Five

I loved every track on this mini album, but "progress", "beloved" and "BRILLANTE" are my favourites, hands down. Ayu has always been a master of delivering touching, heart-wrenching ballads, and I feel like her powerful vocals and lyrics really shine here. I only wish it were longer!

Ayumi Hamasaki never did make a fan out of me, and the main reason for that is because she never got me interested enough to listen to her records. Sure, now and then I'll come across a music video or single that's intriguing but that's where it ended. I admired her beauty and style, but disregarded her talent and why she was so successful to begin with. In fact, Ayumi is one of the most successful and popular female Jpop artist of our time; trust me I did my research. Her sound is described as ever changing, and that's no surprise when she has complete control over her creative decisions, allowing her to experiment and mature as an artist. She never had a failed release, and like all its predecessors, "Five" has topped music charts in her homeland. The mini album is probably the one record that'll lead me into checking out Hamasaki's music more. The EP captures every essence of her art; there's a mixture of balladry and soft rock while balancing her strongest influence, pop. In all honesty, I was a bit weary by the end, but it was a good listen overall.