If doing what you do best musically is generic, then isn't every freaking artist out there generic in some way? I would say that Ayu making music she wants to create, but when it's a single, she can't be as free because singles kind of have to have a commercial appeal. Songs like alterna / Will don't really resonate with the public I think, and that's partly why she never performed them live during the promotional periods for the singles' releases. There's very little imo that Ayu hasn't done once, but I think if she treads into "new/interesting" territory with every single, people wouldn't be satisfied with that, saying that she shouldn't do something different from what she's good at just for the sake of doing it or something.

My beef with people is that they say things, and then she goes and does it (see: Do something different, release a dance-ish album, make a new M, etc...) and people complain because it's not really what they were envisioning. She is basically delivering everything fans have wanted/wished for in the past and for some fans, that still isn't enough because she isn't making their personal dream songs. It's rather selfish imo and places really weird (individual for each listener) expectations upon Ayu, and if she doesn't fulfill them, then she's crap because she isn't doing what you want her to do.

Remember NEXT LEVEL last year? That didn't bode so well for a lot of listeners even though a ton of people were looking forward to a super electro-dance album. "Blah, it sounds so... amateur!"

A lot of her recent popular songs are more on the generic side. Ugh Japan. Why must you ignore awesome songs like GREEN, BALLAD, and Sexy little things? :( But oh well, even the "generic" songs aren't bad to me, except for Days.

I love that song. It's so depressing. I love those depressing summer ballads, fated is really good too.

^
^isn't the point in being a musician to make music your audience wants to hear? I wouldn't mind it if she made music that appealed to her if she actually did more than write the lyrics. if she went back to her crea composing, I could probably be more appreciative. (as bad as that sounds) it's not a bad thing if she makes music she likes, but it has to appeal to more than just her and what sounds good in commercials. and when I said dancey, I meant techno, connected, drizzly, ferry corsten type of stuff. not synthesizer, electronic pop, stuff. I can't exactly bust a move to rollin' or energize. XD i mean yeah, she does have those different sounding songs from next level but then theres tons of other songs to cover that up, there's sparkle, energize, rollin', identity, and discomunication. but those are 5 songs, on one album, 95% of the rest of her discography is rock, ballad, or sweet pop.

She's a pop artist... do you think she's Bjork or something? -blinks-

If you want unique/eclectic, you should probably listen to Shiina Ringo, haha.

Yeah, Ayu isn't very Bjork-ish with her music but she has so much variety in her music for a pop artist imo. Really, she's lucky I can like pretty much any type of music (and she's sooo good when she experiments) or else I'd be like "UGH WTF **** YOU FOR NOT RELEASING ONLY CATCHY POP".

Even Shiina Ringo has her own style that she sticks with in general, with some different stuff thrown in. Pretty much all artists are like that, they have the sound they like, one that represents them and that's what they make.

I will never undertsand the people who say Ayu doesn't do new things. She has at least one song on every album that's a little different for her. I also like the fact she has her own sound, if I wanted to listen to jazz I'd listen to a jazz musician you know?

"blossom" sounds very "refreshing"... ♥♥♥

hell yeah! lol I don't think I've ever in my life heard a bjork or shina ringo song. I should try them out. XD all i know is that bjork is the one that wore that swan thing for some award show.

UGH
A) there would never be a SLT acoustic.
B) She's been on "this rock thing" since wayyy before GUILTY.

She does! It's called Days and Sunrise. Just because it's what YOU don't want to hear doesn't mean it isn't what her audience doesn't want to hear.

Picaflor, please give her a break. It sounds like you're being incredibly too picky. Ayu is a pop artist. You're lucky she even dabs into other genres at all. She's done at least one song in more than 10 different genres. If not in her original works than in her remixes which act more like re-interpretations of her original works. There isn't too much left for her to explore. And if you want to be picky about how EXACTLY she's suppose to go about producing a dance track to your liking, why don't you compose one and send it to her. In fact, why don't you compose and produce a song for her that is totally original and something she has never done before. I'm not trying to be mean or start a fight but it sounds like that's what you have to do in order to be satisfied.

Like, I know where you're coming from Picaflor, but Ayu is just so diverse as it is... I've always thought of her as being 10 different artist in one throughout the past 12 years she's been active. She's done so many different genres, and yes, she does stick to pop tunes/rock songs/ballads mostly but.. still.

This video made me see this fact a whole lot clearer!:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RRF_6NMAVk

Just listen to A COMPLETE, the A BEST 2s, or A BEST. You'll get a taste of how diverse she's been, I think.

Especially A COMPLETE. Sometimes it seems like she never sticks to a genre for more than a single or two, though lately of course, it's been summer/winter ballads.

Let me take out this interview snippet for you to read from ayu_iro's ORICON STYLE translation during 2004's MY STORY period:

Ayu is more a pop singer but she also tries many different genre...
but she's more suitable with the rock/pop/ballad type one~~
she can't dance so much so she doesn't stick with RnB or Hip Hop..that'll be weird hahahaha XDD
each artist has their own uniqueness and not everyone is suitable with all genre of music..they can possibly sing different genres, just that it won't really turn to be so well like she/he does on the genres that she/he has already felt suitable with..
we'll nvr get satisfied with everything she or any other artists have..because our tastes of music already changed~ and for me, if Ayu produces a song which is really not good to me..i'll just ignore it.. that doesn't mean she'll end forever... i'll just enjoy everything she could give us so far.. and listening to other's songs who could give me satisfaction~

isnt all this ot though??

I don't view her as a typical pop singer (like Namie Amuro and/or BoA...), as her music gets influenced by many music genres and not just by the current trends.

blossom is composed by Hoshino Yasuhiko too~
http://magic-bus.syncl.jp/?p=diary&di=403941
so+ayu+Hoshino Yasuhiko
ayu's new startin'~~

Oh cool! No wonder it's so good ;D

YAY!!!!
i want new single now >_<

blossom sounds REALLY GOOD too..and i love her voice...very rnrC styled hahha...

omg the next single is gonna be fantastic. this slightly more rock driven midtempo style is great

uhm, Hoshino Yasuhiko.
Which songs did he composed for Ayu? Sorry I can't remember all of her composers lol.