....Dayuuuuum.
I hope they look better in high quality because right now, it looks so fake and fanmade :|

I think she should work with whoever did the photoshoot for Secret.
To this day, that's still my favorite photoshoot of all time :D

True, more people can tell what may look artistically better than other people, but at the same time, everyone has their own opinion. Some people DO think these covers (and the "STEP you" ones) are actually good, and there's nothing wrong with that. It's their opinion, and we shouldn't bash or negatively call them out for it.

True, this photographer has never given us the best of photoshoots, but he keeps returning, which means Ayu likes something about him and / or his photos.

Now these backgrounds are amazing, they are way better overall as well because the focus goes away from miss Ayupan to the beautiful background, such a background would have been possible on bali without problems, ayu showed us herself in her ta photos, i wish she would have done something like this

Seriously, I prefer that pic over the new covers 1000000x. Its at least interesting and unique

Kettle not know what that phrase means? :innocent

I dunno, if people don't agree with what you have to say, you'll have to deal with it. Pulling the "Well, it's just my opinion!" thing NEVER works (and I should know) and I think it's almost always going to end up being this infinite loop of "BUT IT SUCKS" / "BUT IT DOESN'T SUCK THAT MUCH" until someone compromises, haha.

You're the pot.

It's annoying to me how people are all "Raelian's [sorry.] edits are so good!".

Trust me, if those were the actual covers, there'd be just as much complaining about how fake the backgrounds look. Just accept that the covers are the way that they are and move on, yo.

Ayumi Hamasaki is ridiculous. Absolutely going off the deep-end to actually think that these covers look decent. They are so cheesy, tacky, and looks like it was done as a photoshop project for an 8th grade class. I'm so dissapointed. Overall so far this single sucks to me. Yes harsh words but what is going on? I strongly dislike Sunrise because it sounds like a kiddie show theme song and it just sounds poorly done. It disgusts me. And now these covers? I've lost all hope for this single......

Leslie Kee is truly fantastic! He is very unique!

I love you Ayu, but seriously what is up with the past few covers...If it's not an up close (Way too photoshopped) shot of your face looking pretty; doing the pouty lip thing, showing us armpit, getting attacked by tacky butterflies and pink roses (Rule,Mirrorcle World, Days/GREEN) it's now a full body shot of you doing the pouty lip thing, looking pretty etc. The covers have been lacking the meaning, the freedom and the creativity of your old covers...
This to me feels like a summer single...

^ Yeah at least she smiled... and had natural background. : /

She looks sad.... not really happy :( ... well AYU is AYU i love her and therefore... i love the cover!!

But.. if she'd been another singer i'd say that cover sucks lol

it's not the perfect cover, but c'mon it's not THAT bad x_x
and remember, you'll listen to the songs, not the cover
and most of people complaning i'm sure wouln't buy the single even if they like the cover, so just change them in your iTunes, and voilá.

at least, she hasn't this face.

There's some emotion when you make her emote.. I guess.
http://img268.imageshack.us/img268/8486/worksbetter.png
Seaweed brows ftw!

http://img268.imageshack.us/img268/3781/avcd31718.jpg
And woo, blackmage. Faceless Ayu~

you should do a smiley face version too..
just to give it a more summer feel to it :D

You found it! The original computer image body before they put Ayus face on! ;) :D

:laugh I use the exact same fanmade cover on my iPod.
:hi5

I really dunno why it can be annoying :no
People can have their own opinion right?

At least in those covers ayu is better inserted in the scenery... I mean in term of colors.
In the real covers there is e REAL problem with colors -based on the very LQ pics- (it may change later, but based on the TA screenshot the whole is even more saturated).
I mean ayu is entirely brownish and the backdrop is light green/red/blue. Brown doesn't melt well with those kind of colors... If ayu wasn't just in one plain color it could have worked. But here she doesn't fit the background at all which gives us the impression of montage...
I hope the "real" covers won't have this problem.

Sorry for my crappy english, I always try my best I swear :headache


edit: I think we could make a ,ew thread with all those modificated covers, funny or serious!

It's even more annoying when people pull "but iz juzt my opinyun" on me. It's like, fight back with proof if you feel that strongly, yo.

With that said: Awesome!ayu.
http://img60.imageshack.us/img60/8601/heyguys1.pnghttp://img268.imageshack.us/img268/2350/heyguys.png

Damn I was about to do those exact ones. Would rather have a poster of them.

^Love that face

I don't think 'fight back" is the right word choice (actually quite immature, is this a fight or a perfectly fine disagreement) but even when people like myself give reasons why we don't like it that gets beat to the ground. I do recall many people telling me I needed to get "my eyes checked" "get eye surgery" and to "take my sunglasses off" when I gave a perfectly valid argument about why I didn't like them.
It almost sounds like your saying you want people to fight about liking them or not liking them you know? You can't agree to disagree.

Whats there to fight about? Those are just pictures that are far from looking amazing.

hmm, not bad but not great? Maybe it'll grow on me like NEXT LEVEL :D

I like.

Ayu should totally have chosen those covers over the real ones.

Since this thread is moving so fast and will probably hit page 25+ while I'm gone, I will be making the 5th thread. Avoid posting there until this hits 500, please.

Sorry if it seems like I'm rushing it or whatever, but this thread grew from nothing to 500 posts in like two days.

just the way I feel about this, theres nothing special about what she pulls off with Sunrise ~LOVE is ALL~ and the covers of it(not judging sunset, to make that clear) doesnt have the "ayu" feel to me, NEXT LEVEL already lost that feeling in most songs, but the compositions and lyrics still were great, so that was okay to me, but Sunrise just screams GENERIC to me, same goes for the cover, the cover is made to be sold in america, maybe the rumours ARE true o.0(kidding xD)(but on the other hand...she releases dejideji in english it seems...

I don't think it'll kill you to wait a few more hours anthy for the new thread.


And why are we fighting? I think everyone, INCLUDING the people who "like" the covers know they're awful.

@Kilyk: yeah I agree...I just hope Japan doesnt...so maybe she'll have some decent sales...and the single won't do a 3 SPLASH.


(Sorry to bring Koda into it)

So does everyone think the single will still get number 1? What's her competition?

:innocent :D

:P

I'm happy that she looks less diva-ish (hair not over done) so that is a step in the right direction. A non studio background was also what I was hoping for, however, not so fakely done. Maybe a shoot on the beach would have gone with the outfit colours. I prefer her mobile phone shot from her diary!

I also wish she would stop looking at the camera so much. A new pose and facial expression would be nice, like the angles of SURREAL and CAROLS...

People are fighting each other over their own opinions about the cover?

I think Japan will probably just eat up this single~

TH. What do 2ch think of the covers.

That's a GORGEOUS cover. She looks stunning, and with a new facial expression; I really disliked her "mouth slightly open and baring fangs" one.

She looks like a tan goddess ^^

This cover is beautiful and Ayu looks pretty even with tons of make-up on her there. Sunrise/Sunset can't be compared, but yeah, that's just my opinion...

I agree.. I like that cover :/ so much better than sunrise/sunset... -_-

People wanted some sun:
Sunrise CD
http://img140.imageshack.us/img140/1...nriseapr26.jpg
Sunset CD+DVD
http://img249.imageshack.us/img249/3002/sunrise2.jpg

*The little cuttie hearts are for the LOVE is ALL part

I really don't understand the point of those ridiculous fan-made covers @.@ If you have so much time in your life to spend on bashing...

Anyway, I think this single might chart better than Days / GREEN?

^It is not bashing at all... If we just can't play a bit -_-"

At least it makes people realize that Shimokoko's cover aren't that bad (or not) ;) .

the fan made covers are great...because they're hilarious.

I was thinking of making a thread for them "Post your fanmade Sunrise/Sunset Covers"...


but I don't know...people might think I'm being a ***** by just assuming that everyone hates the covers.

+ like 1000 other people.

I ment the photoshop job on it, guess I wasn't clear. (That post is why I should not post or be on AHS at almost 1 am lol) Post fixed.
That fan made cover is so much better. Wasn't that posted in the Hikki thread a while back?

That's just awesome. :laugh no but I seriously like those better than the actual covers.

ZOMG DE DRAMA.

Please guys ;_;

yeah she's ayu :)

i think it will too. it has an upbeat song which Japan usually loves and a ballad which they ALWAYS eat up. if not then maybe just a little under Days/GREEN. i'm pretty positive it'll have good sales, but we'll see :yes

I refuse to believe those are the covers. Nope. Not the covers. Ayu would not do this. This is a cruel joke.

These covers are not good but not really bad.
Ayu is pretty, its just the atmosphere "fanmade" who is ridiculous!

Personnally, these cover are much better than Days/GREEN and her "Barbie Plastic" atmosphere!

I feel indifferent about the covers. I like the CD+DVD cover more. Her body looks slamming though!

Oh my....why are people laying so much energy into bashing Ayumi senseless?
Don't like it, don't buy it...or waste time in photoshop/paint making her look ridiculous. That is just flat out childish.

Ayu is too awesome. She can make crappy covers if she wants, because her music is worth buying anyway.

:D

Not always. I think Sunrise is an awful track.

Anyway jumping on the faek cover bandwagon;

http://i28.tinypic.com/mh3tc7.png

And then let the bashing commence? Yeah. It's still childish though.
She's got the right to do whatever she wants anyway. It's her music.

Im not trying to start bashing in any shape or form. Its her music and my prerogative not to buy it if I dont like it.

Also good time to mention my blog over at ThoughtoftheDay.co.nr has my uncensored opinions on the cover.

^
^
That is quite nice actually! I really want her to do different cover, one for Sunrise and one for Sunset. I think that's gonna be cool.

Then sorry for mentioning bashing. :)
I just find it really strange too find "Look at how much better I AM with photoshop than those whack-ass apes who did the real cover"-ism in a fan forum; I think of this as a place for support and cheers. I think the negativity is unbearable over...a cover.

Sorry for the heat, but this is just one of the things about AHS that I can't stand.

I hate the "If you don't like it don't buy it" remarks. :no Had we said we won't buy it because we don't like the covers (I personally think thats ridiculous) we would have been bashed then. Whether I like the covers or not I will buy it, but the covers do still matter in making the "whole" experience, especially when Ayu is one of the top artists when it comes to her covers. And I can't stand when anyone doesn't like a cover they are immediatly put in the "immature, you can't be a real Ayu fan category" Most of us who don't like it are giving valid reasons why. AHS is a place to discuss, not 100% praise, we all love Ayu, just maybe not everything she does, and thats ok. it doesn't make anyone any less of a fan.

Agreed 1000000%.
I wish some ppl would stfu.

yeah sorry this was a few pages back but i just had to comment.

real fans have an opinion. not stans. I don't like these covers. and no I am a fan just because I don't like some of her songs, and I don't like some over her single/album covers. if anything you're the one who believes we must like these covers. none of us have to like anything she does if we don't want to. She's done much much better single covers. and excuse us if we don't happen to like something she does. so what if a couple of us blow it out of proportion a little? so what if some of us hate the covers?

We either have an opinion about something as indifferent or extreme as it may be. or we go like the story of michael jackson and become such die hard fans that support absolutely everything she does that we commit suicide when she dies.

I had a good laugh. mostly, I'm of the same opinion about ayu's current development.

I just listened to LOVEppears again. geez, almost every song is instant win. now listen to NEXT LEVEL. duh.

Holy crap I just saw the 'you are just an embarrassment to the true fans' line. What a complete biased moron.

Is this REALLY the official covers? Where did you find them?

^^People should check the first post. And if it's not there, it should be.

These are from TeamAyu. They were mysteriously taken down shortly after being posted. Not sure if this means anything, but they may not be the final product. It's only speculation at this point (but most likely, those are the covers).

they were only gone for a short period of time. they're back and very very likely the final cut.

STOP THE DRAMA

srsly guys, stop it.
They're just two covers and some people like them, some not.

We're not superficial or blind, we've just different opinions.

AHS sucks with arguings.

Your sig is win, by the way. Meant to say before

ayu has the right to do whatever the hell she wants with her songs.

Just like we have the right to say whatever we want about them.

Guys, don't tell me that blue thing in CD only cover is supposed to be a poll ?

WHY THE ***** THEY WENT TO BALI?

BTW, I don't buy CDs, but I believe that singles are supposed to have pretty covers, because for the love of God, when people want to buy smth they'll already have on album (in most of cases), they should at least have smth pretty to look at.

Oh well, I'm nervous right now, so I had to write this ****.

This This THIS.

The only good thing about these covers are the fact that you can see her ta-tas and sexy bawdee. Otherwise, the covers are just shiz. And lol, it's a summer single from her, of course it's going to suck like all her other summer songs.

Her career is seriously going to end within a year if she continues to put out this recycled garbage.

^yes, the pool ^^

why?! T.T I think everyone will soon be tired of complaining...:D

Oh? And do you think that she's going to continue to survive if she just continues to release songs that sound identical to each other? Sorry, that's not how the music business works. There's definitely been a decline in the amount of music she's selling. And why? It's because she's doing the same thing over and over. People are just getting tired of it. And so, her sales decline.

Maybe she should start following the ways of her idol Madonna and start reinventing herself and her music.

depends on ayu. she's making it easy these times. throwing the wrong fodder into the hungry masses.

I made my avatar an edited version of the DVD cover. I just covered her ears and added a fake sun. I think it looks decent IMO.

Maybe you misunderstood me. I did not say this single would directly end her career, but it won't help it. It's shaping up to be Glitter/fated part 2. The summery song, the overly photoshopped covers, Sunset rumored to be a ballad. Ya.

I also don't agree with the "if you don't buy it because of the cover, you are not a true fan" line of thought. It may seem like a shallow reason not to buy a single but, the cover IS part of the product you are buying. If covers truly didn't matter (as fans like to say), than no record company would even bother making them to begin with - they would just put the name of the artist and song on the front and thats it. Like it or not, covers do make a difference in the sales of a product. People aren't going to buy things that don't look appealing.

And btw - loved your blog post. Only I would take it a step further and say it began in the second half of 2006.

I think she needs to fire everyone and start over, new music video directors, composers, get the hell rid of peco and princess, god knows they're well in their seventies and ruin every live performance they sing with ayu.

oh no hopefully no Glitter/fated part 2 *shivers*

from what i read in the short lyrics of sunset it does sound like a love song
no matter what i will still support ayu
i said i wasn't going to buy the new single but i will:yes

Thankksss. Yes in retrospect it was late 2006 as Secret was the first album where she started experimenting with all the electronicy stuff

Ok this is becoming ridiculous... I've expressed my opinion that I did not like the covers.. But at the end of the day its my personal taste.. we all like different things! Nobody is going to convince someone else to like/dislike it.. We are on a FORUM.. It would be boring if we all agreed. People are going to have opinions... That is part of the fun! The best we can do is listen to each other and have conversations. I hate how some people have a superiority about them (on both sides) if you don't like something it does not mean its crap.. and if you like something it does not mean that everyone else will. Its all subjective...

Also if people don't like the cover and are freaking out.. its not because they don't like Ayumi but its because they are fans and want her to do well.. We are on an Ayumi Hamasaki fan forum!

Lets all calm down... Can't we all get along? haha


edit:
sorry if my post seems out of place.. I was reading another page where people were arguing.. I did not realize we were at page 24! lol

edit 2:
Oh my... page 25! hahaha

歌詞良いよねー、って思える曲です。何だかもっと人間らしくて、もっと素直な歌詞を
書いてみてくれた様な出来ですかね。話し言葉やら、独話かの様な雰囲気がします。

I really like the lyrics--. They seem kind of like someone thinking aloud to me. Not so polished as her usual lyrics. Kind of reveal a more human side. Even references to "We're not perfect because we're human, my dear//But that's what makes us lovable" (roughly). It's definitely a summertime kinda song to me.

^sounds like a love song

i agree with hot boy here :lech:yes

lets all be friends people :grouphug

^ yeah cause we can all speak perfect japanese right?

(refering to the post above mine)

wouldn't it be funny if this all was a joke :D


well it would...:eyebrow

is that supposed to be rude but whatever i wont bother

i recognize some words but maybe you can't

it looks great! :yes
and lol SO MUCH at people here. that is all i'm going to say

I just translated it really quickly while listening to the lyrics; there are bound to be errors and imprecise lines. Think of it as my interpretation in English rather than a verbatim translation (which is impossible in any case, if I may say).

Come a little closer... Try believing a little more...

I know there were tears glistening on your cheeks
Until just a moment ago, on that smiling face
That I love best when you're smiling innocently
I won't say it's easy to show me the real you
But I have confidence I can accept this side of you, too

Hey now, in a louder voice
I wanna present you with a bigger love
I wanna make it resound in your heart
Hey now, in a louder voice
If I shout for a bigger love
I wonder if it'll reach you just a little
The long way around is just right
Cause I know we can understand one another

I get the feeling I can more or less imagine what you wanna say
Just when I think I'm facing things, I'm running away
If I say I'm not afraid, honestly it's a lie, you see
<Next line is incomprehensible to me; can't make out what she's saying>
[I've prepared for whatever may come]

Come a little closer... Try believing a little more...

You can hear this shaky, wavering pulse of mine so
I want you to come a little closer, to try believing a little more
Listen carefully to your heart
Reassuring one another has come to an end
Because we know we feel the same way about each other

We're not perfect or anything
Because we're human, my dear
But that's just fine--I really think so
Those are the parts of us that make us lovable

Hey now, in a louder voice
I wanna present you with a bigger love
I wanna make it resound in your heart
Hey now, in a louder voice
I wanna shout for a bigger love
I wonder if you felt it just a little
It's just right if we take the long way around
I'm certain we can understand one another

________________________________

As I said, this is just a simple and quick translation. I cannot vouch for its accuracy depending on your view of how things should be translated. I tried to make it read more naturally in English, but I took some liberties. Tell me what you think. I really like this song. It makes me smile.

thanks for the translation. it's a bit more understandable to me now. i love these lines:

"We're not perfect or anything
Because we're human, my dear
But that's just fine--I really think so
Those are the parts of us that make us lovable"

and i remember she had that in her TA message not too long before the song came out. people were right in thinking they were lyrics :yes

Thanks for the translation!!!
I really love Ayu's lyrics. They are (in my opinion) always great!!!

Thank you! I really liked that part of the lyrics, too. It made me sit up and take notice more than any lyrics she has written in a while. I think it's an affirmation of her current feeling about life and things. It's a little more candid than some of the other songs she has released in that it is a little more accessible and closer to spoken words than polished lyrics.

From CDJapan:
Natsu barrado = summer ballad.

fated was a midtempo ballad when 'announced' so I think this should sound kind of like HANABI moreso than fated. To be honest, I don't see the problem in having a fun summer song like Sunrise and another ballad.. it pleases the people who like her upbeat stuff and/or the people who like her ballads!

I think it's a perfect set to have an up-tempo tune and a ballad if doing a double-A side single. People might get tired of such a pairing, but especially in the summer, one that celebrates the season and one that looks at the difficulty faced in love by people during the summer--in spite of how much fun they might be having--is a good thing, too. I dunno. I just enjoy what she releases much of the time. And her lyrics have supported me for 10 years, since around her LOVEppears days. ^-^/ I owe my current interests in languages in large part to her great lyrics.