LOVE again vs. FEEL
 

Which do you prefer and why? :tsmile
I want time to write a well thought out reason but my immediate choice is FEEL for sure.

FEEL for sure, LOVE again consist of two amazing singles (*cough* mini albums *cough*) but lackluster album tracks. The only decent tracks are Bye-Bye Darling and the interludes. Everything else is mediocre at best and doesn't hold up on multiple listens. It's a shame, cause the likes of Song 4 U, Missing and Sweet Scar got me so pumped for the rest of the album.. But it just didn't do anything for me, it's easily up there with My Story as one of her most boring albums in my opinion. The singles save it but overall not very good.

Namie completely NAILED everything with FEEL, and made her take the spot as my favorite artist. Every track is of international quality, she managed to take rather generic EDM songs and turn them into gold. I love my generic tunes, but they usually get boring after 10-20 listens. Namie's delivery is what takes them to the next level! There's not one track i don't like, Poison is my least favorite but it's still a fantastic song, cause she has the attitude to pull it off.

^
Scaaaaaryyyy, you just said pratically everything there was to say, lol!
For me FEEL is far from perfection, but it's 100% solid, and high quality, while LOVE again was a mess. Therefore, half of LOVE again (*cough* singles *cough*) is still superior to the most of FEEL in my opinion, but if you compare the "albums", as projects, FEEL wins without even try, the work behind it was flawless. LOVE again, as it was put together, is a fail like I've never seen from Ayu.
Also, I really appreciated Benikari47 mention of MY STORY, because it's true, they're so similar! And I don't mean just for the "classic sounds", but for the construction: I always found MY STORY very difficult to listen all at once. Every single track is amazing, but as a whole, I found it very random, like it's just a group of songs, without a theme, and it just struck me back then, because usually I find Ayu albums very cohesive, not always because of the sond, but usually for the "message" she wanted to share.

FEEL

For sure, FEEL.

I love my ayumi, but FEEL is so much better.

FEEL <3 <3

Hands down , FEEL

For an album to only rely on 1/2 of a double A-side single , you know you really need very strong solid album tracks , if not Namie wouldn't have done something like this

And that aspect really paid off very well for her

LOVE again has the stronger individual tracks, but unfortunately they were only the "mini-album" tracks, the new material was average at best, whereas FEEL is much more consistant overall, so I'd prolly have to go for FEEL :P

LOVE again for me. I don't like it as a whole album, but compared to FEEL it has stronger individual tracks!

FEEL slays everything J-pop have to offer this year (imo). Not going to lie, from Rainbow to Big Boys Cry it's the weakest part of the album, but the songs are really addicting and catchy. I find myself singing "can you feel this love, can you feel this love" and smiling, that song really makes me happy and throwaway all my bad thoughts, haha. Hands On Me is my fudging twerk anthem and Heaven is my club banger, Alive makes me alive. Every track is pure gold.

LOVE again.... ugh what's that album? The only good tracks on that album was Wake me up, Missing and the two interlude. Everything else is a snooze fest. To me, the whole album's a mess, releasing You & Me on this album.... if it was just the PV, then I might be alright with it because it's part of snowy kiss and Wake me up, but rereleasing it on as an album track... now that just get me mad. If this album was suppose to be MY STORY, then she really failed, I like almost the whole album.

Here's my two cent.

Sorry Ayu, but feel wins.
Now if YOU did an EDM album... (Not like next level)

My votes goes for Love again as FEEL just doesn't feels like an Japanese album. Though I really love Let me let you go, Can You Feel This Love, Rainbow and contrail but the rest seems pretty plain to me... I think even uncontrolled is better than FEEL... (Didn't know LMLYG was a full english song till I check the lyrics >.<)

On the other hand, Love again do have a lot of songs which I wouldn't get sick of hearing them again and again. Tracks like Wake me up, Song 4 u, Missing, SAKURA, Bye-bye darling, Melody and Ivy...

LOVE again

FEEL is nothign special
generic western club/dance arrangements with not-so-great lyrics

FEEL.

Love again has everything except listen-ability. Like most of Ayu's post-RNRC albums. I think there were maybe 3 songs that I wouldn't have minded listening to again. The rest were boring.

Namie's album might be "generic", but it's funny how the songs you actually want to listen to, and like, can touch you the most in your life.

Ayu's production is getting better...but I feel like a lot of things about her albums are quite shaky. The direction is weird.

FEEL :D

I never listen to Namie. Ever. However, something about Feel intrigued me, so I did throw it on my ipod. Yes, it is a solid and easy summer album with bright energy and flow. It is good, but I'm just not sure of Namie herself for some reason...

I've been a fan of Ayu for YEARS! I came in just before the My Story era. She has her ups and downs, but I can usually find a time when I'm just dying to listen to her! However, Love Again is the second album from her I had no interest in purchasing (Party Queen being the first). As with Namie, I gave it a listen, but there was nothing that brought me back for a second listen. I already own this album in Love songs form, and I didn't like that album. At. All. So I have absolutely no need to listen to it again. Rehashed, replicant, recycled, redundant of her entire career.

Namie 1.
Ayumi 0.

LOVE again was another huge step down in quality to me. I've never been a great Namie fan, but there's no denying that FEEL is one of the best albums I've listened to this year. It just has that quality you can't really name, that bit of extra that actually makes you want to listen to the songs. Repeatedly. LOVE again wasn't bad by any means-but there's never a moment where I get an urge to open up Itunes and listen to it specifically. It's bland, whereas FEEL is anything but. So it's definitely FEEL for me.

I like both albums, but LOVE again is the better one for me, simply because Ayu's music generally and also looking at these two albums is somehow more touching and emotionally.

And I loooooooo~~~~ve Wake Me Up and You&Me:luv2:love:thud

Love again for me is better than FEEL. The day after I listened to FEEL, I wasn't able to remember any of the melodies. Namie just follow what western music give to us nowadays. If I listen to Japanese music it's not hear the same music that we have here. With Love again, Ayu give us a nice album with thoughtful lyrics. The music is not innovative, but it's Ayu's style. Her album is full of feelings.

Easy choice. FEEL because it's more of my taste and I feel every song on the album. LOVE again, even if I like it more now, still makes me feel bored. :D

I chose FEEL, love songs was forgetful.

wow...comparing a Japanese album with an English album?
LA is a grower for me. it sounds old-fashioned cohesive Ayu, like ASFXX.

FEEL has many highlights eg Alive, HoM-to-Supernaturalove but the songs are mostly short. and a different team writing each song, i feel its a little uncommon to use too many songwriters. My 1st fav is Alive, but its the only song of its kind in FEEL. With these many songwriters and this level of ambition, FEEL(below 43min) is too short for me. also, not a cohesive album.

In my humble opinion both albums sound generic but for different reasons.

Ayumi has become too comfortable with her productions and it shows. Ayu incessantly releases what is expected of her and "Love again" is a prime example of that. It gets tiring after a while. I dont' feel Namie brought anything new to the table with "FEEL" aside from her obvious accent. She basically jumped on the "what's popular" bandwagon and the album seemed characterless because of it. She didn't focus on making herself stand out as an entertainer and followed what others were doing instead.

However, Namie is the only major female J-pop singer who goes out her way to change her sound at the cost of extreme criticism. I applaud her for that. :yes That automatically gives her the winning edge for me.

"FEEL" wins in my book. ;)

FEEL is now my favorite Namie Amuro album <3

Sadly, LOVE again is my least favorite Ayu album now.

Well, Party queen was something I didn't expect from Ayu at all. I think neither of her fans did... and that album was not released like 5 or 10 years ago, but 1 year ago; so I have to disagree, Ayu has not become that comfortable with her productions, as that album shows.
Back on topic, I prefer FEEL, it has the strongest tracks from both in my opinion.

Using "Party Queen" as an example isn't very convincing since she didn't stick with that sound and went back into a state of regression. The mere fact that she went back to her usual comfortable sound with "Love again" after the release of "Party Queen" is my whole point. Ayumi lacks consistency.

^
I know I'm off topic, but always changing styles and reinventing herself is more or less Ayu's trademark. She usually never really stays the same, she tried a lot, it's just with LOVE again that she played rather safe (and with FIVE, lol, why do I always forget FIVE exists?)

FEEL it's indeed a great pop album and among jpop scene nowadays, it's like a breath of fresh air.
Alive, Poison, Contrail and Stardust in my Eyes are such gorgeous songs :heart. Alive, it's quickly become one of my Namie's favorites ever.
Unfortunately, overall FEEL sounds so generic and it's only good for times you're craving for some fun and catchy songs. There's anything bad about this though, music can't be only meaningful lyrics or virtuosity. I really liked how Namie found her new style in a more cohesive way than that huge mess Uncontrolled was. But I doubt I'll remember all FEEL tracks, excepted for my favorite ones. Because I could find the same style on a average pop western singer or kpop one.

LOVE again in the other hand, lacks creativity and Ayu's playing more safely this time.
Imho, LOVE again is not her worst album but isn't on my Ayu top 5 neither. It's way way lower. However singles (yep, I still refuse to call them mini-albums lol) are so good they sound wasted for LOVE again. Although Bye-bye darling is the only album track that really stands out among others. That guitar at the beginning it's so damn good.
I know she worked really hard, as always, but while listening to LOVE again I feel Ayu didn't really expressed herself this time.
She seemed forced to play safely, maybe to please japanese listeners due to her lacks of popularity. Just my opinions though, don't states them as facts.

Namie wins mostly because of her confidence, not really musically wise imo, and I'm happy she sells so well. I wish Ayu could learn from her for her next album, because I can't believe just two years ago she released a masterpiece as BRILLANTE and now she seems scared to trying something new.

LOL sorry for the wall of text :thud

FEEL is a great album, it's really fun to listen to, and it's pretty much been my summer anthem album.

Buuut LOVE again is musically superior, even if it isn't even all that artistic compared to Ayu's other albums. Still, Ayu's least substantial album is still leagues ahead of any Namie album in terms of substance :laugh LOVE again just has more longevity for me, and has a lot more songs that I feel as opposed to... well, FEEL's, which are fun and poppy and generic but probably won't get much out of me after a while. The songs that I keep coming back to are the ones that leave some kind of emotional impact. FEEL does none of that, simple as that.

Still a really good album though :laugh

Oh there is no comparison. Feel is one of Namie's best albums and Love Again ranks among some of Ayu's worst. It's just not even close.

I find myself listening to Party Queen a lot more than LOVE again so that's saying a lot just how much I feel towards the latter

At least you know upfront you will not feel cheated with regards to the release structure of Party Queen unlike LOVE again

Sorry Ayu, I have to say FEEL

Love again

Love again has personality, it has Ayu written all over it. But is among her most boring releases ever.

FEEL has no personality, and save for 1 or 2 tracks anyone could have released it for the same effect, but is a hell of a fun album.

Love again is a let down after Love songs and Party Queen, Ayu's 2 strongest albums to date IMO.

FEEL was a good surprise after Uncontrolled, that may be the less creative and most generic pop album I ever heard, but is no match for PAST<FUTURE.

So... I guess FEEL?

LOVE again, because I still think that FEEL is a really weak album and way too generic western pop... LOVE again is weak as well, but FEEL is even (a lot) weaker imo (Before the release I had a really good feeling that FEEL would be for sure a lot better than LOVE again, but turns out that I got disappointed at it instead, it's my least favorite Namie's album released after 2003 :().

My thoughts on LOVE again:
The reason why I pick FEEL over LOVE again is because I feel (unintentional pun) that FEEL is more memorable than LOVE again. Whether you like the album or not, FEEL was certainly a new direction for Namie and I really appreciate that she keeps trying new things and doesn't stick to one tired style. I think that LOVE again was a step in the wrong direction for Ayu. In my opinion, Party Queen was so original and different for Ayu, and instead of continuing on in that vein with LOVE again she went backwards and produced something very similar to Love songs. While I still like LOVE again for what it is, I'd love to see Ayu go back to being experimental with her sound.

LOVE again

I enjoyed more songs from FEEL than I do from LOVE again.

My vote goes to LOVE again. I mean, FEEL is just a generic album with pop tunes everyone is able to do in the industry. I seriously can't understand all the praise, to me it just sounds boring and uninteresting. LOVE again had the 'singles-turned-mini-albums' problem, but it's very solid, with excellent tracks and overall cohesive but not boring.

LOVE again is my absolutely least favorite Ayu album and FEEL is my absolute least favorite Namie album. I can't even vote because I think they're both horrendously bad. But I will give props to Namie's FEEL because the packaging is gorgeous and it's a very cohesive album.

My thoughts on FEEL. :tipsy

Alive VS Wake me up = Wake me uppretty pony~
Rainbow VS Song 4 U = Song 4 U
Can You Feel This Love VS Missing = Missingpretty pony~
Big Boys Cry VS SAKURA = SAKURA
Hands On Me VS Melody = Hands on Me
Heaven VS Bye-Bye Darling = Heavenpretty pony~
Poison VS snowy kiss = Poison
La La La VS Sweet Scar = Sweet Scar
Supernatural Love VS petal = Supernatural Lovepretty pony~
Let Me Let You Go VS untitled = untitled
Contrail VS Gloria = Contrailpretty pony~
Stardust In My Eyes VS Ivy = Stardust in My Eyes
+ You & Me

6 VS 7

LOVE again is a hit'n'miss for me. It contains some of the best songs by Ayu in the last years for me, but the are others that are really forgettable. Namie's on the other hand, is really balanced.

LOVE AGAIN for sure! sweet scarrrrr baby

LOVE again

I actually don't care for either album. I love Sweet Scar, but that's the only song I really like on LOVE again, whereas I like both Alive and Big Boys Cry on Feel. So, Feel gets my vote :P

Gonna listen to Sweet Scar now...

^ same here. LOVE AGAIN for me.

LOVE again.
It's not one of my favourite Ayu albums, the single songs are pretty weak for me, but most of the album songs are strong!
With FEEL I just kept 3 songs. Album production is great, but it felt lifeless in most songs. I like her previous albums better.

FEEL without a doubt

FEEL all the way

FEEL, I can jam out to that all day everyday.

After finally listening to LOVE again a couple times, I say FEEL. Better produced, catchier, a little more interesting and much easier to digest. Although "Sweet scar" is godly.

LOVE again

Even though Feel is winning, I always felt like these polls were unfair considering we're on an Ayumi Hamasaki forum.

I choose feel. Lalala, Alive, and Stardust in my eyes. Those three songs alone are better than the entire Love again rehash album.

FEEL... For the first year it came out, I listened to it constantly.

OOOOH late to the poll but FEEL is amazing.

I love FEEL, but LOVE again is ayu, and I'm biased...