I think BALLAD sounds amazing...@_@ especially at the end.........

omg. BALLAD is just something I hoped she will do!! I love it so much. It does reminds of GREEN, but I love GREEN so much that Im sure BALLAD will be in my top 5 fav ayu ballads!

BALLAD sounds like the better of the two A-sides. You were...'s verses don't sound like anything special, but I love the chorus.

You were sounds very promising....

I haven´t listened BALLAD so much to make an opinion right now... I would like to listen the HQ version of it...

I think You were... and BALLAD sound both really amazing. :heart I think this single is going to be great. I don't know if I like You were... or BALLAD more, because they both are really pretty. I can't wait for the HQ songs!

i love you were... (even from the previews)...
but BALLAD is just so SURPRISING me!!!
i didn't think that it would be that kind of Asian-ic songs...
it's just so-so~

BALLAD is great...you were is meh.

I..am not a fan of her vocals in BALLAD though...it's very raw, and sounds like she's struggling and/or pushing all the verses out, when for a song like this, her vocals should be lighter and not so forced or something.

BALLAD is like jewel + theme of a-nation, and I really like that...but I'm not really liking her new melodies.

BALLAD is unoriginal and you were is so complex that it's convoluted...I know it's hard to come up with simple, powerful, and emotional melodies...when so much has been done before...but it's not impossible and artists are doing it every day...so...I dont know.

I guess I'm just picky.

It's a good single though. It's definitely more solid than her past few singles...so that's a plus.

That's the end of my thoughts on these songs.

Meh... both songs sound pretty generic for me so far. Still, I hope that they will grow on me with the release, PV's and some performances

And about the alan-Ayu comparison, let's be fair, its much harder to come up with something new for Ayumi, who has been around for over a decade and has released like 150 different songs than a new artist whose material will be evidently more interesting

initially, i dont really like You were... because i felt that it was too noisy and dramatic for a ballad. But after listening to BALLAD, You were... was just so much better cos BALLAD was kinda boring to me with weird tunes.

IMO You were video is among her best... Gorgeous...
And i'm waiting for people to say that this is her worst video ever and that she should retire ^^

^sure people are gonna complain, this is AHS :laugh
for me, i LOVE it! ayu looked so gorgeous, and looked so young but mature at the same time!!
but.. i don't undertand the PV :laugh maybe someone know the meaning behind it?
ahh.. ilove the song more thanks to this PV!!

On you were PV:

A rather simple but visually pleasing PV. It reminded me a bit of this Leslie Kee photoshooting: http://siesuchen-wirfinden.de/ayu-ga....php?album=626
Some of the costumes of the masked dancers/robots and the glove puppet looked weird to me. Ayu's look in the PV was also quite simple, save for the gown, but I think they could have done something else with the hair. Overall, there are some nice shots that are enhanced with a lot of particle effects, which I liked a lot.

I will target and quote all these stupid people out if they complain. HAHAHAHAHA

I am curious who is the producer of this PV, it looks a bit different from her pervious PV.

wow! It was a gorgeous PV!! Very different!! And Ayu looked fabulous!!! The editing with the lights breaking apart and forming something else reminded me of Namie Amuro's White Light PV. I really like that effect!!!
I thought it was neat with all the strange costumed dancers! Kind of like she was in this weird fantasy world!! A great concept!! Definitely made me like the song more!

you were... PV is visually stunning in how it was shot. The lighting and angles are crisp and beautiful.

Not sure how it all ties in to each other (a teddy bear hand and a high fashion android) but oh well.

You were is the best PV of 2008 and 2009, among her best overall.

I LOVE IT!!!

wow... i'm speechless... I don't know what to say about you were... PV... i'm in shock... it made me cry and I don't know why... it's so strange, and I think I like it, long time since the last "I don't know what's this PV about"...

I have to see it more times... and now I love this song even more *-*

and well.. when she said she was covered by brillian things, she meant purpurin and this dress xD I hope that with HQ or when I get my copy the purpurin will be brighter ^^

lol for You were... my fear came true i was like *please please let this PV be one i can understand* but nope. it's really pretty though, but some scenes are just odd.

the full You were... song is AMAZING though. it's going on my winter playlist right now! :heart

whats purpurin?

and i thought she said diamonds?

I'm so happy You were... is getting all this love because it's probably one of my favorite PVs from Ayu, if not my most favorite! :D:D:D:D Keep spreading the love everybody!

:love

Omg I cried too! Something about the PV brought out the tears :'). Her best PV in years! Somehow her simple beautiful PVs are her best. This PV reminds me of JEWEL :D Which is another one I consider her best.