^ I'm downright glad it's not the same melody. I very much prefer the connection between the two songs to be on the lyrics instead of recycling the melody.

I like it!! I'm surprised and quite pleased it's not a ballad, I really like the direction she took with it. It's very Christmasy and I love it for this :heart

Wow, this is something new for Ayu haha I need some time to digest it before deciding if I like it or not. But yeah, it's very Christmasy.

P.S. "We can feel the love tonight" is back

Not in love with it, but at least it does sound different. I wonder what I'll think of the fill thing lol.

i actually really like it, i just wish the chorus was a bit more rich than what it is. But this is nice. Very uplifting and happy compared to her other christmasy ballads.

The intro is a bit eh but aside from that , Winter diary sounds nice

A typical Winter song , I'm not sure if that's a good or bad thing

Her English was really good at the beginning! Not a big fan of the song tho

Won't listen to this again. WTF is this shit? She need to get a new vocal recordist/editor/technique/mixer...just something. It literally just sounds like they add her vocals to an already mixed song in Garbageband then render it as a stereo MP3, it's that bad.

https://twitter.com/ayu_19980408/sta...40879082139649

Seems that another preview snippet from Winter diary ～A7 Classical～ will be uploaded tomorrow

Wonder what will it be

Sounds quite dated and bland.

A mega mix of TK's most boring songs.
A mega mix of Nakano's most boring arrangements.

And the english beginning feels really forced.

Oh wow apparently they're going to decide based on the votes!

It doesn't do anything for me. The lyrics (so far) are really bland. Pity.

There was a poll already when I posted XD

I'm afraid Step by step will be next... I want Warning!!
23 hours for voting

http://i.imgur.com/fhB22QQ.png

Oops my bad I didn't see it just now haha

I voted for WARNING too

f*ck Warning, gimme sorrows!

Winter diary doesn't really sound that christmasy to me.
Strange preview.

Winter Diary is disappointing. You were... is much better

I want Sorrows put aside SbS

It reminds me of ABBA, somehow...

I liked the melody, but the final result is very bland...

Don't like the intro at all and the song's arrangement feels pretty bland.

the song sounds kinda weird.. but i have to wait for the full version to decide once again.. it's not that memorable like her usual winter songs.

Omg I love winter dairy. Don't get all the hate for it, it sounds like close to you part 2.

What is up with this song? I don't understand it. It's like it doesn't understand how to be a song. So weird and, yes, it's such a filler song. I think by the time I hear the full version I'm gonna be glad this doesn't have a PV.

i was pretty sure 90% forum will really hate it or at least dislike it even before we had the preview, it just made me have this feeling lol Not to mention very few people were possitive. But then again it's nothing new around here.

And maybe this is why it was put into a remix album?

I'm going to enjoy it, but it's 100% Christmasy.

Maybe its just a nice little christmas spirit gift from Ayu to fans, calm down guys ^^ It wasnt even a new single or on a legit album.

I actually love the song it's so christmasy that I can't help enjoy.

Remembered the melody after the second listen, which, for a TK song... is unheard of. I like it so far. It's already miles better than Zutto...

this better not be an indication of the quality of AH17
I mean it's an ok song but it feels messy

At first it sounded pretty nice and cute, thank god she didn't use Summer diary's melody, but now it just sounds just like another generic thing she released this year. Maybe it'll grown on me. Or not.

http://dailywrestlingnews.com/wp-con...fs-001_001.gif

ahs wanted christmasy song here it is. dont complain.

I like it, but then again I usually like TK's stuff. :)

:yes

Well, once again I am one of those rare people who do actually like it. I love how christmasy it is!

I'm actually glad it doesn't sound that christmasy as I don't want christmas songs. Never listen much to them anyway.
I'm just surprised people here think it feels so much like christmas.
Imo just some small parts - the overall feel is more like some normal pop song. It actually reminds me of Disney.
That's probably why I think it's a strange preview.

I thought the majority would love this preview; now I'm actually surprised how much hate it gets...

I do agree though, something feels very messy about the music, and the English at the beginning is omg so awful... but then again she delivered what so many people wanted from her; a proper, proper Christmas song. unfortunately it does sound like a stock Christmas melody with the contrast turned all the way up.

I do appreciate it not being a slow or sad ballad though; very glad about that. there is always demand for upbeat Christmas songs on my end. it would get me into the right mood sitting under the tree. also, it is not a rehash of the sunrise/sunset concept w the same melody.

It sounds like a mash-up of Christmas songs that already exist.

It's definitely Christmasy, but I prefer her winter songs as opposed to something like this. Tempo of it's pretty good though.

Well, my thoughts after listening to the Winter diary preview four or five times:

1. This is maybe too similar to what she released on A ONE and sixxxxxx this year.
2. This reminds me of MY ALL, so I think it would fit well as a para para song on tour.
3. The melody is memorable, but what TK and ayu have done with it is not.
4. I really wish this song was slower. I wish it was about 30% slower, more ethereal sounding, and with more of the atmospheric effects, while still keeping the rock elements.
5. As it is, it sounds like a curtain call song, a-la "I Did It My Way" by Sinatra.
6. I wish Ayu sung this at a full fifth lower. Her upper range has become too screechy. I know our voice changes as we age, but I think she's relying too much on what she used to sound like to make her songs pop. It just sounds like nails on a chalkboard if she doesn't use those IIEEEEE's sparingly. You can tell her range is lower because her voice sounds noticeably shrill singing the same IIEEEE today that she sang 13 years ago on July 1.

The cutie/high-pitch girl-type singing isn't working anymore. I would love to hear her sing this with the range she had on Last minute, and really use her head voice for belting notes like she does at the end of Walk.

EDIT: I want to make a point of Ayu working with Kazuhito again. She has done absolutely nothing with him since Mirrorcle World, and at its time was the most well-received release hers in two years. Kazuhito is currently out of work, but his extensive production with alan is proof positive that the man can still make music as gorgeous as he is. Ayu needs to call him. In fact, she needs to kick everyone else out of the studio and work exclusively with Kazuhito for awhile.

not really liking it...the melody is so TK-ish..well he is the one who compose it...I'm not a big fans of his work..so no wonder that I'm not really liking the song...

the arrangement is something new for Ayu's song..it's not bad...

it's OK...

I am very pleased with the preview. I think her voice sounds nice and the Christmas atmosphere is very heartwarming. And the overall quality doesn't sound as cheap as some of her recent stuff which is a blessing.

Is that "new song" a joke ??? It is very very bad :( what a disappointing simple song. In effect, it is to be in a "classical" (in the way very classic song) album. I was really expecting for better. Think just a download will be enough...

Generic song. What a waste of my excitement. I need something epic like 'Momentum'!

Yuta Nakano did Mirrorcle World.

The last thing Kikuchi did was Beautiful Fighters... and that was... well...

I knew not to expect much from a winter song but it's worse than I thought.
I was expecting something like the songs from A ONE that I don't care much about (The GIFT, Anything For You...) but this is just... ugh.

I'm not a fan of Christmas songs and this is why.

Edit: Winter Diary ~LOVE is ALL~ would've been better after all.

I just heard the preview. I like how it sounds a little more upbeat then a simple ballad. It's decent :)

ermm... it's not really a full classical album and they had named the album to make sure of it. Read the album title again. It says 『Winter diary 〜A7 Classical〜』. It's like you have a BEST album which comes with new songs. Nothing new here. She had done it many times.

I listen to the preview via YouTube, and the beginning of this song it always reminds me of when she sang “Silent Night” X'mas show in 2001 with GACKT as a duet. If you guys haven't notice that yet.
I think, there's some message behind this song. Who knows...

yes! finally a happy/warm winter song, i've had enough sad winter ballad!!

I prefer sad ballads. :D

I guess the reason most people dislike this song is the same reason why I love it. I just LOVE christmasy songs like this, they always make me so happy. I'm not surprised it's not a popular opinion though.

It might be able to grow on me. I don't know. I am not so fond of it.
The english in the intro was really bad. Wish she had not include that part.

Great... Take THANK U, put in some Xmas-y arrangements, and BAM! you get the most boring and generic song ever AKA Winter Diary.
I was waiting for this song to decide if I buy the album, and I definitely won't.

I would have preferred a ballad version of Summer Diary, seriously.

I wasn't expecting something like that but I still need some time to digest Winter diary before judging it. Her English sounds really good in the first verses, though.

This. so much :P

I love this song!!! I thought I wouldn't like another wintery song but it has something special for me!

I can't say is a horrible song. But sure it's a plain and souless song. Nothing remarkable to me and I can't imagine it into a classical album :S
Is like she rushed to make a simple song to earn easy money xD

I really like this song, her voice is not so cheesy cute. I'm so happy she didn't sing the
beginning part with bad engrish like she usually does even though she knows English .

i'm glad to see that at least SOME people have some positive stuff to say about the song. frankly i don't know what would make majority happy on here *shrugs* it barely happens.

Kikuchi co-produced on Mirrorcle World. He produced the bridge following the second chorus and the closing of MW.

Not sure so far but the full song might grow on me. It's pretty but not grabbing me straight away. But I have really liked every other song released this year so one that I don't like straight away is fine!

High five? :D

Source? This seems like strangely specific info and I've never seen MW credited to anyone but Nakano.

Can't listen to the preview. Of course not, what was I expecting.
But wow, you don't seem to agree if her English at the beginning sounds bad or good. I'm excited... and also a little bit scared.

It's really nothing special.

Damn, why y'all dragging Winter diary? I really have no idea what you expected LMAO

It does sound a bit generic, but it's an AYU WINTER BALLAD. I like it :D :D :D

Exactly! I think the song is cute and look forward to hearing more.

It's ok. It fits the feeling of this season.

I like when Ayu make a generic winter ballads, this merrily atmosphere didn't get me.

I stopped at "we can feel the love tonight"

yeaaaaaaah....?? lol

i dunno sometimes i just think people are way too technical on this forum. I think when you are in love with an artists music, you can always find something good in every song even if you dislike it. I could bash Colours till i drop dead and even though i find most of the songs really megh, SOMEHOW, throughout the times i still listened to them i found at least one thing in every song that i actually like. Sometimes i think you need to distance yourself from all the arrangement and lyrics stuff and just listen to the voice and melody. I'm pretty sure there's something special in every song she makes, even if it's not obvious from the first time. Yes her stuff is nothing musicaly special anymore, nor is it groundbreaking with impact or strong impressions, it's safe, with ocasional adventure here and there, but isn't that what HOME is supposed to be? :) I don't know...it's just ho0w it all makes me feel. And people will have their own opinions yes and that's fine, it just kind of makes me sad lol

well..you won't know anything about the song if you stop on that part...which is kinda sad...as a fan..you still need to be open minded about the stuff that she release...even myself that don't like TK stuff...still gave it a try..and it's not that bad...it's OK song

This song makes all the TK compositions on Love songs sound like masterpieces. Lol.

TK needs to take his ass back to the slammer.

A sappy, uninspired, generic ballad for this release. Not surprised! TK usually provides better material. Hopefully this song stays just for this release and isn't featured on her next album.

What would make Ayu fans happy? A time machine back to 2002. :P

Not songs that sound like 2002 Ayu (because they would then complain that she's recycling) but an actual time machine to take them back to her hey-day, lol.

Guys. Come on. It's a Xmas song and you complain about the quality etc...?
I repeat it's a Xmas song ←
Do not try to listen it as a "ballad song" etc. It fits Xmas season.
For sure I do not think I'll listen to it during other period of the year lol but come on...

I think you've hit the nail on the head lol.

Or maybe, you know? Some music that's actually good?

^"good" is subjective.

Oh, wow! I'm actually really liking the sound of "Winter diary", so far. :) I'm not the biggest fan of holiday/winter-ish songs in general (I much prefer summer inspired songs, though :P) but what makes me like the sound of this song, however...is the cheery/upbeat feel it has to it, during the chorus. :heart I'm totally looking forward to hearing the song, in full!

I also love when ayu sings "we can feel the love tonight". Makes me wanna listen to "Feel the love", again! :laugh I still love that song way too much. :heart

I like it too. I think it's got a bit of the old Ayu sound to it. I'm usually very cautious when it comes to ballads; I'm not crazy about them, but Ayu's got some really great ones and I can't wait to hear the whole song.

Also the cover art is gorgeous!

Preview snippet of the classical take of Step by Step should be uploaded later today , judging from the poll results that's still ongoing

https://twitter.com/ayu_19980408/sta...40879082139649

I'm surprised many people like Step by Step as I'm not really a big fan of it . Maybe the classical take will change my opinion on the song , like what happened to You & Me

I like the classical take of You & Me but didn't cared much for the original take

^Same with me, the classical version of You & Me is such an improvement imo.
I wish WARNING were winning the poll, but Step by step should be interesting.

why step by step?? who voting for it? Seems japanese fans like it a lot

Japanese love cute songs.

I think it's more like they love songs with "uplifting" lyrics. Like "hey don't give up", "hey ne yourself" etc lol

Not really feeling the new song atm but I'm still excited to hear the new classical versions!

Step by Step grow much on me. It´s my new get happy again when I am in bad mood song^^
But I also whould prefer WARNING because I am so damn curious how it will be.

I love the You & me classical version. Damn, I want to hear No Future or one of the rockish stuff but who knows, maybe we'll be surprised.

edm generic dated sounds are what's majority love.

When I read your post, It reminded me what I often think : listen to a song with your heart and not with your head.

XD :roflmao


I really like the preview of winter diary. I wasn't expecting to get a christmas song. That's quite unusual in Ayu's dicsography. Especially a heartwarming winter song. I can't wait to have the full song. ♥

Idgi, is it not possible to like an artist but think that one of her songs sucks?

For me it's not an impossible thing but seems that some can't handle criticism and once you bash an artiste's song = you're dead meat

Most artistes I support , there're bound to be songs that I do not like in their discography

And the part I cannot accept is if the song's really bad , some still insist it's good no matter what :x

of course, it's not impossible. There are Ayu's songs or even others artists songs that I dislike or like less than others. But sometime when I'm reading articles or comments (not specially here on AHS), I feel like the person is just nitpicking so much that even before to click on play button he/she thinks :" What will I dislike in this song?" At that moment, I like to remember myself to listen to a song with my heart and not only with my head. Because I know that I can be extremely picky sometime. It's not a disaster if the melody is similar to another one because the singer or the musician has his/her own personnality and his/her way of singing/playing is different from the other. It's why the song can have another color!

^ its like the good stuff diverses always an ok and the bad stuff is sooo bad, it can go for war itself. thats how people talk about ayu, i think and it is so ridicolous

I don't understand. Did you consider those people might... actually enjoy those songs? Just because you don't like something doesn't mean no one else can? For someone else that "bad song" is a good song, you can't really argue about that :P It's someone else's taste in music, there's nothing for you to "accept" about that?

I didn't like what I heard from the preview at first. But after some listens, i kinda learned to appreciate it. I think that particular part on the chorus is genius, making a connection/throwback to some of Summer Diary's melody too. I'm going to love this song probably but not as much as her previous releases this year

I'm too distracted by the fact that I hear Wham!'s Last Christmas creeping in through the instrumentation in the beginning to focus on anything else.

I am so sick of her work with TK and Nakano. Ayu sure knows how to beat a dead horse.

After giving this preview few listenings i confirm what i said earlier. I like the song. It's light, airy, would be nice if she performed it on tv.

"Good" or "bad" is completely subjective, and among so many people it's bound to have very diverging opinions. Sometimes one may think a song is total garbage and someone else honestly think it's amazing (and they may just as well be puzzled by the fact that some people are still insisting the song is bad no matter what). We just have to accept that different opinions do happen, even on the most extreme cases.

Opinions are just that, opinions. They're not facts... Just because one may think a song is the best or worst song in the world, it doesn't really make it the best or worst song in the world.

This is so true. Sometimes some people seem to hate on the song before even listening to it, and you if go listen a song with such feelings chances are you are going to dislike it no matter what, because it's like you're listening to it with the sole intention of finding flaws...

I don't hate it. I don't like it. It's pleasant enough for me to enjoy during the holidays. What's irritating to me though is that it's coming out sooo late into the season that you're not really given enough time to appreciate it.

I apologise for using the wrong words in my earlier post . I know that music is subjective in that what I like , others might not & vice versa

It's like what's happening for the preview of Winter diary . On 1 side , there're considerable a lot of people that dislike it but on the other hand there're some who adores it

Is there any wrong with it ? No because everyone's entitled to his/her opinion . It's wrong when people pick on other people's opinions then that becomes a problem

^ I agree, picking on others opinions is a problem. Some people like it, some people don't... I always find it so awkward when someone goes like "how could you say it's bad, it's amazing" or vice-versa (and then it becomes a pointless argument about who's opinion is "right"), do they really expect to convert the person into liking/disliking it?