u better start buying ayu's single I guess then!!! :thud

Yeah considering this isn't a typical arashi single (no b-sides and all) Ayu might actually have a good chance if her sales don't drop below the ones of Sunrise/Sunset.

ikomonogakari is a very bad example when it comes to single sales, even AAA took their #1 a few weeks ago, not by far, but still Ikimonogakari can hardly reach 50k in their first week so no wonder arashi took over.

Why is it really a bad example? Is it because that people also download through iTunes and just stash it into their iPod when Arashi's sales are only distributed PHYSICALLY, NOT through iTunes or such?

I'd call Johnny's actions for not putting songs into iTunes in an attempt to boost sales "uncompetitive" and "unfair"... It just hurts competition to others - ikimono-gakari's vs. AAA's were quite competitive, but if you had to compare between Arashi and ikimono-gakari, that sure is uncompetitive...

Uncompetitive and unfair? How is it anything like that?

AAA and ikimono-gakari could do the same as Johnny's. They just chose not to. It's that simply. It's not like Johnny's is doing something other groups CAN'T do.

Besides, I think labels don't care nearly as much as we do about rankings. They look nice on paper, but all they care about are sales. 50.000 copies sold is 50.000 copies sold, whether a single reaches no. 1 or no.200 position XD

Cuz ikimonogakari never were a major single seller, considering their highest selling single sold 135k and it was the only single they ever had that broke 100k mark and their singles usually don't sell much more than 50k.

Why would JE care about hurting their competition? Avex is obviously content with the amounts of money they earn from digital distribution, while Johnny obviously isn't.

Well, I don't know why JE does not keep up with pace on online music sales - or they don't like online music sales...

to be honest, i dont get the big deal with Arashi. I know maybe we have some people here who like them, but personally I gave them a listen and didn't like them a single bit. *shrugs* guess its all personal opinion. I just hope Ayu does well with her single.

Any way! the single Moon / blossom will be postponed for one week or two.

Arashi sell like this because they're at the top at the moment, have a very broad target audience (from little children to grandparents) and are universally loved by all of Japan. They are not just another boyband (like people here always seem to say) they are Idols in the very sense of Idols and just very popular. It has nothing to do with the music, which is just average, imho. If someone else would release Arashi's songs and not Arashi it wouldn't sell like this, that's guaranteed. They sell because they are Arashi.

It is going to be against arashi's single 2nd week.

It's not a threat and it won't get postponed. XD

^Yep, I don't get all the panic. Ayu will get her Number 1, rest assured.

YEp.. and if not Avex Magic will work =D cause no one in avex will let ayu lose her straigh just 2-3 singles before surpasing Seiko and reaching the 50th XD

i think that too!! :yes

they might even buy the singles themselves (AVEX) XD

Well i've ordered all 4 editions of the single, which i guess is my big help to her.

I don't think that they have to use any magic though. xD

Yeah, pretty much, it's a summer single, it's not gonna sell less than 70k I'm sure~

me either.. XDD I mean.. it's arahi's second week.. with a singe with only 1 song, no b-sides, nothing.. and for what I read it's only 1 version, right??

Ayu can surpass her usual first week sales with this new singles, 2 new songs, 4 remixed songs, 2 PV and 4 versions of the single XDD

all depends on the single anyway! songs, pvs, promotion, etc etc

if blossom gets to be as good as BLUE BIRD was... there wouldn't be any problem I think xD

i just ordered 8 more copies. A few of my friends and one of my cousins wanted copies but they don't like ordering online so i told them to just give me the money and I preordered the extra copies for them.

WOW :thud

omg xD


thats cool! i wish more of my friends would dare to buy stuff online xD or ask me to do it for them at least!


too bad online sales don't count on the first day (if I'm not wrong) :( we would just smash that chart xD

Silly me, I thought 7/7 and 7/14 are in the same week, lol. I don't know what made me think that. :laugh

I've yet to decide which version to order, most probaby m/B CD-only because of Last Links. I'm probably going to order it with Kuu's Gossip Candy.

LOL Yup. Actually if i was living in Japan, I think the people at the CD Store would learn my name and face pretty quick. There seems to be plenty of cool releases I want like every month of Japanese stuff. :P

Probably would even get used to what type of stuff I'd buy. Translation:
Store Clerk: "Hello Christina, here's the new Ayu CD that just came in today."
Me: "And what about the other editions?"
SC: "Oh right. Sorry, my bad. I'll go get those":P

The online sales/pre-orders are counted towards the first day, therefore the first day sales are considerably higher ^^

LMAO! xD would be the same with me! :D


ohhh I thought they said it was added on the total at the end of the week! oh well :)

^yeah i thought i heard same thing.

I never really understood this sales thing. I just buy them XD

Nope. The numbers in the end of the week are slightly different due to the fact that some stores don't send all the data in due time or things like that. Pre-orders are always counted towards the first day, whether they were made online or not :)

^but lets say for some reason my copies werent shipped first day, would they still count towards first day?

This arashi news is a bit disheartening, but I doubt they'll move the single? Kumi's new single releases on 7/14. Maybe she will just have to battle it out.

Isn't arashi under Avex too? So they could have just made the release date different to begin with.

I guess that depends (most likely yes, if they charged you), but with CDJapan and YesAsia they are always shipped right away if available and if there wasn't anything wrong with your order.

^Well its paid for already since i use an instant transfer from my paypal balance to pay.

Arashi is under J strom, one label of johnny's entertainment not avex.

Ah thanks, I wasn't sure.
Ugh...boy bands. So annoying.

... I actually dont think that Ayu will get #1 anymore!

Think about it... Arashi is on the rise, Ayumi going down.

This whole single project to the public probably means to holdout...because waiting 2 months=50th single.

S/S single sales were 75,000 first week...and i think it will go down for Moon/blossom.

^Yet arashi hasn't really sold more than 70k in their second week, so think about it again :P

Well then they already counted your copy the the number of sold copies and it will be counted towards the first day on the charts.

Pre-orders and online sales are one of the main factors why the majority of artists have front-loaded sales.

Noooo we have to be positive! Only time will tell.

It's going to suck if her huge 50th single turns out to be her streak-breaker. I'm tapping into my limited funds for this!

I don't think i'm buying the single this time. I'm sad to say Rock and roll circus really disappointed me... and i'll have to love the songs to even consider buying anything :(

I think Ayu's probably safe, although Arashi might make things interesting. Ayu has 4 versions though and Arashi is only releasing 2, plus there is only one new song on their single. Still though, I think it'll be good for things to get interesting on the singles chart for once.

I preffer to be sure that she will get number 1, i´m gonna die that week.On the other hand, i think that i she gets 2 she weill be more relaxed in the future, now that the record is gone

Arashi's single is only being released in one version which is limited, hence I am positive there will be no threat to Ayu's first week with their second week sales.

An awful lot of people are releasing in July aren't they! I wonder if one of MOON/blossom will be a digital hit like Sunrise last year.

It's the 2nd week of an Arashi single that'll be out on the 7th. I wouldn't really worry all that much.

Recent 2nd weeks as posted by Rody!.

Ayu's last five first weeks:
145,576
127,650
95,309
75,352
103,351 *2 weeks*

Ayu can totally beat it...i hope.

@teddbear55: Yeah ,a lot of artists are. Ayu, Kumi, BoA and now also Namie are all releasing singles in July. they're my 4 top favorite singers, so I have to buy all of those. Then there's some other upcoming stuff I've been seeing too in July that I'd like to own. It seems like July will be a busy month for everybody.

Also, if this Arashi single is limited I really believe we dont need to worry too much about it.

^ I wouldn't throw out the competition, merely because it's "limited". Not all limited releases are truly that limited...

But yes. For Ayu to get number one in this week, she definitely CAN'T drop any significant amount more (I'd say no more than 20k, definitely, but that shouldn't happen, I don't think..), and Arashi needs to not sell more than average (which also shouldn't happen, but you never know) - selling much more than 50k will probably screw her over. I mean, since the last single was two weeks combined, you figure the first week was probably between 60k and 70k, right? And this single shouldn't drop in sales too much, but you know it should drop at least somewhat. Plan on right under 70k, tops (if she exceeds that, then YAY!), though probably between 50 and 60......
It'll be very close. I honestly think she can do this, though. The sales you guys listed for Arashi's second weeks really bumps up my confidence. If we look at those, and also at what this single is, it should sell around 40k, and if that's the case, I'm not worried at all. It all comes down to if a freak occurrence comes up, lol. (Like, if Arashi magically sells 60k the second week, or if Ayu's sales plummet to less than 50k the first week or something...) But I do have a good feeling about these next three singles. Rock'n'Roll Circus is doing great, and now fans are very hyped about this project. I have faith that she can do this. :yes

There's basically no reason for her to drop though... this single has a pretty nice summer track and a nice little nostalgic track. This isn't t2m or B&D with the experimentalness (fully rock single / crazy gospel Ayu) so it shouldn't be in the same territory... I think.

Arashi's single is not a limited edition but a special one with dvd and a lower price ^^;

Anyway, I'm sure Ayu will do it!! (can't say the same for the poor Kuu ^^;;)
Go Ayu!!! è_é/

Arashi's single is quite "irregular" (only two tracks - one song with instrumental version), so I think they might not sell as well as their other singles (might go 300,000 some for first week then like 50-60,000 second); if Arashi announces a new album even before the single releases, as I said that could dampen sales of the "to be free" single (that seems to be similar to ikimono-gakari's "arigatou" single except that it also includes a DVD)...

Besides, it only has one track and an instrumental but it IS a cheap single. ikimono-gakari's Arigatou also sold more than their other singles, even though it only had one song.

Even when looking at Johnny's singles : Kinki Kids' Anniversary single only had one track but because it was cheaper it still sold a lot more than their other singles around that time.

Guys, don't let the 'only one track' thing get to you, either! I saw this thing, and it comes with the PV and making of, so that more than makes up for it, for how cheap it is. And even if it were a complete rip-off, it's not like most of the fangirls would care much, lol.

I agree with this...

That would be true if it wasn't a JE band we're talking about, they don't really sell loads of albums...however I am sure Ayu won't be having probs beating their second week.

You can do it Ayu...

Hopefully Ayu won't lose her streak, Because I know for a fact that people will make a big deal out of it and say something like "Ayu lose her streak I don't want to listen to her anymore LOOOSEEER Ayu"

That's sad tbh, why would anyone even do that? obsessive fans need to gtfo :no

Number 1 isn't even a big deal anyway. if avex were really concerned, they would move Ayumi's release date.

I don't think fans would do that, they would overreact for sure, but if they said something like that.. :shakehead
I know it would make a lot of haters happy though. I actually saw someone on another forum that always looks forward to ayu's sales because they want to watch her lose her streak, they were almost positive she'd lose it with S/S and were like on the edge of their seats waiting for the sales :laugh Kind of creepy though..

ayumi's new single can rank #99th for all I are. it's not going to change my opinion about her. It's not going to make me like her music any less.

awww :( sadly ur right . . .when people do things like that, it just makes me think u never really truly like the artist if u can so easily abandon them

my jrockers never chart like above so well unless its a more popular one. but theyre always #1 in my heart. it goes like this for ayu. and really several of my fav artists :)

what music sounds good to ones ears can never be determined by sales imo.

i really dont feel like waiting for this. it seems so promising. well i love MOON already in lq.

Same here (^_^)' I mean, it's great when Ayu gets good sales (and really, she ALWAYS does <3) like, even though GUILTY got #2, that's still amazing, considering other artists' sales... Ayu does amazing with every sale~

I just never got the whole sale hype (^_^)'

Yeah just look at Ami Suzuki, her music is a lot better now than it was before avex when she was getting #1's and what not and the highest she ever charts above #17.

I think if avex thinks arashi is too much of a threat to her streak they'll push the release date back like they did with You were.../BALLAD.

i hope 100k + for first week

I don't think people will STOP listening to Ayu because she is not number one. There is nothing wrong with hoping your favorite artist does well on the charts. It leads to better things and better opportunities. I know it is kind of annoying when people "complain" about sales but what's even more annoying is when everyone b--ches about people hoping for good sales. From now on I'm gonna be like "Ayu got number one! Damn it, I was hoping she'd get number 10! WTF!" Seriously people, why wouldn't you want Ayu to do well? :rolleyes

It just would be a wonderful thing if she continued the streak at least up until her 50th. She's so close to overtaking Seiko's record - it'd be a shame to fall short at a time like this.

what's the problem here? lol I'm kinda lost :D
I really hope she does well in the chart, I know she can do it!! :)

^ ARASHI is releasing a single one week before Ayu's. Therefore, if Ayu's sales drop significantly, or if they have higher than average second week sales, she will most likely lose her streak. However, she shouldn't really drop that much, and it seems their second weeks average around 40k. So yeah. There should be no problem. :D Just a little scare, hah.

You're right, the japanese market is so hard, but she can get the #1, if she releases an amazing covers and pvs (cof cof Sunrise / Sunset cof cof)

Again, why do you think that they would think arashi's 2nd week is any kind of threat while ayu easily outsell their 2nd weeks of single sales with her 1st weeks?

avex has no reason to push back anything at all.
People are scared for nothing really.

yay~ god bless ayu~!

I think they did it with Fukuyama because no one knew that he was going to release anything until he did. And he stole that date, haha.

Arashi's last two singles both had 60k+ second weeks. So Ayu can't drop much from the 74k for Sunrise. This has the possibility to be quite close I think; still though, Ayu will obviously have the edge.

Ayu also has two more versions than Sunrise in this case. I hate the 4-5 version thing, but I'd be like if I said she doesn't sell better with a few more, haha.

Maybe having a choice of four gives flexibility to fans of Ayu...

The first press releases are STILL available, so if anyone wants to grab that special bonus, there's still time: http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/list_from_c...tml?key=246497

I thought Ayu cut her hair, but she didn't =)

http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k1...-3-199x300.jpg

Great wishful thinking, but I HIGHLY doubt that's the reason they've done the release this way.

She looks amazing <3333333

Another version didn't really do wanders for You were.../BALLAD :P

YES! She's wearing the outfit she posted on twitter. I was hoping to see her in it soon, it's soo cute! she looks adorable

It sold more than S/S didn't it? -blinks-

he he, but not that much, but I guess an extra 2-3k copies were sold thanks to the fact it had multiple versions :dead2

I wonder when the preorders for the other 2 singles would be announced?

It's cheaper to buy all 3 in a set! I'm planning to use like all my coupons/frequent shopper points, that Ive accumulated at cdjapan.

She's soo cute here ! Thanks for the pic !

There's nothing to add. Though I feel proud when a single ranks 1st, I don't listen to Ayu's musics for her "selling perfomance".

is that new TA diary picture?
or from the RnRC Blog

AyUmIXx from ayu's diary

Totally love the outfit. She looks so great and sweet here.

I'm sure ayu will do fine :).

I want to see covers so badly T_T

me too! T.T when the cover come out?

These boots are very ugly... :S

I hope we can see the covers next week

i wanna know if the MOON/blossom poster will be horizontal or vertical. if its horizontal i'll put it above my A BEST 2 White poster. If Vertical it's going on my bedroom door. :D

I hope there is more than one version of the poster!

I'm not a fan of them either :laugh.

i can't wait to see the cover

^^I think we're all in anticipation of the covers.
I hope they are summer-ish like fairyland and UNITE!

Ayu is really fierce in photo shoots lately so I'm not worried about the covers being bad or anything. I'm expecting something cute/pretty/summery.

i m just praying we wont get those ugly pose with huge eyes and open mouth or weird faces ....

with a title like moon i d love to see a cover like part of me pv ... ( i can always dream lol)

and with blossom i d love to see a cherry blossom in the back of her photoshoot

Well, I can't wait for the covers... And I hope the rankings do well when mid-July comes...

Oh I'd love Ayu with a cherry blossom tree! I guess with this single being part of a trilogy, the singles should be something special like Mirrorcle / Days. They probably will have a similar connecting theme for the covers of 48, 49, 50.

^Hmm yeah thats probably true.

Kind of makes me think that they are gonna be pretty bland and boring for some reason... :P

The only thing really connecting these singles though is that they're all released one after another in quick succession, haha.

I suppose they could be related somehow, but we'll see.

I love the connection between vogue/far away/Seasons covers so I actually hope they are like that. Though there will already be 4 covers for this single so I don't know if it would work.

i also love the connection of those 3 singles . i d love to see 3 single connecting each other again that would be really cool with pvs that create a full story put together