I feel like we've had the 'ballad' argument a million times now :laugh I think historically, a 'ballad' is a song about love, so nearly all of her songs would be ballads. But in modern pop music it's usually used to indicate a track is a slowie, I think. So it depends on which definition you wanna use if GAME is a ballad or not.

Historically, a ballad is a song telling a story(lovestories, too, but not always). Quite frankly. Ayumi has very few of those since most of her songs talk about feelings in a way that is not directly attached to a story.
In pop-culture, a ballad is a down-tempo(so "upbeat ballads" don't exist) song with a sentimental sound to some extent, sometimes but not always with a continuos build-up.

GAME fits neither definitions.

^ Well, all of ayumi's song tells a story, so game could be ballad.

BUT, in the end it doesn't really matter how people categorize their music, because its how THEY want it, not anyone else "spitting" out facts on music theory or crap like that.

^Not really... Most of her songs talk about feelings... On a ballad usually you have a narrative, characters, a begining and an ending, etc...^^ I guess appears and Teddy Bear fits this...

(Traditional) ballads(which is a fixed lyrical and musical term btw) tell NARRATIVE stories, the vast majority of Ayumi's songs don't. Singing "oh I feel bad because the world is evil"(half of ayu's discography) is no narrative story. Singing "on the first day we did this, on the second we did that..."(appears) is one.

^ i guess its subjective then, because I think her singing about her feelings does tell a story about her relationship.
which is what she does.

LOL I KNOW RIGHT :roflmao

"upbeat ballad" gtfo please.

lol reading all these comments makes me think "how did I ever come up with calling Game a rock-ballad"

If I could say something about traditional ballads: meanings and definitions change over time, sometimes even more so for many people. So when Ayu is all angsty and sad, some people might see it as a ballad since most ballads these days are balls of angsty emotion.

But that's too much info for so early in the day (just woke up), so it's better to classify Ayu's music in 2 very easy categories: angsty pop and happy pop. That was easy XD

Narative structure is not something subjective and a ballad on the traditional definition is straight-foward narative storytelling. Hinting a story on a song about your feelings is different from telling a story.

And by today standarts, a ballad is a slow (or mid-tempo sometimes) emotional song, AKA almost her whole discography, but not the up beat tracks like GAME.

^ whatever.
I dont think you understand that im not going to change my definition of what a ballad is or if Ayumi is telling a story or not.
I think she is and I think it is a rock ballad.
end of story.

It's like saying the sky green because you think so... xD but whatever makes you happier

I think you don't quite understand what a definition is :innocent

Ok.. Let's end this argument once and for all! GAME is a Pop/Rock song. Nothing more, nothing less. It's not a traditional ballad, it's a pop/rock song.

The simplest way to look at it is this:

What type of songs appear on A BALLADS?? There's your answer.

^But how about those that were released after A Ballads? xD

What I'm saying is up until that point in time. You don't see songs like "Free & Easy" / "evolution" just because they have slower/ballad-y parts just as GAME does. GAME is very heavy on guitars. It may be "pop"rock but it is a very badass song and gives off that feeling. It is very "angry"

oh dear. guys, how are you going to enjoy music if you overanalyze it that much? it's the same as destroying any piece of art by going to much deep into it, music for me is a part of art too, just enjoy it

^We aren't overnalyzing it... just discussing about it fitting or not fitting a genre... and IMO analyzing a piece of art only destroys it if it's already bad... :P

What genre is M ??? Since it's also story telling, slow BUT also rockish, upbeat and omg awesome

(OT I tag all the genres for ayu's songs like this: "J-POP" or "REMIX".) asdfghjkl

^Well... M doesn't really goes on straight-foward storytelling... She describes some situations but don't narates what happens on them, so, not a traditional ballad...

But it is a mid-tempo song about love with a big chorus... I would say it's a pop ballad inspired by power ballads with hints of the basic Ayu song (a mix of rock, dance and orquestral music). :P