Release Dates - Let's Discuss.

[fanmail]

it's been bugging me for a while now.

i was wondering. why do you guys think that it takes western (american, british etc) artists SO LONG to get an album out. let's take brandy for example~

album #1 - 1994.
album #2 - 1997.
album #3 - 2002.

the gaps are huge!! but when you look at japan, they pop out albums every year. >_>

[DOLCE]

Another example is Janet Jackson
Starting from her third album...
#3- 1986
#4- 1989
#5- 1993
#6- 1997
#7- 2001
#8- 2004
Only recently has she been releasing stuff faster.

I'm not sure why it takes US/UK people longer. I don't really like it when artists release stuff too fast though <_>.

[Foxxy_Fuyumi]

Cause japanese artists are always making new singles...xD

Cuz in the States, we have something called "oversaturation," lol. Japan doesn't even know the meaning of the word.

[ImpactBreaker]

Yeah, i know, look at Michael Jackson. He has so few albums released for the ammount of careeer years. And he'd promote a single album for years and years. I believe these artists take much more time producing their stuff and touring/promoting their product for a longer time, reason why singles are released after the album. I dunno. Sometimes it seems like japanese artists are at a constant pressure to mass produce music in a fordist line. It's what happens to avex artists. It has its advantages, because we get something fresh every so often, but also disadvantages because the freshness is questionable.

Just pick ayu and Koda Kumi....We already know their patterns of releases every single year. The ballad/winter single, the upbeat/multiple a-side/summer single, same old composers putting up recycled sometimes even sampled compositions. I think Dai Nagao completely lost it after being pressure for so many years since he was surely a great composer but we never hear anything about him anymore

[Melon Panda]

I'd love for Ayumi to work with DAI again - I'm sure they'd come up with something great, even if it were a tad bit recycled.

In the states, it's more quality over quantity, and while Japanese artists do produce quality work, they've got to keep in mind quantity too. New artists are constantly introduced in the field, so if veteran artists don't protect their presence, they'll be forgotten. In America, new artists (in my opinion) are introduced and promoted at a lesser pace, and it takes more time for them to dominate the charts.

[bondingo]

I don't really think Brandy's a prime example for this considering the fact that she isn't exactly one of the more famous artists in America (at least after the 90's).

Originally Posted by Melon Panda

In the states, it's more quality over quantity, and while Japanese artists do produce quality work, they've got to keep in mind quantity too. New artists are constantly introduced in the field, so if veteran artists don't protect their presence, they'll be forgotten. In America, new artists (in my opinion) are introduced and promoted at a lesser pace, and it takes more time for them to dominate the charts.

I agree. It does seem that there are great gaps between releases with American artists. I think its because the single system isn't structure the same here as it is in Japan and other countries. They'll release the singles before the albums so they tend to release things only a few months apart, making it seem like they have more material when the album still takes quite awhile to release. Like, if Rihanna had released all of the singles from Good Girl Gone Bad before the album then it would have been released much later.

[fanmail]

Originally Posted by bondingo

I don't really think Brandy's a prime example for this

i picked her coz i had her album right here next to me

[noce616]

Shania Twain is like the prime example of this. But she DOES write all her own songs and music and shes like a TOTAL perfectionist...so thats why it takes so long...Her albums are scarily apart recently..

1. Shania Twain 1993
2. The Woman in Me 1995
3. Come on Over 1997
4. Up! 2002
5. Greatest Hits 2004 (but not a "real" album)
6. ????????? maybe 2008 or 2009??

[Halla]

one major reason is that promotion work takes ages in US/EU. I believe Rihanna is still doing promo for Good Girl Gone Bad, she was just performing/promoting in Russia. she's also on a tour.

also the costs of releasing an album in US/EU & promotion are greater than in Japan. one album per year is too fast, you don't have the time to make the most profit out of the album that way.

also japanese artists just work harder. most western artists take like few months to almost the whole year off in the years they do not have an album out. most western artists go off in interviews on "how hard they worked for the album". IMO that's not hard work compared to the 9-to-5 jobs "common" people have to work at

[kirei_ayumi]

I think maybe because many american/british artists tend to take gaps for breaks or time to write new music, while at the same time, their fans tend to forget them more since they are taking big gaps and then loose that interest for them. japanese artists want to keep their fans interested in them and keep their music coming so we won't have to be anticipated too much....

[Deneb]

not generalising but asian usually works faster xD from school to work to making music i guess. well, those are my thoughts xD

[prussian blue]

^and also japanese are so hard working... thats what i know

[TITANIC]

tatu
first album 2002
dangerous & moving 2005
waste management 2008

[fanmail]

Originally Posted by Halla

also japanese artists just work harder. most western artists take like few months to almost the whole year off in the years they do not have an album out. most western artists go off in interviews on "how hard they worked for the album". IMO that's not hard work compared to the 9-to-5 jobs "common" people have to work at

omg! i know. i hate it when they're like~

"ugh, so yeah, i got this album DONE in 2 weeks, yah, really."

if it only takes you 2 weeks to get an album made....

[ALPHY]

I don't really mind. As long as they're (musicians) are taking their time with their music and making it the best, I'm happy.

I think Rihanna's a really bad example. She released A Girl Like Me eight months after Music Of The Sun, and then Good Girl Gone Bad fourteen months later. /

She really rushed A Girl Like Me, which probably explains why it's so rubbish.

I'm still waiting for Samantha Mumba to release an album, it's been eight years. She claims to be working with Michael Jackson and Timbaland. Oh and the new Mickey Modelle remix of Gotta Tell You is really good~

I'd say Mariah is probably one of the artists with the most hectic release schedule in the States. Her releases are pretty quick:

1990 - Mariah Carey
1991 - Emotions
1993 - Music Box
1995 - Daydream
1997 - Butterfly
1999 - Rainbow
2001 - Glitter
2003 - Charmbracelet
2005 - The Emancipation of Mimi
2008 - E=MC2

And she has had a solo single out every year except 2002, 2004 and 2007. Maybe that's why she was so burnt out in 2001!