Ayu has always emphasize that clowns hide their real face. I think the lyrics are really beautiful coming from her. It's like "No matter If I can't smile or be happy, I will do for you"

Good point! Although it would be nice to see a brand new photo shoot for an album in the future (and one that isn't revealed via a magazine shoot. I'd prefer the covers just to appear online with no idea of what they look like.) I wonder if we will get any interludes? It seems like a while since we last had them.

Hm, I thought we did sorta with a Bell and A ONE, lol. But I guess that was an intro... last one with interludes was LOVE again, so perhaps this time we may get a few?

I like how she used "clown" which is a very apparent motif in her tours
it somehow just makes the lyrics (despite how corny they sound) slightly...more bittersweet, darker, more poignant

I kinda have a feeling You are the only one is gonna be something like Anything for you lol

I'm getting all hyped for this album ���������� can't wait to listen to it

I am not feeling these song titles. "Mad World"? "You are the only one"? They sound like tracks that would appear on Seiko's new albums. They don't sound fascinating like GREEN or even Zutto..., NEXT LEVEL, Sparkle, Rule, 1 LOVE, Virgin Road, Return Road, etc. My first impression is "this seems generic"...?

I would be wondered if Ayu changed her mind to name the title in Japanese

There is really not much to 'feel' from 2 lines of text for each song. They might as well be taken out of the context and end up sounding completely different. Ayu was never that good with song titles. Most of them are beyond simplistic. The rest of the titles you mentioned are generic indeed.

Same here, and I'm not sure I want that X)

I hope the photos ayu is posting aren't the actual pics from the album booklet. For me part of the excitement of getting a new album is seeing the booklet for the first time.

The photo that came with the Mad World lyrics would make such a great cover.

I'm so excited for the new album! Made in Japan is a good title too.

"Zutto..." is the most generic out of what you mentioned - probably 90% of J-Pop singers had song with this title.

I want to say that perhaps she wanted to use something like "Crazy World" or something, but Mad World is just easier for people to grasp. As time goes on, titles become more familiar but initially they are always a bit of a shock.

Who would have thought STEP you would become as iconic as it is? STEP you and is this LOVE? was the beginning of her "odd" titles IMO.

Mad World sounds like an interesting title if it actually is one for a new song.

I pray to God we get some interesting production on this album. I miss the days when each song was a unique sound-scape and story. Even though her albums have become more cohesive in terms of sound, that is really not why I became an Ayu fan. I love how RnR Circus is all over the place. It's really a journey to listen from start to finish. A ONE all sounds like other songs. It's not interesting enough.

Edit: Even comparing Love songs to A ONE, each song from Love songs has a distinctive sound.
Love song with the opening piano. crossroad with the strings. MOON with the "huuuuu" sound.
And that album was also very cohesive...so eh. I hope she can achieve such a thing again. I wouldn't be able to tell the songs on A ONE, six and LOVE again apart easily.

I think she's just trying to rediscover herself, and to do that, she went back to a more basic sound. We should probably get more diverse music in coming albums, she just had to get it off her chest.

I'm a sucker for succinct, pointed titles for songs. So, my complaint is only that these two song titles don't have that initial wonder to them that I'm used to with Ayu.

Ironically her "basics" (ASFX, LOVEppears, Duty) are actually very unique. But you know what I mean, right? Every song used to be like it's own little "musical realm". Her most recent and bland albums (imo) LOVE again, A ONE and sixxxxxx all sound kinda....like they were made without creative ideas and with the same sample library in Ayu's living room.

I'm bad at explaining things lol

I get your point though. It seems plausible that after Party queen-LOVE again-Colours personal life drama she wanted to create some simple music.

I am sure we will get some.

However, after almost 20 years in the business, I think titles are going to get a little wacky for anyone who has done an album a year for those nearly 20 years. Someone with Ayu's catalog would probably be struggling but she is still keepin' on.

And I see what you mean, but a lot of the issue with LOVE again was that it was old demos that were meant for older albums. A ONE and sixxxxxx are intentionally the way they are and I think this album will be the true test of whether or not she still "has it" and hopefully she brings us that surprise or two that she used to, like a kiss o' kill or criminal.

Personally, I felt like Colours was an entire album of extreme changes for her aside from like two tracks, so maybe that is why she's holding back a bit after doing an ENTIRE ALBUM of unusual stuff (for her).

To go for urban AND trance AND "Beyonce pop" AND 00s/10s "dance" AND other things all in one album, it was just.. a lot.