[tabloid] Pop pundits see mutiny on Hamasaki's horizon
 

By Ryann Connell
Staff Writer

July 1 , 2005
http://mdn.mainichi.co.jp/waiwai/face/0507/AYU250.jpg
"She doesn't need to do the back-breaking work anymore."

Ayumi Hamasaki faces the once unimaginable prospect of being dumped by the label she is even now regarded as holding up, according to Shukan Jitsuwa (7/14).

The 26-year-old diva is regarded as the face of Avex Records, which has ridden on the back of Hamasaki's success to become one of the most powerful players in the huge Japanese music industry.

Hamasaki is said to work hand in hand with Avex President Katsuhito Matsuura and is rumored to have the "power of an Empress" when it comes to decisions regarding the company's personnel. But whispers have it that Hamasaki's rule is under threat.

"Ayu is just too powerful, so people within the company really hate her. Matsuura discovered Ayu, she has too much power for even him to say some things to her. There's been a movement for some time to get rid of her," a music industry insider tells Shukan Jitsuwa.

It's only natural in some ways that Hamasaki has the power she wields. At one stage, her earnings made up 40 percent of all the money Avex made. But the situation has changed.

"Now, her sales are about 5 billion yen. The ratio of money she makes for the company has declined significantly, with the firm taking in about 75 billion yen," the insider says. "That's why the company wants to rid itself of her influence."

Matsuura, Hamasaki's biggest supporter, is apparently no longer the staunch ally he once was.

"Avex has just signed Ami Suzuki, who was one the verge of retiring because of troubles with her talent agency. The trouble is, Ayu despises Ami. Because Matsuura signed Ami without asking Ayu's permission, the relationship between the two has soured," a music writer tells Shukan Jitsuwa.

Coming into the middle of what seems to be a crumbling empire is Yasuhide Uno, the president of cable radio company U-Sen and a newly appointed director at Avex. Uno has a reputation for wielding the ax and has already started implementing a major internal restructuring at the record company.

"Whatever way you look at it, the management style at Avex is warped. When there were moves afoot to sack Matsuura last year when he was still managing director, Ayu said she'd quit if he was fired. That was enough to save Matsuura's job. And then he was promoted to president. It's ridiculous that a single artist can influence who is going to run the company," the writer says. "Uno is obviously not happy with a company run like that, which is the real reason behind his appointment as a director."

And as Hamasaki's professional relationships may be on rocky ground, her recording career is also under threat, with her past two singles barely mustering much attention at all.

"She's already a regular on biggest taxpayer lists and isn't hungry for success like she once was. Hamasaki's success over the past four or five years would have seen her pocket at least 5 billion yen. She would have no trouble paying cash for a posh 200 million yen apartment," an Avex insider tells Shukan Jitsuwa. "She doesn't need to do the back-breaking work anymore."

It's the suggestion that Hamasaki has reached the comfort zone that is fueling speculation that Avex no longer needs her.

"Even if Hamasaki and Matsuura's relationship is as prickly as rumor would have it to be, the reality is that the pair of them alone still control the fate of a company employing about 900 people. It's weird that a situation like that could even exist. The company's slide is entirely the fault of those two," the music industry writer tells Shukan Jitsuwa. "You don't hear too much good about Uno, either. But Uno sees (Hamasaki and Matsuura) as two peas in a pod. If he's not happy with the management of the company, he'll lop them both off. If Hamasaki is sacked, there's no doubt she'll form her own company to go into direct competition."

Source: http://mdn.mainichi.co.jp/waiwai/face/index.html
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I think there was another thread that was refering to this news, and this article extends that. It's unfortunate hearing this, but I hope she'll keep it going for a little longer still.

Shukan Jitsuwa is a tabloid. Don't take this seriously.

This is really scary... most of this stuff can't be true. Like how Ayu hates Ami, and how the relationship between Ayu and Max Matsuura has soured.... where is the proof of that? Why is Ayu still putting out singles if this is true?
I hope Avex doesn't dump Ayu... that would be too horrible!!

i <3 tabloids!

Tabloids are so dramatic. *yawn*

that would be horrible~ but if they did everyone will start to feel sorry for Ayu and make her rise again!! and avex will regret it :mischief hehehe

Avex is evil, poor ayu always have to go through this stuff :(

Edit: oh wait a minute, that's the site where they always give bad info's and cant be trusted :cool

Well...if Avex does sac Ayu, some other company would pick her right off the bat :P

but *if* this were true...i almost doubt that ayu would go to another label. i think that'd be it for her and she'd stop her music career.

Interesting... well, at least it's just a tabloid rumor.

If this were true. I think she would do this:

I think it's funny, tabloids are always so very interesting, I don't care if ayu gets off of avex, cause i know her music carreer is not over. She knows she will always be true to herself, and she knows she can't quit on us her fans like that as well. She will continue to try to please us as well as herself. I know she would never stop the music carreer unless something very very important came up. Ayu would probably be signed to Sony or Toshiba-Emi or some big company like that afterwards, Ayu even has the money to make her own record company like "Hamasaki Rebuplic" as a company name or something. ayu will always be ayu, and that's all that matters.

If they really sack Ayu she'd just go over to some recording company like Sony and make Avex cry the day they sacked her. She's still very popular and is still the queen even if they have been trying to promote other singers. But I was sorta suspecting that Avex is trying to make Ayu less popular. If it's true or not we'll have to see.. but I'd sort of like if Ayu changed companies just to give Avex a taste of their own medicine.

probably fake. Max Matsuura is like a father for Ayu; they both said that. And besides; she may not be the artist she once was but she's STILL superior over others.

This is ridiculous.

Ok Avex has gotten HUGE!!! since Ayu came about and she not making as much percentage for the company because there are like 100 times more artists on the lable now.

i mean in th past 5 years we got Ami, Ai, dream, Do As Infinity, Day after tomorrow, koda kumi, BoA.

Who did avex have before? Max and Namie thats like it virtually.

Ayu still makes up a hefty amount of the profit and if Avex let Ayu go that would screw up the label.

I mean.... Ayu hating Ami.... Yeah yeah.

Avex are very clever at their marketing and they are not stupid enough to let Ayu go.

This guy clearly has no idea about Avex. Avex is NOTHING without Ayu and Max.

Every CD you pickk up from avex whos the producer? Max (mostly)

This articles is dumb :).

A funny read though. Btw, who is Katsuhito Matsuura? I know Masato Matsurra is like a father to Ayu....

Even if this were true, there'd be nothing to worry about. If she were dumped by Avex, it's obvious that she wouldn't just give up and stop making music.

I don't think this is true, but I think Avex should BURN! I would love to see Ayu starting her own company or switching to another one! Of course Avex is not dumping Ayu, like you all said, it is nothing without her and Max!

I don't know what to believe anymore. Whether the story is accurate or not, I think Avex is a corrupt record company and they have some serious issues they need to confront. They seem like a quantity over quality record company, using ridiculous techniques to sell products (see WANT ME, WANT ME). I know they have done so much for Ayu, and I respect them for that... But after last year's bizarre incident, it looks like a timebomb ready to explode. I think it'd be best for her to form her own record company, she's advanced enough in her career to become an entrepreneur.

Even if Ayu doesn't sell more than a million copies of her singles anymore, she's still the #1 woman.

If for some reason Avex was stupid enough to dump her, I believe she'd get good offers from other companies.