Quote:
Originally Posted by Tom Punks
@Coelacanth: IMO, there's a big difference between passing on, later using demos, and what she did with LOVE again.
Like, I can totally get behind cutting It was from (miss)understood and later using it for Secret. I know I've said before in another thread that songs aren't always cut because they aren't good enough, but sometimes because they just don't fit the album at hand.
But what she did with LOVE again was on a different level. I don't think these were just demos that she passed on; I presume they were leftovers from previous projects, and we're not talking in terms of 1-2 but HALF the ALBUM was leftovers that were cut from other projects. Like, SAKURA was easy to pull out because it had already been arranged, probably for Love songs. That meant so much less work for her, and yes LOVE again is basically the definition of a contractually obligated album.
I feel like there's a huge difference between using an old demo and using an actual leftover cut because it just wasn't good enough. And I FIRMLY believe half the tracks from LOVE again fall into the latter category. Nothing will ever convince me otherwise because they are so obviously leftovers, like, to the degree that it was obvious to the ear without even having read the interviews where she specifically names which songs were leftovers.
You could say she's blatantly used leftovers to fill entire halves of albums before, but there's nothing to indicate it whatsoever. Whereas with LOVE again, there's proof from her mouth.
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Whether or not they were already completely finished (as you speculate quite presumptuously) or a passed on demo, what difference does it make?
If SAKURA, Bye-bye darling, Gloria—were all ~divinely inspired~ pieces, would that change the way you feel about them? I don't get the issue you have with this.
Ayu is an artist, public figure, and employee of Avex. The lack of empathy for her situation and the kinds of responsibilities she has to juggle is astounding. Not to mention, she's a human being too... and probably wants a little "me" time.
Do y'all have any idea the kind of pressure involved in being an established pop star past their prime with 200+ recorded songs, with appeal primarily to a niche segment? The amount of forethought involved in creating an album that doesn't alienate half of your fanbase? Knowing that you can't please everyone but STILL shoulder the burden of demanded perfection?