[2006] Better Than Ayu?
 

HATERS, STAY AWAY. If you insist that Ayu is the best, let that be known elsewhere, not here.

Ok, let's face it. Surely there's other JPOP female artists in the world that you love. Love even more than our divine Ayumi Hamasaki. Don't be shy, name them! Who do you perceive to be even better than Ayumi Hamasaki, and state your reasons.

Mine would be the great Mika Nakashima. She is simply amazing. Amazing Amazing Amazing. Her voice is the best I've heard. Her music wins my attention every time it gets played. And she is so beautiful. Her avant-garde video and music style should be experienced by everyone. Unfortunately, people love her for the reasons others might hate her for. And her CMs are a billion times better than Ayu's. Ai Otsuka and Koda Kumi are also great in my opinion. No need to say anything about the great Utada.

I made a poll with 21 options for everyone to vote. Let's see who is most popular. Hopefully all your fave artists are there. Let's begin!

Multiple choices too!

You know, no one will better than AYU!

I quote myself. Learn to fully read posts in the future.

Oh, Icey. o_o I thought I covered every female artist in JPOP? I only missed Kokia and Seiko Matsuda, but that's it.

"Who's better than who" threads can be retard imo. Things shift so fast for me, like, on a week, I'll be enjoying one artist more than others and in the other I might get sick of them and pick another artist I wasn't listening much the next few weeks.


Wrong, you forgot Tomoko Kawase, Hitomi Yaida, hitomi, Hitomi Shimatani, Hitomi Takahashi, BoA, Crystal Kay, OLIVIA and the list gooooooooooooooooooooes on.

and anna tsuchiya, all of hello ! project, akina, sowelu and sifow.

Anyways, without being a hater, there is no other artist that I an enjoy such a high per centage of released songs as ayumi hamasaki's. However some of the other female performers have many songs I like, my favourites are Shimatani Hitomi, Ueto Aya, some Hello ! Project releases (hard to tell them apart.. it's all tsunku anyways), from time to time namie amuro and kotoko and Mai Kuraki, ai otsuka's first stuff.

I voted Angela Aki, Nobuchika Eri and Hikki.

But I don't really listen to the others very much.
Other Jpop chickies I like better than Ayu:
Hajime Chitose
Bonnie Pink
Maaya Sakamoto (not necessarily her newest efforts though....)
Fukko (from CORE OF SOUL, she's soo amazing!)

Also:
YUI
Yaida Hitomi
SNoW
Origa
and some more....

Sure, I love Ayu tons, but I also love other people as well. I picked:

Mika Nakashima and Shiina Ringo.

Why Mika Nakashima? - Because her voice is perhaps one of the most calming I've heard. Her personality is very subdued, mystical and mysterious. Her fashion sense is always unique, and it seems like she does things her way, regardless if it sells well or not.

Why Shiina Ringo? - Because she's the most innovative person I've listened to. She's not afraid to push the boundaries of music. She creates iconic images with every PV she's made, and writes the most straightforward and thought provoking lyrics. She composes and writes the lyrics for every song she's made, and plays more than one instrument. Her voice is calm, soothing, angry, violent and emotional, all at the same time.

I also would have voted for these people if they were included in the poll:

Tommy February6/Tommy Heavenly6
Fukiko Nakamura
Bonnie Pink
Ayaka Hirahara
Chihiro Onitsuka

Add hitomi please.

Why? Her music is the best, her PVs are so different, her voice is unique, her music have real instruments, she have the most awesome personality and fashion style, she can play guitar, she writes her own music, she sometimes composes them, she seems so down-to-earth, plus, she's a sexy mom! Oh yeah, did I mentioned that her music is AWESOME?

Anyways, I didn't voted for anybody in the list. Because I think hitomi is the best. Next, is Ayu. So yeah. hitomi is better than Ayu! ^^

I wouldn't say 'love more than Ayu'; but I would say 'as much as Ayu'.

You forgot about BoA!

I voted:
Hikki - musical genious imo.
Yuna Ito - amazing voice
Otsuka Ai - she has great composing skills, and she can have a really nice voice (Kingyo Hanabi)
Koda Kumi - Her genre appeals to my music taste, and she's unique imo.
***
BoA - dancing and she does have vocal talent.

It looks like there are many who have and "Others" option in mind. Me included too, because where's Tommy? :laugh

Out of your choices though, I'd pick Hikki and Ringo. Hikki because her song-writing skills have really come on leaps and bounds over the years, and Ringo because she's one of the most innovative, provocative and enigmatic artists in Japan.

And no, I'm not being partial to Toshiba-EMI either. I'd take Sony anytime. :laugh

Hitomi Shimatani

Her voice and music are much better in comparison

Hitomi Shimatani. I think she has much better vocals.

Kaori Mochida's really good. ;D

I love that she's so.. WILD :3 And emotional ;]

She's got some awesome lyrics too.

Agreed. And also, as ImpactBreaker said, one week I might be totally into Hikkki, for example, and then the next week all I will listen to Hello!Project. It depends on my mood.

Shiina Ringo.

I do love Ayumi very much, but Shiina is my idol and I like her lyrics, her voice fits with any song she'll do and the music is even better! :)

Amuro Namie is much more adorable. Even though her PV's and photoshoots give off a very cool vibe, she is actually quite demure and much more game for silly shows. Kuraki Mai has a wonderful voice, she's the first jpop artist I liked. And I simply love Koda Kumi. Additionally, much love for Hello! Project.

Question! Hitomi and Hitomi Shimatani are different people? :tired
Aaahhh... :dead2 Ok, but Hitomi Shimatani is there though. I didn't add BoA because I forgot she does JPOP too and I altogether missed Crystal Kay. Wow.. x__x I thought Tommy and Van Tomiko were the same. Shoot me.

If at all possible, can a mod add these options into the poll?
Tomoko Kawase
Hitomi
Hitoni Takahashi
Yaida
Yuming
Anna Tsuchiya
OLIVIA
BoA
Crystal Kay
Misora Hibari
Honda Minako
Chara
Asuca Hayashi
Kaori Mochida

If not, nevermind.. x__x

As well as Chara, Honda Minako, Yuming, Misora Hibari, aiko, and Asuca Hayashi.

Sorry, but the only two that come close on that poll are Shiina and Namie. Females are too overrated in the Japanese music scene, IMO.

Yes. Totally different people. (I don't like Hitomi Shimatani's music at all, but I love hitomi's music) Their music is like extremely different. :yes Don't worry. You're not the only person that gets confused about the many Hitomis!

http://img108.imageshack.us/img108/8448/hitomisgc2.jpg

And also, it's hitomi... not Hitomi.

Amuro Namie! <3

HikkiRingoAngelaNamie.

Asuca Hayashi's voice is amazing for her age. I MUST VOTE FOR HER TOO.

BUT SHE IS NOT HERE! *gasp*

Such a talent should be on everyone's list. :]

I voted in order

Ai Otsuka
Angela Aki
Koda Kumi
Koda Misono
Mink
Namie Amuro, and
Van Tomiko.

I don't think anyone's better :shrug Just different

All of these artists have their own style/sound

Some I like more than Ayu, & some I like as much as Ayu, as ayu_fan929 pointed out:

- Koda Kumi.
- Namie Amuro.
- Yuna Ito.
- Utada Hikaru.

none...
base on variety of music, hardwork, creativity, etc
ayu is the best

Ai Maeda & Orikasa Fumiko is better than Ayu..but I voted on Mika Nakashima

Orikasa Fumiko
http://img83.imageshack.us/img83/166...lev4vm3.th.jpg

Ai Maeda
http://img291.imageshack.us/img291/3...5226te6.th.jpg

i agree with cybermoomba. everyone has their own style...

nonetheless, i voted:

mink
mika nakashima

lately, ayu's been losing her touch...hope she gets better

i also think that kuu, utada, and otsuka tie in w/ ayu, but they're not better

Angela Aki & Mika Nakashima has better vibrato.
Utada Hikaru could sell well and better because she doesn't need to dress beautifully to attract her audiences. Just by being herself, naturally.
Koda Kumi because her vocals are subjectively better than Ayu. Her lyrics are easy-to-understand and doesn't have to go through 102934193829318 analysis to understand the whole songs.
Namie Amuro I picked her because she was the queen, before Ayu replace her role. In addition as the new queen of hip pop, she can dance and Ayu cannot (or doesn't do it often).
Shiina Ringo because I'm biased.

ITS TRUE! HER VOICE IS AMAZING!

"Haha" at age 15, UNBELIEVABLE!:thud

i voted for utada hikaru
if hitomi was there i would have voted for her instead

Lol that's what I like about Ayu's lyrics, the fact that they need analyzing to get the meaning. Maybe I just have too much time on my hand...

I don't think any artist is specifically better than Ayumi. I have my "insert this artist week" but I can never compare two artists because each artist have a style that's unique.

Don't get me wrong...Ayu's my Number One Favorite artist and all, but I checked the other artists that I really love too. I don't think they're "better" than Ayu persay, but I like them a lot.

Kikaru, I swear, you're like my brain talking XD Same sentiments EXACTLY. VERBATIM XD

Which is why I rarely look for her songs' translations. :P Even if the English translation is there, my brain seems unable to understand what she's saying.

well..i voted for Hitomi Shimatani and Namie Amuro
Hitomi Shimatani - she has a very great clear voice and love her calmly singing style

and for Namie Amuro - she has great ballad songs, she can dance and singing at the same time..

Oh, I always thought that, after Ayu, the most singer on this forum is Utada Hikaru... And now I can see that more votes went to Namie Amuro... quite surprising...
And Mika's only 9 votes :( Hey Mika-fans, where are you?

meh, none of the above

Hitomi Shimatani and hitomi althought I don't see hitomi on that list.

Kumi chan 4 ever

Im glad i noticed her when she debuted.
so Im away from that stupid fight that goes on and on on her topic><

I`m not voting because no one is better than Ayu

ummmm....

Kaori Mochida, Tomiko Van are my top fav artists :P and also Ami Suzuki <3

Moccccccchi

But the one who could ever go blow for blow with Ayu as a phenom has to be Hikki

Nah. There's no Olivia on here. I love Olivia~! =).

I vote kuu

you betcha! Koda Kumi! ^^ I like Ayu too, but Kuu's my #1!
Awesome voice, awesome look, awesome attitude!~

I voted Hikaru Utada (who is superier vocally) Van Tomiko, mink, Yuna Ito, Amano Tsukiko, Shimatani Hitomi

Right now Ayu has'nt been the best. It's Koda Kumi right now.

namie, utada, ...the others are just little stars

:yes

I love, love, love Namie Amuro :D :D :D :D :D :D :D

I voted for Namie, Shiina Ringo, Hikki, and MISIA. Most of them are on the same level as Ayu though, rather than better. The reasons being:

Namie: She was the queen prior to Ayu's reign and most of her albums have been magnificent. Plus her voice is incredible and her ballads are unrivaled (ie. I Will and NEVER END).

Shiina Ringo: She's so provocative and original. Her PVs are extremely creative and entertaining, her voice is so unique, and she writes all her lyrics and composes many of her songs as well.

Hikki: She was actually my original favorite J-Pop artist quite a while before Ayu and the others. I find her voice unique and wonderful, her lyrics are great, as well as her PVs, and she has consistently put out good songs that tend to surprise in how much some of them can differ, yet remain thoroughly enjoyable.

MISIA: She's always been another favorite because her voice easily gives me tingles hearing her either live or on a CD. Plus, I find none of her songs to be boring, as her voice just brings this quality to them that can make any horrible arrangement (not that she has any) sound marvelous. IMO, the most vocally talented of any J-Pop singer.

Some other close ones, but not on the same level as the rest:
BoA, Koda Kumi, and Tommy (heavenly and Brilliant Green though, NOT february)

Well, I don't think the people I voted for are 'better' than Ayu, just different, and equally amazing at what they do.
And those 2 are Ai Otsuka and Utada Hikaru.

:laugh

You forgot to add Ayu on the list of options

^Please re-read the first post. :yes
I voted for~
Eri Nobuchika - She's just better to me
Hikaru Utada - Better all around
Hitomi Shimatani - Better vocals IMO
Koda Kumi - Kuu for life thats all I can say
Minmi - Music = Love
Mink - Vocals are like WOW!
Mika Nakashima - I like her voice and songs better
MISIA - nuff said :)
Namie Amuro - Namie for life :P

I was just making a lame joke :innocent

I choose none because I think none of them are better than Ayu. =) Even though they all sing diff. styles, I still think nobody in the list is better than Ayu..

frankly speaking no one else is better than her

^^yup yup..me too think so...but i think koda kumi is catching up fast.=/

I think Utada Hikaru is better than Ayu simply for the fact that she is the only one that is on Ayu's level and because she has a better voice than her. Both of them are great artist but when it comes to the Hikki-Ayu feud, I'm choosing Hikki of course!:D

You stole the words from my mouth :yes

Well, in terms of song composure, lyrics, concerts, fashion and idol appeal, Ayu-sama is INVINCIBLE!!!!!

Out of that list.. Shiina Ringo

tho my favourite female singer is KEIKO lol

None ... I mean as much as some artistes are more popular than Ayu as of the moment, as a WHOLE package, Ayu seriously rocks. No one can reach her standard.

MINK MINK MINK

mink's songs doesn't bore me, no matter how many times i listen to them.
other artist's songs get boring easily.

While Ayu will always be my number 1 artist, I selected some artists from this list because I feel that there are some things about them that I like better than Ayu.

-Hikaru Utada
-Shiina Ringo
-Namie Amuro

(I would also select Rina Aiuchi if she were on this list as well)

I don't think anyone on this list is as consistent as Ayumi (She made great music from 1998 to 2005), even if she's at a downhill slope right now. Some of those artists have shined at one moment or another, but not nearly as long as Ayumi. If you had included Bonnie Pink on the list, I'd definetely would have picked her!

MC: Why on Earth is Beni Arashiro on there? o_O

i voted a lot i can't even remember most of them but i picked namie amuro and mika nakashima for sure

U know that it's very hard to say which artist's is better than other artists... we should talk from the musical technique... Cos most of the people here will say who they like better than Ayu or think that's better than her from an untrained ear....

Talent wise -- Hikaru.

NANASE AIKAWA FTW. It's ashame people are too lazy to listen to her.

Her non-nasal voice and naturality just amazes me.

Following Mika Nakashima, Ai Otsuka.




By the way, where the hell is Bonnie Pink. :irked

WHAT?! No hitomi??? =(
That's just sad, i was gonna vote for her. u___U

IMO, Hikki, hands down, is a better composer and writer than Ayu and the rest of those other J-POP singers........:yes

Everyone and no one.

i think anyone can be better than ayumi! but i picked koda kumi

I'm not a hater of any of them but I still prefer Ayu the best. however i'm still posting here because at one point in time I loved Namie Amuro the best and I still go crazy for her Albums "Style" and "Queen of Hip-Hop" I love all the singles from them and I always feel great listening to her music with my favs songs being Speed star, Want me Want me, Alarm, Violet sauce, Put 'em up, So crazy, and shine more.

btw, I also love Utada, Mika, Van, and Hitomi. :)

hmm if ayu would stop music

1) I would cry for over a decade and
2) I'll keep on listening her music until my ears are bleeding and
3) Turn mink into my new number 1

Koda Kumi, misono, Utada Hikaru, and Yuna Ito.

agreed

if there was an other choice I'd go with mariah carey

that woman is top notch to me

lol... i can't pic. but if this was a "you like as much as ayu", then i'd go with hikki, kuu, mink and yuna... i still can't picture anyone "better" than ayu.

ayu owns everyone... :D :D ha ha, even those famous in america... :) gwen, nelly furtado, paris, lindsay :P

ayu pride! :D

I pick Ai otsuka and Kumi Koda...

They are my favorite artists right now and will remain. I love them both ^_____^

While I do like Ayu the best overall, I think there are many others who are superior to her in various aspects. Like, I think MISIA's voice is FAR superior to Ayu's. Furthermore, I like Shiina Ringo's compositions better.

It's funny though, because while I'll always refer to Ayu as my favorite singer (at least I have for the past 2 years or so), I'll have phases where I'll almost exclusively listen to another J-Pop artist (usually Namie), and consider them a temporary favorite. It leads me to wonder whether Namie really is tied with Ayu though, since I guess I like them both just as much.

same here I have times where kuu-chan is my fav and then i go back to ayu then i switch to angela and then back to ayu and then to mink and then to ayu ..... like a merry-go-around. but ayu is still my no1.

Koda Kumi, Namie Amuro, Ai Otsuka :)

Sorry but Utada is better!!!! xD

Ayu is best already. I'm outta here.

lol, there are way more than that.

Eventough ayu is my favourite female artist, I voted for Minmi, Angela Aki and Mika Nakashima because their voice is far more superior than Ayu and lets not forget about Chihiro Onitsuka! She for me has the best voice.

Koda Kumi and Namie Amuro


(but Ayu's still my no. 1)

Lol this thread opener is banned and most likely he opened this thread to turn off people from ayu, lol how immature and "original". He was so lifeless.

Turn off people from Ayu? How so?

I think the people who claim Ayu is the best singer and no one is better than her is more immature and unoriginal, yet lifeless.

Ami Suzuki, Hikaru Utada, Koda Kumi, Minmi, Mika Nakashima, & Namie Amuro.

PICKED ALL my fav and that ones I like more than Ayu