I Am... (stylized in sentence case) is the fourth studio album by Japanese recording artist Ayumi Hamasaki. It was released on New Years Day (January 1), 2002 via Avex Trax and their Taiwan-based headquarters. It was distributed in two physical formats—a standard CD and Playbutton—and for digital consumption. After the September 11, 2001 attacks in New York City, United States, Hamasaki, who started working on her new project, changed the original music and design direction by emphasizing lighter themes than her previous work. As a result, the record delves with hope, peace and love, superimposed on J-Pop-inspired rock music. Upon its release, I Am... received favorable reviews from music critics. Many publications commended Hamasaki's musical direction and the commercial appeal, while some reviewers noted that some tracks were fillers. Commercially, it experienced huge success in Japan, reaching atop of the Oricon Albums Chart. It was certified triple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ) for shipments of three million units, the album then won the Album of the Year in Asia Association Music Prize Awards. In order to promote the album, nearly half of the songs from the record were released as singles; additionally, "M" and "Evolution" sold over one million copies in Japan. After its release, she commenced two concert tours within Japan; a tour and a tour, both of which experienced commercial success and spawned live DVD releases. Before I Am..., Hamasaki felt that she would not enter an Asian market; thus, she never performed outside Japan and did not use English in her lyrics. However, shortly after the release of the album, she performed at the 2002 MTV Asia Music Awards ceremony, her first performance held outside Japan. Background and development On September 28, 2000, Hamasaki released her third studio album Duty to critical and commercial success; moreover, it remains her best-selling studio album. Additionally, she started recording her fourth studio album after its release, spawning the single "M" in December that year. However, Hamasaki's label Avex Trax planned an idea to published a musical retrospect, but the singer refused. Avex Trax ignored her refusal and went ahead with the plan, releasing A Best in March 2001 as a "competitive strategy" against Japanese recording artist Hikaru Utada and their album, Distance; this resulted into a minor halt towards her new material. Subsequently, she returned to various studios in Japan to record new work. However, Hamasaki