why ayu doesn't want to go global
 

is there any reason why ayu never want to try to go outside Japan?

Her place is in Japan/Asia and if she would book giant concert halls in western countries, it would most probably turn out as the biggest flop ever?

Asian music for western standards is considered as "special interest" and would not make a profit elsewhere in the world.

There is no market for her outside of Japan. Or nowhere can afford her except hong kong, Taiwan or shanghai haha

I truthfully think there shouldn't be a reason why she can't perform anywhere else besides Asia. She has a huge fan base even though she may not be as popular as before. I'm quite sure if she was going to do a world tour, it would be sold out. I've been dying to see her for the past 11 years. I'd pay anything just to see her here in the states.

The moment she announces a tour date in the USA, I am so there! I would imagine that it would be hard to go global by just singing Japanese and I don't know if she is comfortable singing in English. And I'm sure a world tour for a performer like her would be expensive in terms of production.

I cant see her doing a HUGE tour but something like on the West coast of America or one or 2 locations in europe?
Some Asian acts have done it... I dont know why Ayumi hasnt done it?

she should NOT! because despite me wishing for this badly, her pronunciation of english, or rather her accent is too strong. Sometimes I cringe when she sings some english lines in her songs, it's just that unpleasant to me sometimes. :( However I don't see anything wrong with her performing a concert in the states. I am so there!

adding a question
why she isn't trying to sing in English?
she has the look to attract audience imo...

I love ayu to bits, but she could never make a global breakthrough
1. she is too old, and her fame is nothing like it used to be. If she was to go global, she had to do this a long time ago
2. Ayu doesn't play as much as sex as the rest of the world (rihanna, katy perry etc) and her lyrics require some more reflecting than "i kissed a girl and i liked it" type of music
3. People don't like music they don't understand unless its super repetitive.
4. Girls generation tried to go big in the US with ~The Boys Eng version~, performing at the late night show and everything. They failed - hard. Their music are a lot moremainstream and easier to like by the "typical radiolistner" than Ayu, yet they couldnt do it.
5. Ayu is too good for the global sellout marked.

She barely promotes as it is in a country where all the media/press is centered in the city she lives in. Can't see her making the effort to go global.

her accent is too thick.

I'd be okay with Ayu performing over here at two or more venues like BIGBANG or 2NE1.

But to actually try to make it in the market? Won't happen. Like TeamAyu said, her accent is far too thick to try to make a full-on English song for this market. BoA, GG, and Utada have all tried to make it with serious music, but have all failed to an extent. The only Asian artist who has made an impact was PSY, and that's because GANGNAM STYLE is catchy-fun stuff rather than serious.

Unless for few songs, Ayu's never been a pop music mainstream type. I mean, she's a pop singer but her songs always had a strong japanese touch on them.
And it may cannot appeal the western casual listener used to -insertfamoussingernamehere-.

I wouldn't mind a concert out of Asia, but I think it's hard for her to break into western music market.
Also, I couldn't handle another disappoinment after Utada's two english albums (except for gems like Exodus'04 and Kremlin Dusk of course).

Asian music is in general not really appealing to the western countries. Allthough Ayu's arrangements could be catchy, you won't see anyone singing along with her language. For the western public could that be pretty complicated. We all know by now that the guy with Gangnam Style did some pretty awesome job for becoming that popular over the world, but as a Western girl: we stick to the things we understand, even from that song. And when we are taking Gangnam Style as an example: it's a dancemove + "Eeeeeeeeeey sexy laddyyyy!" Ayu can try whatever she want, but she won't really gain anything by trying to promote herself in Western countries. Like I said before, her music is too complicated for the ears of a Western musiclover.

I always thought it was because Ayu no speaká de Englishu.
Like some people are saying about catchiness: as Gangnam style proves, no1curr about lyrics and just the beat. Ayu's music sounds nice, but it isn't catchy... well, maybe some songs are. But songs like Voyage would be destined flops in the North American music market I think.

^ if it was english I think she would have a good chance to be with the likes of madonna/celine/mariah

Mentioning Gangnam Style brings up an interesting point though. The west doesn't really care about Asians unless they fit into the stereotypes they're comfortable with. This article about Psy mentions a lot of this: http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/4329226.html. Basically, the west is only into Asian men if they're nerdy/funny/asexual/etc... I think the same goes for women. The west just doesn't accept it. :( Ayu would never find success overseas because no one would care honestly. Most people would take one listen and say it was weird and move on.

^ and I dont really understand the craze about this song anyways...
its not that good...
Yes I dance along to it in the car... but I roll my eyes if it comes on for a second time... and then the 3rd... and dont even get me started when it happens to play 4 times in my single car ride...
-.-

um i don't think she needs that...also i think it's good she doesn't do that
because ayu has CLASS and her PATH.

she has depth in her songs they never been just cathy empty bla bla joke things everyone is calling a good music in west world, it sells well but it gets forgotten very quickly, i don't see use in that. psy will be forgotten soon too after someting more stupid and ridiculous shows up. i really see no reason why she should try and give up her uniquness for getting attention in the western world..... she's alreadya legend in Japan.

I don't really feel like an English song by her would be successful just because she has a heavy accent and her style does not suit the current market. However, I agree with a lot of people saying that she should hold a few concerts abroad. I guarantee you that if she held a concert in California it would do great. :)

I think Ayaman Japan and their PV for "Poipoipoipoipoi" are BY FAR funnier and a lot more weird than any gangnam style. They deserve a worldwide breakthrough! >: D

is called FLOP.

Ayu wouldn't have to use anymore English in her music than she does already. She doesn't speak Chinese, but she had a big show in Taiwan that I'm sure many of us have watched.

She can do one big show in, say, the U.S. When I say "big," I mean as big as Madison Square Garden. There's enough of a fan base here for that, but not for more shows. L'arc~en~ciel did this, and I think it was pretty successful. Ayu will never break into mainstream Western music, but there are still a lot of Ayu fans who live outside of Asia who would definitely see her one big show in their country (me included).

KODA KUMI tryed USA... FAILED
UTADA HIKARU tryed USA... FAILED
& others...

and already AYUMI herself FAILED (in GERMANY) too... with every release of her 6 singles...

so.. why she had to risk everything?

She has no good reason to go global. There's maximum risk and little reward.

for ayu to go global will definitely compromise her legendary craft of music. i'd die if i hear ayu singing "hey sexxxy laadddeehhh"

Why do you feel the need to bring up Utada and Koda Kumi? Ayu is different, although I agree she wouldn't be successful.
Unless, you mean it's because they are Asian?

She certainly has the European look but her music is not western-friendly. Westerners for the most part do not react well to foreign things, even if they are some-what western.

^PQ is somewhat western... that makes sense. lol

She could at least make an international fan club. It would be much easier to join Team Ayu then. Or she could just get her music and videos back on the USA iTunes Store for me... I'll stop that rant of mine.

Asian music will never be popular outside of Asia. It's sad but true. Americans especially will never accept them, especially japanese people.
Psy is only popular because the video is funny.

I don't think even Party Queen would have much success in the states or Europe. (edit: Is that the point you were making? :roflmao)

They're playing the song on radios.

You can't release one or two things in a new market and expect to do well. Especially when there's no promotion or hype.

Even western artists fail that way :/

You need to have a label that is dedicated to making you huge. And people like Ayu and hikki and kuu, boa, namie, etc...I'm sorry, but...they're just too old and done.

They have successful careers somewhere else. Why come here? Why try? There's nothing new here for them :shrug


About Americans accepting Japanese people. Um lol. No one even cares about that.

Americans don't accept Asians in music because they don't speak English without accents that sound funny to our ears because of our social conditioning. That's it.

The other thing is. Most Asian artists that come here, don't have their own style. Mostly because their style overseas is what's popular there. Ayu included. You can't just get some random person no one knows, and drop them into a style that everyone else is doing, and then, have them not even sing well/without an accent.

They need to have something new and special, to cover niches in the market that aren't overcrowded...which most are.

There's just no place for a lot of asian acts, sorry.

It's a small minority in the western world that listen to any kind of asian music. There will never be a majority making it worth it to asian artists to branch out here. And it's sad that the reverse goes very differently and they accept so much from he western world and keep changing to try to be like the west. Asia was better off without western influences, most of what they have changed in asia to be like the west is from the worst sources of influence.

Narrowing it down to just Ayumi. I didn't mind when she was 1st learning english and we got her cute thankyous and bye bye. But now that the western influence on her career involves Shake it, na na na, I'm a sad queen, the hollywood like "luv ya beb" exchanges with Timmy and others etc., it's not cute anymore, it's just sad and making her CDs worse with each release. I think japanese artists should take a lesson from other japanese people I've met and have some pride in being japanese instead of trying to be westernized.

^ as much as japanese artists would go westernized they will STILL have that something western artists don't. they ahve specific voices. Their music even tho vesternized is still very different. However quite some rock artists do gather crowds for their concerts, regulary. i think ayu could probably get 3-5 venues of 1000-3000 people filled up like once 2-3 years with long time loyal fans who already know her, of course it wouldn't be one of her grand shows , just very intimate mood ones. But i'd love that. I honestly would take that anytime over a grand show. because you actually GET to interact with the artist. And you can feel them much better. Their vocals would blossom even more and there would be more thought put to the actual song's arangement than to the whole production of the whole show.

on the other hand i don't think she could make herself a stable career in europe or usa, and i believe things like that would strip off her uniquness, because we all see what "music" is loved around the world nowadays, and i really don't want to see her turning into one of the many instead of being one AND only.

Psy is a big joke, people like stupid stuff for some reason, i on the other hand can't stand it.

Not too many places around for crowds of 1-3000, plus if they were that small it wouldn't be worth touring anyway. She already stays busy year round so I don't think an international tour is even under consideration. Look at her recent trip to Vegas & LA for example. She was making all her posts about it in japanese, responded to no one at all in english like during previous trips. Either her management or if you believe the line about her making all decisions, then she herself doesn't care as much for the fans here as what they try to make us believe from time to time.

Rammstein was/still is very popular in the United States. I wonder if there's something to learn from their overseas success...

Nailed it, if she was willing to do one concert in the U.S.A, probably L.A. or something and let us know a year ahead (so we could save and fly to her) she would probably do it but I am assuming she feels it is not worth the effort so she doesn't.

Ayu's music and voice just don't fit western pop, that's enough reason for her to stay only in Japan.

PSY is an exception though, his video is funny and the music really catchy, the chorus contains only like 'eeeey sexy lady' which is perfect for most western ears lol.
And K-pop music is basically American music with different language.

In the case of Rammstein, I think it's about genre. Metal doesn't appeal to a large audience like pop does, so the fact that they don't sing in English isn't a huge deal, especially since many prominent metal bands are from Europe and don't sing in English. I think you're more likely to find someone who listens to metal being open to other languages than someone who listens to mainstream pop.

If Ayu did one concert on each coast, I think she'd do perfectly fine. But, like other people said, she would never make it to the mainstream.

She could perform here. I honestly think that would be a success. Look at BIGBANG and 2NE1. Ayu has enough American fans and fans from the world who would be willing to fly to like, idk LA or NY just to see her perform. But to have a career here, nah.

i'm sure about they're so different... but
i think Koda Kumi had the best cards to be succesful in western music...
her musical style is more western as ayu's...
(think of Lollipop, VIP, POP DIVA etc)
they said anything Party Queen is worldclass... forget it...
only a few songs on this album could be succesful (NaNaNa, Shake It <3)

but the most important thing would be... they all have to sing in english!

I think you guys covered it...and I'd never want her to. Her accent is wayyyyyy too thick and she'd never be able to break into the US music scene.

She could still do like 3-4 shows in select cities, but the venues would surely be nothing like her tours in Japan, they simply wouldn't be able to sell the tickets. I still think it could sell out at certain venues in certain places like NYC, like hikki did.

I respect Ayu for not trying to break into western markets. Why? What does she have to achieve? She has reached the heights of the Japanese and Asian music industry, won multiple Gold Disc and other awards, already established herself as a successful singer/songwriter.

And not to mention, the language barrier. Just because Ayu sings some passages in English means nothing. She writes better in Japanese. Beyond some catchy hooks, she's not much of an English songwriter.

I actually wish they'd come here and not sing in english.

It's gonna flop anyway, might as well not look stupid doing it...


I wish koda would come here, because of her style...but her voice...I don't think many americans would listen to her voice...just sayin.

well i am sure there are 2-3 dates for usa and the same for europe is way more than enough for such artist as ayu. If GACKT could do it, she probably can too.

It would be amazing if she did some concerts in Europe and the US but I'm not too fussed about her going global. Mainly because currently we get 1 album a year but she would have to take a lot of time to try and break into the Western market. I'd be happy for her to start putting her albums on Amazon for download and doing a couple of songs in English.

mi|kshake~

^ And iTunes! I wish I could buy her music digitally still. I love Ayu but I can't afford all her CDs... Too expensive! And on iTunes/Amazon they're cheaper. I still don't understand why they took Ayu off of American iTunes...

And Ayu global? Yeah no.

lol no just pointing at the covers :laugh


but PQ is indeed very negative-rated, to the extent that some fans claim LOVE as a saving grace from PQ era. can't figure out why, maybe because of the giant ass covers? :innocent


but for an overseas concert PQ has the best tracklist (i'm kinda hooked on PQ right now so lol) :lech

I second this, moreover let's remember that not all teh accents have a nice result in english and , imo, japanese accent hasn't a good effect at all (the reason is just behing the nature of japanese language sound and syllabic scaffold, nothing personal).

But I wiould die for a concert..she could hold one in the US and one in Europe, maybe London is it's a comfortable place for her.

I have a feeling she might encounter a number of difficulties if she ever attempts a world tour. For one, there's the language barrier present, secondly, Korean pop is the in-demand market now worldwide (based from my observations), third, her tickets/merchandise are mostly likely too expensive for a number of people (including myself, I bet) which may result in them not being able to attend, and also, I believe her popularity has gone down compared to a couple years back. This is vital as it's the first thing that'll earn her a booking anywhere (if I'm not mistaken about the whole thing with musicians doing concerts/shows and such goes).

Still, I wish a world tour could happen. I really want to see her before she retires from the music industry and I hope that will still be years from now. It took B'z a number of years before they successfully established themselves internationally but look at them now - they're big and better than ever and managed to touch American soil and grow with it. I think Ayu is capable of establishing similar feat if she plays her cards right.

If PSY can have a hit here in the USA i don't see why Ayu can't! I wish she would come to the State so much! If she booked a New York, and a California show i am sure she could sale those out.

I think the only reason that PSY did well in America is because the song had a very westernized sound to it, and the PV had that stupid dance
I think people were more making fun of it than actually thinking "hey this guy is really cool"
I highly doubt anybody went and downloaded anything other than "Gangnam Style" from PSY

chikocchi nailed it. GANGNAM STYLE was, "weird" but the dance was infectious as heck. People who casually hear the song would never download anything else from PSY. Ayumi just doesn't have the appeal for this market, sorry.

Ayumi never tried and/or failed. The German singles were not released by avex, Ayumi had nothing to do with them, Ayumi may not have even known about them. They were released by a label that had rights to the remixes. They were remix singles without any promotion(because they weren't intended as releases to make Ayumi a household name) and as such actually were pretty succesful, most remix singles don't break the top200, most of Ayumi's were in the top200. Connected reached a good position on the German dance charts - and the dance charts are the only charts in which remix singles can even reach good positions at all.

Like many J-Rockers, Ayu could probably hold a small concert and have a fairly decent turnout. If Ayu actually tried release stuff here it would totally flop. Unless she was willing to be the next Asian fad song singer that everyone laughs at and then forgets in a few weeks.

Not to mention, the West is all about the beat. Ayu is all touching lyrics.

@emi: My mom has very little interest in J-Pop and loves Kumi's voice. Of course that's just one opinion. I do think that Kuu or Namie have the best chances in the Western market. Maybe Miliyah.