Oh Ayu... Why does the verse have to be so weak?! :no I know people are picking up blossom vibes, as am I, but the verse also reminds me of glitter actually. The chorus is what I live for! Cannot wait for the full song!!

The chorus is fantastic. I think the verses might sound more natural in full, so I'll wait on that. BUT THE ARRANGEMENT. gah. Strings make me melt.

And the preview so far reminds me of typical game tie-ins, sort of along the lines Hitomi Shimatani's classical crossover stuff. So. Yay.

guitars + strings = :love

I freaking love the chorus! The verse is good, too, but the chorus is just :heart:heart

OK, the opening is a bit long but i think that's cause of the trailer, as soon as the strings kick in it's a HUGE "OMG!!! ANISONG!!!!", the verse vocals sounded a bit cutesy at very first but I like it now, the chorus is just plain epic.
I always hoped she'd do anisong sometime :)

Very blossom, but it doesn't sound like the same song so it's ok!

i LOVE the opening instrumental with the violins and I LOVE the chorus!!
But I don't like her voice in the verses, kind of too cutesy for me. Is this the final version already?

part of me and HEAVEN? LMAO.

Sounds like Love songs leftover, especially in the verses. If I have to judge by preview... One of weakest songs and weakest single she's released in latest years.

I've been wondering, is this the preview of progress starting from the beginning of this video, or is it just the game music mixed with the preview of "progress"? like, I get the feeling the progress preview only starts at 1:07 and that epic intro isn't a part of it but just other game trailer music. I kinda hope I'm wrong.

I hope not, because OMG, that epic intro is the only thing I like about this preview! :dead2

I think that intro doesn't belong to progress. Sounds to me like normal RPG soundtrack.

omg i love the preview! :heart i just really love the sound of it! can't wait for the full song. :D

the instrumental music is amazing but her voice doesn't go with it.

idk I like the chorus and the last part, hopefully this is going to be a full song (idk if is)
Hopefully I'll like the rest of it but now no.

Ok nothing amazing but I actually really like it. Can't wait for the full song!

I think it is, because the way the strings and guitars are used sound similar to the way they are used at the end of the "progress" preview.

Man, that would suck if that intro wasn't a part of the actual song. It's awesome!

Thanks for posting this in a new thread! I like the game preview more than the song, the song just seems like any other rock song of hers.

I'm pretty sure the intro is part of the song. At least it fits the song, look at the intro for Mirrorcle World that seemed completely random, and it still worked.

I hate the melody but I love the whole power of her voice throughout this song.

Dislike verses, kinda love chorus oO

The instrumental at the beginning just sounds like typical atmospheric RPG music. I just assumed it was the games soundtrack.

Or if it is part of the song, I don't think it's the part directly before the vocals.

I think the dun dun dun part is played alongside the lead in to progress, making it sound like it's part of the song, but it's actually part of the games soundtrack. If the first part was also "progress" I imagine her name would appear in the corner a lot earlier in the trailer.

I don't like it...verse and chorus sound like blossom..and i think "i hate" blossom
the chorus is so unoriginal.

Sounds nice! :)

I love it! Especially her voice!

I think the verses are plain, but I really really like the chorus!!! :D

The verses are ok but the chorus is pure awesomeness!!! :luv2

sounds pretty good...

So excited! It sounds like a cool adventure song.

I don't think it sounds bad at all :).

I think the strings in the intro are a part of the song, I mean it flows into the song and has basically the same arrangement as the rest of the track... so why not? Haha. I guess there's a possibility that it's just BGM, but Ayu's had songs that have started out like that before. We'll see when the track comes out~

sounds friggin' epic :thud

I thought that I was listening to "Sending Mail" at first.

it's simple...in my opinion...

Okay song with a powerfull chorus, a tad to anime- or game-sounding for my taste.
I know I'll like it more eventually :).

Don't get the Heaven/part of me vibe. but good song.

My ears just had an orgasm after so long without new material and to get this is so amazing just an amazing song I love it already!!!!! It's amazing! I love it

Sounds like every other song she's released ever.

Sounds so different from everything! Love love love it! <3

^ Lol at the order of the two posts above me.

Just wondering does anybody think she used a lot of vibrato in this song?

LOVE IT!!! LOVE IT!!! I cant wait to hear the fullsong!!! thanks!!!

Not really? At least, when I think of "a lot of vibrato" I think of when she used to a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a--a-a-a the heck out of HEAVEN and Dearest, which this song doesn't have at all. There is a bit of vibrato in the verses though.

Looks like people who aren't even Ayu fans like the song too! Mm, positive feedback.

I didn't think she used that much vibrato either! I personally love when she uses vibrato! ^_^ That's great to hear that people who don't like Ayu like the song! Maybe Ayu will get a lot of new fans? O_o

Sounds good!! The only part I don't like is the "wow wow" part in the end of the preview. I am hoping she takes it out in the full version of the song.

Yay! :D

OMG!!! So far progress sounds AMAZING!!! The intro is pure eargasm!!! lolol The orchestra and the guitar! This is gonna be an awesome song. I wonder if that piano bit at the beginning is part of the song....

really dislike the beginning (ehh too cutesy), REALLY LOVE THE CHORUS AND "WOWOW YEAH"!!!
the "wo wo wo.." goes so well with the instrumental... !!!!!!!!
:luv2

even Beautiful Fighters, EnergizE, and girlish? :P
I actually think the chorus sounds quite different for an ayu song. I hope the verses will sound better in the full song.

same here, i don't like the beginning, but this preview is growing on me

I like it!
But it doesnt sound anything like heaven or part of me...
The chorus was amazing and the beginning part was cool. Over all I think I will be happy with the full song!!

YAY! AYUMI!

I love it. Gets better on repeat listens.

I wanted another rock from Ayu, and we got it. :D :D

Yea agreed it doesn't sound anything like heaven and part of me, those people were probably high :p

I never minded cutesy songs - actually I loved them (ANGEL'S SONG, HONEY, Beautiful Fighters, glitter) - but her voice now is just so bad when she tries to force that cutesy feeling (Thank U) - it is unbearable because before she could pull it off and now it is just so forced. You can still hear the raspiness of her more mature voice in it and it just sounds annoying and embarrassing.

i really don't think that she want to be cute...
the arrangement and composition in the verse is kinda quiet, that's why she sing that way...kinda like whispering...i have no problem with her voice on the verse...
i start to like the verse part as well, after repeat the song for about 100 times...

for the cover..i'm thinking, maybe it will be good if she cosplaying one of the character, i think the main female character has a very interesting costume..i hope the PV will have a lot of special effect as well...
imagine ayu sing on music station on cosplay costume...i think it's cool

Yeah, I guess whoever tweeted that or whatever hadn't heard it, haha.

The "cool" descriptions are pretty much spot on though.

I can't hear a HEAVEN / part of me similarity, but it's allright. The refrain melody reminds me a bit of crossroad, but nah... progress sounds promising. Very cool.

Im confused, last thing i heard on this website was it was called "making fate", whatever happened to that. i've been out of the loop

making fate turns out to be fake. Even the lyrics. Someone asked Ayu about it and she was like 'uh? What is making fate?' :laugh. The real song is progress :yes

yeah, I don't hear any cuteness either. It's like the blossom verses.. they're quiet, not cute like the "Thank U" verses are. What's more cute sounding is the music in the verses, not her vocals.

I think Thank U was kinda a one off thing though. She sounds fine in Sexy little things and EnergizE and they both have the 'cutesy' vocals. RED LINE as well, for that matter.

I'm not going to make a judgement on the song yet, since previews never really do them justice.

I like the preview, sounds nice :)

I never thought RED LINE had cutesy vocals though. But yes Thank U sounds different than the ones you mentioned - although this new song sounds similar to vocals in Thank U more so than it sounds similar to vocals in EnergizE or Slt.

omg, I really really like it. I want this song NOW

love it!

wowowo~~~ love the song so far~

when i hear this song i got the feeling that they (composer) are making songs just picking any random note and put it together effortlessly

it makes wanna play TALES OF XILIA!!! *-*
the song fits perfectly with the game atmosphere, tho i think i wouldnt like the song that much if it wasnt on it, i mean, with the game it sounded more catchy and blast, i think it would be only an "ok song" if it wasnt on the game....

I actually really like it!! To me it sounds like a mix of crossroad and Love song, with a bit of blossom thrown. :) One of her best songs in a long time.

Liking or disliking a song personally is one thing but there is nothing objectively wrong with the melody of this song, it goes well, actually REALLY well, together, no clashing, so I don't get how they are "random notes". Listen to the new Gaga album and you will hear random notes.

I like it :D. For me it sounds a bit like blossom in a way :0

Oh please, don't start bashing Gaga again... I'm tired of that type of comments U_U

I like how the song sounds. The beggining is epic and the chorus is powerful. Can't wait to hear full song *-*

Roommate wrote the lyrics he could hear from the preview:

あの時にあの場所に居て
戦っていた自分が
全ては今を選ぶため
だったとしたらなら

ano toki ni ano bashou ni ite
tatakatteita jibun ga
subete wa ima o erabu tame
datta toshitara nara

向きあえず置き去りなまま
目を反らしていた過去を
許したと思うのは
許されたいからなのかな

mukiaezu okizari na mama
me o sorashiteita kakkou o
yurushita to omou no wa
yurusaretai kara nano kana

僕らがただ自由で
いられたあの頃は遠くて
無邪気な笑顔だけじゃ
この頃は過ごせないけど

bokura ga tada jiyuu de
irareta ano koro wa tookute
mujyaki na egao dake jya
kono goro wa sugosenai kedo

僕らは進んで行く
それでも進み続けてく
何かを信じられる
心が見守ってるから

bokura wa susunde yuku
sore demo susumi tsuzuketeku
nanika o shinjirareru
kokoro ga mimamotteru kara

wow wow wow
wow wow yeah

You should learn what bashing is. I was only pointing out that on Gaga's new album there are some random melodies. That's objective, it's music theory that some of the melodies simply are not as harmonic as they could be. I'm not bashing Gaga, just pointing out that her songwriters did a bad job on some songs melodies because I needed a comparison and Gaga is someone most people know.

I think the preview sounded really nice :yes. I'm very eager to hear the full song! The game looks pretty cool too lol.

Actually, u could have done no comparision at all... this way no fans would be offended^^

^ there is really no reason for anyone to be offended, the fans aren't the ones who created those songs. And people who get butthurt over things like that...well they can't be helped.

isthisLOL? wasn't really bashing anyone and if none of Ayu fans got offended by perfectodub's comment I don't see why would it be the other way around? As they kinda said the same thing... but nooo saying anything that isn't good about GaGa seems to be un-imaginable...

^It's not like i'm in love with Gaga's new album... but really... Why saying Gaga's news music is bad when she is not on topic? I find it very annoying everytime someone brings some random artist into the discussion with no reason at all... We know there's tons of fans of the girl over here, that's no need to bring her up for criticism on a topic that isn't even about her in the first place...

this is so good, and it's just a preview !!
i can't wait for all the info

I'm really interested in listening to the full version~
And the arrangement does sound like something HAL would develop..let's hope so, I love HAL! Very cute, high pitched vocals. In the beginning I didn't know if she pulled it off so well, but the chorus was nice through out + the ending.

omg the chorus is awesome! the upbeat style suits as a game theme song.

IMO any song of BTW album is better than this.

this song is just ramdomness

I actually think it's another TK song. Sounds like something on Love Songs, thank goodness!

Let's not even go there, the album is atrocious.

Oh Lord, here we go~

Comparing Ayu to Lady G is silly, we all know when you throw another big name into the conversation fans from both sides get heated so let's just drop it, please.

Haha, Lady G. I like that nick name:
but yes, i think there is no need for comparing. (although I do think a full version of ayumi's song would kick so much more *** then Lady G's music, in general.)
Both the ayumi and ayumi's song are good in their own ways... :yes

comparing a short preview of a song to an album? makes no sense.

Ayu's first single after an album is almost always left overs. It's a good thing I love her albums so I don't mind. I'm sure single #2 will be outrageously different.

^That's pretty true.

glitter would've been a lot better in Secret than in GUILTY, Mirrorcle World is a given since it was already in GUILTY as Mirror, Sunrise was electro diarrhea from NEXT LEVEL, MOON sounded very RnRC-y, and now from the looks of it, progress sounds like it would've fit perfectly well with Love songs.

Aahh, ok, I understand the lyric much better now. And also why it's titled progress. :D

Thanks for sharing!!!!

New translation:

^ Thank you Misa!

Thanks Misa!!

I can't stop listening to this preview!

Thank you misa-chan. The lyrics are so beautiful, powerful & inspirational. I'm loving them so far and looking forward to the full song even more!

I like the album for the bigger part. She is a musician and the isthisLOL! only gave an example of what they thought was random-sounding or whatever. It's the same way people bring Ayu up whenever they discuss sales and pretty much anything else. Don't really see what's wrong with that :)

Good for you :)

And Misa-chan thanks for the translation!!

Woowww.....

Love the song so much....
Can't stop listening......

Hope they will release the new single soon
must get this single

thanks misa-chan for the lyric translation..
it's about progress to move on? haha~

I agree with the group who said it sounds like "Sending Mail"s chorus with "blossom"s verses—a promising combination, but so far I'm just into the chorus...

I don't know, these verses are REALLY iffy at this point, but I guess only the full song will either make or break it...

And everytime someone bring Ayu uo to discuss sales, things go wrong too... Why keep comparing when we all know it only brings stupid AHS drama? I can understand it on a thread about a comparation, but really, this is about Ayu's news song, not about how random Gaga's album sounds...

Thanks Misa for the lyrics!!

this song is totally growing... I keep listening and listening :D

Holy **** discussion o.0

I was saying that melodies on Gaga's album sound random, that was NOT a quality statement. Random does NOT mean bad in this case. If I like the album or not is another thing. Random notes are a stilistic device in, for example, trance music. And clashig notes, which tends to happen if something sounds random, are used in some rock, metal and classical/neoclassical music on purpose to create an effect. See "Art of Life" by X-Japan for that.

I was simply pointing out that "progress" follows all the traditional rules of songwriting to the person that called it random. And if something follows rules it is not random. There are 2 possibilities. Either "progress" is random but just happens to have all notes be harmonic(highly unlikely) or it is NOT random.
While some songs on Gaga's new album do not appear to do that, I was not saying either one is bad. I used Gaga's new album because it is one of the few pop albums I can think of that have that and are popular and new enough for people to remember the songs.

And Ayumi has had clashing notes before, mostly in her CREA-era, doesn't mean the songs were bad(though for some IMO it amde them worse), it just showed that she was an amateur songwriter, a VERY talented one, but amateur.

Oh GAWD, apparently Gaga is the new Kuu for everyone to compare about.

Wouldn't it be awesome if the PV for progress had some action in it? Kind of like how Rule was slightly thematically like Dragon Ball.

Then why didn't you just compare Ayu to Ayu instead of Gaga in the first place if you wanted to make a point? Any time you compare Ayu's music to another (popular) artist, it's going to start trouble even if you didn't intend for it to be a negative statement on either part lol. We either have a bashing thread for the mentioned artist or we have a "this artist is better than Ayu" thread. Either way the fans get *****y so it's best to leave Gaga & Co. out of this.


So what example do you have of clashing notes from CREA's works?