Well, she gave me everything I was asking for: unexpected song choice, piano versions, no dancers, beautiful dress. The only thing is dislike is her flattened hair. I wish her hair was wavy as in the promo picture of the new tour. That would be so much better looking. But, overall, I enjoyed watching her.

I was thinking about and maybe Ayu is going thru an age crisis... She's about to become 40 soon and maybe there's a conflict between her true persona and the stage/media/public persona. I guess she may think that she needs to stick to how she used to be and keep that way but in the other hand she's different now, she grow up. I don't know but it sure isn't easy being Ayumi Hamasaki. But I hope she's having fun with all this and being happy.

I haven't seen this performance yet but I really do agree with your words. I really don't enjoy her vocals since 2010 but that doesn't mean she's not my favorite artist anymore. I know Ayu would like to give all the best performance to her fans. A real artist accepts criticism for the betterment of oneself but I know too that some criticism are just pure insults so it's up to her how she will handle it. Just my personal insight.

I was hanging out with my japanese friends who literally don't listen to j-pop and they're like 20, at all and they were all joking about Ayu's performance sending it to other friends saying like "who is this?? lmfao..." i think her performance got pretty big bad coverage on internets

So, basically you're saying that if people liked her performance/songs/concerts/pictures that you don't, they're wrong and are a problem? Because let's not forget that fans have the right to like and enjoy the performances, songs, photoshoots, etc. that you don't. Sometimes to me it feels like fans are hating on her and criticizing her for no reason at all. And I'm not talking about this performance, I feel like it's justified that her TO BE wasn't a strong one at all (I liked ourselves though), but in general. Everything about her gets slammed. Even her instagram/twitter selfies! Her make up, her hair, how wet and gross her tongue looks like, how she looks old, how she doesn't look old enough, how this how that, ugly dress, stupid this and that, like y'all just never satisfied. Calling her names that are actually insulting. For no reason. And it's honestly getting rather irritating because it looks like you're all trying to find something to complain about.

But really though, don't call people part of a problem for liking something you don't? Lol

Thank you, I completely agree with this. Constructive criticism is one thing, constant bashing is something completely different.

I agree with what you are saying, but I don't think that is what EndOfTheWorld meant.

You forgot the "she has mental issues":P

melissalove, If you're replying to me,

+ rest of my post actually :P

Anyway, some people still liked this performance no matter how much YOU hated it. It doesn't make THEM a problem because they happened to like it? It's like liking Ayu and her stuff is more of a sin than mindlessly bashing her for existing.

Some people on here need to relax! No one is bashing ayu everyone is just worried.

The problem in question is that Ayu seems to be surrounded by too many "yes men" (and has been for years) so in this case, fans that blindly love and stan for everything she does and don't have the ability to look at things with a (constructively) critical eye actually ARE part of the problem.

But how? If they're just enjoying things they love about her&her music, what about it can be made into a problem? How is it harmful?

I'm quietly stanning and loving her music and photoshoots and if there's something I don't like as much, I just don't watch/listen/look at that particular thing, I don't feel like criticizing and wasting my energy when I can just skip it, and I don't see why is it necessary. How does that make me a problem?

Ayu is practically the only artist I listen to everyday, I want to focus on the positive, good things that I love, enjoy and that make me feel good. I don't understand why and how that affects any of you, but I certainly don't like to be labeled as "part of the problem".

I genuinely love songs and albums that majority of her fans hate (e.g. XOXO, Party Queen album, and Rule being my #1 favorite song) and I see no reason to criticize them when they're something I actually DO enjoy. It just seems like to me that because you dislike something she does, you don't like it or can't stand the idea of someone else not agreeing with you. Which certainly doesn't make "us" the problem.

You make a lot of good points.

The one thing I haven't seen mentioned as much as I thought it would have is...no dancers! Something folk have been wanting for a while and now we have it!

Lol who would have known one bad TV show appearance would cause so much hooplah?

um why was my post deleted?

^certain mods don't believe in differing opinions, freedom of speech, having discussions, or they're scared of profanity like we're 12 years old. It's trash

^ I might just threaten someone next time :rolleyes

I know it's spring guys but calm your ardour or use your energy to talk in a more diplomatic way! Everyone is free to express his/her view but to insult a member or to use a rude language isn't in the spirit of a discussion on AHS.

By this point though it's not even a case of her just shouting or overacting, she's barely holding the tune. Compare these versions of TO BE, yes the song may be nearly 20 years old but it could be adapted to better fit her range so she doesn't sound so out of tune.

2017 live

1999 live

It's fine for people to still enjoy her performances, but for me there's nothing enjoyable about watching her perform anymore. I think I'm being spoiled with that youtube channel that's uploading all her old lives, but I'd rather watch them and be filled with nostalgia of how Ayu used to make me feel.

I have to admit that she could really sing great back in the day...This makes the recent performance look so bad in so many ways. Her singing technique simply doesn't fit some of her old songs and I think she should prolly stop performing them altogether.

It's moreso that the songs were sung in a certain way that she doesn't sing in at all anymore. I think she could probably still do that if she wanted to but it would really sound strange since she hasn't sung like that since probably 2007-2008.