Ayumi Hamasaki, born October 2, 1978}} is an award-winning J-pop singer-songwriter. Also known as Ayu, Hamasaki is one of Japan's most popular and influential pop singers and has been dubbed "The Empress of J-Pop". Born and raised in Fukuoka in a single-parent household, Hamasaki moved to Tokyo at the age of fourteen to pursue a career in entertainment. Since her 1998 debut with the single "poker face," she has sold around 50 million records with the releases of her nine full-length studio albums, one mini-album, four compilation albums, forty-four singles, and numerous non-studio albums.

With the release of her 39th single, "Startin'/Born to Be...," in 2006, Hamasaki became Japan's female solo artist with the most number-one singles. With the release of her 2007 single "Talkin' 2 Myself," Hamasaki has 29 number-one singles (30 when "A Song Is Born" is included) and 39 singles that have peaked in the Top 10 of the Japanese Oricon charts. She has 18 consecutive number-one singles to date (starting with "Free & Easy" in 2002). She is also the first Japanese artist to have her first original eight studio albums top the Oricon charts.