Yes, it makes me think the same! I'm up for another 6/7 minute ballad to get sucked into!

Yeah, good point. Not to exaggerate but the next album does feel like an important point in her career: is she going to continue doing familiar, simple music or will she go back to creating unique soundscapes?

I think if we're due for more "plain" tracks on MADE IN JAPAN, we may be stuck in this era at least for another two albums.

I wonder if it has something to do with her hair color.

If she is making an album that represents whats good in Japan, I hope she has more conceptual album art.

This might be cliched but I would love to see a photobook with Ayu in famous landscapes and scenary in Japan. We haven't had one like that since RocknRoll Circus?
-The middle of the booklet would have her in a huge panorama of Mt. Fuji. (traditional kimono)
-Ayu posing in a sakura forest. (elegant dress)
-Ayu lost in the crowd at Shibuya crossing (modern/rocker Ayu)
-Ayu on the sands of Okinawa (summer dress)
-Ayu in snowy Sapporo (winter fur coat theme)
#MADEINJAPAN

Kinda sounds more like a calendar shoot IMO.

I think she should probably go for an extravagant shoot at least once this year. But with how things are progressing, I don't think we'll be getting one for some time... until she has that itch again.

And when was the last calendar? :shakehead Oh well, but I think this is the most exciting album since RnRC for me

Yeah, I was pointing out that it was a little out there, haha. Calendars were so amazing... I wish we got one at least for a tour.

This is my most anticipated album in a bit, mostly cause it's so NEW. Not a single song to give us a hint of anything.

I know! I failed last time and listened to Party queen and hbya before the release of the album, but this time I'm determined to wait for the full HQ thing to leak before listening to anything!

MADE IN JAPAN has such potential for music videos. She hasn't been too keen on doing crazy effect videos lately, but using Japan as her inspiration. Any song using Japan's scenery as the theme could be beautiful in a pop or ballad song. The rich history that Japan has to offer could be an influence on this album

I'm curious what tracks are going to get PVs...

Is she going to even do them? Is she revealing them in a "lead single" order?

To be honest I'm sceptical that the album MADE IN JAPAN will look like anything people are expecting from a title like this. I would love her to be creative again, but I don't think that will be the case.

「どう見られてるかな？」「どう思われるかな？」
言いたい事も言えないで誰かの理想のために生きないで。
-TODAY-

I like the title.

You're right in a multitude of ways. She's written over 300 songs at this point, right? I imagine it's hard to come up with original song titles that consist of one or two words at this point. A part of me does feel she could reuse a word, just change the case. I mean, she's done it with chords and structure? Silly idea, I know. It would be real confusing to say, "No, I liked the all-lowercase 'guilty' more than the all-uppercase 'GUILTY'.”

I guess 13 tracks album...

With an intro or interlude, we could get a 14/15 tracker.

I miss the interlude, I really hope 2 or 3 interludes in this album.

Honestly ? Isn't a bit cliché to assume because the album's title contains the word "Japan" so she has to be dressed like a tradional japanese ? I would like personnally because that's representative of this country but from what I understand she found inspiration in the Japan of today not the one of the past centuries so I don't expect her to use this cultural aspect of Japan !

Btw I found an article that seems very revealing about the new album if someone is able to translate it it would be amazing !!

http://109news.jp/event/20160503/58789/?detail

Seems that they got to listen to a majority of the album and 109news is going to be around for the tour again. We should expect lots of pictures!

Main points relating to the music seem to be:
- the album seems to reflect the colors/temperatures of the four seasons
- "Hamasaki Ayumi has awakened"
- the album has cuteness, loneliness, darkness, clarity, strength, and intensity... (seems like a pretty mixed album!)

And songs from the new album are definitely going to be mixed into the tour.

I'm really bad at Japanese, but that's what I understood from the article:

Seems like they're saying that the lyrics are similar to her signature writing style, it's honest and self-critical? The songs remind of the four seasons: fierce, strong, pure, sweet, something about solitude and darkness... It combines different sides of Ayumi Hamasaki. They also said something about her coming back to Japan after being away in LA,, and the music after that has been some sort of a warming-up for her?

Apparently this album is a return to form, "awakening" of Ayumi Hamasaki, a new NEXT LEVEL and was challenging for her. "That's the Ayu we've been waiting for"

The tour will include the new songs.

It makes sense that she keeps referring to the four seasons in TA entries now that we kinda know the intention of the tracks' sound. I still think a fall concert set is gonna happen!

Thank You !!
I'm always a bit sceptical when I hear sentence like this because it's the best way to be disappointed if it's not what I actually wanted lol but if it's true YEAH !!

I hope the album sounds as diverse as they're hyping it to be! I'm expecting something a bit like Rock'n'Roll Circus or (miss)understood as far as genres go.

That's pretty exciting even though NEXT LEVEL is not my favorite album of hers. However, I think we can expect something different and not so "safe" this time, so that's great :)

Don't know what to think about an album whose songs follow the seasons of the year. If MADE IN JAPAN is so sonically diverse, I'd like to have a few interludes to keep the album balanced! :yes Let's see.

I think they just used the words "NEXT LEVEL" to mean that she's "stepped her game up".

^ Oh, got it! Thanks :) I thought they were actually comparing MIJ to NEXT LEVEL.

I can't wait...

I hope it's sonically nothing like NEXT LEVEL though lol.

I expect a good balance between ballads, slow/mid-tempo and up-tempo songs! This idea is interesting if it's well done I can imagine this album starting with bright songs but rather mid-tempo, following with more energic songs and finish gradually with calmer songs ! All will depend of the work of arrangeur if they have been able to really re-create the atmosphere Ayumi wanted to do =)

That's the quote where they're talking about next level:

So I'm not sure if they're talking about the album (since they wrote it in English and with all capitals, just like the album title), or just saying that she's stepping her game up.

Hoping for at least a few songs with a 'fuller' sound (i.e., synth elements as an accompaniment rather than the fundamental template of the song).

and if you're going to have a digital 'rock' song, the mixing at least has to be good (Last minute/Sorrows vs. count down)

OK interesting...so are we expecting an official announcement soon, or is it just going to drop like Beyonce does? I don't see the latter being very smart for sales, but it would make me happy!

I feel like it's gonna be a 'surprise' drop. Having no official announcement when there's news stories about the album floating around is a bit odd.

^
She has nothing to loose at this point I wouldn't be surprised if the album drop digitally the same day as the tour start with a physical release the following wednesday !

I do think it would be cliched, but ironically Ayu has NEVER had an album that culturally identified "Japan". ayu-mi-x IV is the closest and visually I thought it was stunning.

"awakening"? To me it already happened with A ONE and sixxxxxx. ^__^
I'm very excited about this new album. I think it's really interesting how they are building the hype strategically.

I think they are referring to the album cause of the way they have capitalized it, and they probably meant so cause that was a path almost new to her when she did NEXT LEVEL. If that's it, I'm curious to hear what will be the new sound she'll bring to this album. I'm crossing fingers for a real rock track and a Shape of love-ish ballad.

Mad World reminds me of everywhere nowhere, talkin 2 myself, Mirrorcle World and rollin' so I'm really excited about this track.

Mad World : "Tell me, if it were you, how would you live in this era？ / Tell me, for I'm already sincerely nauseated with this era / Where should my real intentions be?"
Comparision:
everywhere nowhere : "The more convenient the products become / The more inconvenient our hearts become / I wonder if some day / Man may be symbolized, too"
talkin 2 myself : "Just because this is the age full of information and temptations / We should make the choices of our own / You know / That creation comes after destruction"
Mirrorcle World : "Did I imagine this kind of future? / Did you imagine this kind of future? / Did I wish for this kind of future? / Did you wish for this kind of future?"
rollin' : "The world is rolling around at the speed of rebirth / The world is rolling around at the speed of rebirth / It's falling into confusion, and despair and desire come to us alternately / We can't continue to live in the traditional way"

All these songs are written from a broader point of view and they either come as warning, advice, disappointment or awakening from the false complacement the world has fallen in. Mad World may have something to do with the cyber bullying that ayu was recently talking.
Also, as genres are concerned, we have 2 types for this sort of lyrics : upbeat euphoric trippy (everywhere nowhere, rollin') or hard rock (talkin 2 myself, Mirrorcle World).

The four seasons theme ?
Welle, that's the open door to Spring Diary and Fall/Autumn Diary :D

^
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

With the intros Rainy diary and Leafy diary. :dead2

^ NOOOOOOOOOOO... It's a nightmare

I think I'm the only one who doesn't mind the diary songs... I love both summer and winter diary.

^ I love Summer diary, but I'm not a huge fan of Winter diary. I mean, I don't mind its existence as long as it stays out of the next album. It's cute on the A7 Classical.

sweet lord in heaven noooo .___.

Omg Leafy diary sounds so cute! I want that as a Beautiful Fighters-kinda track! :D Or "Leafy". Omggg I want that as a song title

I honestly hope Winter diary is in the album... I would be disappointed if it isn't.

Winter diary is nice while I can't stand Summer diary, but hell to the no if she gives us another Diary series, enough with this basic mess.

^I'd be MORE than disappointed if IT IS.

Writes TA entry about Spring, album releases sometime during Spring/Summer, includes obscure winter Christmas song that was used only to promote the last classical album? I would be so mad lol

lmao

She wrote another TA entry about "Rainy season" (basically summer), and promised to post another one tomorrow, so I'm pretty sure she's going post a "chapter" for every season. Besides, the article posted earlier in this thread mentioned that the songs remind of four seasons, so seems like that's kind of the theme of the album lol

Tbh I don't think including winter diary into an album released on the summer is that much different from including summer singles on an album released on the winter, and no one seems to complain about that...

i adore summer diary and i would totaly love to see another diary song on the new album, even if its the most clichee and classic ayu movement.
On the other hand, i think winter diary would not fit in this kind of release. it was being promoted as a classic christmas song (if im not wrong ?). therefore it can stay, for me, there where it is on the winter classical album. ( i like winter diary. its just not listenable for every day)

I figured it was a cute nod at NEXT LEVEL. I don't think they would name drop an album for any reason other than a nod/reference for Ayu fans to get. Tsuriko/Takako Tsuriya has done nearly all of the official Ayu interviews/articles since the beginning of her career so I could see her putting in little things that only fans would "get" as an easter egg.

I am now looking forward to the next day because we will get to know a new song title. Can't wait for today's post!

I actually like Mad World. Sounds like a song that can fits dgray men opening lol

What are the odds of the album being surprise-released digitally when the tour starts? I'm so over these slow physical releases... It's 2016, just release the album immediately online world-wide. I haven't bought an Ayu album since LOVE again because waiting on international shipping to listen to new music is too long, and I only bought that because I was in Taiwan at the time.

Edit: I'm also so over avex and their "short version" PVs. Just put the damn vid on YouTube! That's how you get coverage for your artists!

We can expect anything. We got full Colours before even knowing album title

I think since we know Ayu worships some Western divas, she could potentially drop it digitally. We don't even have preorders! No PVs though unless she somehow filmed them all already.

She doesn't even has to go overseas for examples, Kuu just released a surprise single on the first day of her tour (not digitally tho), so maybe it could all be a part of a trend avex is moving?

I made some mockups since I was reminded of the shoot in the other thread! I wonder if she would do a lengthy digipak again since these photos would deserve that kind of treatment, so that is the 'concept' I went with.

^ I liked the 2nd one

The only thing I will miss about Leslie Kee is his strength in producing STRONG and ICONIC photos.

I totally forgot about those pictures!

As did I until someone mentioned them, lol!

For the first pic in the traditional outfit, I always wonder what happened to the photoshopping around her leg......

These titles are really different for her, I feel... But in a very intriguing way. I actually like the photos so far because they're pretty flattering and as someone pointed out, they look vulnerable. I feel like she's had a concept in her mind for years that she keeps trying to use but hasn't found resolution for it.

It was intentional. She wore two outfits and they merged the two photos digitally to represent a transition to a more modern Japan.

These are so epic. Awesome ideas

I will tweet this to her everyday if it means she will have oriental theme for the album cover. This is wonderful.

[Chapter of spring]
[Chapter of the rainy season]
[Chapter of the summer]
[Chapter of nothing] (?)

^ And another chapter is coming tomorrow. So, she's dividing the year into more than 4 seasons?

Another chapter should be today, since she said will be today.


My bad, I didn't read probably. Sorry~

I saw the next chapter...

[Chapter of the rainy season] is autumn?

What about chapter of the winter, so she could sneek Winter Diary on this album? I won't be surprised if this happens.

I think it refers to June-July, there's lots of rain in Japan during this period.

Ohh, interesting~
In my region, that period would be April/May or October/November.

The blog entries will likely end with the winter chapter.

I haven't come here for days and there are news of a new album? XD That's cool. I was actually wondering when it's announced and came here and there is two threads with 10+ pages for me to read lol. Oh well, I'll do that then.

[Chapter of autumn]
seems rainy season is somewhere between spring and summer

new chapter tomorrow

Update on LINE soon, pleeease~

can someone translate what she write at those chapters? Looks like that's how she describe seasons

Yeah, it kinda seems like a general vibe for the season in question. Maybe it's illustrating how the tour will progress?

So, spring is green shoots of life, cherry blossom and lion dance

rainy season - melancholy, sound of the rain

summer - sunshine and energy

chapter of nothing - sorrow, anger, prayer
people around the world who abandoned the feelings in order not to hurt anymore

autumn - familiar concrete jungle
Even being pulled back by the speed of everyday world, we stand firmly on our own feet

I'm most looking forward to the autumn portion of the album and tour. She doesn't tackle it enough.

With the pamphlet cover, I imagine this kind of covers.

http://i.imgur.com/ejUQ2uE.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/iPSUfjJ.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/naf0CCL.jpg

^they are nice

but I don't want another close-up cover, please ayu don't do this again

^ As long as she doesn't do those lips from sixxxxxx, I'm fine with it, but I'd rather have something different from what we got.

those pictures are gorgeous, and I wouldn't mind them as the covers for the album even though it'd be really similar to sixxxxxx. hoping for a different font as well, I don't like the glittery things that's going on there.

The photo for FLOWER is stunning. I would love that to be the cover. It's just... so Ayu.

If the real cover is still in monochrome,Then we will have a pack of A3 Consecutive Monochrome Collection:
Sixxxxxx, A BEST 15th anniversary edition and MADE IN JAPAN
**TeamAyu edition will get code to download digitally Winter diary ~A7 classical ~ as its background also in black**

Lol

I really hate that glittery font. It is so tacky.
I pray the real cover won't be like that.

I love this. With these "covers" it seems like Ayu is conveying the message of modesty and restraint to show strength. It is similar to the emotion and power of Mao Asada's Free Skate to Madame Butterfly (which is an opera about a Japanese woman who kills herself). Maybe that is what Ayu wanted to show with "MADE IN JAPAN".

Whatever the case is, I am extremely excited to see where the album will go since the lyrics seem so strong. It's been a while since we had lyrics like this across the board.

I am definitely seeing where she is going with this.

Please, explain yourself, because I have no clue what are you talking about and I am dying of curiosity.
Besides, I thought Madame Butterfly is a western opera. It has Japanese theme, but that was the trend back then.

Here is the performance being talked about, I believe.

Oh allright, makes sense I guess.

omg, your banner is just amazing, wow. im speechless:luv2

I'm completely in love with those pictures, I definitely wouldn't mind a similar shoot for the album :heart

yes, and I'm a bit tired of black and white already.

[Chapter of the winter]
Long winter begins. Dead calm city. People disappear to hide themselves from the cold. Sound of heavy snowfall, silver world.

what is she really teasing for the album..hmmm
with all these seasonal diaries

i love the pamphlet cover image though..its fierce. seems like Ayu is trying to now make the closeup her trademark and I like how she is using her lyrics as the main teaser and draw for the album. It's what she is famous for.

Anyone can guess if theres any new songs? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-DDCWvf6mo