Hamasaki was born in Fukuoka Prefecture and raised by her mother and grandmother, as her father had left the family when she was three and never again came into contact with her. Because her mother worked to support the family, Hamasaki's grandmother became her primary caretaker.

Hamasaki began her modeling career at seven, working locally for institutions such as banks to earn money for the Read more...

Hamasaki's first singles under Avex—"Poker Face", "You", "Trust", "Depend on You", and "For My Dear..."—were not major hits, although the last three reached the top ten of the Oricon weekly charts. However, her debut album, A Song for XX (1999), made her a success. Though it was composed of "cautious" and "unassuming" pop-rock tracks, it topped the Oricon charts for five weeks straight Read more...

In sharp contrast with Loveppears, Duty (2000), Hamasaki's third studio album, only contained one upbeat dance track—"Audience." The creative process behind Duty was not a happy one for Hamasaki, who described her feelings following the production of the album as "unnatural", "nervous", and "heart-pounding." However, the title track had the first lyrics in which she felt she had expressed Read more...