In the spring of 2007, J-Pop superstar Ayumi Hamasaki embarked on a groundbreaking tour that would see her performing outside of her native country for the first time for an arena tour. With stops in Taiwan, Hong Kong and China, she made waves for delighting audiences in Asia with her elaborate costumes and charismatic stage persona.
From her first note to her final thank you, Asia Tour 2007 A ~Tour of Secret~ chronicles her journey and the entirety of her Fukuoka show.
Descending from a glittering swing, Ayumi Hamasaki appears dressed in a gothic burlesque showgirl ensemble while singing her hit song "evolution" during the show's opening. This brief 18th century-inspired segment features the dancers in stylized period costumes and includes a rendition of her I am… era single "UNITE!" Though not nearly as spectacular as previous arena tour entrances, the choreography and staging is impeccable, while her vocals are completely on-point.
After a brisk video interlude, Hamasaki rises onto the stage in a giant metal cage alongside her female dancers to perform "1 LOVE." As one of the standout songs from Secret, this rock-laced track is rendered with high energy and maximum sex appeal. From her golden bodice to her convincing sensuality, Hamasaki makes this performance one of the most memorable from the show. She follows this with another highlight from Secret, "until that Day…"
Unfortunately, this section borrows heavily from her previous concerts. "1 LOVE" recycles the staging from the caged segment from her 2002 arena tour, while "until that Day…" feels vaguely reminiscent of the choreography for "my name's WOMEN" from her 2005 arena tour.
Switching from the previous segment's rock vibe, Hamasaki continues the show with a string of ballads. While wearing a mint green dress with floral embellishments, she sings "M" and the LOVEppears single "appears." Sadly, this section is fairly forgettable. The fashion isn't overly impressive and the choice of older songs was a bit of a misstep.
Thankfully, her follow-up "part of Me" and "Secret" offer fans some much-needed new material. Hamasaki is draped in gorgeous silken fabrics and belts out the most affecting songs of the show, while her dancers help to tell a story of yearning through their choreography. This segment is quite possibly the most memorable of the concert.
As the show draws to a close, Hamasaki returns to her more high octane catalogue and stuns with a brilliant performance of "kiss o' kill." This gothic rock song sees the pint-sized singer belting it out in a silver outfit, while her Phantom of the Opera-esque background dancers chase after her. After the song's bridge, she appears floating on a metal cross. Once more, she's seen recycling from previous shows. For fans of Hamasaki's concerts, they'll remember her singing on a cross for her 2005-2006 Countdown Live performance.
She concludes the main show with a trio of older hits while dressed in a glittering showgirl ensemble. This section is glitzy and fun, borrowing a little inspiration from the seminal movie musical Moulin Rouge!. The closing number "Boys & Girls" brings down the house and is a definite highlight. It's easy to see why it's one of her most performed tracks, as she gives it her all and gets the audience singing from the top of their lungs.
Despite sharing the title of her eighth studio album, Tour of Secret comes across more like a greatest hits show than a concert promoting any one album. It eschews material from her two previous albums (MY STORY and (miss)understood), in favour of relying mostly on songs from LOVEppears, Duty and I am…. In total, only four of Secret's full length songs made it onto the setlist. It's a disappointment that nearly sinks this tour. Fans have seen her perform much of this concert's setlist many times over and, to this day, Secret remains one of the most underrepresented albums on tour.
This isn't the only problem that plagues the setlist, seeing as it's almost overwhelmingly rock-inspired. The vast majority of the songs sung are her rock tracks, which makes Tour of Secret one of her only tours that lacks a definitive "cute" segment displaying her infectious pop music.
With its recycling of previous staging and lacklustre setlist, Tour of Secret is one of Ayumi Hamasaki's least memorable arena tours. In fact, it feels more like one of her smaller scale Countdown shows given the simpler sets and choreography. Even still, it's hard to fault Hamasaki given how incredible she is as a performer, especially when she's wearing such gorgeous costuming.
RATING: B-
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