On New Year's Day 2002, Hamasaki released her fourth studio album "I Am..." from Avex Trax. The album saw a new direction for Hamasaki, whose first three studio albums was dominated by a pop rock sound, and lyrics based on loneliness, confusion, sadness, relationships and individualism. The result was not well-received from critics, who felt the effort was "unassuming", particularly on her debut release "A Song for ××" (1999). After being affected emotionally by the September 11 attacks, Hamasaki quickly changed the album's planned musical direction, and updated the album cover to support world peace. This effort was Hamasaki's first album to focus on lighter themes, such as faith, humanity and serenity. "I Am..." became a success and sold over 2.3 million copies in Japan, and was certified triple million by the RIAJ.