Am I the only one who loves the NEXT LEVEL covers? lol
The CD+DVD cover of RnRc is super annoying (and it's the physical version that I own x.x) but I love the CD Only one. Same situation with Love songs. Great CD Only, horror CD+DVD.
Do you imagine how much difference can the angle do to a photoshoot?

As for the music in these three albums, I love it. First Love songs or NEXT LEVEL (depending on mood) and then RnRc. In fact, I don't dislike any of her albums so yeah

I definitely remember the backlash over NL--I was one of the people who was constantly bitching about it. :laugh But it's really grown on me recently (maybe because it feels like an absolute gem compared to PQ/La/etc lol) and I've really come to appreciate it.

I had meltdown over the messy NL hair, I just don't get that styling and the PVC suit looks ridiculous for me lol

And the 4 interlude probably surprised me although not as surprised as when she did it in GUILTY, still I wasn't hoping she'll doing it again

I think my initial reaction to the covers was: O__________O

Even now, they're not my faves. I think she could have done a better job with them, but they're nowhere near Sunrise/Sunset levels of bad. :yes

And the colored jewel cases were a nice touch. I love my blue one! :heart

The real problem was that hair photoshoped over her tattoo, the gloves with nails just the cherry on top of all. Overall I like the colors, the lenses and even the hair tbh

omg I still have nightmares about those gloves with the nails.

I agree with the contacts and hair tho, they weren't bad. Sometimes I look at the NL covers and think they're serving a little A BOOK realness tbh

edit: Gustavo, are you guys trying to go see Ayu in July too, or just going to see Kuu? :heart

I like the NL covers, at least there is a concept and not just a pretty head shot.

It was a good idea, but the outcome feels a bit...stale? She is quite wooden in the shot and they could have gone further, give it a more natural and futuristic feel. The hair is ok but her fashion is really amateur and old. Worst thing: kitchen gloves with nails +___+

Party Queen will forever be her most embarrassing cover.

I love her hair in NL covers but those gloves are hilarious lol
I love the Party Queen covers tbh. Especially the CD+2DVD.

(miss)understood covers look like parody. And I have mixed opinions about the MY STORY ones.

Am I the only one who loves RED LINE ~for TA~? Everybody seems to be pretty indifferent about this song. Indifference worse than hate *crying*

RED LINE saved my life. I've been planning a tattoo with the lyrics for years so no, you're not the only one :heart

NEXT LEVEL is probably the only album I've come to legitimately like after initially hating it. lol

It felt really lazy on release and had all the same problems as GUILTY. Too many interludes, too few songs, no choruses that really grabbed you. Plus that tracklist urRrrgrghgh. EnergizE being basically the second song is still so wtf and then there's rollin' → GREEN which, to me, honestly isn't THAT bad considering there's really nowhere else to put GREEN.

But it's probably her only album where my initial complaints have become non-issues over time. Alternatively, I still think GUILTY is boring, Rock'n'Roll Circus is a sloppy mess, and Love songs imo aged horribly.

^ I agree; Love songs aged so badly. o______O

Sorry but I don't know, I'm not with those planning a trip this year :cry Maybe someday, when I get a proper job

Staying on topic, I love GUILTY, even with the interludes. Actually maybe BECAUSE of them, The Judgment Day makes glitter fit much better the album and it is amaaaaazing

omg I was mixing you up with someone else from our group this whole time :laugh I'm so sorry! :thud

If she hadn't released NEXT LEVEL I probably wouldn't be here on this forum spreading my love for ayumi. :laugh I discovered her with a few seconds of my name's WOMEN, so i downloaded MY STORY but found it boring at the time (the first songs were good but then the ballads zzzzzzz)
But i really had hopes for her, i wanted to like her, so i decided to listen to her lastest album released and i fell in love with everything. So i still have trouble imagining people NOT liking NEXT LEVEL or anything related to it (covers, pvs, tour) because this is my treasure. haha

Could have got the AT2009 logo as a tattoo but i went with the regular logo within a heart though

I love NEXT LEVEL. The style from most of the songs was just really my thing. It used to be my favorite album actually...
The covers are okay. Not the best but not bad. at all I love the CD only one but I wasn't liking the booklet all that much if I have to be honest.
And that A logo with the star that was used in the tour. I have a tattoo of it.

Love Songs was just perfection to me. It was released on my birthday too which made it even better. I think it's my favorite album by now.

and the RED LINE ~for TA~ song I adore that one. I always listen to it when I'm down and need to be cheered up in some way.

I don't exactly understand what you guys mean with Love Songs aged badly
could someone explain?

That's okay bb, it happens all the time when you're a celebrity :tcool

I was gonna post this in another thread (the voting one), but then decided to move it because I felt like it didnt belong.

I really cant tell the difference between the new songs. I mean. yes they are different, but I just feel so discounted to them for some reason. I think they might grow on me at some point, but I don't know... this era and last just havent done it for me for some reason.
I feel like the heart and soul are no longer there.

That might be more you than the music.

Actually, I totally know what TeamAyu2004 is saying. I like a good bit of her songs from her last two albums but I can totally agree that there are some of the songs that carry the same sound or quality to them. I feel like A One and Love again also sound a lot alike, though I haven't gotten to listen to Love again as much as I'd like.

I totally can't put it into words but I totally agree. There are some of her newer songs that I think are totally awesome and stand out though. I mean...Lelio doesn't sound a thing like most of her music she's ever done.

I love RED LINE, it's just sweet and simple. And it gave me strength

mte, at that time I was wtf with rollin' and then GREEN lol but there's no other way around so I let it slide lol