storming beat kicks in for the chorus, then the song bursts into a rock track! Ayu's vocals are kind of annoying on said chorus when she goes "eee eee" or whatever, it grates on me. But I love her vocals on the verses, and the music is great (especially the guitar solo towards the end of the song) and kind of creepy. Another great track, minus Ayu's high pitched vocals in the chorus. 05. SCAR Here we are. This track is my favourite Ayu song EVER. This song is just magical, and that chorus is just wonderful. It's a real sing along track, and I can just imagine crowds swaying along to it when performed live with their arms in the air. Ayu sounds phenomonal, the chorus is amazing and the music is just wow. I can't get enough of this song. It rose up the ranks quickly to become my favourite Ayu song. Just absolutely fantastic, and the chorus almost makes me cry sometimes. Why in the world didn't Ayu release this as a single?! Check this one out immediately if you haven't heard it! 06. Far away The album's second single, this one sold over 500k. I think this one is better then "End of the World." About 30 seconds in, the beat kicks in and the song becomes amazing. Another song with a catchy chorus, and Ayu's vocals are impeccable. The music is also fantastic and I love that weird vocal in the background (you can hear it right at the beginning of the song). A great rocky track. 07. SURREAL The singles keep coming, as this was the fourth single, and it was limited to 500,000 copies, and sold most of them. This track is distinctly more dancey then the previous tracks, and starts off with gorgeous piano, then a dancey beat comes in. Ayu's vocals are crystal clear, and the chorus is really cool. This song reminds me more of the songs from Loveppears, Ayu's second album, it would have fitted in well there. But it's still great here on Duty. 08. AUDIENCE The album's final single, this was limited to only 200,000 copies and thus, only made number two in the charts. This is without a doubt, the fastest track here. It's kind of a dance rock hybrid, and it's very upbeat. Very catchy though, and the music is awesome. Ayu, as usual, sounds fantastic and I imagine this song would be great live with a good dance routine. This is a frantic fast-paced ride and it's great. 09. SEASONS This was the album's third single. What resulted was one of Ayu's biggest selling singles to date, selling over 1.3 million copies. And I can see why! This song is gorgeous. The first true ballad of the album, this song is just amazing. Ayu sounds beautiful and I love the bit when the beat kicks in with the piano, gorgeous. With a strong chorus and strong instrumentals, I can definitely see why this sold so many copies. 10. teddy bear Now, this is probably the worst track on the album. But I still like it. It's my least fave probably cos Ayu's vocals are kinda whiny and don't sound the same as the rest of the album. She sounds ok in the first part of the song, but when it hits around 1:50 in, it gets unbearable. But on the other hand, this song has a sweet message behind it, it's about Ayu's Dad, so it's quite sad. But her vocals just distract from what would could have been a sweet, sad ballad. This song has a good message and beautiful piano, but bad vocals. If Ayu re-recorded this, it could live up to it's full potential. 11. Key ~eternal tie ver.~ Outside of the intro, this is the shortest song on the CD at only 3:14. As far as I know, there isn't an orginal of "Key," this is the original version. But it's very catchy and Ayu's vocals are back to their best. The guitar at the beginning is awesome and the whole song has a sweet feel. It feels positive, especially after the sadness of the previous song. A rather uplifting track. 12. girlish The closing song is an odd one, but a good one. It starts with people and Ayu talking and then kicks in with some great guitar, eventually merging into a great sing along pop track. This song features some FANTASTIC "la la la" bits in it with hand claps, and I love it when Ayu joins in with the backing singers. This song would be great live as a huge sing along track, it's very fun and a great way to end the album. Overall, a fantastic album, where I like every single track (yeah even "teddy bear", it's not that bad), but my top five are: SCAR Duty vogue SEASONS girlish This is easily Ayu's best album, and definitely one to check out if you're just getting into her. Definitely recommended!

It's true that Ayumi Hamasaki doesn't have the best voice on earth. she has such a sharp unique voice. But that doesn't mean she can't sing. I hate those people who are like: ooooh you don't have a strong mature voice, you can't sing!! those people should be shot because they are just prejudice. Ayumi has a very large voice range. she can sing very low to very high. And her voice actually sounds real. I think she sounds much better than Madonna, who's singing is just soooo fake. this album is by far, my favorite Ayumi featured album. A-best is also very good but is not a featured album. I really wish she would put "duty" as one of her A-best songs because I just loooove that song sooooo much.

So it seems like Hamasaki Ayumi is trying to break out of her original dance-pop genre. Her first two albums (I still love the second album) were very standard girlpop, with a little seasoning of dance. This album has more of a indie feel to it. It's got a very experimental sound to it (as other reviewers pointed out), and the instrument combinations on the songs are very interesting. She's changed her style of singing for this album, which I'm not too certain I like. She tends to extend and/or drag syllables out in a very artistic, yet somewhat whiny way. My personal feeling about my album favorite: if she had sung "teddybear" in her original way, it would've been a much nicer song. It just sounds SO whiny now, as opposed to somber/sad. But I do admit I like the album, and I do like the lyrics. One thing about Ayu is that she can write really awesome song lyrics. "appears" was my first introduction to Ayu's music, and man, I love that song. "teddybear" on this one is a definate tear-jerker. If you're looking to get a good dance album (like her first two) check out: Ayu-mix-/// Non Stop MegaMix (orange cover). Otherwise, get this album and see if you like her new style. Either way, you won't be disappointed.

Although I do love her voice, the most attractive thing about Hamsaki Ayumi (usually called "Ayu")is her lylics. Her lylics soaks into listers' hearts. I usually do not buy CDs untill I get to know the singer very well and like him/her. However, in the case of Ayu, I just simply fell in love with her world. For months, her song did not leave my ears. So, I strongly recommend those who like (I guess many love)Ayu to get English-Japanese dictionary and get the taste of Ayu's lylics. There is no need to know grammer. I guarantee that if you know what she is singing about, you will like her more--a looooot more. The lylic captured me was, in translation, "Because you were there, I could smile, I could cry, I could live" (From TO BE) Also, my favorite lylics are "While getting something big, maybe we have lost something. Even if we get them back now, probably they are subtly different" (From TO BE) "You can cry as much as you want, until tears dry" (Powder Snow) and so on. Of course, my translation is not perfect, so I think the best way is, again, get a dictionary and tastes Ayu's lylics world in your own way.

Duty is by far one of Ayumi Hamasaki's better CDs. Coming from the standpoint of an American fan with, okay, only six of her CDs, this is one I can listen to thoroughly and never get tired of. Working from the strings of "Duty", to the harder tone of "End of the World", and then to the soft, sad aura of "Teddy Bear", it reaches points of emotion that other artists dream to have.

CD case is cracked on arrival.

Bien

日本の音楽史上最高の売上と記録を樹立した歌姫による一番のヒット作。 予約だけで300万枚を突破し、TVで特集された史上最高のオリジナルアルバムのランキングで第1位となった正に伝説のアルバム。 ジャケット写真のヒョウ柄と赤リップは大流行し、ヒョウ柄は印象が根本から変わり、ブランドが取り入れるファッション性の高い柄に変わりました。 音楽性とファッション性が両立した歌姫とファッションリーダーの側面を持つAyuの真骨頂と言える作品です。 『vogue』『Far away』『SEASONS』からなる三部作を軸に構成されており、根底がしっかりとした上で楽曲を作りまとめてアルバムにしている為、作品としてアルバムとして傑作と言えるでしょう。 強烈な詞で社会や自身の立場を客観的に捉え複数の意味を掛けた『Duty』。 『vogue』と『Far away』の間には悲哀漂う『SCAR』『End of the World』が収録され『Far away』と『SEASONS』の間には『SURREAL』『AUDIENCE』。 アルバムの一番の盛り上がりを迎える『SEASONS』の後には『teddy bear』『key -eternal tie ver.~』『girlis』と終わりを迎えます。 骨組みを作り肉付けをする。 Ayuは、構成の作り方を熟知しているので、作詞もアルバム制作も上手いのでしょう。 『teddy bear』『key -eternal tie ver.~』のバラード曲を最後に持って来た事でアルバムに深みを与えており、感動を生み出す事をAyuは計算していると感じられます。 最後に近付くと感傷的になりながらも未来に期待したくなる実にAyuらしい最後です。 構成には、抑揚が必要です。 どの楽曲を目立たせるか見せ場を考えてAyuはアルバムを作っているので、曲同士が引き立て合い調和しているのです。 そして、どこを切り取っても孤独を感じられるのは、Ayu自身がいつも孤独と向き合っているからなのでしょう。 アルバム『Duty』は、浜崎あゆみにとって最高傑作としてでなく音楽史の中でも上に立つ歴史的な名盤です。

大好きだったアルバムを また手にする事が出来て嬉しい。

自分の欲しいものが過去にあるという内容の変わったアルバム。良い出来栄えです。