What would have been the cover of I am... if the 9-11 attacks didn't happen?
 

sowie if there is a thread like, I'm too lazy to search.


Well on Timeasia it said that before th 9-11 attacks,
Ayu had everything ready for the I am.. album
Like: Lyrics, Hair, Make-Up but she had a change of heart due to the 9-11 attacks


http://www.time.com/time/asia/featur...ki/cover5.html
http://www.time.com/time/asia/featur...ki/cover5.html

~so my question is.....
What do you think the ORIGINAL cover of I am..
would have been if the 9-11 attacks didn't happen?
I know it has been 8 years since the attacks but I always wondered

I sometimes think about this too! xD

I picture something along the lines of her outfit for the cover of NL, just with more grey/black and sequins. Soooooooo many sequins *__* When I get my laptop back I'll have to try photoshopping it! @_@

I always think about that when I listen to I am... Maybe the theme was used on a future album like RAINBOW or something

Some people think it was used for Dearest, right?

I like to believe it was going to be something similar to the Arena Tour 2002 photospread

Hmmm.....I always thought it would have been something elaborate like the Ayu Mix 4 covers, because she says that the original image was gaudy....

Yeah, I've heard that rumour before too.

The rumor I always heard was that it was supposed to be like what the ayumix 4 covers were, but she "saved" those instead to use later for those remix albums.

Hadn't heard the Dearest one before. In that case, I'm glad she changed it. @_@

I always thought it was going to be a bit like MY STORY because I think I remember something about it being a day in the life of a girl which is what MY STORY ended up being really and that wouldn't have been suitable in Ayu's eyes? Correct me if no one else remembers this!

wow! those covers were awesome! but I am... the cover is way more epic! :D

^ ditto~

Oh... I will from now decide on that one! Haha. Cuz those covers really fits with I am... as an album and it resembles of AT2002 too. Great covers, both for ayumix 4 and I am...

I don't really like I Am... so, I don't take any attention for this.

Well... the album title is "I am..." so I kinda think it would be something representing the REAL Ayu, instead of the artist, like A BEST. Something simple, but unique.

^ I dont think it was supposed to be simple, she commented that she wanted to use extravagant costumes and props before or something like that

I always imagined something like her I Am... performance in AT02 or the Ayumix orchestra 4 cover...because both fit the theme song SO well

At the time, the rumor tracklist and album titled called "SURROUND". It was kind of similar to Duty that contains 13 tracks. It has songs titled "Genesis","Survivor",and "NATURAL".

NATURAL and Survivor supposedly to be singles.

Waaah?

That's rather strange. I don't think that makes sense.. whereas SEPIA -> Endless sorrow did.. kind of.

Hmmm...
So so strange

I heard it was supposed to be like the Ayumix 4 covers..like, really extravagant and her wearing kimonos and whatnot.

Well, NATURAL probably became Naturally and SURVIVOR...might be UNITE! I think, just with different lyrics, or I Am...

I don't know exactly but I think a cover like hitomi's SELF PORTRAIT would be suitable for the album and a good contrast to the overproduced sound of the album.

I think it might have been a very white and serene cover, given that M, Dearest and maybe even endless sorrow were the most outstanding singles. Evolution was great but it's more of a standalone IMO.

Oh the ayu-m-ix covers would make sense, I was wondering how come ayu-m-ix IV have such superior covers to other remix album covers~

i don't see any reason to even think about the ruomred tracks, as we've all seen, every time a rumored tracklist appears it was made by someone like us, just with hella lot of free time and imagination to write down 10ish names for songs and post them as titles for Ayu's songs :rolleyes

Yep, I'm also going along with the ayu-mi-x 4 covers. It's very oriental, much like the song.

I've wondered too.

You know, maybe we have actually seen it.. It can have been in a magazine as a photoshoot. Like..

http://i581.photobucket.com/albums/s...nigami/Iam.jpg

But well, it could be a totally different name too!

I always thought of the ayu-mi-x IV covers, especially as she said about the make-up, sets, and costumes.

Will I am... even be around? I'm sure certain songs were inspired because of that incident. So....the album could have went in a totally different range.

well. i read somewhere that the cover for I am... was supposed to be one of the ayu-mi-x 4 covers.

I am... would be so amazing with ayu-mi-x 4 covers. I really adore that remix album. :3

Btw, I really like the song titles "Survivor" and "Genesis". <3

Hmm...glamorous as Ayu said,,
Well maybe the ayu-mi-x or AT02 photospread kinda represent the idea of what I am... cover would like initially,,

I wonder what kind of song Genesis and Survivor???

well yeah...its just the album art that would be different. I thought she finished the album and changed the look at the last moment. all the songs would be the same minus a song is born. Artists start working on songs far in advanced. Utada stated that some of her songs off of heart station (2008) were around during her Ultra Blue time (2006). So god knows what would have and haven't been different for I am...

also they say it was supposed to be like...hopelessness and confusion or something like that? I always imaginied a city scene like the Appears PV. Something in the wild of lifetime. that would cool. Her outfit and hair style from greatful days set to the backdrop of either glitter/fated (single) or appears (pv).

i believe its the cover for daybreak..

But Daybreak isn't really amazing costumes and make-up, tbh, Daybreak would seem quite fitting for album cover under the 'peace' theme o.O

^ Agreed.

I think ayu-mi-x IV would be the cover... lol, cos it's quite surprise that a remix album has such an extravagant cover

I've heard before that the cover of Dearest was the original I am... cover but I'm not sure how true that is. I'm not sure how true the ayu-mi-x IV thing is since she didn't even shoot those till February after the release of I am... according to her Time Magazine interview.

^ But if you think about it... the cover for Dearest was literally a 'scene' from the PV... at the windmills just with a different dress... I think the cover for Dearest is the cover for Dearest.

^ Yes but the Dearest single didn't even come out till later September after I am... had been pushed back if I'm not mistaken so Dearest may not have even been a single. It's been so long since Dearest was released I can't remember it if was announce as a single way in advance or not.

Well, yes, you have a point, certainly.

Just that, I think it's certain that Dearest would have a PV. Let's say, if it's not planned to be a single, then it'll be like Connected... just a PV, but not a single.

But again, why would the cover of a super hyped up album of a star in her peak be a "screen shot" from just a PV? Moreover Ayu has rarely/never done that (exception was Duty I guess, even after, only (miss)understood had a PV scene as the cover)... so yeah.

But if the original cover for I am... was really Dearest, then it wouldn't be too bad either, I guess. :P

^ What do you mean? Duty and (miss)understood as PV scene covers?

Well, the Duty outfit was used in the SURREAL PV, but the background aren't the same. And with (miss)understood, if you mean Bold & Delicious/Pride, I think only the hair is the same ;)

But I am... somehow was from a PV, but I guess the PV is more made after the cover XD

And I don't think that Dearest should be the cover. Dearest was released only 16 days after the Twin Tower's fall, and I don't believe that Avex would lay money in editing the single in so short time. I don't know if the Dearest cover was released back then though.

^ What I meant was

Duty's cover was like basically her "look" in SURREAL... technically, it's a scene from a PV.

And for (miss)understood... the outfit and everything looked almost the same as Bold & Delicious PV... so yeah.

Those are the only 2 albums (to me) that Ayu has used PV scenes for album covers.

And yeah you're right too... Dearest was released like a short time after 9-11... so it's very hard to change covers etc.

Maybe she had the idea of the Ayu-mi-x IV covers in her head and was planning to shoot those for the cover of I am... until the attacks happened.

um, connected was a single, germany only though, drizzly, remixes, pv, instrumental and everything. I really don't care what the cover could have been, does make me think though, I think the cover for it now is awesome looking. and I thought she changed the idea for the cover, not the picture, as far as I know, they were going to photoshoot a picture but never got around to it cause it was changed.

I always figured it out a cover similar to (miss)understood ine..with her face only shooted..

What I consider as a single is one that was "released" by avex, and appeared on the Oricon charts. Sorry if my perception of a single is different from yours.

But your thoughts are quite cool... hmm maybe the "original" I am... was the same as the one we have now... except the dove? The dove is the ONLY thing I can see that represents "world peace" or anything like that honestly... hmm.

I have no idea. @_@

And I don't think any of us will ever know unless Ayu herself revealed the answer. :P

I'm deeply touched that she changed the cover of I am... out of being affected by the 9/11 attacks. Maybe that's a little biased of me seeing as how I was personally affected by it, but she has still made my heart warm by making that change. ;)

^Yeah, me too! Not many artists will do that! And i really like I am... cover. I think she looks gorgeous on it. :)

http://www.zyrex.org/gallery/d/8277-2/iam07.jpg
http://i139.photobucket.com/albums/q...umix4aoml3.jpg

I always thought these were kinda similar

*sigh* i've been wondering about this for years. i so wish she would do a single with the old artwork plan, just to give us a treat. i kind of thought for a second that she might include it (if there was ever even a shot taken) in the A COMPLETE booklet. alas....

I had this discussion with someone at the hikaru forums too. I consider utada's "Distance" a single even though it technically isn't (recut). But I consider it once since it was physically released on the final distance single along with the karaoke version of it and two remixes. Single or not...connected...distance...just the fact that we got remixes, karaoke/instrumental, and slapped on a single/as a single, satisfies me. I'm not complaining that we got extras. :P
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as I said before. according to wiki the original idea was like...confusion, and loneliness and they changed it to determination and peace.

as far as I can think of, the only thing they would change would be the bird, and the look on her face, like maybe the covers we have now are the original covers, and she just changed her attitude in the pictures. I mean imagine it. lonely confused, alone in the desert, no where to go...just wandering...makes sense to me. and then they changed it to. "HEy! I'm here! I'm strong! I am...!" you know, something like that. minor things can make a big difference in anything.

^ Okay, that's fine with me... I just don't see Connected as an "official" single but lol whatever~

And yeah... I think the dove was the last minute change... I mean, hello she's wearing vines; it's not like she realized the earth was dying on 9-11 as well...

That's what I thought, too. I don't know if I was reading it wrong but I always thought that the big change was the dove! I agree with your assessment about her changing her demeanor and posture, the look on her face in the pictures and how she sorta radiated this confidence and peace.

the green....plant in the desert represents life, so peace might only be a PART of the concept, like shes showing us the most important parts in life, peace(dove) and life(plant)...and that nothing else is needed(naked)

#12 is a good choice in reflecting confusion and loneliness, it's even better than the original for me

um..let's look at the lyrics of Connected, it fits the theme of confusion/loneliness, the original theme for I am..., so ayu decided to release this song?

i think ayu's debut in germany simply bcoz the surprised success of the M ep. (i think it's the decision by avex only) but why Connected is chosen but not M, i don't know

p.s. isn't it a planned album for collaboration with ayu and ferry corsten? why finally they didn't make it?

^ A label for DJs bought the REMIX RIGHTS for ayu songs, only the remix rights. So they were allowed to remix ayus songs and sell them here in Germany, Connected is written by a DJ, so it might be a remix already. Or Ferry Corstern and avex are sharing the rights for that song.

u mean the drizzly records?

That might be the name, I dont know how it was called. I only know that they bought the remix rights for germany(or all europe?) because the rights for all the songs were too expensive and not needed(DJ label, they dont need songs like M ^^)

^i thought avex allow drizzly to find remixers then release them... btw they didn't have great success after M vinyls, do they?

what about the pigeon in I am... is it added by photoshop or ayu re-shot those photos?

and the ferry corsten x ayu album... was it a rumor or it's really planned by avex?