Still, I feel weird with the lack of releases, no single, no album (yet), no best album, very quiet.

A lot of the replies to this tweet are positive like:
"Ayu is trying really hard"
"Let Ayu be Ayu. That is enough."
"Don't put anymore pressure on Ayu, she will break."
"Ayu is still performing despite being deaf and having health problems. Ayu deserves respect for this"
"Ayu has always treasured her fans"

etc.

I didn't know either. Life's so cruel.

Somebody pointed this out, but i’ll repeat that the woman has been pretty much touring non-stop since last year. She’s teased a release, so we’ll get it eventually. It’s unfair when she’s working extremely hard to be like, “I see how you’ve been touring all over the country for over a year, but I still expect an album! Chop chop, time’s a-wastin’”. Why Avex hasn’t released a Best Album or whatever that doesn’t need much (if anything) from her could very well be on Avex (or it could be Ayu’s decision, who knows?) We all want everything right now and grow way too impatient when we can’t get it. We need to remember that not only is she a human being that is undoubtedly been too tired and too short on time up until now to write and record music, but that she doesn’t owe us a gosh darn thing. She’s been working tirelessly for 20 years. I think we owe it to her to allow her to go at her own pace. Selfishly, do I want new material? Of course I do! She’s my favorite singer, I always am ready for new Ayu music. We’ll get it when everything is right. Her 20th anniversary year isn’t over. I’m sure there’s more in store than just this tour.

I think that there are some legitimate complaints that can be thrown at Ayu and her team. They’re far from perfect. But I think we, as a fan base, need to drop the sense of entitlement we have when it comes to her releases (I’m guilty of it too). She’s working on new music, we know this. So let’s be patient on that front. Sorry for the long post. I just have a lot of feelings lol

I think everyone is patient enough, it will be 2 years since MIJ so... and I think we react like this because it is her 20th anniversary! It is not common! For me it is a big event, it is something awesome for an artist to celebrate all these carreer's years.

And it is really cool for Ayu to do all these tours, I know how she loves the stage, it is where she is the most happy BUT not all of her fans can celebrate though these tours. I cannot celebrate this anniversary because I can't go to Japan and see her live. I feel emptiness toward this anniversary. There nothing besides these tours and it is a pity.

Ayu is trying hard, and probably she is tired but it is her choice. I think there were others ways to celebrate this anniversary: an album and a best tour.
JTB was a great concept, it is sad she didn't keep it for this year only.

But like we said: wait and see :)

People are so rude, I can't even... To have the audacity to address those kind of selfish arguments to Max Matsuura... I hope Ayu don't even bother about this and that Max was just being ironic.

Regarding the pic with lenses. I don't think she looks creepy at all. With this colouring and the way she is dressed, she looks like a mesmerising magic creature. Such as a fairy.

High five to both of you. It's so rare to read such comments that place Ayu before fans'desires. :)

Certainly I'm one of the few persons who like how this anniversary is handled. Instead of running behind the large audience (best album and such things) she is focused on true fans and want to be linked with them with music as this is our way to communicate. That's surely why she scaled down her concert and didn't go with a Las Vegas show as she did during the past years. That's why she decided to do that concert during the Tokyo Rainbow Pride too. To connect with people who follow her since her debut.

Regarding the lack of releases, Ayu isn't the only artists of her era who slown down the release of cds (and usually the other artists just give a tour and best album during an anniversary) but she is the only one who seems to be pointed out for doing such things. I suppose it's because she spoiled her fans too much during so many years.
But don't you think that the best way to manage an anniversary is to do as the celebrated person want? After all it is her anniversary, her day, her year.

Even though I can't wait for the new material this is always a good opportunity to explore old Ayu's releases and albums. I just recently fell in love with WORDS and WE ARE THE QUEENS. There is always something I missed or wasn't feeling the song because I wasn't in the right mood although nothing will change my opinion towards Winter Diary because that song is utterly forgettable. I can not talk about her tours since I never attended any but I really hope I will get the chance at least once so I really like to read the reviews of other members who attended her recent tour. It seems many are divided about the scale of the tour and Ayu's vocals but the woman is struggling hearing wise and I just hope that it doesn't get far worse

To be honest, the lack of new music isn´t bothering me at all o.o
Of course I am always happy about new music, but this year I srsly don´t care xD Dunno why^^

A complete came much later. She's recording a new album. Her last album is only two years ago. Imo people need to calm down. I want new material too but to see that as a disappointment? She still works he ass off and celebrates the anniversary the way SHE wants and also not just ABL 2.0. Unlike many I doubted A BEST 3 anyway and still do.
I'm happy with ayu atm. She's working hard.

I always want and expect more from her, but I am not bothered when she doesn’t deliver. Such is life.

Yes this tour simply isn’t up to her standards. If it was marketed as a TA Tour it would be awesome. It’s all about managing expectations. It’s not the end of the world and I cannot wait to see what she does next year.

^ to summarize my comment in the tour thread, I think the issue is that this tour feels a bit uninspired. To your point, if she had added "~A Best Live~" to the title, people would have at least expected recycled performances and I think they'd be much happier with it. But I don't personally think there's anything major wrong with this tour; it's just not what people expected/wanted.

Of course I want to see her thrive and shine, and release things all the time, etc. - but I'm not mad that she isn't. If anything, I feel sorry that she has such shitty fans who always need to tear her down. She gives so much of herself, and people just keep turning their backs on her for utterly petty BS.

I think it's such a double-edged sword with her. More than with other J-Pop singers, so many people were drawn to her for her lyrics, experience, etc. in a very personal way and I think that personal connection has clouded their vision of her. Like even small missteps feel like a betrayal to people, and it's so ridiculous. I also think that some fans hate on her for things that they hate about themselves, and project those things on her - but that's a whole other discussion. :)

She set herself up for failure by marketing this tour as another POM imo.

From what I saw, the production value for this tour is way higher than the one for the regular POM dates. People are expecing something bigger based on a DVD release that didn't really represent how she performed on most dates of that tour.

But this is AHS. A place people blow random internet drama started by japanese people with way too much free time on their hands out of proporcion and a place where somehow its cool to expect Ayu to fail and them cry about how she was better 12 years ago.

Utada Hikaru is a far bigger star than Ayu overall and her 20th anni celebration will be a short ass tour that most likely will have no theatrics and bad vocals and her fandom never gives this tiring level of drama.

But nobody expects Hikaru to do a mind blowing concert. It was never her thing really. I don’t think this tour is visually any worse than the original POM. It’s quiet close actually, it’s not like the original POM was super strong on the visual side.

@voltron
To be honest my only actual complaint now that a month has passed since Saitama is that it all felt even shorter than last year. I am fully aware that 3.5 hrs isn’t what people should be getting used to. I dunno. It’s something I look forward to the whole year, so I want it to last longer lol (besides the tour goods...no exuses there)

^This is the thing: People are complaining it's not "big enough" for POM while POM wasn't big either. It's not her to blame if expectations weren't realistic.

Thank you, but I'm surprised you could understand what I said. My grammar is terrible. :laugh

I just see these same complaints made by fans of artists that have been around for a while. Mind you, Ayu's fans are by far the worst. Not here specifically, around the whole web.

"I totally stan this deaf, plastic, fat bitch who sounds terrible and keeps getting divorced from ugly foreigners! I can't wait to go to her boring and expensive concert!"

:laugh

^Marry me.

I think it was ayu's decision to wait. Just wonder did she knew the timing from the beginning or waited for any special sign or mood. I even can see how she asked Max to believe in her and let her do what she wants to. I think it has nothing to do with tour schedule, maybe with her health, but not with concerts.
As for tour it's because of bad preparation. She usually has much much more time for it. Will not be surprised if final product will be different from the first dates

The time gap between Osaka (June 22) and Saitama (April 7, 2019) will probably let ayu have some time to figure out how she really wants to envision her concert to be like and possibly if the new album gets released during the time gap, she might add new songs into the concert finale?