I think the last time that the 'younger crowd' was into her was 2006 with BLUE BIRD and since then she hasn't really been "cool".

However, I do think people still respect her.

^I actually find a lot of the Japanese people I talk to know You & Me quite well. Usually between 20-23 year olds so not sure if they count as the "young crowd" haha.

Hm, I wonder if that song got a huge following thanks to the Maro thing at the time. It was (is?) her biggest song on YouTube after all.

Oh, it looks like M outpaced it pretty quickly after the first year or two. Let me get a bit of a list. (not including the ones that were available when the channel started and got a TON of views on full versions)...

01) M (2001) - 11,290,038 views
02) HEAVEN (2005) - 5,261,634 views
03) You & Me (2010) - 4,345,993 views
04) Voyage (2002) - 3,782,915 views
05) SEASONS (2000) - 3,267,812 views
06) BLUE BIRD (2006) - 3,180,199 views
07) Moments (2004) - 3,019,577 views
08) evolution (2001) - 2,896,535 views
09) MOON (2010) - 2,870,319 views
10) Boys & Girls (1999) - 2,800,104 views
11) progress (2011) - 2,487,534 views
12) JEWEL (2006) - 2,397,847 views
13) crossroad (2010) - 2,311,822 views
14) TO BE (1999) - 2,269,988 views
15) Love song (2010) - 2,204,963 views
16) Dearest (2001) - 2,131,202 views
17) Last minute (2015) - 2,130,121 views
18) Days (2009) - 2,113,235 views

Most impressive is Last minute. It being the "full" version nearly was pretty nice as well. A lot of the A ONE and sixxxxxx stuff is 1.6 mil+.

While it is important I guess to have new fans once in a while I also think that it's not a bad thing to have older fans, I mean they're not invalid or don't count. So what if the average age of people at your concerts isn't 13...

When you watch her DVDs you always see young (like, in their early 20's?) pretty girls though, they might film them on purpose but well. For AT2015 they filmed children dancing or singing along to her songs and that was the cutest thing.

Completly agree with you ! Where is the need to be relevant among young people ? Younger people are so volatile and not very loyal ... In each generation their iconic singers ... we don't expect people in their 30/40 listening to a teen singer so why we should expect the opposite ?

Funny how a lot of AHS members are in their 20s, early 30s. I discovered ayu at 17 in 2012 so its not like young people can't like her newer music.

I was 17. It was 2005 though.

I discovered Ayu in late 2012, I am just 20 years old.
:D
My younger sister who is just 16, became Ayu's fan in 2016

I'm 19 today but you can't compare young western fans vs young japanese fans, we almost all discovered Ayu on the internet by pure luck, from afar. But young japanese probably have heard of Ayu all of their life as the girl who was really popular back in the early 00's, which is not really appealing, they must think she's dated and not interesting, just like Madonna today, i can't think of anyone in their tennage years today in France who think she's the sh*t (this doesn't mean she's not a good singer, that's just the first international example i came up with)

I think I'll make some MIJ ringtones but only when the album'll be out. I'll try to post them on AHS If I don't forget.

I also discovered her at 16 in 2012, just shows that she can still draw in young people!

I am probably the latest Fan, in the beginning of 2014 in spring. I was 20. Missunderstood on YouTube was the Song which dragged me to her.

The love the public has for M is no joke o.o

Well, You & Me's MV is quite nice, and no one knew they were dating at the time... I don't think Maro is the reason it did well, considering that again did really poorly (compared to LOVE) once the dating news was out.

Well, being able to attrack a younger crowd from times to times is a signal of long therm relevance. She doesn't need a whole audience made of teenagers, but it's nice for her legacy if new generations get some interest on her.

But I believe she is doing pretty well on that department.

That would be amazing! Currently my wake up alarm is "the show must go on" but I want to change it to Survivor or Summer Love. :D

^which parts of the songs? I can easily make them on my phone. I think mine is FLOWER now haha

I can't have songs I like as my alarm ringtone because getting up in the mornings is so difficult :laugh For a while I had the beginning of 360 by Ai Otsuka as my alarm ringtone (in 2009) but it's traumatized me to the point where if I have iTunes on shuffle and the song comes on I start twitching as soon as it starts playing lmao

That's really impressive! I'm also glad that many of her recent stuff has more than 1,000,000 views. I hate that You & Me is in third place not only because the song is awful, but I can't believe Maro pushed here violently out of the car in the PV. I know it's not real violence, but why would you portray that? :dead2

I think I was 16 or 17 when I discovered Ayu. I was actually obsessed with Koda and BoA, then my friend sent me Memorial address, part of Me, and Trauma :yes It wasn't love at first sight though, but I've been listening to Ayu ever since~

That's the most adorable thing ever! :heart :luv2

Because it's a reality. These "little" slights/snubs* are the reality of a lot of people. I'm glad she portrays that type of violence in the trilogy.

*I don't know if it is the correct word.

Listening to the album for the 34857th time and thinking how COOL and exciting it's gonna be for tasky to open the concert.

I more and more get the feeling this is the actual album Cover or at least a smiliar shot....
Auographed poster you can win when pre-ordering the album:
http://i.imgur.com/MSJIrIe.jpg
Credits: mikapon_ayu @ instagram

The shoot is probably for the album booklet. Perhaps with multiple colors or something and this is the 'gray' Ayu.

We have 5 different stickers from the TA edition which is kind of puzzling.

They may be using this photo just because they don't want people who won the autographed poster to wait too long

But in this case the question is: what was this shoot for? Lol

Seeing as how it is being used all over the net as a new promo image akin to when we got the Hello new me cover, there's a good chance it was album related. Though before that, we had a bit of a drought as far as new images went aside from Feel the love.

Inspire video:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BF8d_Y4lckj/

at AT10 promotional poster was with photobook cover. I with this album would have any kind of photobook~~~

it looks like photoshoot for Numero

thanks

Numero has different hair styling. Hair styling whould fit more bea´s UP shooting.

maybe. Photo from this shoot. Ayu posted this right before news about Numero, so I didn't pay attention that outfit is different
http://i.imgur.com/fT2LVpfm.jpg

The outfit whould actualy fit Numero shot imho. (as she also seems to wear different outfits)
But her hair in bea´s UP shot is more messy, in Numero it is more slick.
I just hope hope hope it´s not a Cover off shot. I am just so tierd of that "natural" Covers. I want somethink like Next Level or RnRC again ._.

Yeah I'd very much prefer the album cover to be something new, considering that she hasn't revealed it yet. Like, why wait and build up the tension if it's a photoshoot we've seen already anyway?

I want that poster though. But I think someone mentioned that they don't give it right away, but send it instead? So I guess even if I win the lottery, I won't be able to get it because I'm from overseas =/

the poster has today´s autograph and the pic was posted today. The send out for the poster was only for Nagoya concerts. I whould chose the stage Tour anyways xD

Chapter of Summer
thanks god she dropped that ugly hat
http://i.imgur.com/gcYteS1l.jpg http://i.imgur.com/8e38RSCl.jpg http://i.imgur.com/ExEXHOZl.jpg http://i.imgur.com/0j0uL79l.jpg http://i.imgur.com/COtHFnYl.jpg

encore
http://i.imgur.com/EHEVYPWl.jpg http://i.imgur.com/miwFPvYl.jpg http://i.imgur.com/2A1NWtYl.jpg http://i.imgur.com/ycOt3SCl.jpg

I love this encore pic so much:
http://i.imgur.com/N5hEHGh.jpg

Inspire video looks awesome. Lighting seems really nice.

Oh that's nice. I guess they didn't have enough time to finish printing and signing the posters before the Nagoya concerts.

I personally find the stage tour a little useless since you don't get to see Ayu and you just walk on the stage. I mean, that's pretty cool, but I prefer the poster :D

I prefer memories over paper^^

Group shot from today:
http://imgur.com/a/DgTUf

Which parts do I want or what am I using now? I'd love the chorus of Flower and Mad World if you can upload them! :luv2

btw anyone knows what this is?
https://www.instagram.com/p/BF8DUy4JCJk/

Autographed poster coupon

Thx^^ I was assuming it but not sure^^

Does anybody else look at the group shot photos from the concert dates and feel bad for the fans that Ayu is standing in front of and blocking? Lol

You & Me video snippet:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BF-OLyRHHDR/
OMG, all that shouting... no wonder they don't want people to shoot videos, hehe.

Just so you know that you're watching an extremely lousy quality video where her talking even sounds like 'shouting'.

Yikes..she sounds almost completely deaf now.

She sounds completely fine to me, considering the video quality

I like how you use video quality as an excuse for obvious shouting.

She sounded completely fine in jewelian's recording so i wouldnt see why it would be different all of a sudden. And even in that recording i think she sounded the worst during the summer medley for some reason she just can't sing those songs... I am worried tho does she take care of her other ear?? Cause if that ear is starting to lose hearing too, if I was her i'd retire and enjoy the rest of my life with the little hearing i have left. Just supposing if that was the case don't freak out

I think she did fine..just like her usual You & Me performance..

Setlist was the same

It's bad, but not too bad. I came to terms with it. Ayu occasionally shouts when she is either jumping around or struggles to hit notes. Doesn't really make me enjoy her concerts less.

Frankly tho, I think most people don't really care that much regardless of video quality. It's You & Me, it's not like this is some ballad or something.

YES!!!
it was the first thought that crossed my mind when I saw the pics. :headache

also the guys crouching and holding down the "barrier" make me lol

I like how you always find fault in her lives and continues to went to watch her concert. It's a weird fetish.

05/14 - た
05/15 - ん
05/21 - み
05/22 - あ
05/28 - 愛


http://i.imgur.com/By2tt6B.jpg

Fairly certain Ayu wrote ai.

Hiroshima 2 June
http://i.imgur.com/ADh5UXll.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/bi5p7M5l.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/83ahQyBl.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/VgMbQ8ml.jpg

Today without hat again ^^
http://i.imgur.com/C4XW8Bol.jpg
https://twitter.com/domi_crea

Lol is she reading here?? My prayers were answered

setlist was the same

^that outfit though...I've liked almost everything I've seen of this tour but I just can't seem to handle that outfit of hers... XD

^I don't like this outfit too. but it became much better

today people posted few interesting photos xD
http://i.imgur.com/uSHGT25l.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/QR3vxmkl.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/WwJD57Zl.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/VbSJJPkl.jpg

she messed up words again?
http://i.imgur.com/WL79h30l.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/S1kHNpYl.jpg

lmao

Ayu on the john tbh...

:laugh

scrms

Whoever took this pictures is trolling profession. lol.

OMG...I thought she is just singing there while singing flower...because I believe it's hard to move with that property...but she sing it fiercely

What don't you like about it?

I really like it. Those eccentric and heavy patterns are really in style in my country right now. Everyone wears them around here. Maybe if it weren't for the fact that they are ''in'' right now I would hate them too. Maybe I'm just use to them by now.

^they are in here as well but more in darker orange, red and brown tones and not this horrible pink mixed with silver. xD

4 June
http://i.imgur.com/xQRLEpkm.jpg http://i.imgur.com/Vr5hnTJm.jpg http://i.imgur.com/dlP7nKmm.jpg

^I was looking at all the cute little kids in the pic. So adorable!

My ticket to AT2016 Made In Japan arrived! :D Going to the show on July 2 in Sundome Fukui. If you wanna buy the tourbook and don't have options through Tenso or other avenues, I can buy it for you, check out my sig.

wow she looked fierce while singing FLOWER even on the sedan. Not sure why but I have a feeling she is gonna use the sedan in the PV...

the way she's screaming for her life in those pics :laugh

109news report
http://109news.jp/event/20160608/61912/?detail

No matter how ayu tired, after the show re-watching VTR of the stage until the morning.

Dressing room
http://i.imgur.com/jBLZHnRm.jpg

ayu in the final preparation. She always use rouge on her own.
http://i.imgur.com/FytkfAKm.jpg

Sports drinks
http://i.imgur.com/6i3fwLCm.jpg

New Fendi color bag
http://i.imgur.com/h0j3y39m.jpg

I love that she is using the Premium Showcase mirror. :roflmao

Seems like there will be some changes to the show tomorrow? From Ayu's twitter:

Rough translation:

"I arrived in time for the last flight. Flying to Kobe now. #From tomorrow the show will evolve #results of the urgent choreo meeting #enjoy #didn't have time for training today, so i'll do it when I arrive in Kobe #didn't fully give up #as a squat prize i didn't notice i hit KO-chan"

Oooh maybe some setlist changes or additions i'm excited

Idk, she could've just changed choreography for a song that's already on the setlist haha

Yesss wishful thinking but green, rainy day, moon, until that Day...(she JUST had it in Cirque de Minuit!), and maybe BRILLANTE can go! I want I am..., ourselves, Moments, monochrome, HANABI ~episode II~, independent, Naturally, Don't look back, and Far away in the main set list!

Didn't she mention that something happened at the tweet with her sweating photo? maybe I misunderstood it

Yes, these tweets are related. I wouldn't say something happened, but I might be wrong. My translation of that tweet:

Basically she's complaining again that the training is tough, and then she said that she was having an urgent meeting with the choreo team. So yeah, nothing happened really, the way I interpret it is that Ayu decided to change something, so she had an emergency meeting to discuss and practise this change with the team.

But again, maybe my translaion isn't correct because I'm very far from being fluent in Japanese and translate everything using dictionaries and Google lol.

and where is Will??? that song is destined for Made in Japan Tour :headache :P

omg Ourselves! so long now, we need a super cool perf for that germ.

im dead bored with until that day..., we got it like so often alreay and the song itself quite repetitive

seems I thought so because she said "Urgent meeting"

I hope she is safe...her stunt that she did are becoming more and more dangerous...

and we know that she didn't train as acrobatic performer from young age...
in these past years she trained really hard to get into this point..
so it's always bother me when she doing something that dangerous..even though..it's really cool to watch.

I have no problem if other people like it, I don't want to stomp on anyone's tastes. I just don't like anything about that outfit. The colors look really cheap, the shoes are really tacky, and her silhouette has pretty much vanished with those pants. :shakehead It's like...so uncomfortable to look at.

I just think for her, this outfit is a huuuuge step down from the amount of taste she has possessed lately with her simpler outfits. I know those were magazine shoots and covers and whatnot versus her attire during her tour, but... Tbh, I haven't been too big of a fan of all of her concert outfits for a little while. There have been some outfits here and there that I liked but oh well.

many photos from Kobe today
http://i.imgur.com/luRydaGm.jpg http://i.imgur.com/MyC156dm.jpg http://i.imgur.com/ox7l9lzm.jpg http://i.imgur.com/RCntB7Dm.jpg http://i.imgur.com/wD7XL38m.jpg http://i.imgur.com/afs6zjTm.jpg http://i.imgur.com/AEu1DSjm.jpg

I love that she's been taking pictures with the fans recently! :laugh

05/14 - た
05/15 - ん
05/21 - み
05/22 - あ
05/28 - 愛
06/03 - と

Keyword Quiz update!

What would the meaning be? :P

Need to unscramble. At the end, you can get a prize as a TA member if you solve it.

Where is this posted? Ayu's instagram?

^ It's posted on TeamAyu, it's a contest for the fan club.

It's on a special site for TA Members.

You can see the page but when you click anything it will ask you to log in. I linked to it in the first post.

FLOWER video:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BGgfRC_Q4xH/ (update: already deleted)
Before the show video:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BGgdCFjNwrT/

Super excited to see what changes she'll be making today!

ugly hat is back
http://i.imgur.com/zZoPN8jl.jpg http://i.imgur.com/oXF50I4l.jpg
https://twitter.com/yasu19680330

Glitter video:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BGgrt_VywYp/
update: already deleted.
First Kobe live has just ended.
Start time 17:15
End time 19:55

I prefer when she has it!