Ayu's music is stuck in an era of pop that just doesn't exist anymore. No one wants her brand of creativity or sentimentalism. They just don't. That sort of pop died out everywhere in the early 00s. Even in the west.
There isn't anything she can do. She can maybe wait around for some years and see if the market gets into a trend that is more her style.
I kinda wish she'd get into a more raw sound a la count down, but it wouldn't be popular either. Rock in Japan has it's own culture. A lot of their music genres do...lol But I'd love it
idk why it matters that much. Most musicians today are not making tons in sales. We think about everyone in the media, but, they're still a drop in the sea of music making, and it's only going to get more inundated with musicians lol Our relationship with the arts we actively consume is changing.
PS. Contrail is <3 Beautiful, non-original songs are just *nice* sometimes.