I had this discussion with someone at the hikaru forums too. I consider utada's "Distance" a single even though it technically isn't (recut). But I consider it once since it was physically released on the final distance single along with the karaoke version of it and two remixes. Single or not...connected...distance...just the fact that we got remixes, karaoke/instrumental, and slapped on a single/as a single, satisfies me. I'm not complaining that we got extras. :P
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as I said before. according to wiki the original idea was like...confusion, and loneliness and they changed it to determination and peace.

as far as I can think of, the only thing they would change would be the bird, and the look on her face, like maybe the covers we have now are the original covers, and she just changed her attitude in the pictures. I mean imagine it. lonely confused, alone in the desert, no where to go...just wandering...makes sense to me. and then they changed it to. "HEy! I'm here! I'm strong! I am...!" you know, something like that. minor things can make a big difference in anything.

^ Okay, that's fine with me... I just don't see Connected as an "official" single but lol whatever~

And yeah... I think the dove was the last minute change... I mean, hello she's wearing vines; it's not like she realized the earth was dying on 9-11 as well...

That's what I thought, too. I don't know if I was reading it wrong but I always thought that the big change was the dove! I agree with your assessment about her changing her demeanor and posture, the look on her face in the pictures and how she sorta radiated this confidence and peace.

the green....plant in the desert represents life, so peace might only be a PART of the concept, like shes showing us the most important parts in life, peace(dove) and life(plant)...and that nothing else is needed(naked)

#12 is a good choice in reflecting confusion and loneliness, it's even better than the original for me

um..let's look at the lyrics of Connected, it fits the theme of confusion/loneliness, the original theme for I am..., so ayu decided to release this song?

i think ayu's debut in germany simply bcoz the surprised success of the M ep. (i think it's the decision by avex only) but why Connected is chosen but not M, i don't know

p.s. isn't it a planned album for collaboration with ayu and ferry corsten? why finally they didn't make it?

^ A label for DJs bought the REMIX RIGHTS for ayu songs, only the remix rights. So they were allowed to remix ayus songs and sell them here in Germany, Connected is written by a DJ, so it might be a remix already. Or Ferry Corstern and avex are sharing the rights for that song.

u mean the drizzly records?

That might be the name, I dont know how it was called. I only know that they bought the remix rights for germany(or all europe?) because the rights for all the songs were too expensive and not needed(DJ label, they dont need songs like M ^^)

^i thought avex allow drizzly to find remixers then release them... btw they didn't have great success after M vinyls, do they?

what about the pigeon in I am... is it added by photoshop or ayu re-shot those photos?

and the ferry corsten x ayu album... was it a rumor or it's really planned by avex?