When I first started listening to Ayu, I knew I liked her but I didn't think anything much more of her than a typical artist until I heard Dolls. It's so atmospheric, so beautifully constructed, the music alone is outstanding only then to be topped by her vocals and the lyrics and the emotions. It's a brew damn near to perfection as I feel she's ever gotten with a song. I heard that song and wanted to send her an apology fan letter for not having listened to it sooner.

Wait. Do people here not like it? O.O

A lot of the album tracks on RAINBOW don't get much attention. It isn't so much that people don't like it but ... they just don't really make note of it?

And I think MY ALL is another one of those 'nice' tracks that people may gravitate to because they're rather generic. She doesn't have too many ballads like that but it's often the upbeat ones that tend to be a little on the 'safe' side but there's like "Ayu safe" and "Jpop safe".

Omg, I am fucking heartbroken.

So a few weeks back I posted about this drag night that is all about Ayu. Today I sat down to pencil in all the shows I want to go to in the coming months, and I decided to research that one to see if tickets available. And I found this event at the same place that is like a celebration of all things avex. Apparently it had two rooms; one was all avex artist original tracks - the other, all the HyperTechno/Eurobeat/Cyber Trance mixes!



Literally happened 3 days ago. Crushed.

Apparently the last one was in March and this was the 13th incarnation. I'll have to catch the next one!

Anyone ever seen this video of Ayu and Timmy singing MOON acapella? Wonder where it's from.

https://twitter.com/twitter/statuses/913944035840028672

(2015.09.28) LIMITED TA LIVE TOUR 2015 - LINE LIVE CAST
http://ahsforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=122132

UGH, I loved that hair so freaking much. She looked so youthful and beautiful.

Omg her hair!
She looks so good with very dark hair

I think people don’t really take much more of RAINBOW in general, though I’ve heard appreciation for Dolls it doesn’t happen very often. At all.
I wonder if RAINBOW is just in I am’s shadow or if it’s due to some other reason that it didn’t quite resonate with fans. I DO know that at the time of release it was a 180 from the rock sound that Ayu was cultivating and that she was accused of selling out due to the English lyrics -but western fans wouldn’t really feel that the same way.

It’s so odd because Memorial Address has a very positive reception and it came right after RAINBOW, sharing a mix of genres but blatant pop like Angel’s Song and Grateful Days.

I love RAINBOW.
It's by far my favourite album of her. Always was. And I prefer the album tracks over the singles.
The only track I can't stand is Close to you. Too generic for my taste (compared to Days it's alright though - I hate Days with a passion, lol).

But I'm just a moderate Ayu fan and my taste is definitely very different compared to most Ayu fans here.

Close to you is my christmas song.

that video is adorable!

I love Rainbow, but I do feel like it can get lost in her discography for some people.

The album has a certain etherealness and ambiance that none of her other albums have. I remember at the time what a contrast it was coming from I Am... not just in terms of overall sound, but also the change in her voice. This was really the start of her deeper voice, and I remember thinking how hoarse she sounded compared to I Am....

RAINBOW was Ayu probably at her most experimental during her composing days. Also the beginning of her using English in works for more than just a single loan word or something.

As for why it gets forgotten in the fandom, it could be due to it being sandwiched between two rather great works that are more concentrated in Ayu flavor that the 'ethereal' nature is hard to digest as easily.

RAINBOW is one of my favorite Ayu albums.

It's just so atmospheric, unlike the rest of her discography. It might not have as many highlights as Duty or (miss)understood, but as a body of work, it's near perfect to me.

RAINBOW is one of my all time favorite albums, I just love it.

WE WISH is that bop though

I also really love RAINBOW. It's just so ethereal and unique.

Yes!
I think part of the reason why I love the album is because of how hyped I was at the WE WISH cm and the moment I got to hear it in full is just very vivid in my mind.

I'm a big fan of RAINBOW as well, these days I played the album in my new speakers and was amazed at how full everything sounds. And it feels so timeless, it didn't age bad at all. Plus the shooting is SO inonic and pretty :heart

itsuka no merry christmas live she did with gackt gives me life

Whole (miss)understood album is my christmas album. I remember listening to it for the first time, the christmas tree, the snow. It was perfection. I miss those days.

RAINBOW is my favorite album. I didn't give it a lot of attention for a few years but once I got my hands on a copy and listened from beginning to end, it was an experience. The beauty of Dolls is enough to make it Ayu's best album. I would love to see Ayu return to trying out ethereal and atmospheric songs like Dolls, Daybreak, RAINBOW, HANABI, ever free.:rainbow