Do you remember your first impression of Ayu?

[StarSUCKER]

Originally Posted by Rainbow141

But yeah... after a while, learning that she writes all her lyrics (well, used to)

Absolutely still does, unless it's specifically a cover song (like 卒業写真), but even sometimes when it IS technically a cover song, like GEO's compositions in (m)u.

[gallowsCalibrator]

I feel bad about this now, but...
I used to think she wasn't all that good...I'm so ashamed that I thought that way now!

But my opinion has definitely changed

[nemesisyume]

I loved her I thought she was really cute and hot and amazing
the first vid I saw was Because of you

[kotora]

My first impression of ayu? She looks good in bikini, and her body was much better than any girls in my class.

[Delirium-Zer0]

My first impression of ayu was, "Hey, this song ('TO BE') is kinda pretty, I'm mildly curious about the lyrics." Then I saw a picture of her at an old website, and I thought she was just the cutest thing ever XD

Then I heard "vogue" and "Far away" and I'd never heard anything like them before on pop radio, so I was pretty much hooked after that.

[ren0210989]

the VERY VERY first impression was.. well i saw the PV of fairyland and tought Ayumi Hamasaki was a BAND i was like... ok the skinny girl is singin' when will the rest of them start? xD
and when the PV ended i was like... ok... so Ayumi Hamasaki is a singer, i'm an idiot xD

right after that i saw a few more PV's and was like WOAH she's awesome! not like all this crappy american singers

[Miduhyo]

Well for a while I just listened to her and never saw what she looked like but i remember thinking "her voice is unique. a little scratchy but definitely unique"

Then when I saw her I was like "oh my god she's adorable!" haha. I saw her Boss CM and that was the first time I saw her and I fell in love there. haha.

[Crystal_Ageha]

I heard her during the avex debut. So my very first impression was something like, "HOLY CRAP WHAT'S WRONG WITH HER VOICE????--SHE SOUNDS LIKE A SQUEALING PIG WHO WAS FUSED WITH SOME DYING CHIPMUNKS--NUUUU!!!~ D: The music isn't bad, though... I actually like this! *nod* I'll follow her and see what's up."
I never would have guessed she'd become one of my favourite singers, hah. ^_^'

[SunshineSlayer]

My first impression was negative because I was more of Hikki fan at first. I kept reading how Ayumi was her rival and wasn't as good of singer or writer yada yada. And then I watched this video that compared the two which was meant to show Utada as the superior artist, but I came away liking Ayu more, lol. I think it was the footage of a live M performance that did it.

[Raleigh]

My first impression was of a woman who couldn't keep her hair colour the same for long

[VRGRK]

The first song I heard from Ayumi Hamasaki was... Duty [OR] End of the World. I've never really listened to much pop music, not even really Britney Spears in America. When I was younger I grew up listening to bands like Def Leapord, Led Zepplin, etc. mostly classic rock style of music. However, after hearing Ayu for the first time... something was definately different than about, unlike many American artists, who all have similar sounds and looks. Her voice was well suited for the style of songs she sang and you even if you couldn't understand what was being said, there was still this powerful emotion that could be felt spiritually when you listened to her muisc.

I am now confused... if this is correct? The first song I heard from Do As Infinity was Tangerine Dream (1999), shortly after I had listened to them. Maaya Sakamoto was soon after that with Platinum (1999), which I heard after watching Card Captor Sakura... If this is correct, why would my first songs of Ayu be from the album Duty in the year 2000? perhaps it was really 1999 with Depend on You..? Anyways I suppose it doesn't matter since I still enjoy listening to her sound and watching her style change.

[Violent Omelet]

My first impression of her was that she was fine as hell. Then I saw the A BALLADS covers and thought she was a little freaky, too.

[TITANIC]

first impression she was perfect human
I dunno about her music but just know she was great. after discovering herself i have known that she is really BIG and thats right ^^

[ayunation]

the first time i came in contact with japan was SAILOR MOON was aired in germany, and so i found my interests in japan...
than, i listen to music of utada hikaru (Can You Ceep A Secret?) and Miyavi (Pop is Dead)...
some months later i saw the first time AYU, and i was surprised, a lovely pop song and really nice vocals (it was RAINBOW PV), so i need to see more of her...
some day i listen to Dearest and Free & Easy and Real me, and i was really surprised how her songs are sounds...
the differences between Real me and Dearest make me curious about her music!
and a few weeks later i order RAINBOW, I am... and A BALLADS... and i'm really proud today that i've do this... xD
i really enjoyed the I am...-album this time, because the lyrics make fascinating.
my interest to AYU was not soo much a time, but when i found Naturally-Single in a store i was shocked, she release her songs in germany? so i've bought the single and my interrest to AYU was more than ever...
TODAY, ayu's my fave artist from japan... ^^

[aura~]

I can't remember it properly... I don't know what I though when I first listened Ayu... it was with ANGEL'S SONG... I think I feel like this was something absolutely new for me and amazing, like I never had listened sth simmilar before! I loved her voice in ANGEL'S SONG, the song was so catchy back then -when I used to love happy cutie poppy songs xd-

and the first pic a saw of Ayu was memorial address cover... so though I wasn't sure if she was really japanese (xd) I though she was GORGEOUS!!

so ayu caught me immediately... xd