Party Queen is 3 years old today...

[ExodusUK]

The album that nearly tore the fanbase...APART. I have a fond memory of when the album leaked, which always stays in my mind whenever I hear it now.. and it's walking around Chengdu at night with NaNaNa on repeat. NaNaNa was and still is my favourite song from the album. After that probably...Reminds me, Tell me why and Return Road. Other than that...the album is Panty Queef to me.

[NintendoHTF1242]

It took a while but it did become one of my favorite Ayu albums. I just love how she tore apart the entire hardcore Ayu fanbase though. Get it girl! But anyway, I still listen to reminds me religiously.

And damn, has it already been three years since the world was supposed to end? Lol.

[hayasaki]

Yeah It was around this time three years ago and this album reminds me of those days when I spent my vacation in my mom's home country. Letter and Call were my favorites Party queen is one of my favorite albums minus the title track. i wish ayu didn't released that song lol

[happiholic★]

I still hate this album. Never listen to it

Actually, I do love the cover for this album. I still maintain that the "tabloid" idea was executed poorly, but I love the images. And I do love Tell Me Why. I never listen to it, because its a part of this album. I never listen to Party Queen so I forget Tell Me Why exists.

[oaristos]

I still wake up in the middle of the night sometimes thinking: "why, ayu?"

[sitara]

Originally Posted by oaristos

I still wake up in the middle of the night sometimes thinking: "why, ayu?"

omg, LOL!!

I still remember the outrage the covers and the booklet caused.
Discussions were never ending. People thought the covers would definitely be fake

"Call" is the best song on this album, I don't see it getting much love.
Otherwise the album really doesn't do much for me.

A few thoughts on NaNaNa:
it could have been so better if there wasn't this embarrassing rapping...
Timmy singing the lyric "Listen to my voice, You don’t have no choice" makes me crack up a little, because I remember how almost everybody was complaining about his presence...
I also imagine him making a weird hip thrust when he sings "Fun fun No.1 Uh- We’re done…"

Eyes, Smoke, Magic is a song that still puzzles me. What does Ayu want to say with this... erm "song"?

Originally Posted by Andrenekoi

The closest the ever got to an artistic statement... That's why so much people hate it.

I don't agree with that because she has written many lyrics with strong artistic statements (and really out of the ordinary for pop music).

[Delicious n Bold]

It was a weirdly nostalgic album for me. I loved it when it came out and now I forget about it but I still think about it from time to time.

[stickyrice]

Party Queen was the last Ayu album and last Jpop album I purchased a physical copy of. I didn't even enjoy the album all that much but just felt a need to buy it because it was Ayu. I decided it had to be my last album though because I calculated how much I spent over the years collecting CDS, sometimes the CD and CD+DVD because yaydifferentcovers!!! and good lord o_o Word of advice to younger members (who don't have a lot of income) SAVE. YOUR. MONEY lol

[AYUmyQUEEN]

I loved it when it came out and I still love it!

[Party_King]

Awww <3

After reading the threads title some memories from March 2012 were back in my mind...
damn how does the time changed myself!

My favourites from this Album are still:
NaNaNa, Shake It ♥, call, Return Road and Eyes, Smoke, Magic (yes, really! )

I've got the SPECIAL LIMITED BOX SET 2 months ago - and i looove it

[orangeakira]

I listen to sose me a lot. does that count?

[Irish_Ayu_Fan]

Originally Posted by orangeakira

I listen to sose me a lot. does that count?

I count that hahaha! If it wasn't for Sose Me, I'd never have discovered Ayu at all. There was a comment on Ivi's video saying "Ayumi Hamasaki's version is better", and I looked it up and then the obsession started...

[love in music]

There are some bad songs on there but honestly some real gems. reminds me, Tell Me why, Return Road, and Letter I love.

[Kouyou]

Loved it when it came out, still love it now. It's flawed, for sure. The covers are bad, there was too much Timmy--I get it, but I still love it so much. That may even play a part in why I love it so much. It really got people fired up and I think that's great. I like the flow of the album and the story I believe it tells. I genuinely enjoy nearly all of the tracks and I can't say that about all of Ayu's albums. Each track is significant to me. I'm not going to argue that it's the best Ayu album, but it is one of my favorites.

[Andrenekoi]

The closest the ever got to an artistic statement... That's why so much people hate it.

[waterballoon]

Originally Posted by Andrenekoi

The closest the ever got to an artistic statement... That's why so much people hate it.

still hate it. I used to love the party tracks the most last time but I can't stand them now, maybe except Shake It (once in a while)

the middle was the strongest, but Return Road was the epitome of her unprofessional-ism (seriously who put the idea of milking her ex-husband one last time into a video?!)

we also got her worst arena tour from this concept, it led us to the Maro fiasco... just her worst era and what a shame really

[Andrenekoi]

Originally Posted by waterballoon

still hate it. I used to love the party tracks the most last time but I can't stand them now, maybe except Shake It (once in a while)

the middle was the strongest, but Return Road was the epitome of her unprofessional-ism (seriously who put the idea of milking her ex-husband one last time into a video?!)

we also got her worst arena tour from this concept, it led us to the Maro fiasco... just her worst era and what a shame really

This is the thing. Most people who hate it, like you, hate it because it's way too far from pop aesthetic. While pop tends to be inclusive, the artists being careful to release stuff safe enough so anyone can see themselves on it, art tends to be divisive for showing a more personal view of thinga, so it's only works if the viewer can connect with the piece. Party Queen doesn't shows concern with connecting to the most people possible from start, having very divisive covers and them going through really dark subjects on a very personal take.

Everyone feels lonely or insecure, what are Ayu's most recurrent themes... Those are broad and universal feelings. On PQ Ayu is not talking about being insecure or lonely, she is talking about HOW and WHY she is lonely... And now, this is not broad and universal anymore.

[Uknow!]

Originally Posted by Andrenekoi

This is the thing. Most people who hate it, like you, hate it because it's way too far from pop aesthetic. While pop tends to be inclusive, the artists being careful to release stuff safe enough so anyone can see themselves on it, art tends to be divisive for showing a more personal view of thinga, so it's only works if the viewer can connect with the piece. Party Queen doesn't shows concern with connecting to the most people possible from start, having very divisive covers and them going through really dark subjects on a very personal take.

Everyone feels lonely or insecure, what are Ayu's most recurrent themes... Those are broad and universal feelings. On PQ Ayu is not talking about being insecure or lonely, she is talking about HOW and WHY she is lonely... And now, this is not broad and universal anymore.

I agree with you! Party Queen for me is really special because I can connect with every song of the album. Normally when I read the lyrics I say "You are right" o "Yes, I felt so at some point". However, With Party Queen she is telling a story about her and incredibly is very similar to my story. Party Queen is really deep and have a lot of meanings starting for the cover, lyrics, music, arena tour... And if there is some thing that I love more than feel connected with Ayu music, It's trying to implement her music to all I know of her life.

When I read people criticizing Party Queen (artistically)... It really hurt me lol For example, when I read "(miss)understood covers are bad or ugly" I tell myself "How can they miss the meaning and art that are behind Ayu's career?"

[oaristos]

Originally Posted by Uknow!

For example, when I read "(miss)understood covers are bad or ugly" I tell myself "How can they miss the meaning and art that are behind Ayu's career?"

I know this if off-topic, but may I ask you what do you think is the meaning behind those covers?

[waterballoon]

Originally Posted by Andrenekoi

Everyone feels lonely or insecure, what are Ayu's most recurrent themes... Those are broad and universal feelings. On PQ Ayu is not talking about being insecure or lonely, she is talking about HOW and WHY she is lonely... And now, this is not broad and universal anymore.

that's why the middle part of the album is my favorite. I get you and where you're coming from, and I felt if she wanted to convey these feelings then yeah the middle part was where this grit and desperation really shone through.

the other songs, however,... well you can argue oh they're so personal to her blah blah, but they just don't sound good. this is not slam poetry, we're not only looking at her lyrics. sound-wise, at least imo, most of the album fell flat.

more importantly it's the overarching idea of the era that irks me - centering an entire era on her divorce was especially when it's not like she did a kickass job of milking her personal life. imho she came across really desperate in the Party Queen era. from the beginning when the news came about of the divorce up till the end of LOVE again, she was a mess.