What if Ayumi's retirement is closer than we think....
 

Ayu has been quiet as of late and currently chillin with her boyfriend tomoya nagase in Hawaii and Miami. Many rumors keep circulating that Ayu and Tomoya may have already tied the knot or planning to. And the recent chinese tabloid showing the two with matching tatoos which can be very well hidden with make up. Ayu has been shooting singles for quite sometime and promoting her albums new and past and it works. So far Ayumi is one of the most original, trend setting icons of the world she keeps it simple and surprises her fans and a awesome entertainer. But...sadly i think its about to happen just as i told a friend of mine today who started liking jpop.
"Listen to Ayumi man, if you dont you might miss out on somthing very amazing...... what do you guys think?:)

What?

I don't get what this had to do with retirement..?

If she was going to retire, she'd probably start slowing down more than usual and not even release two singles a year..

I agree with Anthony.

2 singles, 7 videos, and a mini-album.

Don't forget the calendar and 3DVD boxset for her tour as well as all the magazine covers..

She spent a few weeks together with him, in between all her hard work for her new stuff. Often working at the same time, with one of her upcoming releases.

No, there's more like 1 rumor. That they might do it some time soon, but that rumor has been around since... they became a couple? Yes.

That wasn't even recent, I think. Or was it? Anyway, anyone who think she/Tomoya has got a tatoo like this seriously need to watch a few more Ayu lives. No, makeup doesn't stay on THAT well. We would have glimpsed it. By the way, she doesn't cover her entire body in makeup for every performance she makes.

That is for sure. She's sharing that spot with so many other though, she's not the only one... although you already said 'one of the most'.

I don't agree at all. I, like Anthony, can't see what this has to do with her retirement.

Why do I get the feeling this was copied from some other source.. >>

Yes... and...

Why do I get the feeling those are the most rash conclusions I've ever seen :).

Everything bolded looks as if it's from some place else.. :|

Diden't all these speculations on her quitting surface the last time she released a mini album too?

No.

The 'speculations' of her quitting last time were solely because of the title 'Memorial address'~ or something.

The ones this year are really out there.. since it's just because she hasn't been as active in the music industry as many of us would like..

lol, they probably did. Just like they do all of a sudden and completely randomly, like this.

In my short time here I've seen three threads about it, including this one. The other two was a tad more serious though. I think, although they weren't immediately about her retiring.

Still sober I can see :yes.

XD... Yeah... :eviltongu

Last year, she had a calender, 3DVD box sets for AT 2005 her magazine covers. she also had 4 singles and more than 7 videos and a full studio album. she even went to LA and hawaii for Bold & Delicious and fairyland respectively.

so indeed, she is slowing down in 2006 as compared to 2005. i am worried about ayu's future. :(

I'm not the least bit worried, not many humans can cope with keeping up the insane tempo that Ayu has been holding for her past 8 years. I do not think we will see her retire yet in many years, but I don't see it as an impossibility that she might be slowing down a bit, I don't think so, though.

Memorial address was followed by two of her busiest years ever, much thanks to the crazy amount of PVs I think, probably only equalled by 2002, where she had two live tours. Although, come to think about it, ARENA TOUR 2006 had more venues than those two together, I think. And the same goes for AT05.

Let's see what she has in store for us for the coming year.

I think she was chilling out for a few; living her life.

Though retirement is in her focast, I think we still have a few more years.

First of all, thanks Derrick for using punctuations. It's really helpful to me for reading a paragraphs.

Second, I don't think she's retiring at anytime. But I do think that she's going to convert herself and 'loose the Queen of J-Pop crown' (Just like Namie did when she converts herself to Hip Hop/R&B). The recent album & singles shows that she's constantly, slightly, & slowly taking her music into different levels. Far from a J-Pop image that was pulling her to her peak during 'I am...' era.
(miss)understood album consists lots of genre that I do not found really 'Ayu'. Well, no wonders, considering that a US (can someone confirm GEO's nationality?) composers did the arrangements for her and it turned out to be her lowest-selling album.
I presuming that she is going to convert herself into somewhat...more Electronica music genre, somewhat different with her past release.
I know as time goes, Ayu have to show an improvement, a change. But this change is just too significant. It is too...different. The change is too far.
And I have a weird feeling that avex is trying to drop her sales and let the crown be taken by the next artist. (Please I beg you guys do not bring Ai Otsuka, Koda Kumi, & BoA to this discussion to prevent any flaming.)



That is just my two cents. And just a speculation.
Feel free to disagree with me and correct my thoughts. :yes

If Ayu is still the money-maker of Avex, they have no reason to bring her down. I doubt they care about anything aside cents and dollars.

Keishi, you made a very good speculation. I am for your thought all the way

I don't think she'll go towards electronica, that is the turn the US/Europe Pop and R&B has taken recently, or since last summer, 2005.

I don't see that happening. With her most recent album, Secret, I think she's actually going back more to her roots of pop & ballads rather than turning to rock, like for MY STORY and (miss)understood. The fact that almost all her music is produced through a computer, and not with actual instruments, isn't something new.

I think we should stay away from any 'loosing the crown/throne' discussions in this thread, they pretty much erupt everywhere anyway and I think everyone knows what everyone else thinks about that. We all have our own theories on that subject.

I don't know. Now that you said about it, I really think the only tracks that bugged me is only Startin'. =/


But still, we have to come to a point where these singles so far are not powerful enough to support the sales of this album. I don't think retirement is not possible. Eventhough it is impossible, there's always a chance.
If this album sales is as poor as (miss)understood, avex have a stronger reason to change her style, genre, & market completely.

Which could lead into her losing her devoted fanbases.
I wish I could doubt my own speculation though.

Those speculations are silly, and you know it =P.

Anyway, her entire fanbase wouldn't drop off her just like that. Don't you think avex would use her for years, releasing best albums, having farewell tours over and over.

Sales of 260k+ for BLUE BIRD, it being the 3rd(?) highest selling female single... well, just think about it ;).

I promise you that if she'll be declining it won't be now, and it won't be BOOM 10k album sales, I have to quit! Anyway, 10k in album sales is enough to actually make a career on, that's why those kinds of speculations is pretty silly.

Startin' got those scratch sounds in it, but that's all, and to me it's not electro.