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I don’t listen to Tori’s songs very much and Tori is far less well known and popular in my living place. Following is just my some trivial views mainly based on what I’ve seen from Ayumi’s aspect and I would not deny Tori may have the same w/ Ayu as well.
First of all, being the top (I mean “really” top”) would be determined by many many elements besides the artist’s self ability. Take a general example of personal sports arena, why Tiger Woods and Roger Federer is so successful and popular?? They would equally face the stiff competition day by day in their professional circle, since every single player could have the chance to win the tournament with their own skills and techniques. And it comes down to the quality of “self” psychological state/behaviour. Actually it applies to most of the businesses and entertainment business is sure of no exception with this element.
Ayu is a very determined and self-conscious person. She knows herself very very well, from inside to outside and we may sometimes wonder if she could split her soul out to look at herself to write those songs and do those performance, just like in “Fly high” PV.
We’ve also seen her determination in her early career saying like “I will do my best this time so that I would not regret anymore in the future”, kind of “no turning back”, or “being dead before survive once again” in Chinese slang saying.
Secondly, it comes down to “Calculation”, actually I think Ayu could earn a PhD in Pure Maths if she studied lol. Ayu knows exactly what the audience need and what the public want. Some trivial examples like “choosing an outfit (down to color details) to perform is much more difficult than singing a song”, “wearing a “butterfly ring” would not be a bad idea”, image design during the ayu-mi-x II era, something like that u name it.
Moreover, in Chinese we have a phrase: “Timing, Place, People” for “to be successful” in doing something. I do believe Ayu’s debut appearance do fit into the “Timing and Place” of this phrase although I don’t live in Japan. If you are talking about “People”, Chinese also have a informal saying if the artist has the “invisible binding force to audience” or not to be successful, in Chinese term called “Yuanfen” (you could visit wiki for detailed explanation of this word). And I think Ayu has a lot “Yuan” with her audience.
Of course, “being the top” is difficult but “maintain to be the top” is even more difficult and it is what Ayu is facing in recent years.
Anyway, there are thousands of “Tori Amos” in this world surviving and struggling (if saying impolitely), but who cares provided that you do love the artist, just keep on listen to her and support her.
BTW, the bottom line is, as Ayu writes recently in her blog (as you remember): “I wouldn’t compare myself with any others, because the one must have “something” that I don’t have, and I do have “something” that others do not have”. As a fan of Ayu, I would keep this belief onwards and it makes me feel more comfortable in future.
p.s. apologize for such long writing, if you keep reading to this end, and it seems not exactly fit the topic, anyway...
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