[hpg23]

You know, I was reading the entire thread and charging with all the stuff I need to say xD

I want to give my 2 cents on this, since that many people compare her to Madonna, but you know, even if they are similar in terms of popularity and overall impact in music and culture, I don't think they are very relatable. Ayu is still really popular with the Japanese public (at least woman) like shown on surveys and such. And she is like 7 or 8 times a year in the cover of ViVi, Scawaii, Popteen and what else (all fashion magazines targeted to a young audience). She is the spokeswoman of many important labels (her Lumix contract has been running now for years, and still new companies hire her, like Wacoal, Weider and Honda, which (specially Honda) are pretty huge tie-ins.). I don't see Madonna on magazines or advertisements that often, not by a longshot. And not to mention that both had her peaks in different markets and in completely different times, and the fact that Ayu is in her 30s and Madonna in her 50s. It's like comparing and apple with an orange just because they're fruits.

She (Ayu) is usually talked about in tabloids and sure, lot of people may be sick or tired of her, but a really big portion of the population are ok with her. In terms of fashion and popularity as a celebrity, she is at the same level of Namie Amuro.

What makes Namie sell more right now, (and since she's the female top seller now it's interesting to compare her to Ayu), are, mainly, four factors:

-She releases much, much, much less often, and in a crisis period that translates into two things: People can afford to buy all her releases since they're less broke, it is "cheaper" to support Namie than to support Ayu. Not only singles and albums, but also concert tours, merchandising, etc. They would sell Ayu's vital force if they were able to. Also, people hype her releases much more. No one doubts that if Utada Hikaru releases an album right now, it would blow up the charts. It's the power of comebacks.

-Her comeback. She was forgotten for YEARS (she was flopping hard during ALARM era and so on), and she came back strong with PLAY, and specifically, BEST FICTION. C'mon, Namie is still living of the BEST FICTION effect... and I doubt this will last much. She will remain popular but, not at the level she is now, in terms of sales. Ayu has never fallen from grace, she's always been at the top. And it is a much better kind of popularity the one that Ayu has, because it is steady. When the Namie boom fades away, she has much more danger of falling rapidly into obscurity than Ayu.

-More relatable music. Namie doesn't really experiments, and about 99% of her recent stuff is dance. And a very catchy kind of dance. She has like, given up on ballads (The Meaning of Us is there to add some variety, same with Baby Don't Cry), and notice that her biggest hit for the japanese public is a wedding ballad xD (CAN YOU CELEBRATE?), and because her musical style is so wide and mainstream, she appeals more to teenagers. The teenagers that grew up with Ayu were more into the deep lyrical stuff and all the drama, young people nowadays don't pay much attention to the lyrics in general, and just want fun. Ayu has her fair share of fun songs too, but while Namie whispers and shouts "Dahlin' are you ready to Rock Steady?!!!", Ayu sings "Give me more more more more more love, let me see your enduring smile as I watch your back like a living sign post under this vast nightsky, my precious precious treasure.". Ayu tends to be cheesy lots of the time (which I love), but that can be a huge turn-off for many people (specially males).

-The sex appeal that the Japanese public love and are able to accept, albeit this is changing. Actually, if you look at which Japanese mega star have turned on the public more, Koda Kumi fails short, thanks to her overexposure and dirtyness, which I personally find nosebleeding, but we all know that it just may overwhelms the Japanese public (she had her impact because she was shocking, more than irresistible). Namie is really sexy without showing any skin, with her dances and simply a look: she has the attitude, the raw factor, but also the lovely and kind look that shouts "Protect me and love me, Random-Japanese-Standar-Male-san *3* !!!! ". It is a powerful combination that appeals both a female and male audience. And she also has that aura of mistery with the tattos and her son.

The thing with Ayu, is that she found her comfort zone with her fanbase, and that's great that she's sticking with them, but she is not really making an effort to catch new fans... and I don't think it is her objective. She stands where she is stands and we should be more than satisfied with her sales: She is the second best selling female artist at the moment, the first before Namie's re-boom. And that's nothing new, because she was up there with Utada on her peak. She has never been the sole queen of sales, but she has, and always will be, the Empress of Japanese Pop, with a much bigger impact that any other solo act ever, male or female of modern music. Honestly, if we look through the history of J-Pop, she has been surpassed by, what, X-Japan, Seiko Matsuda, Southern All Stars and maybe Mr. Children? That's a pretty big mark, if you ask me.

And well, I think she knows all this pretty well and is very satisfied with herself: she predicted this on alterna.

Originally Posted by InoriNoUta

I'm sorry to say but I really don't see how someone can listen to RNRC and ... not... hear rock songs O_o The more I listen to that album the more I'm like, "Yes, this is rock the way Ayu wants to do it." I'm not entirely sure why you and others are saying things like this -- is it just not your style of rock music? Were you expecting something different?

To begin with, most of the time Ayu does pop-rock. Microphone is pop rock, and I think it's the hardest thing on RnRC. The closer she's even gotten to real rock is with About You, Because of You, is this LOVE? and Memorial Address (the latter part of it). But by Ayu rock standars, I found GUILTY and MY STORY much more rock than this. For me this is a very varied album in terms of genres, like (miss)understood was, with the only "rock" songs by Ayu standards being Microphone, countdown, Last Links, RED LINE and maaaaaaaybe You were... 5 out of 12, taking out interludes. I don't really get the Rock'n'Roll of Rock'n'Roll Circus, but well, I'm extremely pleased with this, it's honestly her best album overall since Secret. For me it's in the top 5 Ayu albums.

Originally Posted by lumieregrl

What is age-appropriate music for 31? o.O

Enka, don't you know? (joking xD) But is true that sometimes she tries to be cuter now than in the past. Sunrise is much cuter than July 1st, and both are summer type songs (not comparable at all to each other btw.). Same with Days, she started acting cute around 2008, with a few exceptions on the past ( (miss)understood, etc.).

Spoiler:

Originally Posted by emiko

imo Ayu is being held back by the sales because the culture in Japan just isn't really open to the way she's changed.

Apparently, she's been losing popularity since Duty...in Japan anyway.

Honestly, Namie Amuro has high sales because she hasnt had a studio album in forever, AND she's quite popular in other ways, fashion, and image-wise, etc. And imo, Namie's high sales wont last that long.

Female Solos...especially ones that so their own thing, are just not the it thing anymore. That's just how it is. imo, it is impossible for her to have million sales again.


But also...you know, people here at AHS are kinda....blinded a little bit...thinking that an album selling just 300k sucks. A lot of people here have no idea what it's like to follow artists that are never in the top ten, or the top five, and for the vast majority of artists in Japan, that is their reality.

Having an album sell 300k copies in Japan is great. GREAT. I only wish half of the artists I love sold that "badly".

Ayu IS the Empress of J-pop. There are still no other artists in Japan that come close to her status and prestige, and regardless of her sales, that will never change.

^This is soooo true. Best post in all the thread, one fact straight after another.

Originally Posted by PaPaRatZi

and a very cute dinosaur

Hahahahaha!

Woah, this should count like 10 posts...