[nanami606]

Originally Posted by ImpactBreaker

That's where people underrates ayu in my opinion.

A lot of people think her vocals aren't good. A song is not just made of vocals. A song has lyrics, composition arrangement, instruments and yep the promotion it gets which includes cover art, the image the artist puts in and a lot more things. When people are referring how much they like ayumi hamasaki even though they seem to refer to "ayumi hamasaki" it's quite obvious you are actually indirectly referring to ayu AND her team. I think her songs have some of the best compositions among other japanese artists, no wonder so many people fall instantly in love with them no matter how they like or dislike her vocals. And she makes interesting playing with sounds and lyrics (but people doesn't seem to notice that) in songs like "ourselves", I think that is really cool. Also a lot of people say it's all about her image, well the image does play a great role - ayu "the character" makes you get involved with her. Her lyrics are personal and her PVs tell a piece of the history of this character. Another thing is the fact she's a POP artist doesn't make her stuck into the usual JPOP melodies, differently she tries other genres like different types of rock, arabic, spanish, all those club genres which I can't relly tell which is which, trance, she has a wide variety of songs on her repertoire. And god she's not lazy like Utada and Tomiko Van who releases stuff once in a blue moon or take 2 years vacations, she works a lot, has gotten a terrible ear problem (losing the hearing should be reason enough for her to think about quitting the job in order to not damage it much ore but she is still there working on a regular basis) and is still producing music.
And about her vocals well she has put a lot of distinctiveness over them in a way you will say "Oh that's ayu trademark". I think that is something to be prized. Funny enough it was her vocals that made her to turn into my favorite artist. I used to listen to other singers with "no squeeky voice, no vibratoes..". Forme they all sounded the same..I needed something different and a less pre-produced diva formula which I was annoyed of honestly.

Very well said!!!

I love Ayu's voice. It's unique. I loved it back then in the days of The Song for XX and I love it now.

If you don't like it, don't listen. and most of all don't complain. Noone has locked you into a room and made you listen to her songs on repeat.