Sometimes I'm not sure what people are looking for when it comes to emotion... do they want her to start (audibly) bawling while singing the chorus/verses in the studio or something?

A connection is what I'm looking for. I can't really explain it, but it's something I feel so strongly in her songs, but not in songs like Days and Sunset. It's a certain feeling, the feeling that I think makes her voice so amazing despite it being techincally very mediocre

Yeah, that's why I have such a strong connection to her music, because I can feel the emotions she puts into practically every one of her songs. Whether she's happy, sad, angry, or anything else, it comes out in her voice, and I love that. I don't think I've ever felt in any one of her songs she was disconnected and not putting any emotion into it.

I like the preview \shrug\ I mainly watch the CM over and over again just to hear the organs though. It's so epic sounding, and it reminds me of Guilty Gear. Guilty Gear was the first thing I thought of when I heard it also... ):

Yeah, I take it back. She has a lot of emotions in her song, it's just a matter of connecting with that emotion.

I feel something from Days, Sunset, and Curtain call (added because it's one of those songs that people call emotionless), so I don't really see what's so different for them really. Days is sugary sweet cutesiness where she's longing for someone, so I don't think it's supposed to have any sort of "strong" emotion in the first place. Lord, imagine if she sang Days like she did is this LOVE? or something. I guess it should be compared to something like teddy bear but in place of her father, it's like some guy who she likes but knows he won't return the feelings. I don't know, it's hard to describe for Days since I think it requires being a girl to understand, haha. Actually, Sunset is kind of like that as well, with the really girly feminine feelings but more of a father-daughter love.

I have a hunch that the reason a lot of people despise Sunset because of Sunrise's existence, which is sad since they are meant to complement one another, not compete against each other. Oh, and about Curtain call, I think it's one of those tracks that you either get or you don't. Sure, it's simple, sounds like Without You, and the lyrics are very barebones for an Ayu track, but after you recognize its beauty, all of that kind of just doesn't matter anymore. ~It's from her heart~ and all, you know. I want to see the AT09 Curtain call performance already, jeez.

Maybe it's just you (and a handful, perhaps bucketful of people) who don't feel a connection from those songs? Or maybe you're not supposed to...? I'm sure many guys who listen to Ayu are like "Huh?" when a song mainly deals with father-daughter love or unrequited feelings that a girl has for a guy, haha.

Honestly, Days is the only Ayu song that is truly my life story, and it pisses me off so much to hear her pretty much "lalalalawtfever~" singing it. Maybe it's just me, but that's what it sounds like.

I just like feeling a connection with her songs in her voice, and Days was the first one for me that didn't have that. Sunset is the other one. They just feel void, empty, and fake

Hm, I think I would understand what you mean if you could propose a way that she could sing the song that would make it seem not so hollow and actually have feeling, otherwise it just seems like you're nitpicking. For me, she's singing in Days like she always does, so I don't really get it. I can just imagine her doing a bunch of girly poses while singing in the recording booth while listening to the song...

Save that for the gossip blogs... it doesn't really apply anyway unless it really is way too long to read.

come on! the clip is too short to judge the quality of the song.

That's sorta proof she's SINGING THE SONG WRONG. Days is a depressing song, it's sad. BUT SHE DOESN'T SING IT THAT WAY. If you can imagine her posing all girly singing Days, which is as I've sad, a pretty sad song you've negated your whole point.

I'm sure most people aren't judging the "entire song" when they say they love it, but more often than not, I think when people enjoy the preview (15s or 30s or a minute and 23 seconds) they will enjoy the full track when it's released later.

I think if everyone thought "This preview is only 15 seconds long, what's the big deal?", we'd seriously need to have our status as "TeamAyu" members taken away from us, haha.

Days really doesn't give me "depressing" when I listen to it... it seems more like it's a "girly, youthful innocent love" sort of thing. I think you might be the one misreading the song's intentions, not me.

Have you actually taken the time to read the song's lyrics? There's nothing like that in the lyrics, the lyrics are a desperate plea to have the person who she loves to let her keep loving him, despite him having someone else. Girly and youthful and innocent, totally right? No.:shakehead

yes, i hope people do judge the song again when the full version comes out

Well, if I haven't read the lyrics, then you clearly haven't actually listened to the song...

I HAVE listened to the song,THAT'S the whole problem here. Her voice gives off the innocent puppy love crap you keep talking about, BUT the lyrics are actually very sad and heart wrenching. There is a complete disconnect between subject matter and vocal performance. THAT'S THE WHOLE POINT I'M MAKING.

Oh, okay. What's the issue with that? She did it with Trauma, so why not do it here? It's kind of like one of those things where she's trying to intentionally show a disconnect much like how some people put up a front (the song being happy innocent loveliness) when they're really depressed/whatever (the actual subject matter of the lyrics) and they don't want people to see what's really going on in their hearts or w/e. I might be reading into it too much but that's how it seems to me.

--from Trauma

Because it made sense in Trauma, due to the lyrical content. There's no reason for it in Days, it just happens.

Okay, on this Days Discussion:

I also thought it was meant to be a very depressing, serious topic..... But maybe that's because I can personally relate to that experience..?.... But you know, I think this proves that Ayu truly does the emotion well, and that it's all on how the person herself takes it. :yes
Grace, maybe you don't connect with this song, even though you've lived it, because your experience was something totally different than how Ayu portrayed it? Or that you were expecting something different in general from her approach to it? Or... Maybe your subconscious doesn't allow you to connect with something like that, because it was too painful for you?.... I'm getting all psychological here, hah.

Subject matter = yes, very sad. But I think the song itself is not trying to sound sad at all. Do you understand what I mean? It's like..., the lyrics paint a pretty depressing picture and people who have gone through an unrequited love will relate to it pretty well, but I think as a song it just gives more a warm and fluffy feeling as opposed to a depressing one, that's all. Not once have I listened to Days and thought "Wow, this song is really depressing." which is more along the lines of what I would think when listening to say, GUILTY than Days.

lol@song title. we get ballad, and now microphone. I think her next song should be lyrics, voice, producing, or synthesizer.

Except for the fact that the commercial is 100% recycled, I think the song sounds ok from the 15 second preview that has alot of talking ontop of it.

I wonder if this'll be like ourselves where the song is "light" and the video is really dark. only this time it'll be vice versa.