Ayumi Hamasaki

It's hard to decide how to match words to music. It's not like it's twice the work. It's always difficult for me to explain to the composer what I'm looking for. I'm not a professional; I lack even basic knowledge about writing music.

Of course, my motto is still, 'Work is work, private is private.'

It sounds odd coming from me, but I realize what I say and how I look has a great impact.

I do what I love to do at the moment. If I wake up tomorrow and decide I want to dance, that's what I'd do. Or design clothes. I think I'd throw myself into whatever I'm doing now. It's not about abandoning what I was doing before, or giving up. It's about knowing that if I die tomorrow, I lived the way I wanted to.

The way I work, typically, I do everything at the very last minute.

It is necessary that I am viewed as a product. I am a product.

I don't have dreams. How can I say it? I myself am a dream.

I don't set goals. Like, that's what I want to be doing however many years from now. I do what I love to do at the moment. If I wake up tomorrow and decide I want to dance, that's what I'd do. Or design clothes.

I always like whatever I did most recently. It's the closest to who I am at the moment.

I don't think you should meet the people you most admire. I don't want reality to interfere with my image.

I'm not a professional; I lack even basic knowledge about writing music.

In the beginning, I was searching for myself in my music. My music was for me. I didn't have the mental room to be conscious of the listener; I wrote to save myself.

I'd heard a lot of Asian people were rooting for me, but I had no idea. I was stunned. They were... impassioned, especially compared to Japan. I couldn't even have anticipated that kind of welcome.

If there are rules and regulations, I can't help it, I want to break them.

I understand it's my role to realize people's dreams. I'm O.K. with that so long as my songs are my own. No one can take my songs away from me.

I understand it's my role to realize people's dreams.

The lovers appearing happy walk holding hands. Though it appears everything is perfect only they know the truth.

If I write when I'm low, it will be a dark song, but I don't care. I want to be honest with myself at all times.

I read and watch movies. I can't go to the movie theater much anymore, though, because I get recognized. It's worse sometimes if I wear a costume and try not to get recognized. I watch most of my films on airplanes.

I have trouble voicing my thoughts... I can't communicate very well that way.

The way I work, typically, I do everything at the very last minute. Even if I was given two months, I'd do it in the last three days.