"Forgiveness" is the 30th single

Single (music)

In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...

 released by Ayumi Hamasaki

Ayumi Hamasaki

is a Japanese singer-songwriter, record producer, model, lyricist, and actress. Also called "Ayu" by her fans, Hamasaki has been dubbed the "Empress of Pop" because of her popularity and widespread influence in Japan and throughout Asia. Born and raised in Fukuoka, she moved to Tokyo at fourteen to...

, and her 17th number one. It came out on August 20, 2003. Though "Forgiveness" reached #1 on the Oricon

Oricon

, established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan. It started as , which was founded by Sōkō Koike in November 1967 and became known for its music charts. Oricon Inc...

 charts, its total sales were disappointing, selling only 220,000 copies, 370,000 less than Hamasaki's previous single, "&"

& (song)

"&" is the 29th single released by Ayumi Hamasaki and her 16th number 1 single. It came out on July 9, 2003. "&" was a triple A-side single and also featured the theme to A-Nation 2003, which Ayu sang...

, which sold 590,000 copies. It was used as the drama Kōgen e Irasshai's theme song.