I do agree that she is being a lot more experimental this year and I'm glad. I think it's important for musicians to do that so they can grow as artists. Just because I don't like something she puts out doesn't necessarily mean I'm going to hate everything after that. It's just one single...

Yeah, exactly :yes

yes..I'm not quite satisfied
ayu's singles is like me going on a roller coaster...theres up and theres lots of downs...

Ever since the "Daybreak" single released most of her singles qualities arn't that great..the only 2 truly single I found myself enjoy within this 3 years is actually "STEP you/is this LOVE? and HEAVEN"..mature'd in music perhaps or ayu is trying to find what is suitable for her(example of a sucess "Amuro Namie" her R&B style got her more new fans)
and you can just tell by looking back at the charts in the pre-I am.. era.

Most if not all her singles sells very well and no don't blame it on dling
is just ppl lost interests in her because of her music don't stand out compares to back then
and yes she still have her popularity but with more new artists bumbing out
with unique style..ayu is digging her own grave fast

Her recent releases might not be as great as her releases from "I am..." era but I'm just so glad it's way better than everything she released for "MY STORY".

I like B&D. And Pride.

I still think Ayu's brilliant.

If anything, I think she's getting even better.

single wise, yes.:yes Album wise, I'm not sure.. Hopefully yes too.

This new, "experimental" sound doesn't always necessarily mean that it's good. This single is definitely shows that.

I think everyone is dissapointed in the upbeat songs that she has recently come up with. :O It's like..only her ballads are working for them. I wonder why...

I guess it all depends on people's preferences. =/

You both summed it up quite well. :yes

we can't make ourselves like a song... I bet there were people who were unhappy during the "I am..." period.

I'll join you! I don't see why people hate her new releases. She's always trying something new, so give her a chance, because I know almost all of you wouldn't be able to have success on a new song or like a new topic for writing. You will never be the best on your first try, you'll always have faults. It's just Ayu doesn't have as much faults as some of us do.

A positive will look at the product, and focus on the good.

A negative will look at the product, and focus on the bad.

I think she's getting better with new genres! And I think B&D is starting to grow on me! It's not that uneven as I made it out to be and it does really sound rather catchy! And it seems even better that Ayu seems to be having fun singing!

Still, I agree that a lot of fans are not satisfied? In fact, I don't think they ever will be? If Ayu does do something like the I am ... era, people would complain "Oh, she's doing this again? It's so boring" and when she does something new, "Yucks, new genre, I don't like it".

I'm not saying that everyone should LOVE everything Ayu releases, and it's ok that people are entitled to their own opinions. However, all in all, yar, I think as fans we have to examine our own mentalities and perceptions? It does reflect on our view of life at times though ...

I wouldn't consider it "experimental" at all. Just because Ayu's never done it before doesn't mean the music is in any way "new" or "groundbreaking" or "experimental". When it's done poorly on top of that, then I have a problem with it. If she were truely trying a new sound that didn't seem so recycled then I'd be willing to cut some slack on that.

(p.s. even though I quoted you it's not directed at you, chuck ;))


And can we all stop trying to predict people's future reactions? That's when we all hit a brick wall in a dicussion and people end up offended and get defensive.

Both of you said it in a philosophical way! I think she's getting better too! In AYu's career, I prefer to look at the positive side since the good outnumber the bad. She has many milestones, Freedom/Carnival will be the next! ^^

Just what are people looking for? I think that we hit a semi-good note with Will, and people seemed to like it, but other than that, the majority were '...ew...' at her other stuff this year. At least, most of the main singles, and her coupling songs were loved, i.e alterna, is this LOVE?. I don't get it though.. What if she make some masterpiece song like from her I am... days, but it gets passed off as crap? Is it that 'easy' to distinguish what from her is bad and what isn't?

I'm a very open listener to her music I guess.. I don't listen to it comparing it to her other songs.. :x
Zeo

That's what I'm afraid of, although it's kind of inevitable. Look what happend to Madonna. She was cutting edge and cool and people listened to the message she was sending. And then she started making mediocre music and experimenting with stuff and she just got boring to people. She's still around today, sure, but she hardly has the power she once did. It's like the world just keeps her around because "Oh, isn't that Madonna?" It's like she's the mailbox or something -- you don't pay particular attention to it, but it has to be there "just because". Britney Spears is starting to go through the same thing.

While it's good to experiment and vary your art, pulling things way out of nowhere is rarely a good idea. It just shows lack of skill and says that you've basically dried up and don't know where to go next. B&D is bad because it is (1) pulled out of nowhere and (2) generic.

Some people are looking at it inside the Ayubox. For Ayu, yes, B&D is something new and exciting. But as far as the whole musical universe is concerned, B&D is nothing cool. It's gospel meets pop, chanting out "ooh, yeah!" "be free!" "let me hear ya!" Now, there's nothing wrong with that. But since when has Hamasaki Ayumi, a woman who I first started respecting because of her ability to take emotion and make it the most beautiful poetry, said things like "Woo yeah, be free, let me hear ya"? Not to mention "1 2 STEP you" "so wow wow wow wo, oh no no no no"...

How do these compare? The woman who once sang:

I'm looking up at the blurred sky
So my tears don't well up and fall.

Why can't people live
The way they feel?

I don't need a weak heart that can't cry,
Nor the strength not to cry.

I'm searching for a falling star
To wish upon,

But daybreak is so soon
And I still haven't found one.

There is never a day
That I remember you,

Because there was never a time
That I forgot about you.

...is now singing....

BOLD & DELICIOUS
Don't stay silent and watch, stand up, yeah
BOLD & DELICIOUS
Wow
Yeah, be free!
Be free!
Raise your voice higher!
Raise it!
Let me hear it!
Let me hear it!
"I'm right here!"

Sure, it's fun and it's carefree and it's positive. But surely you can see how some fans would find this change disappointing. It just doesn't say anything - it's generic words tied to a melody. And what made Ayu so special in the first place was her words.

Plus, she doesn't often compose her music. And if the composition isn't hers, and the lyrics she did write are not that meaningful... that kind of makes her a generic artist like the thousands of others out there that get shoved on the back burner.

I repeat this a million times but if anything she is only getting better in my opinion.

I see it as, if I enjoy it it's a positive thing for me and yay! and for those who hate it then their missing out. As long as I'm happy and I'm gaining something, why complain?

Ayu fans seriously should be studied hahaha but yeah a new song I enjoy can only benefit me, why should I care if someone else hates it?

Anyways I wish "Bold & Delicious" would just be released already!!!

This year has been quite disappointing. Sure she's trying new things, but that doesn't mean they're all good. 'STEP you', 'alterna', and possibly 'Is this LOVE?' are the only good things Ayumi has made this year.

But we all know 90% of the people who say they're disappointed with Ayu will still buy her new album. We always do. :P

I've seem people saying the same thing to some of her latest songs lyrics. Why do people actually forgets that the "ayu of amazing lyrics" also has songs like AUDIENCE? A song from the time Duty was released, so yep, the moment she was on top, from a time most people considered her stuff to be decent. The lyrics of that song are as empty as B&D. "YES! Datte, clap your hand, spread your arms, shout blah blah blah". But people tend to forget she sometimes writes songs like that and blame it all that she has changed lately so much, because she never ever wrote stupid lyrics until recently. I guess it's because whatever is new has actually got to be extremely criticized. :shrug I'm not sure why fans get dissapointed as if it's the first time she is doing that becaused she always release at least 1 song that's all about being random, jumping, etc.

I'm a somewhat new fan, so I like the recent releases more than the first ones, the first ones were either too poppy or too dance (though I like the dance ones), her recent music has more of an edgy sound, it's more power pop instead of pure pop, though B&D creeps me out, I'll just wait 'til I can hear a HQ version of it.