[aura~]

Originally Posted by Crystal_Ageha

Spoiler:

Okay, I haven't read every single post, but I have read most of them, and what bothers me most is the people saying that all her music sounds exactly the same......

Are you serious??? Every single song sounds the same--Or, every song of a certain sub genre sounds exactly the same? Somebody above said that Because of You and Rule and 1 LOVE all sound the same, because they are dark rock (which, it's actually dark POP rock, of course, at best).... Are you ****ing serious!? Several other people have said similar things...
You guys must just not like that sub genre, then, or at least not those songs, because, for example, those three songs CERTAINLY do not sound alike. Nothing is the same, other than the freakin' guitar. They don't even have the same themes. Some of her songs, of course, do have similar chords or instruments or whatever, but she has a crap load of songs, so a few seasonal songs sounding similar to one another, out of how freakin' many, is not a big deal. Even Sunrise, one of her newest songs - and a seasonal one, at that, sounds distinct from, say, fairyland or BLUE BIRD. And You were... does remind me of No way to say, but no way would I confuse them...............Unless, I just hated her ballades, or never really took the time to listen to them.

I think some people's problems are, a lot of you just don't like pop anymore, at least not regular pop. (Or maybe you never really did, you just liked Ayumi? Whatever, I don't know.) And in general, that's what Ayumi is. Granted, she's one of the most experimental singers I've ever seen - even though she's always pop, she has incorporated every other genre various times, as well - but in the end, Ayumi is still pop.
So maybe you guys should not only try a different singer, but a different music style all together, and stop hating on something just because it isn't your taste. Specifically, try listening to hip-hop more often, because that's what most of you seem to like best, especially Western hip-hop. I mean, you go on to say that Kumi's Hashire! pretty much sucks balls, yet ECSTASY is one of her best songs ever. Or, TABOO is, not Butterfly. Or you say that Namie's new album (which I actually like and think is a very fun and catchy album--this is coming from somebody who hates her with a passion, by the way) isn't that great, after listening to it a few times, but Queen of Hip-Pop is amazing. Coincidentally, a lot of you tend to LOVE what the Western fanbase would love (heavy beats, regular rock, whatever), and hate anything that would be Japanese-pop-y-stuff. Which, a lot of you are Western, so this is natural. But for the love of God, it's so annoying to see you constantly bash something, simply because it's obviously not your taste. At least admit it, and then things wouldn't be so bad.


In response to the topic, I don't necessarily think she's lost her touch. I am annoyed by the recycled performances (not costumes), but whatever. I'm a fan because of her music, and because of her, not her performances. I also think it seems as though she's having great problems in her personal life, as far as: she definitely needs a break, and is obviously a workaholic; she may be having even deeper issues, as well.
But I loved NEXT LEVEL. identity, Days and Sparkle are three of my all-time favourite songs. She changed things up a bit, but kept that Ayu-feel. And her music is still good, even with the past few singles. (No, I'm not big on Sunrise, but it certainly isn't bad, and You were... has become one of my favourite Ayu ballades, so no problem there.)

I think you guys are overreacting a bit, with this "lost it" thing. :\ Something is a little off, I'll admit it... But she's not gone. Not to me, at least, and obviously not to all her true fans, who don't run into the ground every single thing she's ever done the past five years... (Really, hasn't she done at least a few things you've approved of..? If not, maybe it's time to move on, guys...)

I have a really similar opinion...

I haven't read all post, but I see which is the general opinion...

First I think that sometimes people react in a really dramatically way... why have this thread been created?? Because of CDL 09-10?? What happened?? The sound wasn't right, I don't think we can't judge Ayu's voice there... I can say that the last part of INSPIRE and BoY were bad, yeah... But I can't see why this CDL is that bad that everyone is so disappointed... I think that there's always something that makes people react this way and say ayu is almost over or something.. But then we have something good and everyone is: ooh ayu's back!!

And the similar thing to Ageha's post I want to say... Well, I don't think people doesn't like Ayu because we are western xDDD But I do think that people tastes change, if you feel you don't like Ayu is because you don't like Ayu anymore... I don't like when people starts talking about the past, that Ayu has to do something... Well I see that Japanese love Ayu, maybe the problem isn't Ayu, maybe the problem is with you. I have a friend, who was a big fan of Ayu, and now he seems to not like her as much as before, and he keeps saying she makes bad music... hello? Maybe you don’t like Ayu anymore, he now prefers LadyGaGa, prefers namie... so that's the thing, you prefer other things... let's search them and stop saying Ayu does bad music...

Of course I think she can change some things, but not music-wise. I do think that she should take care of her voice and take lessons again; I do think that she should try to change a bit her performances... I didn't like how they did the same camera movements with moments at the screen (mirror effect) I didn't like how she did the same for 1LOVE, and I would also prefer her to change that "my lover is gone" thing for her ballad section... But in order to change that she should take more time on creating new dance routines, BUT it's impossible to create 18 new routines in 1,5 months for Ayu and dancers while promoting a single and making a new album, it's easier to make only little changes... so ayu should change the work patter she has..

But a part of that Ayu is the same... OMG how can you see Teddy Bear performance from this year CDL and say Ayu has lost her touch???

And then people ask her to change, that her music is always the same.. OMG and then she does NEXT LEVEL and everyone got mad because that album was the worst of her career... so what are we asking?? We are asking ayu to be another artist? She is Ayu.


Well.. Everyone has different tastes.. There are people who love what ayu is doing right now and others don't... this tastes change, people change, I'm not the same I was 5 years ago and I don't like the same things... And I'm not saying that people who don't like the stages, the performance and dance routines or think that she should train her voice are not her fans, because these are things that are surrounding the "artist" and the "musician", but people who don't like her music, her lyrics and her stage presence, should think that maybe they don't like Ayu anymore. It's ok if you love her past works, but that's the Ayu we have now, I don't like something because in the past I loved it, that was then, now is now, and maybe you will love ayu again in some years...

And I'm talking about people who don't like anything she is doing now, because it's normal that not everything Ayu does has to be perfect. I don't like Sunrise, energize, beautiful days, born to be, beautiful fighters, glitter... but the problem is when you don't like anything... that's what I'm talking about...


Ok... well XDDDD long post... but well... everyone will keep thinking as they want, and everyone has different opinions, but I still think that music wise Ayu has not to change, she has to keep doing what she wants, on her own way, and anyone can follow her path if they want...