My Story (Ayumi Hamasaki album)

My Story
Studio album by Ayumi Hamasaki
Released	December 15, 2004 (2004-12-15)
Recorded	2004
Studio	Prime Sound Studio Form (Tokyo) Avex Studio Azabu (Tokyo) Sony Music Studios (Tokyo) Hitokuchizaka Studio (Tokyo) Bunkamura Studio (Tokyo) Blue One Music Studio
Genre	Pop, pop rock
Length	74:37
Label	Avex Trax
Producer	Max Matsuura
Ayumi Hamasaki chronology
Memorial Address (2003) My Story (2004) (Miss)understood (2006)
Singles from My Story
"Moments" Released: March 31, 2004 "Inspire" Released: July 28, 2004 "Carols" Released: September 29, 2004

My Story (Stylized in all caps) is the sixth studio album by Japanese singer-songwriter Ayumi Hamasaki, released on December 15, 2004, by Avex Trax. The album's lyrics were written in their entirety by Hamasaki herself, with composition on the album handled by a team of composers including Kazuhito Kikuchi, Bounceback, Tetsuya Yukumi, and, on some songs, Hamasaki, under the pen name Crea. The track order of this album is structured so that there are rock songs at the beginning, ballads in the middle, and pop songs at the end.

My Story was positively received by music critics, who appreciated its aggressive style compared to Western pop music at the time and its alternative sound. A commercial success, it became Hamasaki's sixth consecutive number-one album in Japan, debuting at the top spot with first week sales of over 574,000 copies. In its 43-week chart run, My Story sold 1.132 million copies and became the seventh best-selling album of the year in Japan. Combined with the sales of its three singles, My Story sold 2.073 million copies.

To promote My Story, Hamasaki released three singles from it. The lead single "Moments" was released on March 31, 2004, to positive reviews from critics, who praised its rock influences. It was a commercial success too, debuting at number one, selling over 300,000 copies, and receiving a platinum certification. The second single, "Inspire", was successful as well, reaching number one and being certified platinum; it sold over 329,000 units, becoming the highest-selling single from My Story. Similarly, "Carols" topped the charts in Japan and was certified Platinum.