(Miss)understood (stylized in all lowercase) is the seventh studio album by Japanese singer-songwriter Ayumi Hamasaki.

(Miss)understood marked new musical directions for Hamasaki: she explored new influences such as funk and used gospel choruses in some of the songs, foreign to her previous works.

This was the result of her having heard compositions by Geo from the German-based pop music project Sweetbox and asking him for his works.

Where My Story had contained "musings about her past," Hamasaki wanted the lyricism on (Miss)understood to send a strong message to all women—to be a kind of "girls' talk" to give "moral support," while at the same time reminding women that there were times when they would feel weak and low.

Upon its release, (Miss)understood received generally favorable reviews from music critics, who directed most of the acclaim towards its sonic quality and named it one of the best albums in Hamasaki's career.

(Miss)understood was a commercial success, opening at number one in Japan (her seventh consecutive studio album to do so) with first-week sales of over 653,000 copies.

So, you can take the word ‘missunderstood’ as a single word meaning ‘misunderstanding’ or ‘someone who understands’.” In 2005, after hearing demo tracks from band Sweetbox's then-upcoming album Addicted, Hamasaki "fell in love" with the songs and consequently asked Sweetbox's composer GEO if she could use some of the songs for her album.

GEO agreed and gave Hamasaki permission to use "Bold & Delicious," "Pride," "Ladies Night," "In the Corner," "Every Step," and "Beautiful Girl.

[7][8] While My Story (2004), Hamasaki's preceding album, contained mostly "autobiographical" lyrics and "musings about [her] past," (Miss)understood was a "strong message to send to all women": it was a kind of "girl's talk" to give "moral support" while at the same time reminding women that there would be times when they would "feel weak and low.

"[9] "Bold & Delicious" "scolded indecisive men," "Pride" expressed Hamasaki's appreciation of "women who do not give up easily," and "Ladies Night" was about female camaraderie.

[9] She didn't decide on a particular theme when she wrote the album's songs, but once she put them all together she noticed that content was quite dark and that the lyrics could be interpreted in more than one way.

[10] The album opens with "Bold & Delicious," a funk-infused up-tempo track that utilizes a gospel choir in the harmony.

[11] An organ Hamasaki heard while visiting a church in New York City inspired her to include the gospel choir in "Bold & Delicious.

[6] The DVD version included all music videos that were made for her 2005 releases (excluding "My Name's Women")—"Step You," "Is This Love?," "Fairyland," "Alterna," "Heaven," "Bold & Delicious" and "Pride," as well as an alternative video for "Bold & Delicious" (called the "Side Story").

"[19] The double A-side was a commercial success, reaching number one in Japan,[20] receiving a platinum certification for shipments of over 250,000 units,[21] and selling 345,340 copies in its chart run.

[22] "Step You" was certified triple platinum individually by the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ) for ringtone sales of 750,000 units, and gold for selling 100,000 downloads.

"[25] The single "Fairyland" debuted at number one in Japan,[26] sold 316,663 copies,[22] and received a platinum certification for shipments of over 250,000 units.

[23] The third single, "Heaven," released on September 14, 2005,[28] and was used as the theme song for the 2005 romantic drama film Shinobi: Heart Under Blade.

[30] Akin to its predecessors, "Heaven" also experienced commercial success: it reached number one,[31] and was certified platinum,[32] selling a total of 327,111 copies.

A man walks up to a music box-like contraption and as he activates the levers (shown as I, II, III, and IV) different miniature versions of Hamasaki appear.

[39] The video was directed by Wataru Takeishi,[7] and it depicts Hamasaki with her companions (dance team) on a lush tropical island, with some scenes showing a timber house with a deck.

[40] The music video of "Alterna" was directed by Koki Tange,[7] and it depicts Hamasaki as an up-coming star who is chased by clowns.

[7] In the video for "Bold & Delicious," Hamasaki is featured with long wavy black hair, and wears a faux fur jacket with a light pink dress.

She is seen standing on the back of a moving truck driving through areas of New York City, evoking the iconic 1993 Björk music video for her single "Big Time Sensuality."

Some shots feature "behind the scenes" material, showing footage of the truck driving around the city and film crew members.

[45] The music video of "Rainy Day" features Hamasaki with short-black hair singing in a house looking in and out of the window.

The tour featured 30 shows and covered 12 different cities, lasting from March 11 to June 11, 2006, and attracted about 260,000 people in 30 performances.

[49] The live release was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ) for exceeding 100,000 unit shipments.

In his review he stated while the highs threaten to eclipse the rest of the songs on (Miss)understood, the LP is one of her best and most underrated.

"[51] A commercial success, (Miss)understood sold 653,830 copies in its first week of release, and debuted at number one on the Oricon Albums Chart.