Hamasaki Ayumi - glitter/fated

After going a year without the release of a new single, Hamasaki Ayumi came out with glitter/fated in July of 2007. This single is the forty-first of Ayumi’s career and as expected with all her releases, debuted at number one on the Oricon charts.

The first half of the single is glitter, an amazingly cheerful song with a definitive beat that gets the listener bouncing in minutes. The song is done in signature Ayumi style with its carefree, electronic pop melody, quick singing and positive message. The only annoyance is that the vocals are a bit overly nasal sounding. Despite this, it;s no wonder this up-tempo song was chosen for Zespri's Gold Kiwi’s commercial.

Completing the double A-side is fated, a slow and emotional ballad. Ayumi sings in a lower key, thus making her voice seem more rich, and the slow progression of the song builds up the emotion until, towards the end, the listener can share in Ayumi’s passion. fated's heavier rock beat also appeals to people whom might not usually be fans of Ayumi.

The B-side contains the song Secret, the title track off a previously released album. The song is another ballad, but higher in pitch and softer in sound. Also included with the CD are instrumental tracks of both glitter and fated.

It’s worth mentioning the music video done for this single, as Ayumi eschews the usual "one video per song" style and made a short film containing both songs. The film, called distance love, can be found on the DVD edition of the single.

Though it took a year for glitter/fated to come out, it was worth the wait to see Ayumi back in top form. And with a slew of releases after this single, fans can rest assured that they won’t have to wait another year for something new from Japan’s queen of pop.