At the end of the day, nobody can match the "Ayu-factor" or the impact with her music that she used to have (more frequently than she does now). Ayu is just my favorite artist ever. She has it all and I want her to be the one to provide me with good music but I can't fool myself into thinking that everything is ok when it's not.

But if it's like that for you now so just keep listening to the things of ayu you like and if you like something new from time to time then great.
=)

She released two singles in a row, it's expected. Only die-hard Ayu fans would buy more than one version of each or even buy both singles, esp since they are so costly. Casual listeners wld choose between the two or just go for the download.

I've been a fan since YOU came out but L will be the first single I've bought since Bold & Delicious. Simply because I couldn't afford it anymore.

When it comes to ayu sales. People saying crossroad sold more because it was a better song make me wonder more about it...
I honestly do not think the actually quality of the songs are what's affecting her sales here. crossroad was just released a week ago. Had much more promotion (including lives) while L has very little, etc....
I'm happy she's number 1... But I don't like these sales too much. But being realistic I really can't be upset.
There are just more factors to the sales of ayus releases than pure song quality imo :)

*sigh* @all.night.raver : when u use terms like "we" and say things like "you can't say this is as impacting as this" its kind of ridiculous I must say...You do not determine whether something is more impacting than another for anyone else. Didn't u ever learn in science or a sort of social studies course that people do not think alike. We are all known as "different". If u don't like ayus quality of music then you don't like it. But if someone else does they are not crazy for thinking so.
I can say that u mentioning Ladies Night as one of her best album tracks is something I wholeheartedly disagree with. But I'm not going to tell you that you can't think that way as its natural
Have fun finding another jpop artists. U are certainly not the first and unfornately not the last. Staying in such a somber state about ayu does no good imo.

I hope it doesnt have such a big drop tomorrow... I hope for at least 20k!!

Maybe u should just live ur life a little more and get out of the "ayu fandom bubble"... maybe nobody told u that, but she is not releasing music to please you... What is natural considering she doesn't even know u exist ^^

I agree with this in all honesty but I still wanted the 50th to trump the previous singles' sales like crossroad did... oh well. Not like we didn't already know before but she's pretty much got the record now so I'm good. Just hope the drops aren't big and they can keep steady, she can still beat crossroad's sales just have to wait and see. :P

i agree with you. i think the "we" thing was kind of weird. "we" don't all think the same way. there are very few people i've seen that were actually disappointed in this single, so him acting like "we all" are disappointed in it and it didn't live up to the hype was even more weird lol.

By 'we' I meant everyone on AHS obsessing over another "single-lettered" maxi-single for the longest time, not that 'we' do not like this single...
:thud

Lol.

I agree with you too, I wanted L to do really well. I liked the preview of Virgin Road, and the full song is honestly just good at best for me. Sweet Season is very fillerish, and Last angel is different but I like it.

I'm not disappointed with this single because it's not like all the songs are flat out horrible. I too just had my hopes high, especially after following crossroad, that I would be blown away. Instead, I'm sitting here listening to crossroad on repeat and pretty much ignoring L even came out.

oh okay :P thanks for clearing that up.
for the sales, i was actually really pleased with them because i expected a lot lower since she just released crossroad last week. i was guessing it'd be like 25k first day.

Glad that was cleared up lol, keep it civil guys. :P

Yeah, I pretty much feel the exact same way on all those things lol. There's a reasonable chance VR and SS may grow on me more but for right now, the crossroad single has most (if not all) of my attention.

I wish they had promoted the single more~ but anyway im glad it still got #1. I really like the songs on the single, and i just had to buy it cause well its her 50th single. (: With that said, i will just enjoy this single and be happy. Hopefully the songs will be loved soon by those who arent feeling them :3

Its sad how L didnt get any tv perfromances.... :( i really would have loved to see it live, but then again Ayu is preparing for her 7 day tour, which will be amazing :)
and that in itself will not only help L sales, but it will help have more stable L sales for its second week as well IMO.
I think in general what happened is Ayu management team took a bigger bite than they could chew. Having the singles one week after another was hard enough, but having a 7 day tour the same week as the second single comes out, resulted in them not being able to fully focus on one of the singles, like if perhaps L was coming out next month, then all their attention and advertising would be focused on Crossroad and then L would also get full attention in its own respective month.
I still kinda dont see the connection the three singles had, that we were promised, but honestly im just enjoying the beautiful music, and VR amazing PV
:)

Well from the beginning I've already predicted L's sales would not be a rocket sky one, since the multi-A hype mostly grabs hardcore fans' attention, not causal listener. Of course I hope that it will have more than 90K on the first week, but if the sales is between 65 - 75K, I think it's quite good as well.

no no nothing wrong with you previous set. I just didn't who that girl was (now I know she is called ICONIO :P).

Just stop listening to her... please. You haven't really liked her stuff for a while so get over it lol.

This~ :o.

Maybe the promotion is on a budget, and/or maybe Avex is trying to put their guts when they're in a "conservative" mode right now...

Yep, i'm thinking that too, but for a single project, the sales are great, not a lot of fans can buy 2 singles in two weeks (well, the hardcore fans could buy all the versions, but they are not rich).
And well, all the promo was for crossroad, and not for L. Probably ayu needs put more male singers in her PVs for better sales then.
I hope good sales tomorrow!!!!!

Let's see (in proper ranking):

NEXT LEVEL:
:luv2 = Days, Sparkle (Pieces of Seven, Bridge to the Sky, Load of the SHUGYO)
:yes = EnergiZe, identity, RULE, GREEN

Rock'n'Roll Circus:
:luv2 = Microphone, Sunrise
:yes = RED LINE, BALLAD, Last Links, count down

2010:
:luv2 = blossom
:yes = crossroad, Last Angel, Sweet Season

It's not that I dislike Ayu, it's just that there are not as many "OMG I LOVE THIS TRACK - AYU YOU ARE THE BOMB, YOU MAKE ME FEEL SO ALIVE! THANK YOU!" tracks compared to ealier times. A lot of the recent stuff are growers for me. For me it used to be love, after love, after love.

^ honestly LOL if you makes you feel better i think you make perfectly legitimate points
what you say is probably why some of the japanese public isn't gogogaga for her now

i sometimes think it too- if her songs aren't all as classic as JEWEL and whatnot would i just sort of fall back from my fandom? well i wouldn't now cause MOON was the bomb diggty and i can't waaait for the album

it's wierd to think but her single will most likely keep decreasing until she sells like seiko matsuda and becomes just a veteren of the music industry
sigh a sad thought

but i liked the singles =] wish L had sold more, but at least after this single if her sales drop like mad she'll leave the scene with one hefty record!