Quote:
Originally Posted by Coelacanth
I'd like to share a few insights that have helped me let go of some of the disappointment and anger I've felt when faced with mediocre material from Ayu.
I don't believe it's healthy to be extremely attached to one musician. Nobody should have such an artist-centric approach to music. It's as if people are obsessed with this idea of finding one perfect artist that they connect with on all levels and is, in a sense, the embodiment of music itself. That's insane.
There is a vast body of music out there. I've discovered new genres that I would've never imagined enjoying 3-4 years ago. Broaden your horizons a little.
I'm still very passionate about Ayu. When I'm an emotional mess, Ayu's music is the first on the playlist. However, I've learned not to dwell on her current shortcomings and eagerly await every new song and album in hopes that, this time, it will be something that will "blow me away."
To be honest, exploring and discovering new music has helped me appreciate Ayu's music even more. It helped me to understand her place in the musical landscape. All artists have their ups and downs, their peaks and falls.
To say that Ayu is "capable of better" is also easier said than done. The truth is, none of you know what it's like to be Hamasaki Ayumi or any other superstar of her calibre or magnitude. The stress and pressure that accompanies releasing material that always matches a prior standard of excellence is extremely overwhelming (It's ultimately why my other favorite artist, Michael Jackson, died).
Especially when Ayu likely never had lofty ambitions to create such excellent material! Do you really think Ayu was like, "Duty yes, my goal is to make this the best album of all time!!!11" I don't think Ayu ever put much thought into what she was creating. It just happened. Her success was somewhat of an anomaly. Read the lyrics of TO BE and no more words, it's obvious that Ayu was confused by her success and the hype surrounding her music. It was beyond modesty.
|
I have over 12,000 songs on my 120GB iPod. The music I am most passionate about is electronic dance music, most specifically trance, which is a very broad and extensive genre of music. But Ayu's music is just so easy to listen to. Although I listen to a lot of electronic music, it can become quite exhausting after a while. Ayu's music never makes me feel "tired".
For me, Ayu wasn't just an artist in a sea of artists - she basically became her own genre of music. To give up on an artist is one thing; to move on and find something new or similar in that genre... But to give up on a genre itself, to give up on the "Hamasaki Ayumi" sound, now that's something entirely different.