Quote:
Originally Posted by Zeke.
I think also, singles provide for the opportunity to deliver a concept. A mini "world" and environment can be fleshed out from the songs and turned into a visual spectacle. It allows for a bit of extravagance, and the world of Hamasaki Ayumi seems much larger and expansive when you look back on a year and see all the different places she took you with her paintings of works. It's like the door opens every 3 months and it's a new place to explore, a new vision to be seen. I miss that feeling of waiting for the door to open again, and the curiosity as to what we will be shown this time. As the release date gree closer, we'd all have our ears pressed to that door. We'd begin to hear muffled sounds (snippets, CM spots) - processing the tease of what's to come. That's how I remember it.
|
I agree with this to a certain degree. She was SO prolific in her earlier years, and so EVERYWHERE across multiple media, and that just isn't the case now. I'm also not sure it COULD be the case now, even if she went full-force with promo.
When she was in new CMs monthly, getting to hear a snippet of a new song was always so exciting. It usually started out with a 15s CM, then the hunt for 30s one would commence. Rips were so much harder to come by then and unless it was posted on the product's website, it was a HUNT. Then even the wait to see if the full song would be the same, or how they would be altered (different lyrics, different key, etc.). And honestly leading up until Rainbow, we had full single lead tracks MONTHS in advance before the single release in many cases. That still did nothing to diminish the hype for the physical release, and any bonuses on the singles themselves. Then, once the release came by we had covers, magazines, TV appearances. So much of that just isn't aligned to what the reality would be today. So while I'd love to see her really go full force again, I'm afraid it would just make me nostalgic in a bad way at something that is no longer attainable.