I didn't forget ASFXX. It is what it is, and obviously near the bottom of the totem pole, but LOVE again is worse. Sorry, not sorry lol

So after a few listens to the album, i finally have the full impression sunken in.

First of all um... The album has a weird pattern of ballad/softness>up tempo/strength, which i would have never thought that could work. But here it does. WARNING kicks in with a surprise after a Bell. And while i am more of a person for the variety of different sounds, and as less cohesiveness as possible, this one doesn't bother me at all, it flows very nicely, which i think makes a perfect "story telling" feeling. I also noticed how quite a few songs start with a very similar tonal/chord like the one that ended before them.

For me personally i found WARNING to be least interesting, it's weird because i actually liked the preview. And i feel more and more like skipping it. However, this is the only album of hers that i can say i played throughout. I don't think there is a song I actually have a dislike for . I have my least favourites but i can still listen to them and enjoy regardless of that.
Also i absolutely love her vocals in every song. They are bright, clear and controlled, emotional where needed and with the vibrato that's absolutely perfect to my ears.

This album for me seems to have every bit of Ayu throughout her career. It somehow feels like there are bits and pieces from her other albums incorporated into the songs. Maybe that's why it feels so whole to me. I kind of see this album as the definition of who she was, is and will be.

I am not going to break down all the songs, because as i said for the first time it feels like it's ONE piece.

This album is the rainbow after the rain that Colours was.

I knew that it's worth having faith in her. Because once again this feels like home.

when one wonders why ayu doesn't push her musical boundaries more than she could, one has to look no farther than her fan base to see the reasons. -.-

After 2 b/filler song types albums, Ayu is back to her roots making great music. I love basically all tracks and as a whole the album feels very cohesive with a clear direction from start to end. I can't believe I waited for 3 years since FIVE to truly enjoy her works again. Even if you don't like this album, there is no denying that ayu is putting much more work and effort here than love again and colours combined. 4/5 but feels like a 10/5 after recent years.

Ayu has already pushed so much throughout her entire career. You can only push so much before you begin becoming an entirely different artist.

The fact is that "pushing boundaries" BS is such a biased thing, what might be pushing boundaries to one, will very much be just an other boring thing for someone else and wica versa. So really.... Plus she's been in a music scene for so long i'm not sure there is anything else to do, it will end up like reinventing a bicicle.

I love this quote and I agree with basically everything you said. :love

^its not...asfxx had strong singles and some good album tracks but the same amount of weak tracks that love again has (as if..., friend, from youir letter, present vs sakura, untitled, petal). all songs that were pre-realesed, despite it being a questionable stunt, are awsome (aka LOVE + again) so the overall albums fells pretty neat.

A ONE is likeable and short - I like it

Lmao! Well said.

Have i posted here yet? Don't think so.

I love this album, yes, too many ballads, but damn, her ballad game is so strong on this one. All the ballads she released on Party queen, LOVE again and Colours are pipi de chat (lit. "cat piss", it means they're meaningless/ridiculous) compared to those.
I feel like i'm listening to the ayu i fell in love with in 2009/2010, there ain't any song i dislike, i really enjoyed Zutto.../Last Minute/Walk when the single got released but know it's like they're my least favorite songs.

I don't think i enjoyed the sound of an Ayu album so much since Love Songs, and damn it was already 5 years ago. I'm proud of her and i'm wondering what she'll do next.

I get what you mean but when an artist brings forth recycled material. Like reusing some rhythms from past songs. I mean I think I heard some obviouse similarities between (anything for you and walk specially on the hey, parts). It all becomes a whole different ball game. is not like there's nothing else ayu could do or that she's pushing boundaries. Its something else... Delicious and bold had good theory.

^
She often recycles her own music tho.
Also she never stick to a musical genre for too much. Ayu will do something completely different after A ONE. It's been her pattern for a while, so :shrug.

Being on topic, after several listenings I really really love A ONE.
It's so nostalgic, all of the songs have a strong Ayu feel in them. I know it's a super-safe release, but I couldn't care less because A ONE have what LOVE again and Colours both lacks: personality. In my opinion, tho.
A ONE sounds like a really personal album to me. That much that I can't help but comparing it, somehow, to ASFXX. Back then she was young and insecure, now she's older and she's doing what she wants.
There's a touch of MY STORY on it too. Not on the cohesive side for sure, lmao, but I agree with the whole story telling theory.

Overall A ONE seems a recap of her past 17 years. A come back to her roots, combining different musical styles she did before. Much better than on that snorefest LOVE again was, imo. A ONE it's still far from being a masterpiece to me, but it's definitely the first album I'm enjoy since Love songs. And maybe PQ that I started to appreciate a lot recently. Also I'd like to quote artcika

I totally thought the same :yes

And I agree with attractive nausea too.
Even though it's a huge ballad album, every ballads stands out for its own and they're not so boring as I was afraid of. Never been a fan of ballads, but Ayu has this special ability to make me love them :laugh

Oh ya I completely agree- I made those same comparisons too. Its just that although they are in the same vain as those songs I think they still sound good and are catchy. My point was more that the songs I think are good are still just songs that have a similar sound as others in her discography.

It is good that none of it is bad. But one thing about her is that I got into her fandom because each album had some new offerings and got me into her. so creative and it really drew you in. We can all have subjective opinions, but not for a second would this album make any kind of wave to attract the attention of anyone whos not already a fan. Which as a fan I do want because ayu as an artist is about that original take on things. Or at least be catchier than anyone else.

Everything u said. ESPECIALLY PERSONALITY.

Umm, what?

My review for now will exclude Anything For You since I'm listening to this album through Mediafire.

1.) a Bell - This is one of Ayu's best introductions ever. It's on the same level of Prologue. The music is reminiscent of the music in Kingdom Hearts.

2.) WARNING - I absolutely hate the transition from a Bell into WARNING. This is one of her weaker rock tracks, but I won't deny her strong attitude.

3.) NO FUTURE - Honestly, I don't find this song memorable at all. It goes on two minutes too long.

5.) Last minute - As much as I hate the mixing on this track, I still jam out HARD to this song.

6.) Zutto... - Not that bad of a ballad actually. The music makes it really powerful. Reminiscent of BALLAD.

7.) Out of control - Probably the most basic song on the album. Boring.

8.) Story - OMG YES! This was a pleasant surprise! My favorite from the album.

9.) The GIFT - Basic. Boring.

10.) The Show Must Go On - snowy kiss pt. 2; not a bad song but incredibly boring to me.

11.) Walk - This was the weakest song on the single for me. But on the album it's really cute and a fitting end if we exclude the bonus track.

12.) Movin' on without you - Why doesn't Ayu just keep making music with RedOne lol they obviously know how to work together. Keep 'em coming!

Meh. I thought I was gonna be disappointed by this album judging from the previews but I'm pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed it. I wish Ayu would have done more experimental stuff in regards to Colours but this is good. Not an album that's gonna shake up the Japanese music industry, but just good shit to listen to. Story is the best song, with NO FUTURE being the most meh. Can't wait to listen to Anything For You whenever I get the CD in physical form.

She has already dabbled in so many different things, while somehow being able to make it all her own. The only thing she could possibly do is to just jump completely in and abandon whatever it is that she does when she takes a genre and makes it all her own.

This is so true! It's how I have felt for years and exactly what I try to express when asking the question "Do you listen to her current releases for the artist or for the music?" - meaning, if you had no bias or preconceived notion about Ayu and/or any prior connection to her, would you still listen to the product? Would you still enjoy it? Would it consume you? People shit a fucking house when I brought that question into play. But it's so true.

The lyrical content and the delivery is so spot on in this album. I can imagine 20 - 23 year old Ayumi Hamasaki singing all of these songs, waving her left hand around as she is singing. The lyrical content is so nostalgic and I don't think she's had such a return to the lyrics that made her big in the first place in recent years...

I do really love The GIFT. I wish it was just a piano ballad kind of like JEWEL. Out of Control is exactly the songs call and Letter were trying to be, I can see this on MY STORY, or I Am... after still alone. The lyrics are so so poignant.

Yes, there are a lot of ballads on this album but each ballad deals with something different in their lyrics which makes everything come together. The upbeat songs are also so so nice. WARNING is definitely being played out right now in this thread (LOL), and The Show must Go On is so nice. I do get the snowy kiss reference but for me, lyrically the songs are so different so I cant say that they are related at all...

New mix for Last minute is pretty good, but still not spot on. :(

A ONE is shaping up to be the album that brings back the passion and fire in her. I like it.

I feel that at least in the tour, Last minute will be proceeded by Out of control in performance. I just did the playlist like this, and they sound so complimenting of each other. Lyrically and musically.

How does the Last Minute mix here differ from the single version?