Who says that Ayu is loosing popularity...?
 

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Wow that's awesome!

Who says that ayu is loosing popularity? - Anti-ayu people and people who don't like that she's successful and still popular (maybe not like she used to) but she is still pretty popular, thank you for the information!!

expecte from Ayu :P

GREAAAT newsss!

great news thought :D
loosing popularity? doubt so ;X

Wow..^ yea great news!..splendid =p

ppl started saying ayu lost popularity since 2002
now 2008
ayu is still one of popular female singers :)

SOLD OUT..
awesome...
hahaha
ayu's never end

i don't think she loosing popularity too
after seeing other female artist sales number, i satisfied with guilty sales...
and thanks for sharing the report..waiting for your another report

suprise it's the only few items sold out and 8th on the chart ~_~ they need to restock more xD

ayu's still the queen of Jpop!! no matter what!!!
congratulation to Ayu!!!

People love to overreact. She's embarking on the biggest tour of her career this coming saturday and is argubly the most popular female singer in all of Asia. Do people really think that people will remember any Koda Kumi, Ai, YUI, BoA, etc songs ten or twenty years from now?

I agree with pretty much everything you said :yes

I doubt she is losing popularity..maybe just a bit...
but sales yea..

Agreed. :yes

Thanks for this news! I recieved my copies yesterday! :D

well.. as much as i would like to agree, but we cant be as sure. but i am confident to say that ayu definitely created the biggest impact in the singing industry of japan. cos everyone noes her!!

C'mon ppl, let's not be in denial...her popularity has declined over the years...we can't say she is a popular as during her A BEST era....She IS still popular obviously, but not AS popular...If the number of copies of ayu-mi-x available were low, it would sell out fast anyways, so without more specific evidence, that is no prooof of her having a massive popularity boom.


Hypocrisy much? You say ppl love to overreact and then mention: who will remember KK, Ai, YUI, Boa songs in 10-20 years? Do you have any proof that people won't remember their songs AND will remember ayu's instead?

^ TRUFAX. :yes

What Impact said. Her popularity has peaked, and I don't think it is growing anymore, but that doesn't mean she still isn't popular, she's just not AS popular.

Most of the anti-ayu people say that she is not popular anymore, not that she is not popular as she used to, that's obvious she isn't and it declines over the years, but anti-ayu try to find any reason for why she isn't successful anymore and use things like oh GUILTY wasn't no.1, ayu isn't hot anymore!!!! Without looking at the circumstances (they don't care much, for them it didn't get #1 and it ends here).
People shouldn't bring other artists too, no one knows what people will remember and what not. I'm tired of people who throw that ayu is nothing anymore, not popular etc. just because it's not for their liking :yes, It's not fine to be evil towards other artists as well.

In japan, Ayu's popularity pretty much declined for like 50%.. but even with that decline, she's still at the top.. Most hyped-artists only manage to stay at the top for a few years, and Ayu's been there a decade..
In asia, Ayu's popularity is growing bigger and bigger. Of course it's nothing like the Japan hype of 2001; but it's still going great..

and she has to.. I mean; not that Japan is declining she's focussing on Asia.. If Asia's declining, she should go for the world xD 20th anniversary world tour? =)

I wouldn't say that that "says it all" lol. It's clear that she's not as popular as she used to be, but she's still popular.

In any case, is this "News"? :shrug

this is AWESOME!! didn't know that remix albums can be so sell-able!!!

it is great to hear that they are sold out, just only means that Ayu's becoming more popular...

wow. It's great!
thanks for info

Yea, seeing her popularity decline, yet still staying on top in Japan even today shows how insane her popularity used to be around A BEST.

All the haters tryin to bring our diva down.

I agree with you and Impact that people should not be in denial that her popularity has gone down, but specifically it has gone down in Japan because practically everyone was a fan at one point. In other words, if you have 100 percent of something, you can't increase that to 101 percent. Her popularity has skyrocketed in other Asian countries though so both sides are correct in a way.

Well I can't really comment on most of those artists but I can comment on BoA because I was a fan since the No. 1 Album. Shes practically nonexistant now and she hasnt even been in the business yet for 10 years. Even friends who are non-fans have admitted Ayu is probably the most successful artist in Asia today.

I wouldn't say she's "not as popular" as she used to be, she's just not NEW anymore, you know? Her newness factor has worn off and she's now more like an icon; a staple in the J-pop scene.

Hello all ya fellow-ayu fans out there!
I'm definetely not an anti-ayu, just the opposite, I'm a totally great fan of her JPop majesty XD but there is always a BUT. Since this "Ayu-being-totally-def-on-left-ear stuff" came out, I trully AM worried about her.
I mean, it's totally unfair that something like this has happened to our Ayu. Well, this obviously is related to the issue of her popularity level as Ayu herself wanted to quit making the GUILTY album but, fortunatelly, she gathered the strength to carry on. I mean, if I was a singer and one of my ears would be "our of order" I would go crazy but look at Ayu, she's performing in TV and on stage again and again, producing one single after another...plus...new albums and that's why I LOVE her in every sense of the word. I think that it is THIS inner power and immense strength that will keep Ayu a JPop godess long after we are all dead, so, a couple of sold out items or any tabloid gossip don't really mean anything. To the old fans of Ayu the personal spirit she carries trully matters and to the new fans, it is right there waiting to be discovered and admired. And what goes for the WORLD TOUR, I think that when Ayu decides to tour the globe (hopefully I'm not gonna die till then), it will be a tremendous finish of her carreer, a trully golden peak of her artistic mountain she has been climbing since 1999.

Let's pray for much strength for the Divine Ayu :thumbsup

Your opinion on BoA does not describe overall ppl's opinions on her. BoA has had quite a drop on her popularity, but her stuff still manage to sell. She's not practically non-existant...that's a rather biased statement. While I think her latest stuff is pure crap, I do know there are ppl still interested in her releases.

HEY GIRL HEY!! :love
God we need more people like you :)

What about B'z? They're the most successful Japanese artists in my book.

ayu's popularity had declined these few years...can't really deny it but that doesn't mean she's not popular anymore. In fact she is still very popular in Japan and in Asia. She's one of the most known Japanese artist in overseas countries. Here in canada, her cds and dvds are the most stocked in cd stores...compared to other Japanese artists, just a few. I always hear her songs in Japanese restaurants...from her oldest songs to her most updated ones. She had fans waiting outside her hotel in PARIS during MW pv filming and they're not asians too. I think that shows alot about her popularity.

btw...one of the mirrorcle world cd+dvd first press is sold out again for the second time @ cdjapan!!

^I doubt there were A LOT of them and most of them prolly knewn about her because they are into asian music. I think the same could've happened to Koda Kumi, BoA, Namie, Hikki etc. So saying that she had fans in PARIS doesn't really prove a point.

:roflmao

I agree with you 100% Impact and you too, Piccolo. When I was reading most of the user's post, they WERE TOTALLY IN DENIAL ABOUT HER POPULARITY. It's such a shame that people can't admit their fave artists (ie AYU) has lost popularity. :no You can tell that her popularity IN JAPAN has died down. Look at her GUILTY sales. I hasn't cracked the 600K mark yet and its struggling just to get to 570K. C'mon! Ayumi should have been able to gotten 400K her first week, just like Kuu and Hikki especially Hikki. They both started their career at the same time. I'm proud of all three album sales nonetheless.

As for the person who created this thread, dude seriously! I doubt that the stores had LARGE quanities of the of the single. I say that Ayu will continue to lose popularity as the years go by. I luv Ayumi as much as you do but saying that Ayumi is still a HOT factor in Japan is like saying she isn't deaf in her left ear. :no

Tbh, I think all of those female artists named there are still going to be remembered in the next few years especially Koda Kumi. Koda Kumi has made her mark in J-music industry and people would give her a chance instead of judging her of what SHE use to do, then they'll see that she good music and it's definitely worthy of being remembered.

I also think that Ayu remembered like many people remember Seiko (I forgot her last name). Seiko is still doing good in the music industry for her age. I think the same will happen to Ayu. <~IMO!

It's not like she's literally loosing popularity... Her time is just slowly passing by... Everyone in Japan knows her. A lot of her fans just grew up and aren't into her as much as they used to be, while the young people have the tendency to ignore acts who were big in the past and concentrate on the fresh faces.

She's Ayumi Hamasaki - even if she's not at her peak era, she's still considered "queen/empress." While Koda Kumi, Ai, and YUI are popular now, their popularities still don't come close to Ayumi's popular at her peak. Ai and YUI seem more "trendy" than "popular" to me; people might remember them as artists of their era, but neither really stands out (though you can argue YUI's potential). BoA is unique in her own way and will probably be remembered in Japan and Korea as a kind of standard (like Ayumi), but I don't find her nearly as popular either. Koda Kumi will probably be remembered for her sexuality more than anything else.

To sum it up: stars like Ai, Yui, Koda, etc. are famous, but Ayumi is a legend.

wow..that was like..everything i was going to say.

I agree that Ayu's popularity has declined. Her sales aren't as high as before and her "deaf ear" isn't helping the situation. But she has been in the industry for about 10 years now, and shes still going pretty strong. that's gotta count for something. Ayumi has broken so many records in japan, so even if her popularity does dwindle down, shes still going to be known as one of the most influencial artists ever.

I've only kept up with Ayu in the last year or two, but from what I've seen her her popularity is lessening at home but expanding outside of it...in Asia, in Europe, in the Americas. In a sense, this is good for her in the long term because she's got so many new fans over here! It's not losing popularity *in general* but *where* she is popular is shifting.

right and i did word my post incorrectly, shes not non-existant so i apologize. the only reason i said that because I did not even know about her last album release The Face until like a few days ago, and after listening I dont think I missed out on much. However, shes not really a top artist anymore except with her fans. her recent album sales have been crap because the albums have been pretty bad. she expanded to Japan because her popularity in Korea was vanishing due to Hyolee hitting the scene and shes not as popular in Japan anymore. Though because of songs like No. 1 and Peace B that made me interested in her in the first place, I will still be a fan of BoA.

anyway, Ayu's popularity have decreased in Japan due to the rising popularity of other singers like Kuu. Shouldn't be in denial of this. However, Ayu's popularity as a whole been increasing because shes been getting huge in other Asian countries. Shouldn't be in denial of this either. Its not biased cuz we are Ayu fans, its facts.

^Yeah, i know her popularity towards Asia is really going well. I wish she'd tour in places like singapore though, because she seems to have a huge fanbase there.

You are right. If it is #8 on the charts and is sold out in the store, all that means is the store wasn't that well stocked to begin with.

Ayu has lost popularity in Japan - I think that's pretty undeniable at this point. But she has been gaining more popularity overseas.(I think that's true for most Japanese artists that have been around for a while though)

I don't think her fanbase outside of Japan increases her popularity as a whole. I don't have any statistics on that, but I'm guessing her fanbase outside of Japan has remained relatively constant, with minimal growth if any. And even if it did grow, it would just be offset by the fans she has lost in Japan/rest of the world.

I know who koda, boa, namie, hikki, etc are but if they were to come here, I wouldn't go wait around outside the hotel where they're staying at and in such cold weather...coz I'm not their fan. I wouldn't go follow them to where ever they were shooting the pv and report the details in the artist's forums or websites. Some fans waited around not just one time/day but the few days ayu stayed there. That's really crazy if they were just into asian music. Ayu also signed the fan's cds as well. I wouldn't go buy a cd and wait around for a celeb just to hope they will sign my cd. Alot of huge chinese artists come here and I know them coz I listen to chinese music as well but I never thought of going to see them in person.

I don't know exactly how many fans were there but I know some followed her around when she was filming the pv and stuff...talking to the staff and all that. I know it is possible to happen to other artists as well...but we're not comparing who has more fans or anything. Just saying ayu have devoted fans even in paris and I'm impressed. That's all.

I remember ayu was ranked #1 on some french or whatever poll for japanese artist...the most wanted artist to perform there or something. I should look that up.

I think the internet and being able to get a hold of music much easier is just bringing down her sales a lot is all.
She's probably more popular. Just less bought cds.

Ayumi's gaining stability, which is important for any artist. She's built up so much popularity that I can't ever imagine her being "irrelevant" (though I know that's going to happen eventually) or out of the spotlight. If she left the music industry as of now, she'd certainly leave a void that'll be tough to fill for any one artist. By expanding into Asia, she's making sure that in a decade or two, if she still wants to tour, (former) fans from beyond Japan will remember her and attend her concerts. Madonna seems ANCIENT to me but her tours still gross ridiculous amounts.

Still, I think "popularity" is a relative term. Yes, her music is selling way less than it used to. Yes, she's getting wrinkly. Yes, audience members are starting to grow tired of her. She's still Ayumi Hamasaki - idol extraordinaire - and tons of people know her, even if they aren't her fans. It's better than being a total unknown, fresh but still in need of a big break.

I think Ayu is still very popular :irked

thats nice to hear, thanks :)

Since several ppl have brought this issue up, the people who refer to her losing some popularity, including me, are not saying ayu is being forgotten. Definitely not. It's not like everyone in japan have developed alzheimer and forgotten she exists. When I mention drop in the popularity, I'm not saying ayu is being forgotten, but actually ignored. Some people know who ayu is, but they don't care anymore and don't really follow her as they did back in the day. That's what we mean about her "popularity" decreasing. Some ppl don't feel the urge in buying or following her stuff anymore. To me, I consider that a drop in popularity.

I'm not really sure why you're making stuff up but the only reason why she's staying in Japan is because that's where she (and SM) can make the most money. Plus, her last actual album released in Korea was the best selling female album that year...

It makes me think of other artists (in particular I'm thinking of Amy Grant, at least in the circles I've been around) who were quite popular in the past, they peaked, they declined, and now they've settled with a steady fanbase. A lot of people know about her, but she's not *popular* as she was. Well known, well-supported, but not popular. I just hope MTV/VH1 doesn't tell Ayumi she's too old for them to play her pvs one day. lol

Very nice!

Not really following the conversation so excuse me for mentioning something that may have been mentioned again but...

Just cause that particular store's copies of the CD/DVDs were sold out does not mean anything. One, it's only one store. Two, the store itself could've stocked up only very few copies. If they ordered 20 copies vs. 200 copies, and those 20 copies were sold out, that doesn't mean she's necessarily popular. Three, judging purely on whether her CDs are in stock in a particular store does not say whether she's popular not.

Tons of singers can be popular with sold out concerts in huge halls without making a dent on the chart.

CD/DVD sales don't mean everything.

yea!
i've nvr heard of her losing popularity !!!
and if i ever do
we'll bring it back up!

Considering on those said things and the sales on her albums, which are cool and huge, I'd say Ayu's popularity isn't decreasing that easily. I don't even care about her popularity that much, even if it's nice to follow her career and all. :3 Ayu has something really interesting in her because people still love her. It's awesome how she stays popular now ten years later, it's cool. <3

On a side note, the new Panasonic FX35 is DOMINATING the charts...

Ayu's influence on commercials still works!

http://bcnranking.jp/category/subcategory_0007.html

Well, MTV/VH1 in the US still play MADONNA'S stuff, don't they? :laugh

Probably so, but she's got legend status. I was so po'd when I heard VH1 wouldn't play Amy Grant's new pvs because she's over. What kind of excuse is that? Anyway!! Ayu will be with us a long time if she has any say about it. :)

It's true, she's losing popularity, Oricon poll on favorite artist.

- Ranking 2005
1. aiko
2. Utada
3. Mr.Children
4. Porno Graffitti
5. B'z
6. Boa
7. Southern All Stars
8. Spitz
9. Otsuka
10. Nakashima
"
18. Ayu

- Ranking 2006 (out of top 30)
1. aiko
2. Spitz
3. Mr.Children
4. Utada
5. Dreams Come True
6. B'z
7. Koda
8. Porno Graffitti
9. Boa
10. Remioromen
11. Smap
12. Judy and Mary
13. Kou
14. Southern All Stars
15. Nakashima
16. AI
17. ELT
18. Ketsumeishi
19. Fukuyama
20. Otsuka
21. Hirai
22. Kinki Kids
23. Shuji to Akira
24. Shiina Ringo
25. YUKI
26. Sukima Switch
27. Yuzu
28. Exile
29. Def Tech
30. Kobukuro

- Ranking 2007 (Just the top 10)
1. Utada
2. Kobukuro
3. Mr.Children
4. aiko
5. Dreams Come True
6. Ayaka
7. Spitz
8. Porno Graffitti
9. Fukuyama
10. B'z

who cares?
as long as YOU like her music, don't stress over sales.

Some Ayu fans are so damn difficult, I swear...


I mean, (not to bash) look at her album sales, they've dropped from one another, but they're kind of the same range.
Now, look at Kuu's Black Cherry and Kingdom sales. THAT'S BAD!

(btw, I love Kuu she's pretty sexy :p)

Talk about difference in opinions. I'm pleased Utada has steady popularity though.

No one stays on top forever...she's had a good run and has managed to maintain a sizeable fanbase well after her peak. She's still a prominent arist within the local market and has outlasted most of her rivals/contemporaries. Never doubt a diva as fierce as Ayumi.

Ayu has stable sells with a stable fanbase, and after passing her peak, the only natural thing for her sales is to go down. I think having around 100-150K sales for her singles is actually pretty good, as long as it's consistant.

Ayu losing popularity? NO WAY!!

As long as we continue to listen to her and buy her merchandise..she'll never lose popularity!:yes

making stuff up? a lot of people I know from mainland korea say the same thing. its not like they are going to admit it publicly but people know. Even Hyolee is gradually losing popularity because the public is looking for someone younger and hotter and the cycle goes on. and what you're saying indirectly connects to what I'm saying that Japan is the moneymaker for her. Its not like I'm a BoA hater, shes still one of my most favorite Korean artists. whatever

she never loses popularity, if yes then her singles or albums will never rank no. 1 for the first day of releasing date...

believe me that YUI new album will outsold ayu's GUILTY

^Aiko will pass her as well. :laugh

....but dude seriously, let it go. That's why a lot of the ayu-fans don't like you. Comments like that will make them think that way.

Okay, what? Black Cherry sold over 1 million albums. :thud

While Kingdom may have sold almost only 600k, take into account that the scandal was bound to affect her sales. Without that scandal, Kingdom would be at 700k easily by now. :cool

I'm not going to say anything on the subject matter, since I'd add nothing new. Everyone's pretty much said what I would :yes

What I will say however, is that any fan who thinks Ayu is as popular as she was around 2000-2001... needs to get back to reality.

aiko's album won't pass GUILTY. It will need a miracle for that to happen. There's a chance YUI will though.

hmm.. if ayu still ables to get rank. 1 at ORICON everytime she releases a single/album that's enough for me to show that her popularity has not yet died down~if her popularity has already died down, then she would never get a chance to reach no. 1...

I think she already had a very strong and stable fan base in japan...just that a lot of them prefer attending concerts rather than buying CDs...thats the same to kuu too...they both have very strong fan base i believed..

Well album wise Ayumi did suffer a pretty big drop like that before .-.

RAINBOW- 1,857,870
MY STORY- 1,132,444

It's obvious that she is losing popularity but you can't expect her to have the same status as she did seven years ago.

idk I think Ayumi just needs to try something new. I found Mirrocle World to be so typical...if this year she releases a summer pop song followed by a ballad I think I will die.

Something new?? Like what? What's left for her to try? She is far more versatile than a lot of other singers. I will never get people who complain about her not being able to be versatile.

Her sales are lower, yea, but I think it's an achievement still being an idol going strong after 10 years (especially in Japan)

^You know, I'd luv to see Ayu do a music era style like Namie did. It'll totally look right with her. Since Namie did a R&B era influence, Ayu could do a pop one. 60 = Beatles 70 = ABBA 80 = Madonna Hehehehehe I'll so luv it. :heart

^Then she'd get flamed down for plagiarism...

It's tough for any artist to break the mold the public has set for them. Namie Amuro has done well with her hip-hop/R&B material, but it could also have gone the other way and decreased her popularity even more. Ayumi tried gospel, and while I liked Bold & Delicious, the public didn't seem to. A catchy summer single followed by a ballad is a formula that works, and although Avex may allow Ayumi to try different styles, they'll still pressure her into releasing a summer and ballad single. Personally, I don't think Ayumi's voice suits R&B the way Namie's does, so I can't see that genre as being successful. Ayumi could return to her old dance-pop roots, which I do see selling well.

@venus

so when you say versatile, you mean she should copy everyone?

i definitely agree with a lot of people's comments that she's not as popular as she used to be, and of course sales are down, they are all in decline on average. but i think popularity is not necessarily just based on sales....

^Well....not exactly. Like I was saying, she should...I guess...do her own version of the 60s70s80s.


Well, it's not like Namie was the first ever to do something like that.:rolleyes Who says she's the only person who can do that? Ayu would totally fit that Hippy/disco-y/rockish look. :yes I so luv a Like A Virgin version from! :laugh (I'm serious!)

For some reason, I want Ayu to have another dance song. It doesn't even have to be an A-side. The only one she really had was Startin'.

You forgot that there are A BALLADS and Memorial address mini-album between them and Memorial address was just an 8 tracks album and it still could sell over a million and then MY STORY's sales rose :yes

i agree zoom. its tiring to hear that kind of stuff. shes covered almost every genre of music in her songs over the years and if people cant see that, well then they have a serious case of misinterpretations of what different genres of music there are.

ayu is still so popular!!!

OMGOSH Impact O_O its like u read my mind LOL or maybe I read urs ;D LOL! Anyways her popularity is obviously declined in Japan. U can still be popular and have a decline in popularity =x And ayu-mix prolly only did sell out becauase it had minimal amounts of copies.

And people will DEFINITELY remember those artists. Koda Kumi's Koi no Tsubomi was recognized and got awards and all that . Wasn't it even on a greatest female song album? Ai's Sakuranbo stayed in the charts for like almost 2 years ._. I am pretty sure that made some impact on the music industry. BoA was popular throughout Asia before Ayu was.... So yeah That was kind of rude mentioning those artists and bashing them.

I'm pretty sure people will definitely remember Ayumi Hamasaki years from now. People still remember Seiko Matsuda, and Ayumi has similar if not greater fame. Koda Kumi, Ai Otsuka, and BoA will probably also be remembered, but perhaps not to Ayumi's extent.