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^^I don't even consider TK's Namie and post-TK Namie as the same artist. She is too different from what she was back then, and she also feels way more confortable on her shoes nowadays.
That being said, Namie always followed international music trends closer than Ayu did, and even when she was experiementing more (Past > Future is quite a creative album), once she went full peak, she followed trends even closer. She was always more of an idol while Ayu was more of an artist. It's easier (but on no way easy) to change your whole image when you go for fresh but doesn't really go for innovative. As people expect Ayu to be more innovative, the risks of going on a new direction are higher considering this also means going on a less tested road.
This can also be seen around here: Everytime she really goes bold on a totally unexpected way for her, people either love it to pieces (Brillante, POM) or hate it like she killed puppies. Having a diverce music catalogue also doesn't help, as very little stuff that wouldn't feel forced would also sound fresh on her nowadays. Even so, for someone who release a new album every year, IMO she has a surprising level of success when adding a new genre to her mix.
Considering she still is touring arenas with a good amount of dates every year, that she is performing live more and more frequently (even if she isn't on TV), that she still is invited to take part in festivals (even some that aren't Avex's) and that she still have top 10 releases, I would say she is doing well enough for someone almost 20 years in the game.
The meaning of being a success or a failure changes depending on how far you are into your career.
And when I say Namie is more of an idol and Ayu more of an artist I'm not saying one is better than the other. I like Ayu way more, but I respect Namie as someone who excels on what she wants to do, and I believe she is quite satisfied on presenting herself on the way she does.
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