To me, she hasn't loose her touch with lyrics. She is as talented as she always has been.
Some people is complaining about the way she is writing, or singing, or arranging her music right now and well, i understand that not everyone can enjoy the album on the same level, or cannot connect with the lyrics or the music, and it's fine, their arguments are reasonable and they are in their whole right to express their thoughts.
I disagree however, with the idea about telling her music is not being emotional. One thing is putting music on an album just for the sake of it, and one thing very different is that you are unable to empathize with something she is saying. I don't speak japanese, however, i think sometimes i'm able to understand -more or less- what an artist is saying just because of the way he/she is singing or expressing himself/herself. The emotion sometimes says much more than the lyrics, in my opinion. This clearly happened to me actually, with the Dr. song by Namie. I had no idea what she was saying but somehow i immediatly got hooked with it. Few weeks later, when i read the translation in one of the chorus, i was shocked because ( i know it sounds weird, but it's true) i kind of knew what she was saying! maybe that was just a coincidence... but i think i got my point.
However, I can't say everyone is being fair. Some of the complaints ( not all, of course) i'm reading now have to be the lamest excuses for arguments. Plain ridiculous
Ps.- i'll continue with my review later on (got a bit tired... hehehehe

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