But wasn't that the period where Ayu was like..

'If I'm going out, I'm gonna do it with a bang' period?

aka the 'Avex is shutting me down so I'm gonna do everything I can' era. xD

Avex had no intention of "shutting her down" as far as I know. I mean why get rid of their biggest seller? She was contemplating quitting though. And even so, it still doesn't change the fact that she was pushing out releases left and right all throughout the year of '01 as well as quite a bit in '00. In 2000 she released 7 singles, 1 original album, and 6 remix albums. Or even look at '99 - she released 2 original albums, 1 remix album, and 6 regular singles + one 4A side single.

While the overall quality of songs released by Ayumi within that hectic few year period would trump anything Koda's released (imo), there is no one here that should be criticizing Koda based on the pace she has been releasing things lately unless they are willing to say the same about how Ayu has released things in the past.

I thought she believed A BEST was a premature end to her career, as Max forced the album onto her. So she protested by singing a few of the songs over again. [during which time, they had her go up against Hikki as well as her own decision to appear on 20+++ +++ +++ magazines that month..]

I should rewatch that interview~ <3

Maybe it's cause its so expensive nowadays and there isn't as much 'value' associated with the material released? Most of ayu's singles back then were 1hr+~ Oh well. :\

I think it was more that at that time she was feeling like she had no control since it was decided that A Best would be released without her consent, thus she sang the songs again to excersize some form of control. But there is no way Avex wanted that to be all for her - business wise it just doesn't make sense to get rid of your top earner. But I think the situation disgusted her so much that she was thinking about leaving anyways.

Just for the heck of it.. lets do a comparison
AYUMI HAMASAKI
1998
5 X singles

1999
7 X singles (1 was a 4-Aside, and 2 were re-cut from LOVEppears)
2 X studio albums
1 X video clip dvd
1 X remix album
She also appeared on the single LOVE ~Dakiatte~ by TSUNKU :P

2000
8 X singles (2 were re-cut from Duty, one was a limited edition remix single)
1 X studio album
4 X video clip dvd
5 X remix albums
2 X concert dvds

2001
24 X singles (9 limited edition, 8 re-releases, 1 duet with Keiko)
1 X best album
4 X remix albums
2 X video clip dvd
2 X concert dvds

2002
4 X singles (1 recut, 1 3A-side)
2 X studio albums
3 X remix albums
1 X video clip dvd
1 X short film
NB: H was re-released, but I didn't include it as a seperate single even though some people do.

2003
3 X singles (1 3A-side)
1 X mini album
1 X compilation album
3 X remix albums
4 X concert dvd (2 were only available in complete live box a)
1 X dvd audio album

2004
3 X singles
1 X studio album
1 X video clip dvd set (3 DVD discs in total)
2 X concert dvd
NB: CAROLS was also released as a DVD-audio single

2005
4 X singles
1 X remix album
2 X concert dvd
1 X dvd audio album

2006
2 X singles (1 will be released this month.. so i'm including it.. lol)
1 X studio album
1 X concert dvd

KODA KUMI
2000
1 X single

2001
3 X singles (1 duet with BoA)

2002
4 X singles
1 X studio album

2003
3 X singles
1 X studio album
1 X video clip dvd

2004
4 X singles
1 X studio album
2 X video clip dvd

2005
9 X singles
1 X studio album
1 X best album
1 X concert dvd

2006
10 X singles (1 4A-side to be released soon)
1 X album (whether it's a best or a studio or a compilation album is debatable)

w00!!

It's quite smart of avex to do this right after her best selling year, they took the chance when they had it and did earn a lot from it.

Ayu should get a single with 4 a-sides and some drama/movie tie ins <3

Then she might get a million seller AGAIN :> :>

Thanks~~~!!

Somehow I doubt that a 4Aside from even Ayumi could sell 1 million these days. & was a triple A side and it sold 591,000 copies :( and her sales back then were better than they are now. I'd say she'd be able to sell 400,000 though if a 4Aside were released.

However.. if the tracklist for a 4A-side was something like this...

CD
1. BLUE BIRD
2. Beautiful Fighters
3. NEW SONG
4. NEW SONG 2
5. Ladies Night~another night~
6. Startin' (remix)
7. BLUE BIRD (remix)
8. Beautiful Fighters (remix)
9. NEW SONG (acoustic version)
10. NEW SONG 2 (remix)
11. BLUE BIRD -instrumental-
12. Beautiful Fighers -instrumental-
13. NEW SONG -instrumental-
14. NEW SONG -instrumental-
BONUS TRACK
15. Theme of A-nation '06

DVD
1. BLUE BIRD PV
2. Beautiful Fighters PV
3. NEW SONG PV
4. NEW SONG 2 PV
5. Theme of A-nation '06 performance

Then... 1 million copies for sure!! :D

I'm really missing her 10+ track singles now..

Even with a quadriple A-side I doubt it will sell over 500K. 400K maybe...but million....it just doesn't happen to singles anymore (JE exception).

I'm not. Most of the remixes weren't that great in my opinion.

Atleast there was more work put down behind what you spent your money on back then, heh. Well, I'm lucky, I guess, as I love many of the remixes on the singles.

her singles nowadays feature 2 songs and her PVs. seriously. her 10 tracks singles previously is more worthy than her singles now. she can release all her PVs at the end of the year when she release her album in a CD + DVD package. i think its better than releasing every single with a DVD and then include the PVs in the DVD for the album again.

I don't really believe she was thinking of ending her carreer after A BEST. I mean, she said that in the NTV special but it can't be true at all. Her sales were 40% of the AVEX profit, if she quitted, AVEX would go out of business. No way her contract would let her go, AVEX isn't so dumb...

IMHO, compared with most singles, Ayu's singles have a LOT of value.

[about & not selling it lot.. it had crap tie-ins and probably not as much promotion as we'd have liked.. :/ Tie-ins can SELL A LOOOT. Especially if Ayu's involved with whatever she's tied into and if its GOOD. NOBUTA NO PRODUCE OMG /DIES] Perhaps a NANA tie-in.. :>

Well that's basically what I was saying, of course Avex wouldn't want her to quit. But that doesn't mean that she herself didn't have thoughts of quitting at the time.

I remember she wanted to quit.. I mean imagine a company having you be their #1 star, and then they force you to do this sort of 'farewell' BEST album [which I'm sure is what a BEST represents to Ayu]... I'd so quit right then and there. I guess Ayu stayed for the fans though.. I mean, she's been through so much and yet she still goes on!

[Imagine if your hearing became an issue during a career as a singer.. how hard would that be?! O_O]

I don't think it was just for the fans though. As ayufan stated above, if she had up and left the company at that time they most likely would have gone out of business. So she probably felt a bit locked into the situation because of that.

Oh, I guess I meant all those times where she was going to quit [outside of the context of the avex 40% profit thingie], the fans were what kept her going.

　"　(S) Weren't you afraid of releasing the best album?
　　(A) I was afraid. A best album is, you know. both a starting and an ending. It may happen that the career ends there. Well, something about it. " --from an interview that masa translated

I think people no longer see BEST albums as 'ends' like Ayu has once said.. perhaps though, she still believes that they represent what she believes them to be.. an end. So she probably won't release any more until her actual end.

hello ~~everyone no worries kumi just will popular like a short period and i guess no one can beat Ayu. even thoug Ayu is not No.1 but i dont think kumi will popular like over 5 year??? I guess the max is 2 year? or 1.5 year