GUILTY and NEXT LEVEL has her most agressive rock songs to date probably.

I forgot how good the next LOVE and Eyes, Smoke & Magic are. Ayu should do more of this.

We can add RnRC with Microphone, LOVE again with Wake me up and A ONE with WARNING.

True. She also has About You, GAME, Liar, Alterna etc. but these two albums put the emphasis on hard rock.

I love this period of the year, where the weather starts getting great again, it's really the best time to enjoy ayu's music imo.

She needs to make a rock album asap (guilty doesn't count, it had like... 6 rock songs at most if anything).
I remember reading a post on the forum where it said ayu was going in a rock direction with her music during her peak and then she stopped that and made rainbow the album.

^I want that, or at least a Rock Rearrange album with A Song for XX (Live Arrangement) and M (PoM version) included in it!

I'm trying to figure out why Anything for You doesn't get boring after being almost 7 minutes long. It's not that it's not repetitive either.. it just has something about it that makes it seem like it's half that length. I love it.

For me, Anything For You reminds me of Virgin Road where it just carries you away with the melody. You really get lost in it. <3

You know AFY is like Walk but longer and its a slow jam/ballad. I don't even know how to classify it. But it's a smooth listen.

I'm thinking the same thing :D

I think Heartplace is the same way. Doesn't feel like it's all that lengthy but it is!

Anything For You takes us on a journey to it's final "destination"...that's why it doesn't feel so long for me anyway.

I've had an epiphany with some A ONE's songs lol. I didn't dislike them, but they weren't a big thing for me either. That changed today.

I was having a really bittersweet, powerful and exciting day (about love and emotions), and every song gained all their power out of nothing. Before listening to any, my heart was like HELLO,LET'SGODANCESOHARD and The Show Must Go On came and it was like the most fantastic feeling ever created; when the right song appears on the right moment. Same with WARNING, it appeared just on time, when I was like NOWAY,IMINCONTROL,F*CKUWORLD, i was singing like crazy. Same with NO FUTURE, Last Minute, Out of control, Story.. Every one of them connected incredibly well with me and my emotions. Simply amazing and totally unexpected. What an experience!

^To have a certain moment in life accidentally accompanied by the correct Ayu song feels amazing imo, I had one of those days and it just felt superb.

I was just thinking of how embarrassing Party Queen (song) is. For an artist witha catalogue that includes masterpieces like M or HEAVEN this song is just insulting. And its not about the idea behind the song or anything. The production, the vocals... Everything is just AWFUL. That and Thank U (an interlude turned into a long and embarrassing cheesy nightmare) remain her worst songs to date imo

I am loving About You (Black Strobe Edit) from Ayu-mi-x 6 right now!

^^ KANPAIIIIII

Yes Party queen IS embarassing, yet i think it's funny to listen to it, but it's def the last song i'd show to someone who doesn't know her.
I think you have to listen to the whole Party queen~NaNaNa~Shake it ♥ section to truly enjoy this crazy mess.

But i do like Thank U no matter how cheesy it is.

Yeah, I like Party Queen and Thank You too (she finally has a chorus of LaLaLas!!) but I wouldn't be showing them to a friend.

I kinda wish there was a PV for Party Queen!

Thank U is a perfect concert song. I love it.

And I think Party queen is kinda intentionally cringe.

I just realized the lyrics to WARNING is my life right now. Every word reverberates with me for this nasty breakup I've been dealing with for the past couple of months.

I don't think anyone was arguing whether it was intentional. It's just sort of a huge embarrassment. She could have pulled off irony in the song without making it sound so out of character and/or juvenile. Just because it was intentional doesn't make the song sound any less like crap.

It's one of those songs that, when asking myself the question of "if I could never listen to this song again in my life, would it make me sad? Would I miss it?" Is answered "Hell no."

So I saw this and died. Does anyone know where the other one is? Where she's like hit wahahahahahahahahahaha Yume wohohohohohohohoh.

I've been trying to buy MTRLB stuff and it's near impossible to find ugh.
Although the search is fun lol.

I've seen another Ayu Monomane too on YT but forgot the keyword, they all always emphasizes on her vibraaaaaaatooooooo:laugh

「STEP you / is this LOVE?」20.04.2005 release 10th anniversary!!!
http://i.imgur.com/BgG6Hce.jpg

I'm in love right now with Dearest (Razor 'N Guido Club mix) and No way to say (Sugiurumn remix) from ayu-mi-x 7. Also, I fu*kin' love fated and No Way To Say from ayu-mi-x 6 -SILVER-. I never had any love for No Way to Say but these remixes just bring the life out of that song. Impossible to resist.

Yes i remember one more impersonation where the woman sounded like the car that won't start and to me it was disrespectful :irked

remember that SEASONS cover GACKT did a while ago on one of his fan club concerts? Well he's releasing the whole thing on DVD, including that. lol Dude's definitely in need for money but has nothing else to release, so he's throwing out a year and a half old concert. lol

An amazing single, but god, that whole photoshoot she looks extremely uncomfortable.

Her hair looks hot tho

Yeah, the synthetic wig looks like it's about to burst into flames under all that studio light

Noooooo omg I'm laughing so much that I'm crying.
Ouch I cracked my back. Omg I needed that laugh, thanks ;)

You sir succeed in conveying exactly what I had in my mind since I saw that photoshoot 10 years ago, and at that time idk which word to use to express that sth lol

Step you is one of my favorite ayu songs of all time, and yet in the photoshoot she looks uncomfortable as hell.

http://i.imgur.com/DJdl35x.png

My god chocopockymaster was right
That weave looks like it's gonna spontaneously combust any minute.

That third look is just lmao, it's even weirder than duck lips. Idk what kind of emotion the photographer wants her to convey

lol that third one though "MY NAME'S WOMEN!"

Lol did anyone see that Maro is running for political position

Omg, one of her worst single covers ever lool
Agree, the songs are amazing but those pics are just unflattering.

LOL the photos are just so Namie of the time too...like the QoHP covers.

"mild surprise" maybe?

She seems fairly confused on that picture like she can not find a comfortable position for herself and it was like the photographer caught her off guard with that wierd/confused expression on her face lol

I am sure i saw something on facebook about his new remix album set to be released in June or July :yes

The STEP you shoot brings back so many memories of me being baffled by all that heavy makeup XD

Are you serious? :spew

Wait it's real and here is his campaign vehicle


He promised that if he's elected it won't effect his music career and his debut album is coming out on the 6th of May...:thumbsup Looking forward to him representing the good people of Shibuya..... ;)

look at his twitter, you find A LOT of selfies with promo poster %) And video of him sitting in this promo car, waving to random people on the street. I was shocked xD

....

:shakehead

STEP you iirc was Shimoko's first shoot with Ayu.

Also there were meltdowns when covers came out.

There were meltdowns over it? :O

I wasn't on AHS that time I guess, granted the cover is not that good but it's not that bad compared to what we had these times lol...maybe that cover was considered bad for that time

^ I thought because the covers made her look like a cheap whore... they still do today lol

Wait are you talking about the STEP you covers still?
The shoot wasn't that good, I wouldn't say she's even close to looking like a cheap whore tho.

lmao I remember the meltdowns

It was glorious

@love

Well I guess because before that ayu was really artsy with her covers so when it came out there was so much rage for it. You are right, XOXO have that look now. Haha

I see lol.
Ugh I hate the XOXO PV so much. It was so embarrassing to watch as an ayu fan. Lelio too.

Yeah it's really sad that the Colours videos were so bad. I will always cringe at both of them and the stupid angel one too lol. Oh and feel the love... like why lol.

Yeah they really were some of her worst PVs. Feel the love just seemed offensive towards overweight people. I was pretty shocked she was okay with releasing that.

STEP you had meltdowns...

Then the meltdowns about HEAVEN's Oricon ranking...

Then the meltdowns over B&D/Pride in general... (and eventually the (miss)understood covers)

Then meltdowns about Startin's PV...

EDUCATIN' THE CHILDREN. Ah, that was the beginning of everything.

^ what would we do without you?

Wait what about HEAVEN's oricon position was bad?

It debuted at no.2 and kept going lower but it eventually got no.1 for the week.

Truehappi, you should make a thread and a time line of all ahs meltdowns (maybe with links). You are like a historian of this place! Don't forget the sunrise/sunset all is love covers lol.

I agree! It would be amazing to have a timeline of meltdowns!

You should do it chronologically and then in order of severity.
What do you think the most severe meltdown is?

Nothing beats the Sunrise/Sunset meltdown lol

I don't get it, to me it pictured an overweight girl who tries to lose weight for her crush, but in the end she understands that she's beautiful no matter what (in her head her body is the same as ayu's = they're equally beautiful) and doesn't give a #### anymore, her crush doesn't like her back but she doesn't care and remains confident cuz she doesn't need no man to validate her worth xx

I've only been here since '09, but I think the meltdown over LOVE again was pretty powerful as well as the meltdown over Feel the Love's PV.

I know there's one I'm forgetting.

Sorry, ya'll. I kind of get off on reading the meltdowns. I don't like being a drama queen or necessarily adding to the meltdowns but they kinda crack me up.

^ Party Queen covers?

What about a summer best? Didn't that make some people melt down?

Well...

There was always some crazy stuff going on whenever a relationship was announced (Mainly Mannie and Maro of course, don't think Tyson and Ayu really ever became too big of a deal since it wasn't shoved in our faces).

Party Queen's covers.

LOVE+again = LOVE again.

Sunrise / Sunset covers.

GUILTY #2.

A SUMMER BEST's existence (only slight).

3-rapid-releases-in-2010 being disappointing to people.

Ayu working with Urata Naoya/JUNO.

While I don't think it was made out to be a big deal back then, in 2004, there was some Max Matsuura drama within avex and Ayu almost left along with a bunch of other artists. Would have most definitely caused people to go crazy in the time since then.

^ OMG what happened in 2004 truhappysensei?

Well, there were disagreements between the then-current CEO and Max iirc... and then they threatened to leave if things didn't change. Then Max ended up as CEO of avex after the whole thing ended with the old CEO stepping down. It was around INSPIRE's release.

http://ahsforum.com/forum/showthread...&highlight=max
http://ahsforum.com/forum/showthread...&highlight=max

People had breakdowns over so much stupid shit over the years that I'm actually surprised A ONE didn't had any meltdown.

mah baby being all lost and wanting to follow her papa max. I'm moved.
Thanks!! Glad things somehow got fixed!

Because maybe it's a good album, from art to music. :love

I'm pretty sure I added a bit of fuel to some of those fire when things were melting down haha.

I think the party queen album with the divorce really was the biggest meltdown here. So much hatred and ppl flaming each other on here.

There were comparisons to Namie's "GIRL TALK/the SPEED STAR"

Was just casually watching Dan & Phil on YouTube when a billboard for A ONE popped up lol

https://40.media.tumblr.com/7affb4f7...qfumig_540.jpg
https://41.media.tumblr.com/02c408ad...qfumig_540.jpg

Good promo if youre in the Starbucks they can see it from lolol (also a little bit of Yoyogi can be seen in the top right corner)

The covers for a one is nice but it's not really eye catching. I didn't notice until you zoomed in lol

I had never realized this akwardness in the shooting as well lol I guess the lightning has a bit of fault in this, it's a BOOM in her face, makes it looks like a home made shoot using that camera flash that makes all your face have one pale color. The shoot could have been much better with a darker surrounding imo

It's insane to me that I remember all that drama going down...I haven't felt this old in a long time :laugh

What's Dan & Phil?

^ They're English YouTubers. Their latest video is of them in Japan, that's where the screenshot is from.

LOLOLOL. I've been here for all of those too! (I never post though..but hi!)

I remember the B&D/Pride meltdown
Startin' meltdown
and all the meltdowns until now

Started joining meltdowns since NEXT LEVEL cover I guess lol

I came here in 2004 so I only vaguely remember the forums reaction to the Avex Max problems. But I remember people were upset when she announced she'd no longer accept any awards? Lol

---

Also, I can't stop listening to RAINBOW. Such a good album. everlasting dream is a great intro! It has such a mix of songs. Good covers. Good videos. I wish she'd touch upon that ethereal vibe again haha.

Omg I noticed it, too! I was like "Umm... I wonder if there's any Ayu promo in the background anywhere.. Probably not, since Ayu doesn't do much promo these days" when I started watching, but then BAM! I actually noticed it right away haha xDD

I wanted to share it, too, but thought no one would care haha Glad to know I'm not the only one who watches Dan and Phil here

P.S. Does anyone know which starbucks this is and how to get there? Would love to go there next time I'm in Japan...

They're at the Tokyu Plaza Omotesando/Harajuku, across the street from La Foret. Starbucks is on the 6th floor along with the roof terrace, but you don't have to get a drink or anything to hang out there; it's open to the public.

Same regarding Rainbow

That album is a gem

It's weird to think that in like 2004/2005, Ayu's worst album was RAINBOW to some people.

I know it might disappoint, but I want CREA back for a bit. Even CREA+Yuta or CREA+Kazuhiro Hara or something. With the input Ayu has, I'm surprised everything isn't CREA+.

I was a fan when INSPIRE came out.

I had no idea that was happening then lol.

Was rainbow bad because Ayu was originally heading in a rock direction and suddenly went quasi ethereal pop with rainbow?

Thank you so much! ^^

I think the introduction of English lyrics, for her japanese fans at least, alienated them a bit.
Not sure how the foreign fans reacted though.

Real Me was one of the songs that made me an Ayu fan. Haha

Rainbow is such an great album, it still is and probably keep being my favourite Ayu album of all times. Though it was also my first - nostalgia! :laugh
Got a fan of hers about 2004 with it and I still remember reading about her changing her lyrics style, cause of incorporating English for the first time, and how mad some japanese fans were about it. Also Rainbow did take a different direction in music than Duty and I am... before, more pop orientated and R&B/urban influences here and there as well.
Guess all this took part in the Rainbow dislike back then.
Couldn't understand back then and don't understand now.
The only other album I adore BEFORE Rainbow is LOVEppears.

RAINBOW is something I've posted about here before... It was a huge disappointment for a lot of us, that was the first time I'd seen a bunch of ayu fans lose interest all at once.

It's not that it's a bad album, it just wasn't what anyone was expecting or what anyone wanted or even what Ayu seemed to be capable of based on I am... and Duty.

wtf, really? i'd choose RAINBOW over I am... without a doubt! I am... is so overrated imo, Connected is the only song i really care about

I became a fan around the release of Mirrorcle World. No meltdown at that time lol, MW was such a gem ^^
But I became an AHS member only xince 2009, after the release of NEXT LEVEL, so the only meltdown I whitnessed was :
- Party Queen
- A SUMMER BEST
- LOVE + again = LOVE again
- Terminal single (I still don't understand this one O.o)

I love WE WISH though. It's so much better than Real Me. It has a lot of interesting layering techniques going on - you can actively jump between the different melodies as they line up perfectly with one another.

I especially love the background melody of the verse. That little electronic melody that repeats three times and on the fourth time changes rhythm and notation. Seriously adore that fourth bar.

I also love that sound effect that plays before the chorus comes in. That effect that makes it sound like everything is being wiped away before throwing the beat back in the chorus. It's especially noticeable after the bridge/breakdown.

I think another thing you have to consider regarding the initial perceptions of albums from the past is that, the people who were fans during the time of the release were already familiar with the singles. So when the album comes out, their perceptions are heavily weighted toward how they feel about the new album tracks. If you take away all the tracks that proceeded the album's release, it might become easier to understand why RAINBOW might be somewhat disappointing.

Lol but the album tracks on Rainbow are so great. The only single track that I think is super special in comparison is Free & Easy. July 1st and Hanabi are still great too.

But goodness, Over, WE WISH, everywhere nowhere, dolls, Close to you. All so lovely. And the interludes really set the mood to me.

Becoming a fan well after Rainbow was released. I would have loved for her to keep the sound of songs like Over, dolls, everywhere nowhere. Or at least repeat them once.

Definitely still better than the albums before it.

I don't think RAINBOW is bad, but I do prefer the post-apocalyptical / semi-industrial sound of I Am...

WE WISH is such a boring song. The layers and shit are nice, but idk it's just so boring lol RAINBOW is one of my least-favorite albums from Ayu; but I can't even pin-point why. HANABI is a godly song though so idk lmao

What a coincidence, I just finished listening to RAINBOW via CD. It's a great album! ;) I really like the flow.