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I'd like to do this too, whether its too late or not!! =] It's definitely interesting!!
1.) How long have you been a fan of Ayu? In how many ways has this musician/artist changed your life?
I first got to know about her in about 2000; I came across her PV for Depend On You on a streaming site and I was instantly taken by her originality and, despite the complex feelings in her tone that I couldn't understand because of the language barrier, I was filled with this feeling of a simple life; by simple life I mean, purely feelings. No elaborate sets and all that, just simplicity, with human feelings, even though it can safely be said its not her most emotional song.
Then in 2002 I came across a few more of her songs. Between 2000 and 2002 I had played Depend On You a lot but I hadn't looked deeper into her music because I was so young and didn't know how to use the internet well. Since then I've been a fan of her.
2.) Do you find yourself inspired/influenced by her? If so, can you name some instances?
Her younger years are similar to mine, but at the same time, I think I had a lot more negativity in me than she did. In that case, I was always inspired by her determination to come to terms with everything in her past, her feelings, her actions, everything. She's got a "don't give up" attitude that I've been able to adapt to myself, and I think it's made me a better person.
She's also taught me that despite everything, everyone around you, that you should always be your true self and nobody else.
3.) What can you say about her fashion tastes and music style(s)?
The brilliant thing is that over the years we've seen her change, and her music evolve, but it's always been a pure expression of herself, and her feelings of that time. She doesn't make an image, and then adapt her personality to it; rather, she works from the inside out. Her music is the same way; she writes pure feelings and you can't go wrong with that because there'll always be someone out there who will be experiencing those things and who will be able to understand it. She's human, and in her sense of fashion, and in her music, she shows us this.
4.) What do you love the most about Ayu?
I...love a lot of things about her actually, it's all the little things that make up a wonderful person. But I think its her personality; she's just so sweet and humble, kind and giving, and while being all that she's a person who will work hard and fight to get the freedom she wants, to be able to release what she wants. I love her attitude, I love that no matter what the world throws at her she'll stagger back onto her feet and then become solid rock again; she broke her leg and she still put on a performance, she broke her fingers but she still did a lot of direction on her PV and then put on a great show, and let's not forget her hearing, something which she's barely complained about since it first started happening years ago.
5.) How do you think Ayu presents herself to the world? Do you think she has an "edge" over others (who are in the same industry as hers)?
Simply her edge is that she's just herself, and because of that, she will not release material that isn't truly her work. She works extremely hard every day to give us something and that's herself; her true feelings. She also doesn't throw us out of her dreams. She's shown us that we're part of her dreams and she doesn't tire of giving us what we want because we are always there for her, and she has no intention of putting a wall between us with this "I'm a celeb; know your place" attitude that other artists have.
6.) Have you ever talked with Ayu? How was she like?
I've never had the chance to talk to her; I totally wish I could. The most I've ever gotten to talking to her was sending her a tweet, and she replied! It was a simple thank you, calling my message to her a sweet one.
7.) Can you describe what her music is like?
Passionate and honest; no matter what the song is, whether its happy, sad, hopeful, angry, it's always filled with passion and honesty. She doesn't have one type of music which is interesting, but those two things are there no matter what the song.
8.) What kind of personality do you think she has? (Is she warm, friendly, etc.)
She's warm and friendly, honest, kind-hearted; free-thinker, she'll listen to what people have to say about the direction of her work but in the end she uses her own head, and decides what's right for herself. She's also motherly I think; she treats her fans like her children, and anyone who's met her can see this in the way she cares for them. She really loves everyone really, which is beautiful; I've seen fans on twitter tell her they're having a tough time with things and she'll say something back so simple and yet so caring you can't help but feel her love.
9.) What can you say about the people she works with? (The photographer, director, etc.)
She works with some very flexible people it seems; she works with people that understand her vision and who are prepared to work with her, her ideas and her plans, so as to come up with something as close to her ideals as possible.
10.) If you've been a fan of hers for more than two years now, do you believe that there has been a change in her personality in some ways over the past years of her career?
I think everyone can see that she doubts herself a bit less now, and she's come to terms with a lot of her past, which was why she got herself into this industry; she's found this place of her own and despite the disharmony at times it's a place she never sees herself running out of. To this day though, she hasn't lost all the beautiful qualities that made her who she was in the begining. So you could say she's changed what she felt like she needed to change, but never got rid of the things that made her who she was. She hasn't lost herself along the way and if she had, she wouldn't feel okay with it because it went against everything she ever believed in.
11.) Lastly, can you name some of your favorite songs by Ayu?
A Song for XX. Depend On You. BLUE BIRD. SURREAL. Duty. NEVER EVER. (miss)understood. Alterna. In The Corner. HOPE or PAIN. Pride. Rainy Day. I'll stop before I go too far haha.
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I'd like to add this but I really wasn't quite sure where it'd fit in those questions since it's a bit of everything and I didn't want to write too much (I failed at that, I know!)
She's the only pop artist I ever listen to; ever. Western or not; she's the only pop artist I listen to and I actually enjoy. Every where female artists, especially solo artists, are being marketed as these beautiful untouchable sexy things that dance and sing about romance, relationships, parties, dancing, drinking and stuff like that.
When Ayu first started people were really loving and accepting of feelings in music. Emotions in music at that time was more common than it is these days, but Ayu could always touch peoples hearts with her emotions better than any other person at that time.
It's interesting to note, that as time went by and all this changed, and the market of female solo artists changed, Ayu hasn't at all. Her range of music has widened, but she never lost the honest feelings in her music that made her famous. She also didn't drastically change her image. Yes, she looks a bit more mature now but that's purely because she's gotten a bit older, but nobody told her this image had to change, and her shows are packed with action, intensity, passion, emotions, cuteness, and sexiness, and all to convey the songs well unlike some other female artists (particularly in the West) who will make a sexy performance out of a soft ballad. This isn't to say she doesn't have any sex appeal, or sexy performances; but it's more "time and place" which I've got to admire her for.
It's always been proof, I think, that she wasn't going to budge, and to change everything, just for her records to sell and that'd she'd remain putting feelings into her music because her music was for her, and for us, and we'd keep listening as long as those feelings were there.
As she's once said, people are free to listen to music on their own; and to decide what they like on their own.
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