It gets a bit tiring seeing an Ayu fan forum so negative about her as well, but I don't really say much about that other than maybe this little aside.

Anyway, I feel as though her magic is still there, but it's a different kind of magic. I'd say people will understand later on down the road (as most of her music since 2005ish has been) that it's great... since it seems to take about a year+ for most fans to digest and appreciate newer works. I'm not sure why that is, but it seems to have been the case for (m)u through NEXT LEVEL. Rock'n'Roll Circus was pretty much universally liked (and HEAVILY disliked by a few...) so that was a bit of an exception. We'll see with this upcoming album though, I guess. Will it be a grower or an instant crowd pleaser?

Please elaborate on how I'm being so negative, that it's tiring. I just said that I like what she's doing, but I get tired of people not accepting that I liked what she used to do better.

ME TOO. I would love if she collaborated with Ferry Corsten again :heart

It gets EXTREMELY tiring to see overzealous Ayu fans putting down other fans who feel disappointed with anything that she releases. And that's why most people who are not that into her, or who feel a certain release is disappointing almost never posts in the Ayu threads. :)

Anyway, I think I mentioned this before but I really like crossroad. MOON is an emotional song but it's the "been there, done that" Ayu song, so no surprises. blossom was a little more unexpected, so yeah.

I've had crossroads stuck in my head... But yet again it sounds like another song...

^ It also get's tiring when people expect her to do something completely new and different EVERY time she realeses something. She has her style just like anyone else, with a few different things thrown in here and there.
I'm not saying that people should love everything she does though, that would be silly, some people just take their 'disappointment' too far. (This post isn't directed to anyone in particular).

+1. :yes

They do. That's what annoys me about some fans.

I definitely agree with this. I remember Days as the heavily promoted A-side of the single it was released on was "disappointing" for more than 3/4 of responses on this forum, yet it was her highest selling in recent years. It only goes to show that her style has stabilized over the past decade while she can also be experimental with songs like Sexy little things which was honestly the biggest turn off for me in R'n'RC.

I'm excited for crossroad though...return of the TK feeling from 90's J-pop :D!

Dunno about fans who take their disappointment too far (maybe I'm one of them lol) but it's annoying when you feel like it's almost forbidden to just say, "I don't like this Ayu song/cover/PV/whatever"... you get interrogated, bashed or flamed. :no

LOL Everyone calm down. Fans not liking her recent stuff as much as her old stuff is nothing new. No need to get on people's cases just because they're ungrateful fans who need to get their ears checked people with a different opinion than yours. Some say her old stuff is more experimental and took more risks or whatever. But if you ask me I think her entire body of work is better than most Jpop, past and present. That's why she is who she is today. Whether a fan of her old or a fan of her new or a fan of all, we're all Ayu fans. We all love her. We're all still here. So QUIT *****ING! :laugh

YOU SHOW'EM GURL!!! I SUPPORT YA :lech

I think that happens because so often people will use really harsh ways of saying they don't like something, like 'this sucks!! Try harder Ayu'. It's just disrespectful to Ayu and the hard work she puts into the things she does. So even when people don't say their opinions so harshly people get their backs up.
If that makes any sense.:P

I guess that's how it should be done... just being nice with your words. I was kinda critical about Ayu a few times and got bashed pretty badly :P

Anyway, does anyone know think the crossroad single would be released in August? How long before a single release date do they usually announce it?

Sorry, I know you're trying to lighten up the situation but I don't find that amusing. I can easily retaliate and say that I can't believe that people who think that Moon is original when it sounds like Last links which sounds like countdown etc etc and that they need their ears checked. But these are all opinions, no?
Its very hard for someone like me who owns all of her albums and many singles and DVDs to watch Ayu take a direction that I find bland and unoriginal. Of course I'm going to voice my opinion and so should others even when the proverbial defenders come to battle and flame away.
Ayu herself says she wants to hear honest opinions, whatever they may be, so why don't her fans?

Omg I was a monster one time, I should have been shot!

I hope so, it wouldn't make sense to have 3 singles in 3 months if you're going to skip a month xD; What I find funny is that some people don't think it will be an a-side!

wut crossroad is an a-side, duh! Are people thinking it's NOT cos they dislike it? lol... well maybe it will be the 2nd a-side but I have a feeling crossroad will be a song Japan's gonna eat up really quickly

Hon, I'm on your side, calm down! xD; If you want to express your opinion, express it LOL. It was a joke, take it easy. :P

lol, what makes you think I wasn't calm? I was referring to what Kanzaki88 was saying.

You quote me to refer to someone else? :roflmao

Okay sweetie. :shake