How is one album more Ayu-like that another? All of her albums are Ayu, just different sides and at different points of growth. How do you know what sounds like "Ayumi" and what doesn't? Unless you know her personally. I'm glad she doesn't sound like she used to or use the same formulas that made her popular in the past. I would honestly get sick of her after awhile. Everyone grows and changes, thankfully.
And Namie...I could see hearing her songs on the radio here in the US, she IS Americanized (although I think she does it better). Ayumi...No, I hear nothing like her here. S/S, R/S, huh? who makes music like that in the US?
Kinda hard to take you seriously when you seem to think Guilty, Next Level, and Rock'n'Roll Circus are crap.
