This album marketing strategy is strange and unusual (and thus for me interesting), while LOVE again was a giant mess. I really think you can't compare them.
With CoLOURS she's trying again something new. She's not doing is just as amanzingly as before, but I think after all these years she's not going to stress herself to achieve extreme perfection, and I'm fine with that.

Here's the bigger cover from iTunes.

Holy S. Now I really hope the words would be metallic

@emi♡
Yeap, Namie did invented the simple classy covers... Ayu is just following her pace. And I don't really think Koda's production is anything to write home.. Her discography is filled with filler and most of her concepts are ridiculously obvious... "Oh, this album is called Kingdom, so I'm dressed as a queen...", "Oh, this other album is called Japonesque (even if the only japonese thing about it is the language I speak), so, I'm dressed like a sexy geisha"... ok

@November4
Past>Future I agree, is an amazing pop album well worked from begining to end. Uncontrolled and Feel are pretty much EDM by the numbers with pretty (and boring) videos whose only purpose is being pretty. Her sound may be polished and hip, but I don't care about it because there's nothing about them that make them Namie songs.
And people around here accuse Ayu of rushing her releases and leaving everything for the last hour everytime they dislike something.... I can see a well though concept on most of her albums and I'm pretty satisfied with most of what she released on the last 5 years or so... Don't act like your (rather crappy IMO) music taste is some kind of universal view on quality.

I don't even know why people are comparing these covers to Namie's FEEL ones, they have almost nothing in common except they're close-ups, lol. Maybe something on the hairstyle, but apart from that, they're clearly different!
Namie's naked, in black and white, with heavy make-up, doing symbolic gestures. Ayu's wearing a top/dress, and looks natural and fresh, surrounded with light. NOTHING ALIKE. lol

@Andrenokoi:
Hm, emi just spoke about that Kuu's concepts and stuff is normally well produced (hence on point). No matter how uncreative and obvious they are or might be.

the album is on itunes JAPAN

Can you guys put those big covers under a spoiler? You're stretching my screen and it's annoying because I'm trying to read all the shade people are throwing at one another.

They may be, but they still aren't anything to write home about IMO, as she executed all of them on the easiest way possible

It's like having Ayu in front of a giant Rainbow on the cover of Rainbow...

thanks a lot for sharing the huge cover..
it looks nice..
but the color turns to blue..hmm

I would totally be fine with that, as long as it was the best fucking picture of Ayu with a Rainbow I'd ever seen in my life and I was blown away lol Maybe the rainbow is made out of diamonds. Or maybe Ayu looks the prettiest I ever see her look with the most perfect hair, and the perfect outfit. Maybe the text of "Ayumi Hamasaki" and "Rainbow" is perfectly placed and gorgeous.

That's the idea of production quality.

Koda might have the stupidest, most vapid concepts. She might have an album called Kingdom, and on the cover, (so uncreatively) she's wearing a crown. But fml she's going to be absolutely fabulous doing it in a way where everything looks well done and like some effort went into it.

I haven't been able to escape the "Ayu does everything half assed" comments in years.
idk people were talking about Namie, and it's just funny that both of their heavy edm albums feature really minimal, stylistic covers.


Random:
- I can't believe shade is a word now.
- I hope the fact that the text doesn't have a grain means that it's raised or on a slip cover.

I think it's time for me to finally preorder my CD ver.
I'm very very satisfied with this album! What an amazing present ayu gave us! Great songs, awesome covers... I'm a little disappointed with Lelio's PV, but that's the only downside of the album for me so far.

them bitches at JPopsuki uploading a bunch of no1currs but no Colours in AAC iTunes+ http://i.imgur.com/74ebCHs.gif

refreshing the page like there's no tomorrow

Where you been at boo shade has been the new slang for quite a while now lol

@emi♡
And I just love that Ayu's album covers aren't a literal interpretation of the album's title with her looking fabulous... Rock'n'Roll Circus/Secret/Memorial Address aside, her album art expand the album interpretation instead of just reinforcing its title. She can look beautiful, glamurous, awkward, bizarre, ugly and it fits the concept of the album more often than it doesn't.

If I just wanted catchy radio tunes with a woman looking fashion-shotey beautiful on the cover while cosplaying I wouldn't go for Ayu... or Hikki... even Madonna.

edit: On a side note... "I wish Ayu would stop following trends and being avant garde like Namie (???)!" And then we get Colours and people are still complaining. :P

And I will join you. *grabs pitchfork*

I had no idea she was even coming out with an album.

The past four years, her music's been boring. I hope this one makes her interesting again.

I really like these covers! They're very pretty and interesting. There's something nice and tasteful about it, like it's not over the top or anything. Very flattering!

November4 I was going to reply, but LUOYUXIANG's post summed up everything I wanted to say. And I cannot agree more to him/her than I already do now.

(Maar het is leuk om een keer weer eens Nederlands te hebben gelezen op het forum! Yay!)

As a graphic design major who has taken a typography course I can honestly say I like the font and the color and the design and the placement and the random capslock.