^ LOL so true

ok i hated the chorus
but why does the song sound amazing when it's all together

i'd hate to admit it, but I think I really like crossroad

I'm thinking the same at this point. Either that, or it'll manage to keep up the streak but not be nearly as successful as it should have been had it received more attention. >_> lol this is crazy how the tables have turned, first we thought crossroad would be overshadowed by L and now it may be the opposite. Oh and welcome back. ^^


I still can't wrap my head around that one since to me, it was a no brainer which was the superior song. That's Japan for ya, though.

There will be no commercial flop people ^^ you're getting ahead of yourselves.

I rominized the lyrics for crossroad, feel free to put them in the first post.

Koko kara miete iru keshiki wa
Yume ni egaite ita keshiki to
Dono kurai chigau no kana
Nante omou toki ga aru yo ne

Ano toki tatta wakaremichi no hajimari
Eranda hou wa kottchide yokatta ka natte
Ano toki tatta wakaremichi no hantai
Gawa ni atta no wa nandatta no kanatte

Sore demo susumi tsuzuketeru
Mada makete nanka inai yo tte

Kizutsukanai you ni
Tsuyogaru koto dakede
Jibun o mamotte ita
Aitsu wa umaku waraeru you ni natta ka na

Kawatte iku koto
Kaete kita koto
Kaerarenai koto
Watashi wa umaku waraeteru?

Natsukashii omoide-tachi bakari
Sokora-juu ni korogaru michi o
Guuzen touri sugitara
Atatakai kedo kurushi katta

Otona ni natte iku hodo ni ushinatte
Kita mono wa ittai nandatta ka natte
Otona ni natte iku hodo ni fuete ku
Kore tte ittai nee nan na no kanatte

Kangaeta kono shunkan
Sae mo hora kako ni kawatte ku ne

Ima surechigatta
Dare ka ga itsuka no
Ano ko no yokogao ni
Mieta youna ki ga shitanoni doushite

Koe o kakeru koto
Sae mo dekinai mama
Touzakatte iku
Ushirosugata o mitsumeteta

Sore demo susumi tsuzuketeru
Mada makete nanka inai yo tte

Kizutsukanai you ni to
Tsuyogaru koto sore dakede
Jibun o mamotte ita
Aitsu wa umaku waraeru you ni natta kana

Kawatte iku koto toka
Kaete kita koto toka
Kaerarenai koto
Watashi wa umaku waraeteru?

^ didn't you already open the thread with those? :)

This week they should put the tracklist and the covers, i'm getting crazy!!!!!!!!!

Has this been the longest we've waited for covers/tracklists to be unveiled as far as in relativity to the release date? It's getting shorter and shorter, the amount of time they give us between the unveil and the releases - pretty soon they aren't even gonna show us and we'll just get an announcement - NEW SINGLE NEXT WEEK "SURPRIZE / Unknowing"

I think because Amuro Namie and Koda Kumi are known to make those styles. Sparkle was something so out in left field, no one was expecting such a PV or song lyrics...

On a side note, when Amuro Namie went R&B Princess, she lost a lot of fans before she gained her place back in Japanese pop scenes..

Anyways, we'll for sure get a preview after crossroad is released because of the acapella preview chaku-uta... all we have to do is bribe someone to record them LOL

Maybe so but people who complain that her music is always the same shouldn't complain when she tries something new. If you don't like it fine. But don't say she can't do it but it's okay for others because it's "their thing." Nothing should be off limits for her in my opinion lol. That's just my weird Sparkle defense lol.

For Sparkle case.. I think we have different perspective with the Japanese. We dun against something sexually explicit, but probly not for the Japanese. Also, like jbrat2219 said, people can accept kuu or namie doing explicit songs, but not ayu. She have created an image that is far away from being "sexy". OK she was half naked in LOVEppears, I am, RAINBOW etc., but people might treat those as arts instead of sexy. Last but not the least, we dun study Japanese so we can't really understand the "real" meaning of the lyric. We know what it means via translation, but the characters/words/phrases construction was lost while being translated. The construction of the phrases/lines may provide another level for the meaning or so. Also, the choices of words may also affect the outcome. e.g., there are many words (Japanese or Chinese) can be translated into "sexy", but some may give positive outcome, while some turn people off. Who knows?

And for crossroad... I'm sure she'll get no. 1 if kuu's her only rival that week. Not that kuu is less popular or what, but since they are under the same company, do you think avex will let kuu breaking off ayu's streak? Last time SCS was about to break her streak, and avex ended up saving it by giving lots of goodies outside the concert. It'll be MUCH easier to alter the result when the rival is within the same company. So kuu will not be her rival in the end. We should worry about some unknown factor instead (... such as... if there's a new artist with unknown power).

I understand that Ayu has separated herself from the "sexy image" for most of her career. But she was young back then and many people interpret her as someone who was lost trying to find her way through music back when she mostly written music for herself. Now she is older, a very well established artist who doesn't need to prove anything to anyone anymore. She's not lost, she's more confident and a lot more bold but in a different way.

Fans are use to her making a bold statement through her music but not necessarily her image. I think that's why everyone was shocked with Sparkle, not only because of the song but the video as well. But isn't there a sexual being inside all of us? Why should people who made their career by taking their clothes off or writing dirty lyrics be the only allowed to be sexy?


Anyway~~~~~~~

I love crossroad to death and I sadly regret I will not be able to participate in her first week sales ;_; I'll have to hold off on the purchase of these singles. Hopefully I'll get some money by the time L comes out and then I'll contribute to THOSE sales cause crossroad is pretty much guaranteed a #1 but L might suffer a bit because of shipping issues.

Why should they be the only ones allowed? Because I am buying Ayumi Hamasaki singles and music BECAUSE of the image that she has of separating this intense sexuality from herself. I don't buy Koda Kumi or so because of this character she has, so I don't expect to be buying a similar product which I have already decided that I didn't like.

Of course she has sexual moments, like 1 LOVE like performances, but they are always with a message like to be strong as a woman, not JUST for the sexual thing... but Sparkle was just sexual period. No other meaning behind it LOL in my opinion.

Anyways, maybe someone should revive those threads if they wanna speak about it, but yeah.. to talk about crossroad and L...

I said it before, the best thing about crossroad is the vocals. They are amazing. I really think that the daybreak has come in her long darkened period with her vocals, and we will continue to hear this great strengthened and high pitch voice... I am so excited for the future~~~!!!

covers and tracklist for L

http://img85.imageshack.us/img85/420/44472631.jpg
http://img21.imageshack.us/img21/3930/81711512.jpg
http://img547.imageshack.us/img547/1340/73249311.jpg
http://img535.imageshack.us/img535/2606/23206324.jpg

any news on the special packaging thingy?

i dont' undertand why the cd only edition B,only have 7 songs and the other cd only version have 8 :s

Aha, I knew we wouldn't be getting "L"-related until "crossroad" promotion began...

Those covers are certainly interesting. I really don't like the CD-only covers. I'm sure the mask is supposed to be interpreted as having a facade, but her facial expressions just kill it =/ Jacket A (CD+DVD) describes it best.

I'm loving the tracklisting, though. Those are some amazing titles. I cannot wait to hear them!!!

Last angel?

I happen to love these covers for L. So much better than crossroad covers, that's for sure! Cannot wait to see these in HQ! :heart
Oh and the song titles are interesting.
Virgin Road...hnnn...is Ayu trying to tell us something? >.>
Sweet Season is nice, and that was the SWEET magazine song.
Last angel, wasn't that a Kuu song? haha

are those true? @_@
why is seven days war the first track on the last cd?

I don't know about the covers. I like them but I think they'd fit better with crossroad hahah. I'm really interested in the songs however, they have great titles. Especially Virgin Road <3. Really looking forward to it.