Ayumi Hamasaki’s “You were…/Ballad”

Japanese pop singer and idol Ayumi Hamasaki released her forty-seventh single entitled “You were…/Ballad” on December 29th of last year. Peaking at #1 on the Oricon Daily and Weekly charts, as well as the Billboard Hot 100 and Hot Singles sales, this single adds to a long collection of #1 songs that Ms. Hamasaki has released.

In my opinion, this single deserves all the accolades that it has obtained thus far. The A-side song, You were…, is a beautifully composed song. When it comes to ballads, Ayumi Hamasaki has a knack for doing everything right. The B-side song, Ballad, is a slower and more “traditional” song; also a very well orchestrated song.

Other tracks on the single include RED LINE ~For TA~, a pop/rock track, and a remix of both her previous single Sunset ~Love is All~ and this single, You were…

Score: 5/5

Have a listen to You were… and tell me what you think!