I personally believe Ayu's never really had 'filler tracks' which most artists tend to be guilty of making. Even tracks ('true' B-sides basically) like Life are really rather nice. Makes me wonder how many people who are fans of Ayu have not heard of it, ever free, or theme of a-nation '03 (though theme of a-nation '03 was on A SUMMER BEST recently) because of their status in her discography.

Hmm, to compile a list of these 'underappreciated because they're filler-y' tracks (on original albums at least), I think it would look something like this. (Starting from RAINBOW, anyway. This is for no reason in particular... but it is rather difficult to say what is 'filler' in her first 3~ years in the industry since it was all pretty strong)

- everywhere nowhere
- Close to you
- ANGEL'S SONG
- Replace
- winding road
- Beautiful Day
- It was (though this was a leftover from (miss)understood so it could arguably be called 'filler' but Secret was also a mini album before evolving to what it turned into)
- Last Links
- meaning of Love
- RED LINE ~for TA~
- Thank U
- Sweet Season
- all of FIVE except BRILLANTE
- Eyes, Smoke, Magic
- the next LOVE
and now... Melody. (or at least it's definitely looking like it will turn out that way)

Though this is just how I feel about it based on what I've seen over the years. Most of these are also my personal favorites from their respective albums.

I can't really recall any of those boring ballads...99% of Ayu's ballads are awesome, in so many different ways.

The bold ones are some of my fave tracks ^^ Close to you is among rare tracks I never listen to.

It really does exists? I thought it was just a mirage in her discography :innocent

But, sincerely, even this track isn't that bad at all.

The lyrics to Melody are beautiful, and extremely poetic...I have a translation almost done but there are a few spots in the romaji that I can't make out, and I don't want to post an incomplete translation. Anyone want to compare transcriptions?

melody is better than beloved, but is boring

Melody is so lovely. But I believe that one PV for this song would be probably boring to hell :P

Missing is still my favorite s2

I have not check out "Melody", but I will wait until I get the album~~ :)

All of the tracks on this mini are so strong. However, I felt the same way about FIVE. Maybe she just has a laser focus on tracks when it comes to her mini albums?

Melody is so boring and repetitive. Definition of filler track. Wish she wouldn't do that on Mini albums..
Missing is such awesomeness though :heart I see people comparing it to momentum but I think it is 1000x more interesting than that snorefest of a song. :P The instrumental sounds soo beautiful.

I never really considered ayumi having filler tracks...
I will say that I do not like some of her tracks and find some of them weaker (cough Melody cough ), but that doesnt make them filler.

Oh wow....

I love melody more than both song 4 u and missing! :thud


I find the composition way more interesting. Although song 4 u's chorus still kicks ass.

I'm super in love with 'Melody'.

But then again, I usually love her "filler" tracks like Wishing, Life, winding road, meaning of Love, Letter...

It doesn't sound that filler to me! It has all the makings of a great ayu track!

It doesn't to me either. But any Ayu song that doesn't sound "epic" or "grandiose" usually gets reduced to the "filler" label by AHS.

from what I bolded, I don't consider them as fillers (or I consider them, but I feel something diffrent from em), cause they are "unique" on the album (they fit within the album structure) Especially ESM and the next LOVE. They are like, nothing she ever made (maybe tnL is a LITTLE like Pride, but I can't really compare this to that)

There are some "category" for filler tracks (just IMO, don't be angry with that)

(I won't count AsfXX cause it's kinda impossible since halth of the tracks are on the same level - maybe more than 50%...)

ballads/slower tracks:
LOVE ~refrain~ (the remix made it sound like a random boring track)
no more words
Close to you
Over
Dolls
Secret
untitled ~for her~ (still my fav "filler" ballad, with Curtain call)
Curtain call
meaning of Love
crossroad (I KNOW it's a single track. But it stills bores me to death)
beloved
how beautiful you are (but still, it stands out cause of english chorus...)
Melody
Days (jesus, I'm maybe the only one person in this fandom that feels this song like a filler track)
Together when...
November

cheesy cute:
Party queen
Thank U
Beautiful Fighters
Beautiful Day (maybe a little... but still this song screams "i'm kinda diffrent")
HONEY - Replace composition. If they weren't together, it would sound better.
Audience
immature
EnergizE

edgy rock/acoustic/electronic/pop rock/other:
call - Letter - reminds me composition. (same situation as HONEY - replace)
count down
Last links
Lady Dynamite
Red Line - Life - MY ALL - I don't remember how they sound. Not even a little.
LOVE 'n' HATE - this song IS unique. But it feels like someone doesn't completed it.
GUILTY
Heartplace
appears (it bores me so much ;/ I can't believe it's a single, but the times were diffrent, lol)
momentum
It was - (miss)understood - they do sound like filler tracks, but they are like my favorite

BUT IT DOESN'T MEAN I DON'T like em. Some of them (like (miss)understood) are tracks I REALLY love) But they are some I don't, lol

To me, ayu doesn't really have "filler tracks." Or at least not a whole lot of them. I think every one of her songs has their appeal.

because it changes when you're them and you start to imagine your own picture of this song, I guess.

i like melody

leaaaaak
i keep checking back to see if anything has leaked..
I'm praying for that "AHS in unavailable" message.

^ hoping for sunday..
want to jam to some of those remixes!