Ayu taking an "unofficial break" from March 2024
 

At the beginning of April 2024, Ayu addressed this and a change of heart via a TA App blog. Cross-posting here from the AHS Discord:

TA App Blog, 7.4.24
25th→26th
間違いなくこれまでで一番TAと共に日本中を駆け巡 り、あっという間に過ぎていった、大切な瞬間だらけ の一年でした。

TAには前に少し話したけれど、この1年間精一杯に心 を込めて恩返しし終わったら、しばらくお休みをする 時間をもらおうと。

思っていたのですが、精一杯頑張ったら、それ以上の 精一杯がTAはじめ様々なジャンルの皆様からすでに返 ってきてしまったので笑、26年目も予定大変更して走 り続ける事になりそうです。

いがいとまた、すぐに会いに行きます!!!!!!し ばらくいーやとか言わないでね?笑笑

Love TA

ayu

TA App Blog, 7.4.24
25th→26th
This was definitely the most exciting year I have ever had with TA, full of precious moments that flew by in the blink of an eye while travelling all over Japan.

As I mentioned to TA a little while ago, I originally wanted to take some time away after I gave both heart and soul to my work over the last year.

I really thought at that time that I'd given my all, but now I feel like I can still go even further after receiving an incredible level of encouragement from TAs and everyone else. For that reason, there has been a major change in plans. I'll be running just as hard through my 26th year.

I'll be seeing you all again soon!!!! So no one go and say they're tired of me now, okay? (laugh)

Love TA

ayu


Original post

oh that's pretty understandable, touring like that might be exausting and she has children now.. although it is kinda sad that we wont have a 24-25 CDL after 25 years... anyway, i completely understand her decision, hopes that this "hiatus" takes the ammount of time she needs to recharge her batteries and mental health <3

There is a lot of time until tour final, who knows, maybe ayu will change her mind even before that. Or maybe will decide to get back for one 31st Dec day only
So go see ayu while you can!

Anyway nothing bad in it. As I said at the other thread, now her boy will notice her absence

I wish she she had written the reasons.
C'mon, Ayu, you're the boss, you can have all the space you need.
It's understandable if she wants to focus on being a mother.

This feels so official that she will take a break which she deserves a lot. I think she is the one and only one who works nonstop compared to the artists of the same generation. Maybe Misia is on par with her, but I don't think Misia is that active.

It's sad and worrying, especially since she really pampered us with so much stuff this year and suddenly she will take an indefinite hiatus, I'm sure I'm going to miss her.

But she totally deserves a break. I don't think she will take long though, half a year - 1 year top.

No concert on 4/8 to close things out??? Seems odd to end things in Okinawa…��

I can't see her taking more than 6 months but good for her! She deserves a proper break after all these years.

I'm glad for her, 25 years is a lifetime, after all.

The selfish me would love her to drop a new single before the hiatus, tho.

i thought it but didnt write it hahahah a physical single release please on the 4.8 :yes:P

Really happy for her to be taking a break, she’s been working like crazy. But on the other hand I’m afraid of this being the beginning of the end. And I can’t go see her live just yet… not at least few more years. Would be devastating that when I can finally go to Japan, she’d retire :( the biggest artist of my life, and I can’t even see her at least once.

^ i feel you, i hope i'll be able to see her live soon, been following her since 2005 and now i gotta prioritize it for real <3

I'm afraid she would not come back after all if she take a indefinite hiatus !
She deserves a break (especially from touring so so much) but selfishly, she can continue to do music... look at Kuu who worked hard even with a young boy !

I feel like A BEST 3 - FINAL - or A COMPELTE - FINAL - or A FINAL BEST is coming.

if i remember well, ayu said she wouldn't be releasing best albums anymore, so i dont know...

Utada came back, Ayu will too. Especially if endless touring has been her main source of income.

may be ayumi hamasaki FINAL COUNTDOWN LIVE 2023-2024 A？

Why should it be?

That's what I thought too.

I don't know... She definitely deserves a break, especially with her two kids and everything, but like she had said numerous times, she can't live without being on stage and making music. I think she will take a break, enjoy the so much deserved time with her family and friends and maybe get new inspiration for music and touring. Who knows...

^ totally, she even shared she was struggling with creativity block for the Remember you album. And yeah, she said in past interviews that she doesn't know anywhere else but the stage to be.

It is now quite common for western acts to take a 2-3 year break between major album releases, so it's fair enough for her to do it as well, she rly doesn't need to follow the fast paced japanese music industry calendar anymore.

This is sad but necessary for her it seems. Maybe after the hiatus, she will be more inspired. Whatever she decides is good for me. She left us a lot of music to listen to for sure. Let's hope she releases this tour next year with all chapters included. :)

omg what news... I only hope that her health is OK

As I mentioned in the current tour thread, I hope they release that on disc, as well as the CDL...that'll keep me happy for a while.

But really, we've been spoilt with Ayu's career - she produced at least one full album every year from 1999 to 2016 - then things slowed down a bit, then Covid hit, and she produced one more album, mostly consisting of singles that had already been released over the last few years...so a bit of a dry spell, considering her past history, but she does set high expectations.

But ultimately if she needs time to recharge the batteries before trying to come up with new ideas, I'm all for it.

I'm honestly glad that she finally decided to go on a break. She's been working so hard and it’s time to chill for a little bit. Besides, she has two kids. She probably thinks she wants to spend more time with them, too.

Also, if she decides to retire from singing altogether at the end of this "unofficial hiatus", I'm okay with that decision too. Ever since I read the news about her right ear's hearing being in decline as well years ago, I've been mentally ready for the retirement announcement tbh.

This was honestly long overdue, she needs to just be a human and a mom for a while, experience stuff, new things, meet new people. As long as she’s still around on social media, throwing an occasional photo on insta, i don’t mind at all and even if she isn’t that’s fine too. I’m surprised the complete burnout hasn’t hit her yet, working non-stop for decades. I also think a comeback after a hiatus would be legendary if the marketing and promo teams do it right.
On the other hand, if she decides to call it quits officially after a while, it’s a totally reasonable choice. She’s been around for so long. There’s always creative jobs behind the scenes if she still wants to be involved in the music industry but doesn’t want to be the face of anything.
I’m really not surprised, this wasn’t a question “if”, but a “when”.

HAHAHA, I was planning on going to celebrate my 40th birthday next year with her (born the 30th of december) and now I see this.

Hahahaha. Fuck fate.
But she definitely needs a rest.

prepare for her 30th anniversary hahahaha

Happy for her. I think she not only deserves a break, but should be taking a break and even retirement for her kids and her health. She has a great legacy.

She's given and accomplished so much in those 25 years, I would absolutely not be upset if it was a soft transition to the idea of retirement - if only for her children and her health.

Yes, she's consistently said that the stage is all she knows, but priorities absolutely change when you have a family. She needs to be the healthiest and most present mom she can be.

A well-deserved break <3

I think this is a very mature decision.
I feel like throughout her career she could have taken many more breaks, but she kept going even when she was having health issues. It feels like now she is at a point where she is taking her health more seriously, which I have a lot of respect for.

I do feel like she will most likely return in a few years, maybe with a fresh, different mindset and it would be interesting to see what she creates with that.

I hope she enjoys herself during her break!

So, ayu decided to work a little more, without taking the break

I'm still waiting for an update on the retirement announcement on the last days of the tour at the end of this month

There is a speculation that ayu may announce Asia Tour

She never spoke about retirement, just a break/unofficial hiatus

She take a hiatus like Selena Gomez did the digital detox.

LMAO HAHAHAHAHAHA

She said in the legendary Secret interview (i think you, too) that she LOVES working. I can imagine she'll be thinking about what to do next within a week of doing nothing.

It's almost May and she's still on tour.... so no Yoyogi but only small venues or hall. Got it. No hiatus.

She delayed two performance due to an earthquake plus tsunami in January, she will end the tour with these two dates.

I still think she was talking about Yoyogi/anniversary lives/CDL and everyone thought it was a career hiatus lol

Ayu addressed this in a TA App blog post earlier this month. Cross-posting here from the AHS Discord:

TA App Blog, 7.4.24
25th→26th
間違いなくこれまでで一番TAと共に日本中を駆け巡 り、あっという間に過ぎていった、大切な瞬間だらけ の一年でした。

TAには前に少し話したけれど、この1年間精一杯に心 を込めて恩返しし終わったら、しばらくお休みをする 時間をもらおうと。

思っていたのですが、精一杯頑張ったら、それ以上の 精一杯がTAはじめ様々なジャンルの皆様からすでに返 ってきてしまったので笑、26年目も予定大変更して走 り続ける事になりそうです。

いがいとまた、すぐに会いに行きます!!!!!!し ばらくいーやとか言わないでね?笑笑

Love TA

ayu

TA App Blog, 7.4.24
25th→26th
This was definitely the most exciting year I have ever had with TA, full of precious moments that flew by in the blink of an eye while travelling all over Japan.

As I mentioned to TA a little while ago, I originally wanted to take some time away after I gave both heart and soul to my work over the last year.

I really thought at that time that I'd given my all, but now I feel like I can still go even further after receiving an incredible level of encouragement from TAs and everyone else. For that reason, there has been a major change in plans. I'll be running just as hard through my 26th year.

I'll be seeing you all again soon!!!! So no one go and say they're tired of me now, okay? (laugh)

Love TA

ayu

omg so she's not going on a hiatus after all :love
i'm so happy that she feels loved by all

Wonderful news, thanks for the translation!!

I'm happy to read this !!!

Nothing stops a workaholic

i wonder if she'll try something new or will stick with the same ol' same ol' for her next works - tho i should already take the answer as a strong no

i personally prefer she stop awhile.
go take care her children, dogs and husband (if got).
go see the world, go see her idol's concert,
go find and know new musicians,
and come back with fresh ideas for her new shows or songs.

^ i feel you, i'm afraid we'll be getting the same old stuff again and again just like BYE-BYE which turned out to be my least favorite song of hers in decades - and to tell you the truth i think the lack of originality was the reason that made me keep some distance from her work after 2013 until 2020 when I decided to listen to TROUBLE