Ayumi Hamasaki Sekai - View Single Post - Frequently Asked Ayu Questions
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Old 23rd March 2007, 03:01 AM
devilayu
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ABOUT HER MUSIC

Has Ayumi ever lip-synched?
There is no definitive answer to this question. Although by fan accounts Ayumi doesn't lip-synch in concerts, it is argued that she has mimed songs for certain taped appearances on non-live music shows.

Has Ayu ever performed in America?
No, she has not. She has only filmed PV's and done photoshoots in the larger American cities (such as New York, Los Angeles, & Oahu). Also, prior to her Avex debut, she went to New York City for vocal training.

I've seen screencaps of Ayu's 1999 Secret Live. Where can I get it?
That performance has never been publicly released in full. Those caps are either from a news report about the live or from her old HP.

Has Ayumi ever performed the remixes from her remix albums?
Yes, but only once at the Cyber Trance presents ayu trance release party. Again, the live was never publicly released and only seen in news clips.

Why does she use a different pronunctiation for a common character? (ex. Bokutachi vs. Bokura)
With lyrics and prose, writers can take liberties with how to pronounce words. Although those characters are usually read as "bokutachi," Ayu has decided to replace the reading with "bokura" (which means the same thing). She does the same thing in other songs (evolution).

Another example of Ayu replacing readings is in 'evolution.' In the line with the characters for "chikyuu" she replaces the reading with "hoshi." Although the meanings are slightly different, a planet is a star so it fits in context.

This happens a lot in novels and the changes in reading are usually marked with furigana.

Why does she even use "boku" in her lyrics? Isn't that for guys only?
On SmapxSmap from February 26, 2007, Ayumi clarified that it's easier to say than "watashi" or "atashi" due to less syllables. She does not look at it as more masculine. Additionally, by using "boku," she feels that it separates the real Ayu from the voice of the speaker in her songs.

Has Ayumi released any songs in English?
No, she has not released any English songs commercially. She has, however, sung in English for promotions. In various lives, she has performed "White Christmas," "Silent Night," "Change the World," and "Can't Take My Eyes Off of You." She sang "White Christmas" for a Suntory CM as well. For Disney's Japanese release of the "Snow White" DVD, Ayumi sang part of "Someday My Prince Will Come" for the special limited edition mail-in DVD that coincided with the release.

Are there any songs on Ayu albums with lyrics that weren't written by her?
Yes, this is a list:
- "LOVE~since1999~" (LOVE~destiny single) was composed and written by Tsunku
- "Sotsugyou Shashin" (A Ballads album) was originally by Yumi Matsutoya
- "teens" (Startin'/Born to be... single) was originally a TRF song
Also, her pre-Avex album "NOTHING FROM NOTHING" had songs written by someone else.

Are some of the songs on (miss)understood cover songs?
This is a grey area. In Japan, various articles describe the songs in question as "covers" even though Ayumi rewrote most of the lyrics in Japanese to fit her own feelings. She was a big fan of GEO and that is how these compositions came to be on her album. These songs were originally composed by GEO and performed by Sweetbox:
- "Bold & Delicious"
- "Ladies Night"
- "In the Corner"
- "Pride"
- "Beautiful Day"
- "rainy day" (Sweetboxed titled this song "Every Step")

Is there a difference between the Live and DVD versions of her concerts?
Yes. Usually, the performance on the DVD's are taped from the last concert of her tour. The televised version (usually aired on a pay-per-view station called WOWOW) is usually a show in the middle of her tour, and the cuts/costumes/hairstyles sometimes differ depending on where she is and when she performed.
Also, there is sometimes redubbing of her singing performance for the DVD version of a concert. The reasoning may be any of the following: technical difficulty during the live, poor recording feed, or poor vocals on Ayu's part. Case in point, Countdown Live 02-03.

Is there a "Memorial address Take 1" or 'original' version of the song?
No, the only version of that song is titled "Memorial address ~take 2 version~" which was actually a bonus, 8th track on the "Memorial address" mini-album.
Additionally, "Memorial address" is considered a cover song in Japan because it is the same composition as the LOVER SOUND TRACK song "Kumo." Ayumi wrote her own lyrics for her version.

Other songs that do not have "original" versions are:
* Key -eternal tie ver.-

Is the song "monochrome" supposed to be cut-off, with a door slam and a man talking?
Yes, that is indeed the correct version of the song. It is meant to be cut-off mid-sentence.

What is the deal with the song "RAINBOW"?
On the album "RAINBOW" there was no title song. Instead, for the limited edition first press of the album, there was a track labeled "00 RAINBOW" on the sleeve. It was actually a short instrumental track that you could download via a secret website with a code included with the disc. On the site, Ayumi invited her fans to write a line of lyrics that fit with the music. In the final version of the song, Ayu in fact did not use a fan's exact lyrics. Instead, she claims that she read each and every one of the 100,000+ entries she received and then wrote a line that expressed the feelings she got from reading those entries. The full version of the song was later released on the compilation album "A BALLADS."

What is the "XX" in "A Song for XX"?
According to Masa's translation, Ayumi says:
Quote:
"I'd like you to insert whatever words you like to the part XX. Well, I wrote this lyrics in my own manner thinking about the person I've told you now, which some of you may understand only by listening to this song."
It's also important to note that you do no pronounce the "XX" as it is a silent representation of an anonymous something or someone. For Ayumi, this someone is her mother, Mariko Hamasaki.

Additional thanks to kinix & DA1SUK1DAY01691

Last edited by devilayu; 21st July 2007 at 08:53 PM.