Just listened to LOVE HONEY and all I can say is that I really like this album. There is only one or two songs which I don't like as much as the other ( Hibi, Ikite Ireba & Starting Pistol). the first time I listened to Watashi I also didn't liked is that much but in combination with Honey and QueeN makes it much better for me.

LOVE HONEY debuted at #9 yesterday and fell to #21 today.

I really liked the new album, it's very moody and chill, but with some dark dance/fun tracks like QueeN and make up <3 Ai is so amazing, love current direction in music.

Wow, this album is phenomenal! My favorite track so far is TOKYO Sanpo. I just love how she blended electronic, Japanese and jazz influences throughout the album. It sounds very cohesive without being too "samey." I feel like she really perfected her style with this album too, but then again, I was never a fan of her more peppy pop rock tracks haha

The opening track is such a fucking stellar track. Wow. It's been a while since I've instantly loved a song on first listen!!

Album is ok, but I prefer LOVE FANTASTIC.

I'm curious if anyone's favorite Ai song has changed throughout the years? What is your one favorite? I mean, everyone must have a lot they thoroughly enjoy, but what is the one you feel most excited to listen to?

For me, it's Katamoi Dial. I always feel so happy when I listen to it.

^ I think mine is Mousou Chop, lol.

kingyo hanabi or mirai taxi. equally excited whenthey come up

I decided to listen to LOVE HONEY a couple times before giving my impressions. I think it's a beautifully done album, it's very cohesive as expected, and I feel like it mixes a little bit of LOVE FANTASTIC and LOVE TRICKY. :yes I'm in love with the title track, QueeN, make up, and HEART BREAK :heart (it's too bad many people didn't like this one). I'm excited to see what she's planning for the tour! :)

I really need this album to sell well

this album is sooo good!! Ai really did a excellent job to come up with an album with a good balance of Love Fantastic and Love Tricky style.

LOVE HONEY first week sales:
#23 - 2,552

2552!? Wow... that's abysmal :(

I didn't like either Love Fantastic, not Love Tricky, but Love honey is really good. Wish it was selling well :(

Did the relationship scandal affect the sales? Hmm...

I think the album could've sold a little better if they had actually promoted it with a new PV or something.

The PV for Watashi already aired months ago for the single, so I don't think they aired it again for the album. And the PV for Sakura wasn't aired at all so idk how they expected people in the general public to know about the album lol.

But she seems to always rank in the 20s with the same 3k-ish sales so while I'm not sure if she's attracting any new fans, her current fanbase is probably loyal and follows her releases. :yes

Looking forward to getting this album on Friday, finally! Can't wait to hear it!

While I have a lot of favorite Ai songs, if I had to choose just one, I'd have to go with Shabondama. I loooove it and its PV.

I finally got my copy of Love Honey last week!

I'm really enjoying the album and still getting to know it. I'm glad she stuck with the Love Tricky sound. So far my favourite songs are QueeN, Tokyo Sanpo and Monochrome or was it Make Up?

I understand why people weren't keen on FrogFlag. It does break up the flow of the album at first but it's growing on me. I also find Hey!Bear to be really cute. I like a lot of the ballads too but struggling to remember them right now!

Before Love Honey and Love Tricky, the last album I bought from Ai was Love Cook which was my favourite at the time. Which of her albums that I've missed should I buy next?

LOVE HONEY TOUR 2017 ～誘惑の香りにYOUワクワク～ Setlist:

01.HONEY
02.サクラハラハラ (Sakura Harahara)
03.QueeN
04.FrogFlag
05.LOVE FANTASTIC
06.HEART BREAK
07.make up
08.ユメクイ (Yumekui)
09.未来タクシー (Mirai Taxi)
10.モノクロ (Monochrome)
11.ロケットスニーカー (Rocket Sneaker)
12.スターターピストル (Starting Pistol)
13.タイムマシーン (Time Machine)
14.女子シェルター (Joshi Shelter)
15.TOKYO散歩 (TOKYO Sanpo)
16.HEY!BEAR
17.私 (Watashi)
ENCORE
18.SMILY
19.フレンジャー (Frienger)
20.さくらんぼ (Sakuranbo)
21.日々、生きていれば (Hibi, Ikite Ireba)

Does someone own the album and could make a 320 kbps mp3 rip? If so, I would be forever thankful!

I like Watashi, I'm going to buy the single and I don't know the bsides are tracks on the álbum so is better. The álbum is great but some chorus are weird on the songs but the music is great.

It sounds like a great setlist. I would give anything to be there, especially after watching some videos of her previous tour. I love the atmosphere of smaller concerts, and the songs she's been releasing since LOVE TRICKY are all amazing. :heart

I really like make up, QueeN, FrogFlag and TOKYO散歩 :)

i went to the last date of the tour, it was great! first time seeing ai, so fun, such a great live, i think the small venue size worked really well for the style of show.
lighting was on point, the stage had 7 giant plastic flowers at the back which all lit up (pic: https://www.instagram.com/p/BWggrWIl9ug/).

rocket sneaker is a piano version.

only down side is that ai talks so much, and she's pretty boring. encore was a blow-by-blow description of each of the tour goods, and what your transport options are to get to her love is born gig in september.

When the fuck was this!!!?? I would have gone!

She sang my favorite song, Katamoi Dial! Omg I am distraught.

http://avex.jp/ai/news/detail.php?id=1051207#

Can someone explain this? It seems she will do a piano concert to the stars? It's an outside event? I think it's quite far from Tokyo?

From what I gathered, she's having an outdoor piano concert up at Heavens Sonohara in Achi. So about 3-4 hours from Tokyo?

Ai Otsuka is now on Spotify !

- 4 singles (+ "watashi" which was already there)

- The albums are now all available + Ai am Best and LOVE is Best

I hope they will also add Aio Punch and more singles !

FNALLY ALL'S UP!

new IG pics

https://instagram.fbeg1-1.fna.fbcdn....42584832_n.jpg
https://instagram.fbeg1-1.fna.fbcdn....18867968_n.jpg
https://instagram.fbeg1-1.fna.fbcdn....18589184_n.jpg

omg, finally I can listen to LOVE TRiCKY on Spotify! :love

Did anything else come out about her husband after the release of those pictures with him and his coworker?

^ what's that about?

The paps spotted her husband out and about with a young model in her 20s and it became a sizeable scandal

^ well that sucks, I hope it wasn't an affair :/

Yes, I was wondering the same about her husband? I was assuming it was an affair but she was just keeping silent on the matter? Who knows.

All the female singers usually have problems with their husbands, I wonder why.

because japan has a different reception of "love". Its like they are stuck inbetween false romantic promises through Mangaculture and and medieval reception of "love"

Also apparently Japan has a strong culture of cheating.

It happens there like everywhere else in the world (sadly).
The difference is - if a man does it, it's usually not much of a big deal. If a woman does it, it's the end of the world.

Well, it was mentioned before when the news first broke about Ai's husband that Japan is still very much a man's society. Men are often excused for these behaviors in part because of the long hours and personal investment in work culture (salarymen) among other reasons. It's not so much considered "cheating", as I understand it, as it is a convenience because Ai isn't as readily available as her husband's assistant or whatever.

I'm sure they've hashed it out at this point. However, if I were Ai, I don't know if I'd make a different decision this time. The next time? Yeah. I'd be out. But she's probably thinking about the importance of a two-parent home for their child. And maybe to her, to this is a small sacrifice to benefit their kid as long as her husband doesn't do it again.

We know she's not broke. So, this is less about financial obstacles, and probably more about opportunity for their kid to fit in, to have dad and mom, and all of this can be swept under the rug at a time it would be extremely disruptive and confusing to the child.

Edit: Just realized I work more hours every week than the average salaryman. :( Oh well, I probably take home better pay too. So, there's that.

True. They have lots of shotgun weddings and the trend of professional housewives as well.

YUI recently divorced her husband too. It's weird but I've started noticing it too.

I would actually argue, that those female singers have it "easier" leaving their husbands than the average woman, since they are more independend from a financial point of view. I guess more women would do it, if they wouldn't had to give up their jobs for their husbands and therefore now are pretty dependend.

^I totally agree with you.

Exactly. I saw so many times in dramas how women are applauded at their work places when they publicly announce that they are getting married so it is time for them to quit and become professional housewives :P Bizarre.

Maybe they are just applauding the fact that they just announced they are to be married?? Like what are they supposed to do, boo? Lmao.

“Noooooo!!”
“You suck!”
“Traitor!!”

Nope, they were applauding them for quitting and becoming housewives, I remember correctly :P I read a news article recently that Japan is a very low ranked country in regard to women’s participation in the economy and politics... and I'm not even surprised.

I mean, a "professional housewife" lol

I'm all for women choosing that if they want to. I just find it laughable that anyone, including women too, would discount women in certain subjects. Like, let's be real here. Women are a MASSIVE part of what made JPop an international thing.

The only thing that I find laughable is that women are giving up their jobs on such a large scale in Japan and they are even encouraged to do so. Especially celebrities, that was expected in the 90s, no wonder that Namie was attacked by the media for working after her marriage and later even divorcing.

Well, this is off topic, Ai did not quit for example :D I just hope he did not really cheat on her, she deserves to be happy.

I'm glad someone shares my love for this song! One of her best non-single tracks IMO.

YES!!! It’s so fun!

Piano self-cover mini-album aio piano coming next month, on February 7th!

http://m.imageimg.net/upload/artist_...47dd933980.jpg

1. 星 -せい- (Sei) [instrumental]
2. ユメクイ (Yumekui)
3. HEY!BEAR
4. 金魚花火 (Kingyo Hanabi)
5. 日々、生きていれば (Hibi, Ikiteireba)
6. 恋愛写真 (Ren'ai Shashin)
7. ネコに風船 (Neko ni Fuusen)

Source

^ Did not expect this to happen, but going to be interesting how Ai Otsuka sings older songs in 2017-18 while playing the piano...

^Excellent, I look forward to buying it on iTunes. I like the cover!

Avex are making their money out of me in February - Kumi, BoA, Do As Infinity and now Ai.

I absolutely love Yumekui and I can't wait for the piano version.

Yay! Sth new! :)

Can’t wait for Kingyo Hanabi and Renai Shashin! My two all-time favorite songs by her.

FINALLY avex knows what we want

YES @ Kingyo Hanabi being included! What a flawless song.

GDI I didn't realize she was doing a small tour for this mini album. I would've been able to make the Osaka show if it wasn't already sold out :weep

A piano version of Kingyo Hanabi is all I ever wanted for so many years and she finally delivers.

The previews sound so good! Can't wait to hear the whole thing.

All I am personally looking forward to is Neko Ni Fuusen ^_^ but this is a very good set of songs!

I NEED THIS ALBUM SO BADLY!!!

I'm hoping it will be up on iTunes UK tomorrow although I find JPop releases usually appear the week after.

Not sure if we can link outside the forum, but if you google miusiq, the album can be found over there :)

^ And it's already showing up on Spotify, at least for me. :)

It debuts at #20 on Oricon.

I need a link!!!!!

Not that I am expecting super much but what are the first day sales?

Only the sale numbers for the first three daily are published.
#3 sold around 6,6k today.
And considering her last original albums didn't sell more than 3-4k each altogether, this is prpbably alright for a mini-album.

Yes, it appeared on iTunes today - listening right now!

I do wonder why they only put out a mini-album now.
They could easily fill a full one with those versions.

Aio Piano sold 902 copies in its first week, being #60.

That's a friggin' travesty

I looooove this version of Planetarium! But yeah, these videos really make you wish they'd released a full self-cover album, not just a mini. The songs on this release are good too, love Yumekui and Kingyo Hanabi! And Sei, the instrumental track is really nice. :luv2

I wished I could have seen this live. The album is beautiful! <3