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NEXT LEVEL album thoughts
I really Love what I have heard. :luv2
SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS!!! here's mine: Bridge to the sky - Wow. It sounds like a happier version of "Not yet" like how it starts of quietly then slowly builds up and booms into "everlasting dream". I felt happy listening to it hahah. Disco-munication - Another cool interlude! But something seems lacking in here. There's this hollowness in it. I was surprised with the siren that suddenly came out of nowhere towards the end. Very cool. I like the exotic sounds too. EnergizE - This is by far a track I didn't expect to sound like that. I thought it was going to be more pop than rock. But it had an electro meets rock feel which I thought was very cool. This song is very fun to listen to. Much better than expected for me. Cute too. I like that it continues with those siren-sounding sounds from Disco-munication. rollin' - WOW! This style feels so brand new I didn't think AYu would do it. Those vocoder parts felt very Perfume haha. Those musical box sounds sounded like Marionette part 2 hahaha. Or WONDERLAND part 2. The chorus is brilliant at the faster lyrical parts...I felt that it came off with attitude. The ending felt very rollin' hahaha Load of the SHUGYO - I love the tension building at the start and those eastern instruments playing. That rock part is crazyyy hhaha. The back part is SOOO COOOL! With the "HAHHH" which sounds like some game interlude when a fight is going to begin. identity - LOL what's with the creepy opening again. ahha. The opening reminded me...of some song.. *tries to remember* YES! (d)Lma!! This song sounds very cool. It does feel like there is going to be a fight hahha especially the chorus. It brings off that kinda feel. WHICH I ALSO FELT IN (d)Lma !! The bridge doesn't fit the song at all IMO. LOL...it sounds like funky dance section. But the rock section is <3 The rock guitar is AMAZING (No wonder people say this sounds left off from GUILTY...but it’s so much cooler and less dark) LOVE ‘n’ HATE – I LOVE how this song opens. It feels sooooo epic! Ayu’s voice is so alluring. The chorus doesn’t sound like that chorus at all. Lol. The ending is super shocking!!! Pieces of SEVEN – BEAUTIFULLLL. It sounds so tropical in the beginning gosh! I’m shocked to hear that. OMG..WHAT’S WITH THE ROCK!!!! O.O I can just say, Im awfully stunned at the twist...wow...It’s brilliant. HAL FINALLY OUTDID THEMSELVES. This could actually be the best interlude in the album. O.O Overall Bridge to the sky 4/5 NEXT LEVEL 4.5/5 Disco-munication 3/5 EnergizE 4/5 Sparkle 5/5 rollin' 3.5/5 GREEN 4.5/5 Load of the SHUGYO 3.5/5 identity 4/5 Rule 4.5/5 LOVE ‘n’ HATE 3.5/5 Pieces of SEVEN 5/5 Days 5/5 Curtain call 4/5 |
What do you think of NEXT LEVEL the Album?
Im done listening. And in all Im very pleased. Its a good album.
But its like the singles doesnt really fit. GREEN and Days really feels random for me. Also, I thought that Pieces of Seven would make the bridge from disco/techno-to-ballads nice and smooth but instead it started ballad-ish and ended up techno-ish, and then Days started. It feelt very weird, it would have been the other way (starting techno-ish-ending-ballad-ish). Lol. Also, I know that NEXT LEVEL is all about the next level in Ayus music life and to take it one step further but the disco theme took up way to much space. It started in track 3 (interlude) and was going on to track 12 (interlude) with a little rock-ish-thingy in between with identity and Rule. And offcourse GREEN that feelt really out of place. In that way GUILTY had a better flow. But in all, I really enjoy this album and can't wait until the tour starts. My favs for the moment surley is identity (all the singles) Curtain Call and maybe LOVE n' HATE Sooo, what do you guys think? |
I'm really impressed by what I'm hearing so far, but I'm only up to listening to Rollin' so far (which I love, by the way). It's definitely a fresh sound from Ayu, and EnergizE wasn't that awful to be honest LOL (but I did feel Disco-munication felt out of place?). More on the album when I finish it.
Edit: I actually think this album is pretty strong, but it's TOO SHORT. Is it even shorter than GUILTY? It feels like it =/ I actually think LOVE 'n' HATE is one of my least favorite tracks.. I think it's a trainwreck. Not catchy, obnoxiously loud, tries to be r&b sort of and fails, yuck. I don't want to hear more songs like this from her, ever. -_- Identity was a pretty neat rockish song, I enjoyed most of the interludes (the last half of Pieces of SEVEN was surprising). Days feels really out of place in this album (it would've been nice if they included Life...). I ended up liking Curtain Call at the end... Yeah, my thoughts are kind of scattered hahaha. Initial reaction to this album? I think it's really solid. And I don't want to hear comparisons to RAINBOW because I think both albums are completely different from each other, and I still do NOT like the RAINBOW album. Ratings: 1. Bridge to the Sky - 8/10 2. Next Level - 7/10 3. Disco-munication - 5/10 4. EnergizE - 6/10 5. Sparkle - 10/10 6. Rollin' - 9.5/10 7. GREEN - 9/10 8. Load of the SHUGYO - 9/10 9. Identity - 8/10 10. Rule - 8.5/10 11. LOVE 'n' HATE - 5/10 12. Pieces of SEVEN - 7/10 13. Days - 6/10 14. Curtain Call - 7/10 |
Over all, NEXT LEVEL is a good and diverse album. I like all the tracks but rollin' for now. LOVE n HATE isn't what I really expected, for some reason I see it as my name's WOMEN 2. identity is cool too. I thought I wouldn't like EnergizE but I love it. NEXT LEVEL and Curtain call are great too. As I posted somewhere else~ Do I like the album? Yes. Do I like it better than GUILTY? No. Atm my feelings about it are kinda mixed and I kinda think that most of the album tracks aren't as good as her previous album's tracks (with the exception of NEXT LEVEL and EnergizE).
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i cant b bothered typing too much lol
i really liked it!! better than expected!! from 1 to 10: 7.5 |
I loved the whole album! My favorite song from the album is definitely LOVE 'n' HATE. It is amazing...I don't have enough words to describe how I felt when I listened it for the first time. I'm really surprised that I liked all interludes too. Even Pieces of SEVEN was great. I would give this album 10 out of 10.
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triple post :( someone please delete this.
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I think that this album make her older ones sound really BAD!
LUVED IT! |
wow!
lol, i just love everything that ayu does...this album grew on me fast! i can't wait to get the USB though. X] |
IT'S AMAZING!!!
This is DEFINITELY the NEXT LEVEL. Lot's of English and a TOTALLY different vibe from GUILTY! [identity] is the ****! [Load of the Shugyo] is the ****! [EnergizE] is the ****!...even [NEXT LEVEL] is pretty good! [Love 'n' Hate] is...AMAZING!!!! It's SO AWESOME I'm experiencing an EARGASM for the first time in my life. I can't WAIT to see this performed on tour! [Pieces of SEVEN] is an AMAZING interlude! It started out like Kaleidoscope ~part III~ and then burst into a wave of techno rock! It's SO good! But why is it paired with [Days]? [Curtain Call] is like [JEWEL] + [Pride], but much more somber. It really sounds out of place with this album because of the lack of ballads. I don't really care too much for songs that don't have much going on in the background, but it is pretty good. I just thank God it's the last song on the album! ^___^ With all that being said... I can't foresee this album surpassing GUILTY in terms of sales, because it's SO rock-and-techno oriented that it might be too much for veteran Ayu fans to handle. It'll definitely sell MORE than Koda Kumi's [TRICK], but it probably won't make it past the 700,000 mark. I will be buying this album at the end of the month. That's a promise! |
this is the first time i've loved every single ayu song on an album since RAINBOW. i'm not even going to bother reviewing each song. they're all 8-10/10 for me. i am SOOO happy with this album :heart
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At first I thought the album would be horrible. Except for NEXT LEVEL, the other new songs were very very bad, especialy after listening to the LQ previews.
But now, NEXT LEVEL is certainly different from her past albums and I'm loving all the songs and the interludes. I can't wait for the album's release in sg. 1. Bridge to the Sky - 8.5/10 2. Next Level - 10/10 3. Disco-munication - 7/10 4. EnergizE - 9/10 5. Sparkle - 10/10 6. Rollin' - 8.5/10 7. GREEN - 7.5/10 8. Load of the SHUGYO - 8/10 9. Identity - 9/10 10. Rule - 8.5/10 11. LOVE 'n' HATE - 9/10 12. Pieces of SEVEN - 7/10 13. Days - 10/10 14. Curtain Call - 7/10 |
I really liked the album <3 I think though, it suffers because of the quality it's leaked in. It'll sound so much better in 320kbs, I'm sure. LOVE 'n' HATE and EnergizE are the most victimized by this quality, for sure. rollin's verses are also victims.
Out of all the interludes, Pieces of SEVEN is the weakest, it like, DOESN'T make sense nor work as a good interlude between upbeat and ballad. also, almost every new song on this album had some sort of opening that just didn't make sense in context XD |
I'm impressed with several of the new songs, specially Identity and LOVE ‘n’ HATE, I love how the album flows and I thought GREEN would be out of place there in the track list but it makes sense actuallyl.
When I first heard Bridge to the sky I thought it was out place, when you hear it with NEXT LEVEL also makes sense. The interludes are beautiful. Lovin' the album, I kinda like the rock part bit better but it's all so nice. |
Someone already posted a thread like this ^^;;
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I don't want to listen all of the album tracks until I get my own copy except for EnergizE which is my first faves for the NEW album.
EnergizE is a another cutesy pop with a rockish elements. Think t2m and Ladies Night meets Beautiful fighters and HONEY to this track. I ABSOLUTELY LOVE EnergizE!!! FAVE SONG SO FAR! |
The first half, I get a Madonna vibe...and then, I don't know. I'm left confused. I think I have to hear it a few more times.
The interludes weren't completely in the way. |
It kind-of DOES make her older albums sounds bad, somehow. It's tough to be believe that this is a brand new style for Ayu; cos it sounds like it's completely her style. I guess Ayu simply manages to make anything her own.
I especially love LOVE'n'HATE. The counting is pretty awesome. Can't wait to use that song in my spinningclass tomorrow. Already got an excercise in mind =) |
My Review
Spoiler:
Conclusion: I would rather call this album "SAME LEVEL". While GUILTY was a mixture of good and mediocre tracks for me, this album is more balanced in terms of quality but I think it is lacking some highlights. I also have an issue with two interludes: Disco-munication is just a big no and Pieces of SEVEN doesn’t fit as a transition between LOVE’n’HATE between Days. But all in all, I thinjk it is a step up from GUILTY. |
I thought I wasn't going to like this album at all but I gotta I really enjoyed EVERY single track except for identity and LOVE 'n' HATE. They're enjoyable songs but it's not the best. I do like the whole "1,2,3,4,5,6,7,0" in LOVE 'n' HATE though. Everything else rocks.
"NEXT LEVEL" is one of those songs that just makes you forget all about your worries and it's just so relaxing! "rollin'" is definitely my most favourite tracks on the album. It's addictive, catchy, fun and I just love the use of vocoders in songs. "EnergizE" is one of those cute bubblegum pop songs but it's just too addictive for me not to love. "Curtain call" is just beautiful and is my favourite ballad in such a long time. The interludes are amazing and my only complaint is that they weren't made into full songs. Pieces of SEVEN is such an odd transition though. As for the singles, I loved them since the day it came out. Very nice work Ayu. |
Full review tonight on my Thought of the Day but pretty much a really bland and extremely mediocre album with only two stand out nonsingle tracks.
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Also, whats up with the random 25 seconds of rollin's intro...?!? Its like marionette prelude but in the same song as rollin' but still separets the intro from the song with like 5 seconds... |
It's beautiful and fantastic.I'll write a bigger review soon XD!
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My post vanished? o.0
Well, here we go again: I FREAKKIN LOVE THIS ALBUM Its on the same level GUILTY and Memorial Address are for me, maybe even higher, theres not a single track that I really hate(GUILTY had glitter, Memorial Address hat Greatful Days) Bridge to the Sky 4/5 Beautiful introduction to a... NEXT LEVEL 4,5/5 ...beautiful song Disco-munication 4/5 I finally figured out the titles meaning(Im so dumb xD) and i think its great, flows perfectly EnergizE 4/5 I expected myself to hate it, but I really like it, a new staple maybe? Sparkle 5/5 First song that deserves the full 5 points, its just... rollin' 5/5 AMAZING and the music box is in it^^ and it sounds like a old 8 or 16-Bit game GREEN 4,5/5 out of place, but amazing song Load of the SHUGYO 5/5 Breathtaking identity 4/5 overall really good, but something disturbes me about it, I like how it steps in decisions footsteps(which are really, really big) Rule 3,5/5 Really loved it at first, but that decreased, and decreased........and decreased LOVE 'n' HATE 5,5/5(xDDD) It may become my favourite Ayu songs, it just so epic! I want it to be the big song or opening for her tour(big-screen-ayu singing the beginning, then ayus spectacular entrance...) Pieces of SEVEN 4,5/5 I really like it, but it doesnt do its job, it doesnt lead into Days, but I think its Days' fault xD Its really long for an interlude Days 3/5 Curtain call 4,5/5 I LOVE IT, its a little bit like Pride and I really like Pride, especially live, I think we will see a choir performance on her CDL0910 |
I was disappointed with it, I am beginning to agree with some of the people who said this is level down for Ayu. I just don't like electronic music, it's cold and emotionless to me, and generally gives me a thumping headache. The reason it's a level down for me is that Ayu has always written lyrics and had music with emotion, something I could identify with, and to me the first part of the album in general doesn't make me feel anything, or seem like Ayu's work, they just didn't seem to suit her very well. I did like the second half of it from GREEN onwards, it seems more like the familiar Ayu. The songs I liked were identity and LOVE 'n' HATE out of the ones we haven't heard, the other ones were: NEXT LEVEL (after hearing the rest of the album I find this one soothing), GREEN, Rule, Days and Curtain call.
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After listening to the album for couple of times, I must say it's a pretty good album (but not her best album of course). The only thing that this album is missing is a strong ballad song like Together When... or HEAVEN. Right now my favorite non-single is LOVE 'n' HATE and NEXT LEVEL. NEXT LEVEL is a nice stress reliever song. LOVE 'n' HATE has a really nice beat it sounds really refreshing plus different from her other songs.
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TRACK-BY-TRACK RATING SCALE:
1. Bridge to the Sky - 9/10 2. Next Level - 8.5/10 3. Disco-munication - 8/10 4. EnergizE - 10/10 5. Sparkle - 10/10 6. Rollin' - 8.5/10 7. GREEN - 10/10 8. Load of the SHUGYO - 10/10 9. Identity - 10/10 10. Rule - 10/10 11. LOVE 'n' HATE - 20/10--------BEST SONG ON THE ALBUM, period. 12. Pieces of SEVEN - 10/10 13. Days - 10/10 14. Curtain Call - 5/10 |
I haven't been able to listen to the whole album yet, but so far these are my initial impressions.
I really love the music and the arrangements so far. The weak points of this album are that the singles don't mix and her vocals. Her vocals really sound strained I think and they are often overpowered by the music. Also her vocals are very processed, much more than any other album, they also use tons of filters on this album. Doesn't exactly inspire confidence for what her vocals will be like on the tour (and that's assuming that she actually attempts to sing these songs live.) I'll give a track by track review and rating once I've been able to digest it all. |
I really really really love this album!!! especially EnergizE, it is my favourite, and next one is NEXT LEVEL.
I was so disappointed with Guilty.. so this is a great great step up for me.. I love the electronic sounds of it, it gives a great uplifting and emotion life to it!!!!!~ There really isnt anything depressing on the album.. I am so happy~~ (except Sparkle.. ahaha) All the tracks are great.. I love the NEXT LEVEL of Ayumi Hamasaki~~ I wish the song NEXT LEVEL was in the end or so.. it would be a better relief to the hard and fast songs.. ahaha I think it's a bit wasted at the beginning.. So yeah, all I have to say, I wish that the track order was a bit different. But that's it!!!! The intro to rollin' reminds me of all those other useless intros. Like Free & Easy intro.. ahaha. But it's still a great song~ Also, I dont think Pieces of SEVEN is supposed to be an intro to Days. I think it's supposed to be an exit for LOVE 'n' HATE.. that's all. I love actually the transition from Pieces of SEVEN and Days.. At least now we know why pieces of seven is called that... "1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7...0?" ahahaha |
Well I'm still listening to this album over and over and appreciating the new style. Personally I must admit it's quite different from the traditional Ayu style which means that I understand why a lot of fans will dislike this album. It's quite experimental (for Ayu anyway) and veers away from her typical album formula. I love it and I think it's a solid album with a lot of interesting things to discover. Seems like the type of album which grows on you and you can enjoy it for a long time.
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My Review of the album:
Bridge to the Sky: I really love the intro!! very beautiful! NEXT LEVEL: the song is ok...not that great not that bad Disco-munication: love the interlude...too bad its not a full song EnergizE: My fav album track...I don't normally like cute songs or cute vocals and I tend to skip them but I absolutely love this song...makes me want to work out! Sparkle: love the song already! rollin': I love the 30sec intro...reminds me of marionette! I like the song itself too! My second fav album track. It'll be interesting to see if she performs this song. GREEN: love the song already! Load of the SHUGYO: another excellent interlude...makes me wanna lift some weights and play the guitar after...XD identity: reminds me of decision but not as good...I do like the bridge part though Rule: love the song already! LOVE 'n' HATE: very different for ayu...I like the song...too bad the song itself is a bit short Pieces of SEVEN: another great interlude...it would be a better transition to days if the slower part was at the end instead but its still great the way it is. Days: Not my fav ballad but its not bad...I do like it. Curtain call: its a good ballad and smoothing to my ears after all the upbeat tracks. Great way to end the album Overall its a great album...not her best but it was a nice change after 2 'dark' albums. I've been wanting a upbeat album from ayu and she released NEXT LEVEL. =D The album would of been even better if the ballads are better though. GUILTY had better ballads...but NEXT LEVEL have better singles and don't have songs like GUILTY and glitter which I always skip. For those who don't like the album, atleast she's doing something different...I remembered some ppl here complained about how she's in her safe zone and all that. NEXT LEVEL- 9/10 |
I LOVE this album!
It has everything pretty nice ballads, great rock-songs, cute pop and electro-music! "NEXT LEVEL" is as good as (miss)understood and GUILTY in my opinion. And these are my favorite Ayu-albums! Ok, now my ranking: 01. Bridge to the sky - 8/10 - amazing intro! but it's still only a interlude so just 8^^ 02. NEXT LEVEL - 10/10 - cute sommer-pop-song like BLUE BIRD! I love this kind of songs! and the lyrics are great! 03. Disco-munication - 7/10 - very electronic^^ 04. EnergizE - 10/10 - it's a great dance-song! It's fun! I wish it would be playing in my club here 05. Sparkle - 10/10 - again a very good dance-song! I love its beat! 06. rollin' - 7/10 - the beginning reminds me of WONDERLAND... The song has its moments... but there are several better tracks on this album... 07. GREEN - 5/10 - I never liked this song... I think it's odd... 08. Load of the SHUGYO - 7/10 - I like the mix of rock and electro 09. identity - 10/10 - great rock song! I love the attitude of this song! 10. Rule - 8/10 - fantastic rock-song! But Ayu already did so much better ones... 11. LOVE 'n' HATE - 10/10 - I LOVE the violins! This is so great! I want to see this live^^ 12. Pieces of SEVEN - 7/10 - the song has a smooth feeling. I like the change in it but it's nothing special 13. Days - 10/10 - super cute! a beautiful love-song full of emotions 14. Curtain call - 9/10 - great ballad. I love its simple piano sound So all in all: 8 out of 10 Points^ |
she has taken it to the next level, a variety of mixes from rock,rnb, 80',tech etc. i loved all of the songs..the least for me would be energize. i think ill love it later like i did for beautiful fighters. but its indeed a great album.
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Bridge to the sky - Sounds like Not yet, just not as good, I also think this is her worst intro track :/ It didn’t set up any mood like “Mirror” or “Catcher In The Light” did, it felt like it was just there
NEXT LEVEL - Some parts remind me too much of BLUE BIRD, but at least the chorus was a tad catchy Disco-munication - Disco-munication could have been something good, but instead it was a boring filler interlude EnergizE - The beat and the catchy English saved this song from being too boring for my likes Sparkle - Love the beginning intro, the chorus, and the instrumental bridge. That’s about it rollin' - This track wasn’t all that interesting, it’s nice background music if you’re folding clothes or something GREEN - GREEN was magical and so awesome at first, but it’s lost its magic in my opinion Load of the SHUGYO - Pretty good interlude, not all that interesting, but transitioned well into identity identity - Some parts of the song remind me too much of 1 LOVE Rule - I hated this song at first, but it’s grew onto me a lot LOVE 'n' HATE - The best song on the album, nuff said. The music was great, the vocals were excellent, and it was just so damn catchy <3 Pieces of SEVEN - The beginning reminds me of Donkey Kong Country 2 music (mainly Bramble Blast for people who’ve played the game =P) which is good, the transition into techno was strange, but a nice welcome. Best interlude on the album IMO Days - Didn’t like this song at first, also grew onto me. Curtain call - I hate the beginning, but at least the song gets interesting with the choir that enters, but then the ending is like the beginning. Not the best way for her to end the album, but whatever. NEXT LEVEL was average for me. The interludes were filler (minus Pieces of SEVEN) while most of the tracks were boring and uninteresting. FAVORITE TRACKS = LOVE ‘n’ HATE, Pieces of SEVEN, Rule, Days LEAST FAVORITE TRACKS = Bridge to the sky, Disco-munication, rollin’, identity, Curtain call AVERAGE TRACKS = NEXT LEVEL, EnergizE, Sparkle, Load of the SHUGYO, GREEN |
My thoughts:
-Bridge to the sky/NEXT LEVEL is a GREAT pairing. NEXT LEVEL is definitely my favorite song on the album. -GREEN is in the wrong spot. It feels REALLY out of place, as do the other ballads, but considering Pieces of SEVEN has a slightly oriental feel, I think GREEN would do much better after it, with Days and Curtain call to slow down and end the album. -I can't help but think of Curtain call and it's title, like Ayu's saying goodbye or something... Favorite new songs: NEXT LEVEL, LOVE 'n' HATE, Curtain call Favorite new interludes: Bridge to the sky, Pieces of SEVEN |
An improvement but the singles mostly seem out of place.
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TEN/10!
to me, it is. *album on repeat* i think im spoiling it for myself lol.. Quote:
[EDIT] Bridge to the sky seems like an instrumental of a song.. =o |
okay soo...I wrote my review while I listened to the songs for the first time...so it's kinda lengthy lol no one's going to read it anyway! So la~~
Spoiler:
Sooo ANYWAY...long story short: the album is filled with wierd compositions and interesting melodies, that could either be like genius...or the fact that everything else has been done already lol. The arrangements really carry a lot of the songs, and some of them are really awesome...in fact...the only arrangement I don't like was Load of the SHUGYO...but that song was wrong in all aspects. Worst single - GREEN/Days - Not only are the songs boring and bland, they don't really fit in their respective places. In fact the flow of the album is really odd to begin with...throw in GREEN and Days...MESS...although Days helps flow into the train wreck that is Curtain Call. Overall...the album is better in ways than I expected...but also fails in many ways as well. I think it's really fun and cool, and it's entertaining....but I think that some things were sacrificed in being so. I can't really put my finger on what though. Rating - hmm... 7/10. hmm...I think maybe that...the album is just kinda messy messy. It's like Ayu wants to do these styles, but she doesn't know how...I don't know...the album is just okay for the moment. |
^^Don't worry Emiko - I read it! Mine will be lengthy too. lol.
Ok, now that I've listened a couple of times: This album is really like candy. Tastes great at first and is fun, but it'll get stale soon. And if you eat too much, you'll get sick. I see a lot of people giving out 10s easily, but I rarely will rate a song a 10, because that is like you are saying the song is just as good as Surreal, Evolution, Boys & Girls etc. Only if a song really truly deserves such a high ranking will I give it. I also agree with those that say this album is lacking an emotional connection. Most of the tracks are interchangeable with each other and don't have an emotional core, which is usually Ayu's main draw. I definitely notice a lack of "Ayu-ness" - any other artist could be doing these same tracks; they are not that unique. But at the same time, its nice that Ayu did something she doesn't normally do, even if what she's doing isn't really unique. Bottom line, this album is fun but I don't picture it having any kind of lasting effect. 1. Bridge to the Sky - This track really had me at first. Very beautiful, but then it suddenly goes crazy at the end. Which makes zero sense since the track it is going into is very soothing. So while it is a nice stand alone track, as an interlude to the album it kinda fails. the rest of it is still strong though. 8/10 2. Next Level - Really love the music in this one. The vocal melody does seem to borrow a little too much from both Blue Bird and Beautiful Fighters though. It gets repetitive, but I like the calming feeling. 8.5/10 3. Discomunnication - umm ok. As a transitional track it really kind of fails. It doesn't match Next Level at all at the begining but then gets much better at the end. (basically the opposite problem of Bridge to the Sky). I like the funky guitar in the background of this one. 7/10 4. EnergizE - Strange opening. :) Overall though, I like this song more than I thought I would. It has some great moments, especially the vocal bridge into the chorus. But then there are other parts that I don't really think fit. 8/10 5. Sparkle - Never got the big deal about this song. Just average for me at best. 7/10 6. rollin' - I like the kind of random opening. Has some interesting vocal melody moments but by this point in the album, I'm already feeling like everything is sounding the same. 6.5/10 7. Green - Very nice song, but totally doesn't fit on this album. I actually was going to give this song an 8 but then I realized that I have hardly listened to it at all since its release. 7.5/10 8. Load of the Shugyo - I was actually expecting it to be better, like 10.0 material. I agree with Emiko that at parts this sounds too messy. 7/10 9. identity - One of the best new album tracks. Like the kinda creepy opening. Could do without the Yeah yeah yeahs. Otherwise I quite like it. 8.5/10 10. Rule - This song is begining to get a bit stale, but I still like it a lot. 9/10 11. Love'n'Hate - Very interesting track. It starts great. I like it a lot, but it is missing a really strong pump your fists chorus. It keeps building, but it never really gets anywhere. 8/10 12. Pieces of Seven - Nice one that would be great as a stand alone track but once again as an interlude it fails. The first half is way better than the second and it totally doesn't transition into Days. If I were to rate it just as stand alone though, it would get 8/10 13. Days - Sweet and beautiful. 9/10 14. Curtain Call - Sounds better now that it is in high quality though her vibrato is often regrettable in it. Pretty, but doesn't hugely stand out either. I'd prefer if there was no choir and just Ayu slowly building her vocals alone in the song. 8.5/10 Overall, 7.0-8.0 Not too bad of a score. But I see this album getting really old, really fast and as I mentioned before, I don't like how processed her vocals sound. It's also the first Ayu album where I did not give any of the tracks a 10/10. Also the interludes were some of the worst actually on any Ayu album I think - very rarely do I give her interludes anything less than a 9 or 10. This album is very short at only 52 minutes, even Guilty was actually 56. Duty was 52 as well, but that album was absolute genius from start to finish. |
This album is tied with (miss)understood for best album in my opinion.
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Hmm... listening this Album, let me reminds a little bit to the 80th.. so much electronic Musik. But.. thats ok.
I really love Curtain Call.. such a beautiful song. And... seems like a lot of people like that Song... I really dislike Love 'n' Hate. It is one of her worst songs for me. I really can't stand that song. So.. this Album is ok.... but not as good as Secret or Guilty. |
I really love the album!
EnergizE is really addicting! identity is my favorite. The chorus is perfect! So far I would rank them in this order: identity EnergizE rollin' NEXT LEVEL Curtain call LOVE 'n' HATE I LOVE THE OPENING! everlasting dream is my favorite interlude so this even better for me! I wish it were a full song! I don't like LOVE 'n' HATE like everyone else does. The chorus is boring and I hate R&B. Definitely not like my name's WOMEN because that has more to it. This is such a great album :D Better than GUILTY, Secret, and (miss)understood for me as a whole. |
I really love the album!
EnergizE is really addicting! identity is my favorite. The chorus is perfect! So far I would rank them in this order: identity EnergizE rollin' NEXT LEVEL Curtain call LOVE 'n' HATE I LOVE THE OPENING! everlasting dream is my favorite interlude so this even better for me! I wish it were a full song! I don't like LOVE 'n' HATE like everyone else does. The chorus is boring and I hate R&B. Definitely not like my name's WOMEN because that has more to it. This is such a great album :D Better than GUILTY, Secret, and (miss)understood for me as a whole. |
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About the lack of connection, I felt it was from the fact that her vocals weren't as outstanding as in her other songs. Like...they weren't the center of attention as always...except in maybe GREEN, Days, and Curtain Call. Maybe that's it? I'm not sure. For me, I feel emotion through the music...through the chords and the notes and the instruments...so...it's a little different for me...but I definitely noticed the lack of really..."connecting" vocals lol. |
It's a nice album, different on so much ways.
I like the style, but it seems somehow strange for Ayu... well, maybe just because of the difference. This album is not as deep as her others. Like SunshineSlayer said most of the songs could be sung by other artists as well. But it's nice to see Ayu experimenting, a fresh sound, a NEXT LEVEL for her indeed. I like it. I hope she will do a good mixture in the future. Favourite: EnergizE, Sparkle, Rule, identity, Curtain Call. Least: GREEN, Days - the whole single is a no for me, Bridge to the skye, Disco-munication. |
Am i the only one who absolutely loves LOVE 'n' HATE? I know it is different then what ayu would usually do, But i think its wonderful, And fresh.
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overall, i really love it. the interludes and singles are probbably most of my favorite tracks, though. but i love "LOVE n' HATE" the most :D
it's alot better than GUILTY for me. :yes |
I LOVE "LOVE 'N' HATE" specially that parts when she does the count.... "1, 2, 3" That sounds soooooo damn sexy :D
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I just finished listening and it's an alright album. There's a few awesome ones and others, meh.
First off, theres too many interludes! Two is okay but 4? Maybe on a 20 track album but not a 14. I enjoyed all the tracks except for Curtain Call. I'm not a ballad hater it's just that song never stuck out to me. My favorites are: Sparkle Rule Next Level EnergizE Love n Hate Identity Bridge To The Sky |
Gosh... this album is terrible. :\ The single tracks are AMAZING but these album tracks... really REALLY suck :|
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excellent tracks and vocals. Curtain Call is just gorgeous, the PVs are excellent. L&H and identity are excellent. Love it way more than GUILTY
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That said, songs I -did- like are Bridge to the Sky, NEXT LEVEL, Sparkle, Days, GREEN, and Pieces of SEVEN is interesting. I really don't know how to feel about the rest. I may come to like it more after a few more listens, but it's just so different. I guess that's part of it, but I don't want Ayu to sell out by manufacturing the type of mechanized candy pop that so many people seem to love. :-/ I never really thought of Ayu as a "pop star" in the commercial, plastic sense until listening to this album, and as a Ayu lover, that's something I don't want to think. |
i think "NEXT LEVEL" is a pretty decent album. i think it's great in a sense that it's different from her previous works post "Memorial address" (though "(miss)understood" was different too). it's very positive/uplifting, electro-influenced, & contains very few heavy-rock songs we've been hearing since "MY STORY". however, the only true downfall of this album are her vocals. i really think she's needs to rest them, but with her touring & whatnot, i don't think it's gonna happen anytime soon.
_TRACKS: 01. Bridge to the sky: i don't think it's my favorite album intro ("Mirror" probably is...), but i really like it! :D 02. NEXT LEVEL: finally! a very cute title track. i think it sets the mood of the album. you know this isn't anything like "GUILTY". this is probably her most laid back title track. all her other ones have been...heavy or like...depressing-sounding, lol (A Song for XX, Duty, GUILTY, etc.) 03. Disco-munication: WOW. i think this my favorite interlude of the album. i just love the electro-vibe to it. 04. EnergizE: lol. it's sooo cute. but that's pretty much it. it would make a good concert song, though. i prefer "HONEY". xD 05. Sparkle: UMM. THIS IS LIKE MY FAVORITE SONG FROM AYU IN A WHILE. it's pure hotness. 06. rollin': i think this song is one of my favorite album tracks, if not my favorite. i like the creepy intro. xD 07. GREEN: if "Sparkle" wasn't released in a single, i would've said that this was my favorite single track on the album. i love the oriental sound to it. 08. Load of the SHUGYO: i like the vibe of this rock-type interlude. it sets off the mood to the only rock section of the album. i likey. 09. identity: hmmmm, this is like the only song on the album that sounds like it could've been on her previous albums. not a favorite, but somewhat decent. 10. Rule: i think it was her weakest single track, imo. however, i don't think it's the weakest track on the album. 11. LOVE 'n' HATE: it's definitely a rock track, but i love the inclusion of beats & synths. it's definitely one of the standout tracks, IMO. 12. Pieces of SEVEN: ahhh, the usual "LABYRINTH"-ish interlude. ngl, i love these interludes, lol. i was surprised at the end though. i wasn't expecting it to explode the way it did. 13. Days: i love "Days"! it's a sweet ballad. 14. Curtain call: i don't think it's my favorite album closer (...that will always be "Memorial address"), but i do think her vocals suffer here. it's pretty though. i think "NEXT LEVEL" will be somewhere clumped in the middle if we're going to rank by favorite albums. "Duty", "Memorial address", & "Secret" are forever my favorite albums from Ayu. |
After listening to the album, I can't really see this getting much play on my iPod. The only album track that I really enjoy is NEXT LEVEL, and I still love the single tracks, so it's not a total loss.
I'll still support Ayu and buy her stuff, but I'm still disappointed that I didn't enjoy this as much as I did with GUILTY. |
I haven't finished it yet (got about halfway through Identity), but I sorta have mixed feelings already.
I'm not sure if I like Energize or Rollin'...I'm stuck between thinking they're pretty good and despising them. :( I LOVE LOVE LOVE Identity, though, and I think the interludes are pure awesome so far. :luv2 Despite everything, though, I feel it's arrangement is INCREDIBLY messy, and I'm actually surprised no one else has mentioned the same. The song genres are just SCATTERED everywhere, sometimes having a few similar songs next to each other, but then putting the same type of song later on. For example, GREEN should have gone after NEXT LEVEL, imo. It would have fit perfectly there. And I really think it was kinda of pointless and silly to put an interlude right after the first song. :irked That kind of ticked me off, to be honest. But I'm just not sure how I feel yet. I definitely don't dislike it, I'm just not sure how much I like it yet. I have a 6-hour drive tomorrow, so I'll listen to it through then. :) |
EnergiZe is so addicting.. and identity sounds good.. !!
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PUT YOUR HANDS TOGETHER... then.. eh I dont know what she sings.
My comment: Four words for this album - CONFESSIONS OF NEXT LEVEL. |
^lol actually i posted it slightly earlier...o well
Mods can combine it |
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No, but seriously, I was talking to one of my friends, and the best word I could use to describe the album was "messy" in every aspect of the word... the response was...the album was bound to be messy with all the genres and different singles and stuff... but I kinda think even the arrangements of the individual songs are messy...but not as much as like you said, the entire album... Do you think it could have been fixed if like...there were more tracks in between? or the interludes made better transitions? How do you think she could have fixed it? |
wow im impressed now xDD
many people liked the album!!!! |
I thought it was really creative! The interludes were awesome as well (with the exception of pieces of seven since it sounded so typical IMO).
My favs are: energizE, rollin', and LOVE 'n' HATE My least favorite song was Curtain Call although it wasn't horrible. Overall I give this album a 8/10 :D. Quote:
EDIT: identity is actually my least favorite song. After I listened to Curtain Call again, I actually found myself liking it :o. Idk why everyone is going crazy for identity...I really think it's a rather forgettable song :shrug. But yeah, I just can't get into it >.<... |
Great Album. I think it'll do great.
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Comparing albums...
Yea, probably some emotional connection is missing because there isnt some very depressing song (and that's what makes people FEEL something...if it were a pop song, that little moment of happiness is transient) GUILTY was best in that aspect IMO.. In terms of Variety, this song really has to fight with (miss)understood and I think it beats (m)u because of new fresh music BY AYU (but (m)u also had more sad ballads and angst rock to FEEL for) Honestly, I wasnt as excited for NL as compared to GUILTY (which got me jumping from the moment the tracklist was out) but as time passed and it was closer to the release date, I felt very excited! It sure hasnt disappointed me because I've always wanted to hear something different from my Favourite singer. Sure it isn't her best album because of some lack but if she were to add in those emotional factor in....I think it might actually spoil the rather 'up' feeling of the album. NEXT LEVEL is indeed rather happy sounding and less dark (even identity is not as dark as decision) I don't think I might actually skip any song off this album in time to come...(for previous albums I did). |
what? Did it leak or was it released? *goes to download*
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Gosh I can't wait to hear it! I have a feeling the problems people have with this album aren't going to bother me....
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the "lack of emotion" is just because people only think something is emotional when it's depressed... It was pretty much the same with Utada's Heart Station "ohh! the new songs have no emotion!" just because she wasn't screaming or crying in any of them... ~~
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Days and Curtain call are good for crying I think lol
specially watching the pvs! |
The Days PV made me cry... the song itself just makes me want to sing it lol.
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You guys cry too easily :laugh
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Like it so far, but too monotonous for me, the disco part. But overall, I like it. ANd This album will be a nice album for commuting^^ it won't make me sleepy. I'm already bored with the same old songs from radios (Lady GaGa, Taylor Swift, etc...)
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I just listened to the songs but not the interludes yet, I've to say I'm more inclined towards her singles in this album currently. But I really liked NEXT LEVEL cos it really sounds relaxing :)
I feel that her new songs are refreshing and going to a new direction. I'm not passing any comments until I get famaliar with the rest of the songs~ |
I'm just gonna cross-post what I wrote about the album somewhere else:
This ranks way over (m)u, Guilty (what a hot mess of an album!) and RAINBOW for me. I can't decide if I like this better than Secret, which I thought was a GRATE album. I was hoping for an electro-pop album, but this sounds a bit more like a straight up dance album to me. But no matter, it's still pretty darned awesome. I can't believe that there isn't more love for "rollin'"! For me, it was definitely one of the more outstanding tracks on this record. "NEXT LEVEL" was definitely the weakest track; it was -nice- but that's about it, I don't feel particularly compelled to listen to it and it certainly didn't deserve the honour of being named title track, imo. Everything else was a mix of -great- beats and meticulous production. I'm not sure why there are so many haters, perhaps these people are just incapable of liking well-executed pop music, which is a shame, but to each their own, I guess! |
I love all! No bad comments I can give. Thumbs up
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Whoa just started listening and I already like the first track "Bridge to the Sky" first time i like a prelude :X
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i love the whole energy of this album! i just wished it was arranged better...for some reason the placement of days, GREEN, and EnergizE just feel outta place. :/ i can just imagine the concert...these songs are spectacular. :DDD |
i think...it's a pretty good and fresh album from AYU... but... like others say, the disco feeling took too much space and the interludes were somewhat out of place... maybe the only solution i can do for my OWN is re-shuffle the tracklist and... insert Mirrorcle World and Life. LOL
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It's very different from her albums since Mystory, but I actually like this difference. I'm usually not that inclined toward electro-pop, but for some reason in the past few months have miraculously became a electro-pop lover...
So anyways, my favorite track, hands down, is Love 'n' Hate. Something about the melody is just so catchy. EnergizE, which I didn't thought I'd like from the previews, is also amazing. I kind of wish instead of the electro sound because the composition had that 50's feeling to it she'd replace it with a more jazzy arrangement. Rollin' took me a few listens to get used to the electro sound (which reminded me of those scifi green aliens for some reason), but I really like the chorus. My only complaint is that I got the "that's it?" feeling, and the overall feeling that the album was over too soon. Also I feel like the PVs weren't that spectacular. But I feel like although maybe to another artist, it wouldn't be new, this is kind of new for her, but at this same time it still maintained that "Ayumi" sound. I do think the album has a problem with the flow, and Green was horribly out of place. But it doesn't matter to me, since I listen to things on shuffle anyways. |
i love all track except d least fav track like <rollin'> and <LOVE 'n' HATE>,
n i think <Pieces of SEVEN> put in wrong track, suddenly that rock end n start <Days>, no no no ... unexpected <EnergizE>! i love till repeat non-stop! |
i thought i hated rollin', after the first listen. but im listening to it again now, and its pretty cool. but yeah i think the album feels short even thought it's 14 songs.
i think this album is just ok for me. curtain call and next level are really great, but i dont know. i think it will take a little bit for me to appreciate all the somewhat annoying "pac man" effects >:[ |
I was kind of irked by the 4 interludes thing, but i think the album as a whole is really great. I love dance/pop kind of stuff, and if anybody can do it in a way I'll like it, it's Ayu. Identity & LOVE `n` HATE are my faves off the new tracks. <3 Overall I'm very pleased. :) A good summer album especially.
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Well, I've listened to the album, and I'm gonna give my review now.
Bridge to the Sky: It's a good SONG, but a bad INTERLUDE. I mean I like how it's all techon-y and yet very "everlasting dream", but something about this song doesn't flow well to NEXT LEVEL. 7/10 NEXT LEVEL: IMO, one of her best title tracks. It's really very laid-back and relaxed, and you can really forget about your worries while listening to it. I'm really surprised to know it's a D.A.I composition! 8.5/10 Disco-munication: I don't really like this interlude, despite the cool name. It, however, is a good interlude, cos it really flows well to EnergizE. But yeah it just sounds so messy! 5/10 EnergizE: I really like this one! It's sugar-pop ala HONEY and ANGEL'S SONG... but in a edgier tone! There are a lot of electronica and rock influences in this song, but her voice still sounds really cute and sweet! It's a song that will get me flailing around! 7.5/10 Sparkle: Easily one of the better tracks in this album. I'm not Japanese, so I can't comment much on the "shallow" lyrics, but I really like the song as a song. 9/10 rollin': LOL @ intro. It sounds like a more serious EnergizE if you ask me. Honestly, I think they're really almost the same song. XD But having said that, I like both EnergizE and rollin' a lot, but they are songs that are very... how do we say it? A lot of people will love them, and a lot of people will dislike them as well. I'm one of those who love them. :) 7.5/10 GREEN: Hmm. GREEN is a very fresh and good song, but it feels SO out of place here! I agree with what some other users have said... it's gonna be more fitting if it's after NEXT LEVEL. At least glitter feels fitting in GUILTY lol... oh well. 8/10 Load of the SHUGYO: Once again, this interlude is actually working. I'm liking the rock here... it sounds very exciting! Like a video game! 7/10 identity: OMG I LIKE THIS ONE. It continues the thrill from Load of the SHUGYO and identity is just VERY COOL. I can hear influences from decision, but this sounds more edgy and 'cool'. The chorus... I can hear it in a Super Sentai show!!! It's like so cool... you know. I mean omg I like this one. A LOT. 8.5/10 Rule: I liked this at first, but now, it gets kind of boring... and stale. The bridge is awesome though. 7/10 LOVE 'n' HATE: OMG. I LOVE THIS SONG!!! It screams attitude, and I love the beats and all that... and the chorus = <3 It's very cool, just like identity, and to a certain extent, Rule. These 3 rock songs in NEXT LEVEL are like a different kind of rock... the 'cool' rock, not the rock you hear in GUILTY. It's very different and refreshing! 8.5/10 Pieces of SEVEN: IMO, this is the best interlude in NEXT LEVEL. I'm not sure if this an outro to LOVE 'n' HATE or an intro to Days. I'm thinking of the former. LOL. I mean it sounds very good and cool... but the transition to rock in the middle is like so misfitting for Days! So I think this is a good outro to LOVE 'n' HATE! 8/10 Days: Enough said. Best song in this album; my favorite song from her. This is a song that can make people (at least me) cry, and the emotions in her voice in this song and Curtain call is enough to make up for all the lack of emotions in the rest of the album. 10/10 Curtain call: Simple. Sweet. Touching. I cried several times while listening to this song... it's very good IMO. And her voice is just so touching... T_T 9/10 Overall: 7.5/10 To me, the best songs in this album are the rock and ballad section. GREEN feels SO out of place... and oh from Disco-munication to rollin'... I'm hearing Pokemon all over... it's like the instrumentals can just be put into a Pokemon game or something! |
I LOVE the album, though I find Pieces of SEVEN redundant because it's like rock and electro then suddenly the next song is Days, wtf? The transition isn't there at all imo.
I think the worst song on NEXT LEVEL is EnergizE, but the song is not bad, just that the other album tracks are better, not that it really sucks lol. |
Must say I am loving the electronic shift Ayu's made, but still keeping her rock and pop sides. What I don't like is the way songs are grouped in the tracklist, it could have been spread out better.
First impressions are good. |
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And I noticed no such thing on HEART STATION, imo Hikki sang the songs the same way she did on ULTRA BLUE. |
i wanna listen tooo
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Lol, why the heck do the very beginnings of rollin' and identity make me think of Stairway to Heaven. And identity's beginning is really similiar to Christina Aguilera's song "Hurt" beginning. And I've heard the beginning of LOVE 'n' HATE in a dozen of hiphop songs. Sparkle also reminds Britney Spears' song Ooh ooh baby quite a bit in the verses.
That's probably my second biggest problem with the album, almost every song makes me think of other songs by other artists. In other words the album lacks the "Ayu" originality. I like LOVE 'n' HATE, Sparkle and identity a lot though. EnergizE and rollin', for some reason seem like the same song to me. Probalby because the arrangement is really alike and the melody also. NEXT LEVEL is nice though not really my type. Well then, the issue nro 1, the lack of emotion. Yes I think it lacks it. Every non-album track, including Curtain Call, make me feel nothing. Maybe with the expection of NEXT LEVEL. Like, when listening to Curtain Call I can imagine Ayu singing it in the recording booth in fancy dress and high heels and thinking something like: "My ballads always sell like hot cakes. Gosh people are so gonna love my emotionality in this song. This is the 100th time I've sung about these kinds of things but well yeah my fans love it. I wonder if I should buy the latest Gucci dress today or tomorrow.." So yeah. It just doesnt move me like JEWEL or Together When or any other Ayu ballad, unfortunately. If I put aside the lack of emotion and originality it's really not a bad album. I just really dislike superficial music such as elektro-pop and tehcno... I'm so glad the album still had strong rock elements because it's her rock that has kept me hooked to her music. I'd give the album... 7/10. n__n |
I think the cover refects the album. It's a very colorful album. We can listen to songs who are ballad, rock, pop, electro
Bridge to the Sky: Beautiful intro. I like the crescendo for starting it! NEXT LEVEL: Is a nice pop song. Now,when I listen to it I imagine that I'm in a car XD. The chorus is really soft and not boring! This song can bring us to the sky where everything is peace Disco-munication: I love the chines touch when the interlude begin! It's really great! I feel to hear a remix of bold & delicous with the "Dadadaa" of Ayu. EnergizE: this song have really the good name. When I listen to it, I have punch! It's a good pop electro song but not only, Boogie-woogie is here in the chorus! It's a perfect mix Sparkle: It's a nice electro pop song. I like the "no no no" of Ayu. It make me to jump XD. I like the difference between the calm verse and the explosive chorus! rollin': It's the song that I don't like very much! The intro is really beautiful. When I listened to it for the first time, I believed that it was a tiny interlude! It's the most electro song. There are not pop or rock with it! It's why I don't like very much. I can hear it but not repeat it indefinitely. GREEN: It's a gorgeous traditionel chinese pop song! It break the electro atmosphere that Disco-munication , EnergizE and rollin' had created. It's like we have push the door of another world! we are in the greenland ^^ Load of the SHUGYO: this interlude break with other interlude. It annouces the beginning of a new era. The rock! identity: is a beautiful dark rock song! The electro doesn't totally vanish from this song! Rule: It's a beautiful rock song again! LOVE 'n' HATE: here is again rock and electro are mixed perfectly! The intro is influenced by R&B too. I feel like this song is the dark side of Step you. Maybe because she counts! XD Pieces of SEVEN: it's a nice interlude. It's just a pity than she don't introduce Days very well, even if the begining is really calm. Days: It's a nice and powerful ballad! the emotion really is here! When I close my eyes the tears try to run away them! Curtain call: this is a beautiful ballad to finish this wonderful album. Ayu's voice is thrilled me. This song is a really bic crescendo. We begin with piano and we finish with choir! Ayu really reached the NEXT LEVEL with this album! |
LOVE 'n' HATE is AMAZING! I LOVE IT SO MUCH! It's epic, especially the violin :luv2
enough said ... XD |
Bridge to the sky: 8/10
NEXT LEVEL: 7.5/10 Disco-munication: 7/10 EnergizE: 8/10 Sparkle: 10/10 rollin': 9.5/10 GREEN: 7/10 Load of the SHUGYO: 8/10 identity: 8/10 Rule: 8.5/10 LOVE 'n' HATE: 9/10 Pieces of SEVEN: 10/10 Days: 8/10 Curtain call: 7/10 Overall: 8/10 Not her best album but definitely better than GUILTY and Secret. To me, the best new songs are rollin' and LOVE 'n' HATE and I totally love Pieces of SEVEN. What an amazing interlude! :luv2 However some songs are out of place (GREEN, Days) and it's a pity that she made PVs for NEXT LEVEL and Curtain call because to me, these songs are the weakest and the least representative of the album music style. But this album doesn't disappoint me at all. I love the new direction she's taking and I hope her next releases will be in the same electro/pop/rock style. |
The interlude are awesome! Bridge to the Sky really clicks with NEXT LEVEL, and i really can imagine myself ascending to the sky :D Load of the SHUGYO rocks! I love the second part of the interlude HOHH! Pieces of SEVEN is probably the only decent interlude in NL. It does sound nice, but it doesn't serve its primary purpose as an interlude. Last but not least, Disco-munication is funkaye.
EnergizE is one of the decent songs in NL. I find it abit too cheesy and the verse and chorus are mehhh but the english saved this song. Sparkle is simply awesome. If im asked to give one song to define NL, Sparkle is defintely the answer. The highlight of this song is its instrumental. rollin's intro is quite redundant, but the second intro is breathtaking; it has this sucking power which pulls me into the song and I love a part of its chorus which suddenly speeds up. Oh! and the last part, i can feel myself turning around lol. GREEN is out of place. I remember myself worshipping it (i love the oriental instrumental) when it leaked, but this song seems to have lost its magic (similar to what a few people had mentioned earlier on) and I shall attribute the root cause to its dreadful PV. Identity sounds like decision, and maybeeee 1LOVE. Initially i couldn't differentiate this from rollin because both songs are not really that distinct individuals but both of them really grew on me very fast. Identity feels like a very short song, probably because of its repetitive awesome chorus :D Rule, similar to Sparkle, i love this song right of the start. It has this highly addictive verse because of the use of vocoder(?) and i adore the frequent transition between Strength and Gentleness. LOVE 'n' HATE sounds like TABOO, no? Its chorus is very catchy, but it could've been more impactful, and this definitely substracts a few points. Days is a sweet and distinctive ballad. However, it doesn't have this WOW factor like HEAVEN and No way to Say. Nevertheless, it's on par with Curtain Call or even slightly better than it. Days had lost some of its magic but i still love it :p Curtain Call sounds nostalgic and is definitely an awesome, touching ballad. I simply adore its simplicity and its melody and lyrics really go hand in hand; it's a song strictly between two people. This album is about the same length with GUILTY, but why does it sound like a super short one? Probably because I enjoyed every single track in this album! Awesome: All tracks except for... Decent: GREEN, Pieces of SEVEN and EnergizE. However, i hope that NL will be the only techno - disco orientated album in ayu's discography. This album is already giving me a slightly headache after 2 rounds of listening lol. Maybe it's just me but i think techno songs focus on the arrangement of the songs (must be catchy! and stuffs) and not the vocals, therefore this might explain why there's a lack of emotional connection in this album? |
the songs are all very good!and so are the interludes!haha
i find this album to be really good this time...although there are more interludes this time round but as long as the tracks are good,i wont complain much more =) |
i LOVE most of the songs!!!
EnergizE, rollin' and LOVE 'n' HATE especially. these are great songs. i particular like the part from disco-munication to rollin'. the entire techno section of the album. GREEN after that doesnt seem fit. and i am puzzled by Pieces of SEVEN. it's supposed to be an interlude to change the mood from rock song to slow song. but the starting of this interlude is slow, and ends with fast paced rhythm. and the slow song Days starts. sounds weird. and there are only 2 ballads for this album. This album indeed have too much "techno/electronic/dancing" elements in it. after Load of the SHUGYO is the rock section of the album.. Kinda not proportionate. new songs. NEXT LEVEL - 9/10. i like the transition from Bridge to the Sky to NEXT LEVEL. it's like we are enjoying at the beach. I wonder why this album has so much techno elements in it but the album is titled NEXT LEVEL which is a carefree song. EnergizE - 10/10!! I wouldnt have imagined ayu doing this type of song. But its fun, interesting and cute. i LOVE it! rollin' - 8/10 First impression not as good as others. But not as bad as i would skip it. identity - 7/10 was ayu trying to sing "identity" in the chorus which sounded like "identy"? LOVE 'n' HATE - 9/10 LOVE this song so much that i cant HATE it! it's kinda strong. too bad its less than 4 minutes of fine music. Curtain call - 10/10 it's such a simple ballad but full of emotion, especially after watching the PV. this would be a great song to end the album full of fast paced songs. Overall album - 9/10 the 1 point is for the presence of too many fast paced songs. there should be a balance! |
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