Geez you guys... quit being conservative and naive. Who cares if she's just about to kiss? Who cares if her cover is provocative or not? Some of the greatest works in history are provocative -- sexually, religeously, and every other possible way of being so.

Provocation is a good thing -- it knocks some reality into people and makes them realize some things are just silly to hate. Case in point: Ayu would've been hung back in the 1700's in the Americas for a cover like Rainbow and even most of her other singles because she's exposing too much skin (even if it's just her arm, neck, or a little bit of her leg).

I like the cover.. I just wish to tick off more people, she did actually kiss. Some people don't do it to sell ya know.. Ayu knows what she's doing. She's not 100% puppet. Look at Utada Hikaru -- she insists on not being to glamorous, and that's exactly how she is.

i like the cover... i didn't at first but it is bold and artistic- something most popular artists don't achieve these days. the controversy makes it more interesting and i'm glad to see ayumi is pushing boundaries.

btw the 19th century victorian era was more conservative.

Its quite unique....:thumbsup aniway thanks for the scans

Tracklist
 

Tracklist:

RAINBOW
appears
Key~eternal tie ver.~
YOU
TO BE
HANABI
M
Dearest
Dolls
SEASONS
Voyage
A Song for XX
Who...

(the order is still unconfirmed)

Also, regarding the cover, the article listed at the end of this posts states that the present Ayu (on the right) is kissing the past Ayu on the left. I really like this concept =D There is said to be 4 variations of the cover.

http://www.sanspo.com/geino/top/gt20...003021801.html

Credit : Jpopmusic

ohhhh yeah!!!!! all the titles are my favs!!!
i wonder how can M and a song for xx ballad??

[QUOTE]Originally posted by samuraiDRIVE
[B]Not sure why there's so much drama about gays/lesbians on this site. How many straight people are there that like Anime/J-pop. It's a common fact that most gay guys like it.

i'm sorry, but i have to disagree w/ u about this part
there r a lot of straight ppl like anime/jpop/manga

anyway
there r 14 songs in this cd i think
so there must be one more song for that tracklist

SamuraiDRIVE, don't be so quick to judge people. You're jumping to conclusions. But this conversation will only cause problems so let's drop this issue and talk about the album.

I'm most excited about hearing the finished version of the song "RAINBOW" that should be great.

oh...o.0.....
my fav songs are all in there ~~~heheheeh...hope this can be the final list!
*HUG*

I didn't judge anyone Grant! I didn't say a thing about one person in this forum. There was no judgement. So yes, lets drop it before I keep getting accused of things I haven't said.

And Trainspotter, I didn't say JUST homosexuals like anime/j-pop. Re-read. I said most homosexuals tend to like japanese related things. That doesn't meant that they're the only ones who do.

baby: I agree. A Song For XX's lyrics make it a ballad, but the music is not. And M starts as a ballad, but it's more rock-ish. I kind of wish she'd leave those out because they're not really ballads and they were already on A-Best. Appears isn't really a ballad either. And in that list "End Roll", "Ever Free", and several other great songs are left out.

Kind of disappointing, ne?

Really disappointing:weep

i'm sorry, i also dun agree w/ u about this part

Goofy tracklist. Voyage, HANABI, and Dolls are all on the album she just released. appears, TO BE, M, SEASONS, A Song for XX, and Who... were on A Best. So the only new songs for this are RAINBOW, Key~eternal tie ver.~, YOU, Dearest. And 3 of them I've heard already. Wow. Goofy. I don't get it. And no Everfree. This album is weird.

I still don't like the fact that the cover is a copy of Namie Amuro. I dunno. If Ayu was hugging or something that would be original, but having Ayu just about kiss herself is a total copy of Namie Amuro. I'm not crazy about the idea in the first place, and I think it's even worse that it's a copy of Namie. I dunno. :(

It's a copy of Namie's? An album she did? That's really funny.

biscuitgirl: im not sure, but i think that Namie kisses herself on some pv...

Well, i REALLY LOOOVE this cover. dont know why.... it just seem so deep... its not just a pic, for me its something like the pic says something... well, that must be my stupid thinkings again Lol XPP

It's actually a copy of Namie's Wishing On the Same Star PV. Here are some screen shots. It's not a direct copy because she didn't copy it identically, but she copied the idea of "kissing yourself" lol.

http://users.adelphia.net/~grantith/Namie1.jpg

http://users.adelphia.net/~grantith/Namie2.jpg

http://users.adelphia.net/~grantith/Namie3.jpg

http://users.adelphia.net/~grantith/Namie4.jpg

http://users.adelphia.net/~grantith/Namie5.jpg

It's kinda hard to see in the screenshots, but in the actual PV, the two Namie heads move together in a way that's like a kiss. It's not a perfect kiss 'cause the lips don't really move, but it's pretty close. It's a really weird PV and in the last pic you can see Namie's big ugly tattoo. haha. Anyway, I'm not sure if I have the complete video, so I'll redownload it and post any additional screenshots of the "kiss" if there is additional video of the kiss that I don't have.

Thanks for the pics, Grant! Guess Ayu's gotten a few other ideas for her new album :)

And as for this argument, I think it's totally pointless. For those who just post for the sake of arguments: more power to you. I can't tell anyone who's right or wrong, but neither should you. Just because one person's opinion differs from yours doesn't mean they're automatically wrong. It's just a cover!!! It's not like Ayu's running for president. If she was, then people may wonder about her past and whatnot, but since she's not, there should'nt be any big arguments over this. Sure.. it's a forum and of course there will be debates, but don't flame. Thanks.

well it's not like amuro's the first one w/ this 2 identical kissing........this kind of idea it just not too hard to create
i mean, look at bjork's "all is full of love" vdo.....2 bjork cyborg kissing (even doing it i think)

about the songs, i think they will re arrange some of the tunes.....hopefully :)

haha...i'd never watched the wishing on the same star pv fully through until my friend pointed out that she kissed herself at the end o_0 i don't think ayu totally copied the idea, maybe just got some inspiration from it. there've been many references to ayu copying other celebreties images, like the LOVEppears cover and angelina jolie (that was waaaaayyy back in the old old old forum) or the more recent free & easy controversy. :blockhead
personally i agree with those who would not buy it, why should fans feel inclined to buy a cd with songs that they already have? i think it's great for those who are just getting into ayu. :) other than that, go download the 3 songs you don't have. :D

actually bjork also has a single where she kisses herself on the cover. it was isobel and it came out in 95'

http://unit.bjork.com/77island/77isl...sobel21big.jpg

i loooooove bjork shes great

imagina12y: actually the cover of LOVEppears/appears r original, and then some french magazine likes it and use the same idea for their pix

and about the songs.....i dunno, hope there really r some remakes
but i'll just buy this cd for the cover only, it's just tooo good!

eekamouse: i dun understand y they use this picture for the isobal single (i like the other isobal singles that carried the same "post" theme), this picture was actually one of the covers of The Face!!

Copy of namie? Don't think so....if i were to call it a copy, would be from hitomi PV "WISH" which is way older than Namie's PV :P even so I still don't think it was a copy.....

SCREENSHOT FROM THE WISH PV FROM hitomi:

http://www.j-fan.com/jpop/images/hitomi/clips2-1.jpg

haha, so I guess singers "loving themselves" isn't a new concept. hahahaha :P

i'm not sure why they decided to pick this cover either, it has some nice post-ish looking stuff on the inside in autum colours, its quite nice. i also love the b-sides on this single.

Now that I think about it I cannot wait for the album.Ayu is very courageous to have an album cover like this and I respect her even more now because of that.Ayu is a very mature and wonderful person in my eyes and if she wants a cover like this than she should have one.I think that Ayu is also expressing her feelings with this cover.I think that she is saying that she does her albums and songs out of love for her fans and for the world.Ayumi needs someone in her life to help her stay strong when things seem at there worst, that person is Nagase.I suppose that Ayu does not hide Nagase from the media because she wants everyone to know that even if their relationship becomes very serious that she will always go on with her passion, music.Ayu is just incredible and she needs so much support because if she did not have as many fans as she does and still worked as hard as she does than she would be crushed and she would just give up on what she loves.This all is just my opinion and if anyone has any input about it than please let it be known.

You're wrong chieresu!:curse

Just kidding lol:laugh :roflmao I agree with what you said (but you'll have to change the word Nagase for: Impact!!!! :D):thumbsup

lol Impact..... of course- are you Nagase? after all, you're marrying ayu :) This album is more for people like me, who don't have a single ayu album and can't spare the money to buy them all.... oh well, I probably won't buy it, because it's easier to just download it and spend my money on the much cheaper rock cds :)

Sankyuu Impact.Oops, I mean Nagase!lol

And I disagree. There have been many pictures of people covering their chest with foreign objects, such as hands or their hair. That's even an older concept than kissing yourself.

Janet Jackson did both. Someone else's hands were covering her chest on the cover of Rolling Stone. And in the video for "Together Again" she was seen holding herself provocatively. Oh and for the video for "All is Full of Love", it was a male and female robot that were on top of eachother.

And while we're on the topic of copying people's ideas, remember the infamous "Dune" ad? That ad came out before "UNITE!" was released, and the picture from the cover totally ripped that picture off. There are rarely ever original concepts for album covers.

I agree with Samurai.It is seen very much these days.

Impact, I thought you had finally given up on Ayu and handed her over to Tomoyo. I'm ashamed of you. Of course, if your wedding is still planned, I'll pencil it into my calender. :roflmao

I can think of a few examples of original covers from the 90s and the past few years- here are some:
Nirvana- Nevermind- sure, there have been naked babies on covers of albums before, but not in the same context- it was an original idea
Our Lady Peace- Happiness... Is not a fish you can catch- the cover features an old man holding on to a fish- goes along with the album title, but original nonetheless
System of a Down- Steal this Album- there is no cover, and I don't think that's been done yet :)
I can't really think of any more without going into earlier decades, but i guess I managed to show it is still possible to have an original idea for a cover, it's just a lot harder to do these days....

samuraiDRIVE: oh of course the basic concept (hair/other object covering chest) has been used a long time ago, but this particular LOVEppears/appears were used again by a french magazine (jeans, long blonde hair, alphabeth necklece, hands on jeans)

and about "all is full of love", u should watch it again, they both have breasts, but also one (or both) of them has the male genitalia (i think), and they werent on top of each other!
but the sex doenst really matter, i wasnt talking about the sex of the cyborg, i was talking about that both cyborg r bjork

eekamouse: i think it would be better if they used this picture as the cover of isobel!!!
http://unit.bjork.com/77island/77isl...sobel23big.jpg

Thnx for the scans... Impactbreaker

actually i was referring to a topic from the old ahs, where someone compared pictures of jolie and ayu. i dug up the old one for reference:

http://www.hajima.netfirms.com/ayu_jolie.jpg

they even have the same hair/skin color :laugh

It was trainspotter01 who posted the scans destiny_ayu! :laugh Anyway I accept the thanks! Right, trainspotter?:P (joking):laugh :roflmao :laugh

imagina12y: this one i'm not too sure, but i'm pretty sure about the french mag one hehe

ImpactBreaker: maybe destiny_ayu was talking about the other isobal scan? no idea :P
btw luv ur saint seiya avatar

Oh ew ew ew! Ayu's pic is sooo much more tasteful!

I agree.

Wow, i never saw that pic of Angolina Jolie. Ayu doesn't have the best history about not copying people, lol.

Wow, i never saw that pic of Angolina Jolie. Ayu doesn't have the best history about not copying people, lol. But by the way, are we sure that Jolie's picture came out before Ayu's did? I'm sure that pictures like this have been done many times before (so Ayu isn't directly copying Jolie), but a little originality in a cover never hurts. :shrug

I don't know. I'm not sure this was implying that Ayu was copying here. But maybe...

And I'm sure the "kissing" each other idea has been used several times as well, so let's stop comparing it to Namie. It's quite common. However, the concept of why they're kissing seems to be very original. I think it's ignorant to say that she "copied" off of Namie.

interesting cover..something I didnt think shed do...but hey, whatya know...lol :D

Unless Ayu was making outright copies of other people's styles or music, I don't see a problem with what she's already been doing. people usually look to others for inspirations, so for Ayu to be looking to others for ideas shows those people that she has a liking for their style or music. At least.. this is how I view all of this.

i see GIGANTIC ugly sigs

Everyone needs to forget about the Hitomi and Namie PVs.In Hitomi's she is hugging herself and it is a PV, in Namie's she is kissing herself but she looks like she wanted to anyway (lol), it to was a PV.Ayu is ABOUT to kiss herself she is not yet, and it is an album cover.

i don't like that cover so much...
. don't know why.. maybe my instinct said that...
. let me design...i'll give my best shot...trust me...
. but... how can i...

Well in my opinion I think Ayu didn't copy anyone. But as there are some simililarities, I don't see any problem using those coincidences as references. It's good because it shows it's a common thing artists do.

But it's getting a bit old how people are continuously repeating "SHE COPIES SHE COPIES!" I'm not defending because she's my favorite artist or whatever, but so many ideas are re-used and recycled, it's rare that anyone has a *truelly* original idea without a mixture of inspiration from something else. That's just the way things are.

I feel the same way Impact.

maybe ayu uses as a reference.. should not blame her... maybe oso she doesnt even noe bout this

you can only think of so many ideas...>_<;; i say what she does is take the idea and make it look better ^_~

There are things in japanese bands that makes us think one is imitating the other but it's just that they like using a formula that brings success. Just look at JROCK visual bands....you could say they're all copying one another (guys looking like tranvestites) but it's just that's a way for these bands to attract more fans as japanese people find it cool.

this cover seems so cute ~ thanx !

Well, obviously, it's impossible to be original all the time. Many things artists do are inspired by other artists. We all know Ayu takes ideas inspired by others (I keep thinking of Dearest when she dressed up like Madonna). It's not a big deal. Pretty much every single and album cover (with the exception of Loveppears, I suppose) has been basically original.

I think she looks more like Jennifer Lopez in the "Dearest" pv. Especially when she's running through the store away from the bodyguards. :X:X:X

hate to see those

Ayu copied Madonna in Dearest??

It seems like you put a cowboy hat on and you must be copying madonna.. she was the first to wear cowboy hats ya know. ^______^ jp

That LOVEppears cover people are making somethign out of nothing. That picture of Angelina would have to have been more recent because no more would want to see her partially nude before she was popular. What do the two have in common? Nothing but a girl naked from the top up with long hair covering her breasts. One might as well say both of them were copying Eve (of Adam and Eve), or Lady Godiva.

It seems like if anything has even the slightest resembalence to something else that must mean it's copied.

yeop eve's the best, since she is the 2nd human being on earth :D
but she was "copied" from adam's rib bone, lol

hhahah funny. It's all about copies!:D I'll keep on listening to my burned cds :P, might's well make my own version of A ballads muhahauhauhahahhaha

It's very nice.

As for me, this is a creative cover. Don't you think too?
Although sometimes I feel that both Ayu are going to kiss each other, but what's the big deal?
Again, this is a unique cover. I like it ^^

oh well.....
it's alwais neat to see ayu having a new theme!

Well, i think that in the case of LOVEppears, its a very common pic. Think about it: a naked girl, with the hair covering some
"parts"....
And in other cases too, for example that ad that its very similar to ayumix 4 cover... A modern japanese kimono its not THAT original...
Its completely impossible to be original all the time, just like biscuitgirl said. ( I wanted to die my hair green, but hey! Everyone has a colored hair! XP)

Well, in my personal opinion, there is no room for originality anymore in this world. Name one thing; it's been thought of already. Even fighting with a cue ball and stick. :D

Well, I'm not saying that she copied Madonna verbatim, but that was the first thing that popped into my mind when I first saw "Dearest". As I recall, "Dearest" was released around the time Madonna's "Music" album was popular. It wasn't only the cowboy hat that struck that thought in my mind, but also the flashy costume and curly blond wig - a lot like the stuff Madonna was wearing at the time. We all know Ayu admires Madonna anyway, so it's not like it isn't entirely possible. But think what you want. Everyone is entitled to their own opinions.

In all retrospect, I would think that more people copy Ayu than she copies others. I don't see a lot of resemblence between her and other artists. I think she is in a whole league of her own.

I was also thinking that Ayu kinda looked like Madonna in Dearest, not that I'm saying she looked 100% like her, but as Biscuitgirl said, the hair and costume makes it seem very similar to Madonna's style. Then again, I'm sure Madonna has gotten her influences from others since there really isn't any true originality out there...

Yah... especially in the Grassmonkey's avatar:D

Fine by me.
meanwhile i'll stick to my cd clones!
hehehe :D

This A Ballads cover is really starting to grow on me. At first I didn't like it at all, but now I'm starting to like it. :P

I like the cover... its always sumthing different with Ayu.

I like the cover, too :)
I just have different feelings about the news, that there will be 4 differnet Booklets (or whatever).
Don't have the money, but want them all ^^

yup.. me too......

Ayu oways surprised us with the cover of the albums... dont u agree?? but i still like I am's Cover most

Many people seem to like it now.:thumbsup

ayu "copied" madonna in more than one way in dearest
i saw the video for madonna's "drowned world" excellent song..
and its basically the same thing..
madonna is trying to run away from all the media to get to her daughter..
and the scene where madonna is running down this mall type thing is exactly the same as in ayu's dearest..

Drowned World came out as a single AFTER Dearest, so I think if it was totally copied off of, Madonna copied Ayumi.

I think Madonna knows who Ayumi is. Ayumi's always being called the Madonna of Asia, how wouldn't she hear about it. I'm sure people ask her all the time!

The more u see the more u will get used to.. n like it:laugh

different can be good...:P

I just saw the other album covers, and I realized something. This album's cover was just not taken well enough. I really think she's just suppose to be laying peacefully with trick photography to show "Harmony" I don't know why, but it reminds me of yin yang... gotta go bye! (wow i said that all together)