Ayumi Hamasaki lit up the Singapore Indoor Stadium in a rare one-night-only spectacle on Saturday (July 5), marking her long-awaited return after over a decade - and proving the queen of J-pop hasn't lost her crown.

As the red curtains lifted on her first solo concert in Singapore, so did the roar from a sea of pink light sticks. The 360-degree arena setup for I am Ayu - Ep. II ensured that no seat was a bad one, and no moment felt out of reach. 

But this wasn't just a concert - it played more like a theatrical production, with choreographed transitions, cinematic interludes, and a narrative arc that turned the night into a pop-powered musical journey.

A production beyond pop

From the moment Ayumi opened with Inspire in her gold Cleopatra-like fit, it was clear this wasn't a typical pop concert, but more like a Broadway set. Each performance had its own mood and costume, ranging from high-gloss futurism to soft, string-led ballads.

Songs like Moments and Voyage were reinterpreted with theatrical flair, with one sequence featuring dancers in flowing robes moving around her like a living sculpture. Between songs, short video interludes carried forward a loose storyline - part dream, part memory - giving the entire show a structured, almost operatic feel.

J-pop reinvented

While nostalgia was baked into the setlist - with staples like Heaven and Boys & Girls drawing the biggest reactions - Ayumi made room for new material too. Her 2025 single Mimosa was performed with stripped-back lighting and a minimalist arrangement, allowing her vocals to take centre stage.

Long-time followers would know of the pop star's hearing loss and vocal challenges since 2008 and how she has scaled back her international performances in recent years. But the 46-year-old's performance on Saturday was steady and, at times, impressively restrained. Rather than overpower, she leaned into emotional delivery, especially during the encore ballads.

In a brief address mid-show, she acknowledged the long gap and thanked fans in English, saying, "It's been too long. I've missed you."

A one-night-only affair

Despite demand, there are no additional Southeast Asia dates confirmed on this tour. That didn't stop fans from across the region - Malaysia, Thailand, even China - from flying in for the show, many dressed in official fanclub gear or recreations of her iconic outfits from past tours.

Outside the stadium, merchandise queues snaked around the concourse hours before doors opened, and inside, pink light sticks blinked in sync - a sign of just how tightly knit the Team Ayu fandom remains.

Ayumi's night in Singapore was pure J‑pop grandeur - and if this is episode two, we're already counting down to the next chapter.

@ayu_19980408 #ayumihamasaki makes her grand entrance in Singapore! 😍#ayuasiatour2025#AyumiHamasakiinSG#浜崎あゆみ pic.twitter.com/Qh7pesTOmI

— AsiaOne (@asiaonecom) July 5, 2025

lynette@asiaone.com

No part of this article can be reproduced without permission from AsiaOne.