Asian companies seemingly know what’s good for them: rent-a-pop star for a day, pay them loads of money, and then sit back and watch business go through the roof. From BoA selling beer, to Ayumi Hamasaki (among others) pushing Tower Records, I’m on the edge of my seat just waiting to see what ads these companies dream-up next..
Tag Archive for 'ayumi-hamasaki'
Hello Kitty announced that they will be offering a Ayumi Hamasaki figurine to their already extensive lineup of unique designs. Luckily, Ayumi couldn’t be happier, commenting in the press that she’s adored the brand since childhood, and is quite excited by the honor. The figurine will be a cute caricature of Ayumi holding a white cat, and will cost fans the equivalent of $5 to purchase. So far, it’s mainly on sale during her current Asian tour, but is expected for a wider release sometime in the next several weeks.
It’s official, Ayumi Hamasaki has surpassed all other Asian female solo artists–having the most singles sold over the course of her career. The record was set after her latest single “Blue Bird” entered the Oricon music charts at No. 1, selling just over 180,000 copies at the time of this writing. With the single in Oricon’s top spot, Ayumi will be breaking another record as well, having more No. 1 singles than any Japanese female in history. She’s still in the early stages of her career, so these records will be quite interesting to watch in the coming years.
Oricon, the Asian music ranking company, is celebrating it’s 40th birthday this month, and as part of the celebration they are releasing some long-term statistics. Most interesting, being best selling artists from both past and present. Japanese rock group B’z tops the list, with an astonishing 40+ million albums sold over their very illustrious career. Female artist Ayumi Hamasaki is also listed, topping the singles category with over 19 million singles sold. But that was not enough to beat veteran Japanese singer Yumi Matsutoya, who has sold close to 30 million albums dating all the way back to the late 1970’s.
Congratulations to pop diva Ayumi Hamasaki, for becoming the most successful selling female Japanese pop artist ever, after her latest single topped the Oricon charts and brought her career total to 26 #1 singles. The previous record holder was Matsuda Seiko, whose fame and success was unprecedented in the 1980’s. Ayumi also holds records for having the most Top 10 singles, as well as for the total amount of singles sold, with over 20 million.
Ayumi Hamasaki won two unusual accolades this month: “Best Jeanist” an award given to the celebrity who best represents denim fashion through their look and style. She also won “Japan’s Best Dresser Eyes” and was presented with an award for her fashionable use of sunglasses in 2005.
Speaking of Ayumi Hamasaki, last issue we reported that the Asian pop star promised to return to Hokkaido shortly after canceling a concert in the city due to illness. Just a few weeks later, she surprised everyone by making an appearance at a local Hokkaido radio station. Five thousand fans turned out to get a glimpse of her, and all seemed quite appreciative that she kept her promise to return to their beloved city.
Organizers for the A-Nation tour had a rough time of it in early August when Ayumi Hamasaki canceled her Hokkaido performance due to acute Sinusitis and Pharyngitis. She later made a statement on the A-Nation website, apologizing to her fans and organizers, and vowed to do a live show there after she recovers.
