Either it's a four songs single or four songs mini album or.... base on the seasons theme.... this four songs each represent different season?

Picture looks like it's from tour making of.

it doesn't look like a pv screencap, it looks like a tour rehearsal

I thought it was from a live at first, but it does look more like it's from a PV. Though I'm not sure at all now lol

I thought of a PV cause usually her rehearsal pics have more lights and some blue-beige filters, but yeah it could also be a making of thing... I guess we need to wait and see :P

Usually for rehearsal it looks like that when she is sitting in the audience seats.

At least we know she'll probably be singing these lines (hence Songs) for the tour

Maybe after those 4 tracks, we have an interlude, hence the lack of a new track?

Obvious to say it's during rehearsal

maybe we have no 14 tracks album. This album may have less tracks than we thought.

Maybe we should create a thread here to inspire ayu again. (not in this thread).

"TODAY" BECAUSE THAT ALBUM BOUT TO DROP TODAYYYYYYY

I don't know why but this made me laugh. :D

Lmao

Rough translation:

"Even in this world, even in this era, I won't give up if you're there"

Considering the length of her hair it's definitely an old picture ... I'm a bit confused now we will see tomorrow if she gives us new song lyric ?

Now it will be a shame if MADE IN JAPAN turns out being a mini-album.

Iirc sixxxxxx was labeled a mini-album only during announcement and then it was promoted as just an album?

But then Ayu also mentioned a while back on instagram that she made 14 songs and threw away 5 of them, so I guess we're getting at least 9 songs? Unless she threw away some more.

I will be so disappointed if it turns out to be a mini, after all the discussion and daily lyrics snippet promotion thing >_< Maybe the other songs haven't had lyrics yet?

Btw is Winter diary going to be included in the new album?

Winter diary seems likely.

I don't think this will be a mini. She's been working for about 5 months now!

Has she ever worked this much for an album?
If I remember correctly, she usually works 1-2 months for an album. For example Duty was finished really really fast during the second half of summer 2000. Or Love Songs, which was produced after Arena Tour 2010 Final Leg ended.
But we also have to take into consideration that she doesn't releases as many singles prior the album as before, so she has to work for a full record.

That has been a while ago. She might have written new ones. Keep the hope up! I am 95% sure that this won't be another mini album. I would be shocked if it turns out to be. Oh noes... now I feel nervous haha.

I also don't think it's going to ba a mini, but you never know with Ayu, so I'm trying to prepare myself for any outcome haha

When she announces she's working on a new album it doesn't mean she started the day she said it publicly.

She kinda spent a whole year on MY STORY but other than that, never this long IIRC.

Actually, I recall her basically starting work on certain albums like Rock'n'Roll Circus and finishing them within like 2-3 months or even less. I remember some really breakneck writing sessions after the lead songs were done. GUILTY was also similar, iirc, recorded in Hawaii and Los Angeles during some downtime after touring or in NEXT LEVEL's case after CDL, and so on.

She recorded Party Queen at November 2011

Wait, she recorded the whole album in November 2011 Q_Q? Or she started recording it that time?

^why not? asong takes max 2 days for recording...you can do like 2-3 a day

at the TA diary from the early december she wrote that just back to Japan with 12 songs and 3 PVs

...why would it be a mini? it's definitely a full album.

Maybe track #5 is interlude like Marionette -prelude- in Guilty. Since she mentioned about four seasons, so maybe after four songs, there will be interlude. Who knows.

And who knows, maybe she recorded this album on the moon. hmmmm.

Yeah, I don't think it's a mini either.

She doesn't have to post all songs in the album before the official announcement or before the tour...

i think all the speculations for an interlude doesnt make any sense t me :O why would she expect us to do such a detective thought for an interlude. maybe she just doesnt want us to know all the information. ayu is unpredictable ... ( summer diary - winter diary ... )

I would actually like interludes in which she slowly speaks. About emotions, a story fitting the chapter. Like the outro of Sayonara, but then in Japanese.

Like Lana del Rey's "Burnt Norton" interlude from Honeymoon album or the outro of "National Anthem" and the intro of "Ride". Seriously, I think it would totally do justice to Ayu's writing talent.

^don't know Lana del Rey's song, but in the 90's the character singles for Sailor Moon all head besides the main song and the instrumental also a "poem" attached to them which was the song with a music box arrangement and the Senshi speaking.
I especially liked this one of Sailor Mars and ironically it's also about seasons (more or less): https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=E2ajT4otJVA
I think something like this with Ayu would be great.

I wouldn't be surprised if new album's release date wouldn't be that close as we think. It's possible that upcomming release will be a mini-album... than another mini-album... and than finally full album made out of it (like "LOVE again").

"Winter diary" was already a part of classical album and it seems to don't fit to concept of new album, so I doubt they'll included it there (but it will surely be part of another "A BEST").

It definitely fits the theme of winter season though ! I hope she won't included it ... not that I don't like it but it has to stay where it is ! I only want new materials ;)

That's such a great idea! She's a great writer so snippets of her voice reading short texts would be really cool.

Looking forward to the lyrics snippet now... Hope it's not another line from the songs she has revealed so far.

Ideally... soon!

I doubt the album won't be out for awhile. The tour starts soon, and she will certainly be performing tracks from MIJ then. It doesn't make any sense to tour an entire record BEFORE it's released.

She did it for a few days before Rock'n'Roll Circus which was... strange, lol.

I do think she'll sing several new songs, and tbh for her fanbase, most of the people at the tours also support her in terms of buying music, so teasing them is actually a good strategy. Because, and I've said this before, she's really not making any new fans. Or not enough to make big changes in her music sales.

She could attract old fans, though.

Oh FLOWER. I wonder if she forgot she posted TODAY before and posted it again yesterday

躊躇わないで、どうせならトドメ刺して終わらせて。
笑わないで冷たい目で。嘘が下手ね。

a facebook fan translated it, i guess, eith this:
Laugh is good,
But,have limit
Laugh is the life energy
But...you must know...
Too much (. )will suffering you,

but google translator say something else, somehow again darker lyrics
Do not hesitate , to end stabbing
With cold eyes, don't smile.
i can not lie

Now she just needs the title WIND and we will have the complete
FLOWER, MOON, (BLUE) BIRD, WIND japanese culture combo :D

Now she also has FLOWER and Hana lol

Edit: holy, those lyrics sound so dark!

oo, FLOWER! Such dark lyrics...



Love her attitude here.

The lyrics are so dark and deep somehow but the title is just generic. Maybe the next song is KAZE? Just kidding lol

躊躇わないで、どうせならトドメ刺して終わらせて。
笑わないで冷たい目で。嘘が下手ね。
-FLOWER-
#MADEINJAPANまであと8日

tamerawanaide, douse nara todome sashite owarasete.
warawanaide tsumetai me de. uso ga heta ne.

Now, rough English translation for me.

Without hesitation; you might put an end to ending.
Don't laugh with cold eyes. You are not good at lying.

- - - - - - -

Dark lyrics, yeah!! Maybe something rockish...?

Wow!! Photo she posted is related with that dark lyrics
I love it

躊躇わないで、どうせならトドメ刺して終わらせて。
笑わないで冷たい目で。嘘が下手ね。
-FLOWER-

Don't hesitate,
you might as well finish me with off with a stabbing blow.
With no smile and cold eyes.
You're not a good liar.


My take~

*there's no proper noun in the last sentence. Could be you, could be I. But I'm guessing it's you.



Ps I try not to take any artistic liberties with lyrics because I don't consider myself a lyricist (or poet) in English, let alone Japanese. So my translations might be a little too straight forward.

I would translate it like that:

Don't hesitate, go ahead if you want to finish me off (not sure about that one).
Don't laugh/smile with your cold eyes. You are not good at lying you know.

Quite dark.

It's very much a song with attitude... sounds like autumn to me.

"FLOWER"? what's "FLOWER" in this lyrics???

Now I look to your translation, seems way better than mine.
And about the last sentence, I'd say it's "you".

I just want a song with wind in the title! Finish the 花鳥風月 theme! Lol

^oh my god i was hoping that your translation is dark as mine! and it is, im so looking forward to this album. SO MUCH

I'm gonna guess a flower is being used in the title for a song like this to represent how fragile the subject is.

Hana / FLOWER
BLUE BIRD
?
MOON

Come on, Ayu!

I wonder if she's trying to go for the kachoufuugetsu for the concert/album intentionally... if so, YES.

She HAS TO make a song with wind in the title (for this album?). Maybe something like Wild Wind... That would be an amazing title!

I feel like she could go with KAZE or F.U.U if she's nasty.

The fact that BLUE BIRD, MOON and now FLOWER are all in caps makes it even more interesting. Whether it's intentional or not, it's happening in such a way that it looks like it is lol. If she released a wind song and it -wasn't- all caps it would then irk me forever lol.

Oh YES that's what I had in mind! Your translations are so good. I was to slow as always :D

I'm also not so sure how that lyrics are connected to flowers lol. Maybe because she is fragile and can be broken easily? But the lyrics seem too strong for that. Maybe she just needed a title to fit her seasons theme :D

I wonder if she'd sneak "winding road" in there for the concert since it has "wind" in it, lol.

I'm really hoping for a song called WIND now

^^^ it's great having lyric translations by various people! It shows nuances in language :) plus it's good practice for everyone involved ;)


What she should do is just rename theme of a-nation 03 to WIND haha.

That song really deserved a different title, but it really fit that sort of festival mood. So gorgeous though for a B-side.

Allright allright! Another title! That's good, eh?
Wasn't there a picture included this time?

EDIT: OOPS! SORRY! It's in the first post. It is gorgeous!

The picture will always be in a post with a spoiler and in the first post when we get an update. It's too big otherwise~

Also if someone can add FLOWER to the tags, that would be great, oho~

That picture is so great!
Maybe FLOWER because she's so strong and she will always "grow back" no matter what lmao

I think more than the album/concept itself, I'm having so much fun watching everyone on here get all anxious with anticipation while we wait for whatever is next. It's seriously making me eager as a pup. But lordy I'm loving the snippet of these lyrics. Mad World is my favorite so far. I need this album bad.

gonna be a dream come true hahaha

Though, if she went with GALE or BREEZE or TORNADO lmao..i'd be fine too
(maybe TYPHOON would be a lil sensitive in the japanese geographical context..)

^
I wouldn't mind BREEZE that much, it sounds quite nice actually :'D

You're easy breezy and I'm japanesey.

I'm sorry but it's all I can think of when I hear breeze as a song title xD

^ Hopefully xD

GREAT lyrics !!! I can see a metaphor between the lyrics and a flower ! I'm really glad of her lyrics so far ... when she is inspired by something we definitely can feel it =)
Great lyrics NEED great musics (fingers crossed)

Whenever someone says breeze out of context I think fart.

Where the hell are the goodies? XD

I love how both TODAY and FLOWER seem like they'll not be the plain kind of songs we usually get with these titles, go-go-go ayu!

And the new pic is GORGEOUS. If these pics are the actual album shooting, then I hope they take those like this and Mad World's pic for the covers

exactly my words!

I'm excited for this release. All titles except You are the only one are interesting so far.

or maybe Gone with the Wind.

Just saw the MADE IN JAPAN ARENA TOUR goods. What are the chances that the album cover will be the first image of the goods?

Hmm not too high, considered in the past she only used album image for tour goods few times.

Possibly she will do it because she likes to try something new.

none. I seriuously done with everyone paniking about the album artwork. Just wait & see ~risk~. Moreover, the once with the tshirt (like todays picture) are pretty amazing.

I LOVE your take on it; i would just change the last middle bit to "Don't smile at me with those cold eyes", or with a cold stare--笑わないで is a negative imperative. :yes

^ ohh you're right haha for some reason I was thinking it'd make more logical sense to have phrased it as 冷たい目で笑わないで and was thinking it was describing the appearance rather than a demand haha.

で being used as "and"--lol does this even make sense. xD

But thank you :)

uh i can totally see the ayu-ishness in this. it would fit perfectly (another endless sorrow)

I was thinking something similar; interpreting that sentence as merely describing the way that the action in the previous sentence should be carried out.

"Without smiling, and with cold eyes (you might as well finish me off...)"

I think it makes more sense to say "don't smile at me with those cold eyes" right before the accusation of lying, too.

Holy crap these lyrics are eating away at my soul. I haven't been THIS excited for an album in so long, I really really hope it sounds good when it's released X_X!!!

Those lyrics o_o they kind reminded me of (m)u's. LordT, I hope the music is good as the lyrics, she's been nailing them.

Loved the pic, it gave me some Asfxx vibes.

I wouldn't expect such strong lyrics for a song called "FLOWER." i'm really enjoying the lyrics of this album so far! Thank you so much everybody for working so hard in the translations! :)

I thought FLOWER lyrics will be sweet and bubbly..but it's very dark

Have we ever spend somuch time on trhe lyrics though? I thought most like/dislike of songs was always prnounced througfh the sound of the songs rather than the lyrics in here.

^ Since there are no previews nobody can judge the songs by how they sound, i think it's better this way. I guess when you hear a preview and you don't like what you hear straight away, you don't really care about the lyrics. However, having lyrics snippet here and there but absolutely no idea of how the song is going to sound is great because you like the song already just because the lyrics are good haha. But it can lead to disappointment if in the end the songs aren't as great as the expectations we had from the lyrics.
I have no special expectation so i don't really care, but i'm sure there are people who, once the album is out will say "that song is so basic! what a waste, i thought it was going to be epic" :laugh

I wouldn't mind if the cover of the pamphlet is the actual cover, because she looks so fierce, her expression reminds of one of the cover of talkin' 2 myself

Survivor title sounds great but for lyrics I feel it will something like Step by step.

I totally dig these lyric snippets. They sound like she's been really inspired to write these. I can't wait to hear the songs. :)

I just want her to keep the level of sixxxxxx. This album sounds polished.

FLOWER gives me criminal vibes.

Lol you want another album full of dud tracks?

Sometimes I feel like people should step away for a bit. sixxxxxx was great. It wasn't fantastic though. I think it was mostly because it was basically a continuation of A ONE for the most part.

I find sometimes people have strange expectations of Ayu, mostly older fans.

Me too!!! I haven't felt this way since maybe RnRC!