Rainbow (Ayumi Hamasaki Album) - Singles

Singles

The album's release was preceded by three singles. "Free & Easy", the lead single became Hamasaki's fourteenth number one single on the Oricon Weekly Charts. The track is said to be the result of a sudden inspiration Hamasaki and HAL had at an actual magazine photo shoot with Free & Easy magazine. The lyrics speak of "self-empowerment and freedom". Hamasaki said, "In Free & Easy, I wrote what I am feeling at the moment. In other words, I want to be a person who lives by taking responsibility for my own freedom, and I want to be a person for whom these words are perfectly applicable." The single also marked a dramatic change in the format of Hamasaki's singles. Singles after "Free and Easy" (with the exception of "No Way to Say") cut the number of remixes on the CD down to two or three, unlike previous singles with up to six or seven remixes.

The second single from the album was a multiple-A-side single titled "H". It contained three tracks from the album - "Independent", "July 1st" and "Hanabi". The EP also reached number one position on Oricon charts and also became Hamasaki's sixth Million selling single and also made her the only artist to accomplish this feat. The single remains Hamasaki's last Million selling single to date. The lyrics of songs on "H" deal with different corners of life. Hanabi,a "reminiscent of the UK trip-hop/dub sound yet has a somewhat nostalgic feeling" deals with "a summer that ends in deep sadness". Independent is an anthem depicting "Independency" and July 1 is a "summer anthem", which featured guitarist Susumu Nishikawa.

The final single from the album was the Hamasaki and DAI penned "Voyage". The single had major classical influences with strings and violins. The song, like its predecessors, also topped the chart and also became one of Hamasaki's critically praised works. The single also garned the title of Hamasaki's longest charting single (with a total run of twenty-eight weeks). The single's music video became one of Hamasaki's two singles in which a short film was used in place of a regular music video (the other one being 2007's "Glitter / Fated"). The single was nominated for a Gold Disk Award.