Born and raised in Fukuoka, Ayumi Hamasaki is a name that I've started remembering as the years went by thanks to "Dearest", which most people know at this point for its association with the anime series entitled InuYasha - and to be specific, this song was used as the show's third ending theme. Simply put, Ayumi is to Japan as Madonna is to the United States: both women are very influential to the respective industries that they're a part of. Also, the two of them have largely maintained creative control over their music and imagery, and they're unfortunately a case of the Seinfeld Is Unfunny trope. I would elaborate more on what I'm trying to say here, but I'll abandon ship and save it for another time. Anyhoo, Ayumi Hamasaki's third full-length album Duty doesn't possess much in the way of variation, though it more than makes up for this regarding the overall cohesive structure of many of the record's tracks. In addition to the LP's coherence, a lot of what comprises Duty straight-up comes from the heart and is delivered with a healthy dose of personality to boot. Now this might not be a totally remarkable J-Pop release, although it clearly functions as one that manages to be relatable. Hamasaki's compelling vocal performance generally speaking helps.
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