Has ayu lost her touch?

[Andrenekoi]

Really... I hate when people says she is reusing stuff forever when she is just doing it for like... 1 or 2 years... And I can't see whats wrong with using the damn side opened pants for 1 tour and 2 cdls, or the "I can't reach you" for the performances of 2008 (Cuz Shuiya reached her on At07 and he also did on At09 and he wasn't her main couple on At06 or At05)

She is only repeating the same stuff on different events on the same year! In order to promote the same album! What totally makes sense!

Maybe the main problem is that a lot of people around here are "over-ayumed" ~~

[Bad Wolf]

Sadly, I agree with you ^* ETA: With Iznette and Funstyle, I mean. I made a playlist of Ayu's ballads, spanning her entire career, and I remember being floored by her earlier stuff. However, my appreciation for Ayu's work extends all the way up to her (m)u-era... I just feel like ever since 2007, she's reached this "comfort zone." Her releases are complacent and predictable. She's not trying to break any new ground or express or do different, interesting things. She's exploring the territory she's established and finding more things to do with that.

Personally, I like her dark rock songs. I like the harder, edgier Ayu. However, I know that doesn't go over well in Japan. I also know it's not good for an artist--whether they're in music, writing, painting, sculpting, etc.--to reach a sort of "comfortable slump" where their product all amounts to the same thing. That's a death trap.

I think a lot of the problem might not be from Ayu herself, but her "team." Everything's become so big nowadays with the band, the dancers, the composers/arrangers... I could handle it when Ayu was just a force on her own, composing here and there, relying on others when she liked their compositions. I liked when the dancers were background features...

Yet I'm willing, and obviously able, to accept this new, epic-Ayu era. I just think a lot of changes need to be done to bring Ayu back to top form.

I would never say she's lost her touch. I think that's impossible, really. Ayu's touch (her spirit, her charm, the inexplicable "Ayu"-ness that touches everything she does) can't REALLY go away, even if her songs are lackluster or trite. However, her touch WILL get lost and go unappreciated or unnoticed, which is an even BIGGER travesty, IMO.

Comfort is the death of any artist. She needs to be shaken and experience something BIG to really get her creativity stirring again. And for the love of god, COMPOSE!

[GRACE]

Originally Posted by Andrenekoi

Really... I hate when people says she is reusing stuff forever when she is just doing it for like... 1 or 2 years... And I can't see whats wrong with using the damn side opened pants for 1 tour and 2 cdls, or the "I can't reach you" for the performances of 2008 (Cuz Shuiya reached her on At07 and he also did on At09 and he wasn't her main couple on At06 or At05)

She is only repeating the same stuff on different events on the same year! In order to promote the same album! What totally makes sense!

Maybe the main problem is that a lot of people around here are "over-ayumed" ~~

I actually think I agree with this. She only used Shuya for two years in concerts, and now she's doing something different (Maro+Midori), I think people are rewatching concerts too much and getting the feeling this has been used more often then it really has

[njanjayrp]

Originally Posted by Izzette

.
I hope 2010 brings Ayumi back... But i'm sure some of you noticed a change between Guilty and Next Level.. Guilty was a very unique different CD cover. Next Level was americanized. I feel that the Japanese music industry is becoming to American.

Is it possibly that you didn't notice the Duty => GUILTY reference? She herself said that while writing some of the songs for GUILTY she felt as if she already wrote about similar feelings and mentioned a couple of songs from Duty. Imo the cover with the animal print dress and the nails pretty much screams Duty II even though that was quite original imo

[FuNsTyLe]

GUILTY wasn't too bad an album. The best one out of her newest ones NEXT LEVEL, (miss) understood and secret. In my opinion. I got the Duty-vibe a couple of times with Guilty, especially in the song Guilty, which was nice.

[ストロボ・EdGE]

Originally Posted by zyoeru

That's something everyone of us could do with, imo. But yeah I think that Ayu needs a year out to re-find herself.

But it is few who can actually do something like that ( ).

I really think that if she took a considerable break she would come back stellar.

Oh btw guys, what does Gaga, Kumi, and Namie have to do with Ayu losing her touch?

[Bad Wolf]

^ Nothing. People just like to throw other top female acts into the mix as if they have anything to do with each other. Just kidding.

Though it's also possible they're using those acts as a reference for what Ayu should strive to do. However, if Ayu did that, she wouldn't be Ayu. And I wouldn't really want Ayu to try to be Kuu these days Kuu's still finding herself, too.

[FuNsTyLe]

Koda Kumi is Koda Kumi. I wouldn't want Ayu to be like that... Not like Namie or Gaga either. Also, the style of music Gaga does these days is also just a trend... If she is still popular in 5 years, she isn't still making Poker Face-type of songs, right?
Times change, people evolve and most important, music evolves, and you have to ride the wave, then know when to jump off. Madonna does it pretty well. Then again. Always a step ahead Never been a huge Madonna-fan but you gotta admit she does it right every time.

Someone mentioned that Ayu has fallen into a comfort-zone, and I counlt agree more. That's not a good zone.

[SunshineSlayer]

Originally Posted by Andrenekoi

Really... I hate when people says she is reusing stuff forever when she is just doing it for like... 1 or 2 years...

I WISH it were only 1-2 years. Various things have been repeating around 4 years now.

[Bad Wolf]

Originally Posted by FuNsTyLe

Someone mentioned that Ayu has fallen into a comfort-zone, and I counlt agree more. That's not a good zone.

That was me XD And yeah, I've gotten into many discussions with my friend (another Ayu fan) about her "comfort zone." We both pretty much agreed that while we love Ayu, she really needs to stop with tried and true formulas. Once you reach a level of success, your next thought should be what you can do to achieve another one since innovation and adaptation are key for artists. No one ever really sits happily atop their achievements, and if they do they're fools, IMO. You should always strive to do something better and if you let yourself think you've reached a point where you're successful and can't do anything else, then you limit yourself. That's mostly why I turned away from western music. The artists got a hit, hit a peak, and stopped. They grew "too comfortable" with themselves and just stopped caring. And if they don't care, why the hell should I?

The problem here is that Ayu DOES care. She just has such lackluster product to care about that it makes me wonder why I care :/

[Queen Bee]

I think it's about time I put in my two cents. Being an Ayu fan for a little over 10 years now I can honestly say that Ayu hasn't lost her touch. I think it's more along the lines that she does what makes her Asian fan base the happiest even if that means repeating things in concert. Now I do agree that her vocals did seem weak and sometimes even off during the CDL this year but over all for me it didn't take away from anything. I was perfectly happy with AT09 being much less scaled back compared to AT05 and 06 and Asia Tour 07 and 08. It brought back a feeling that I had missed in Ayu. Personally made me think of AT02 which I personally loved.

I think it would be great if there was a way that we could voice our concerns to Ayu but some comments I have read on AHS are sometimes flat out rude and insulting. I do remember there was a point where people who liked something that the majority didn't like would be attacked but now it seems reversed. I think some complaints made here in this thread are peoples personal opinions and should be respected and also do have some validity.

Some think that it might not be a good idea to post any negative comments to Ayu on TeamAyu but I think if they are written with care and not full of malice. I think even Ayu would like to read it. But chances are no matter how nicely it was worded someone on her staff would probably delete them before Ayu could read it.

I think something that might help Ayu out is to take full control of every little detail again. I think that it's great that she trusts her staff so much but she needs to notice some of the directions they have taken her. Some have been good and some have been bad. Also I do wish Ayu would take a break even if it's only for a month or two. Travel or even just relax at home with her dogs. No tours, no promotion on any kind and I think she might come back with full steam. I would love if she would do something like she did in 03 with the TeamAyu tour. Very simple but VERY perfect.

Something I've also noticed is that Ayu has never let herself have the time to heal from any of her injuries, physical or emotional. Falling off stage at Dome Tour, some hearing loss after Dome Tour, ending a 7 year relationship right before glitter/fated was released, a close friend dying while out of the country, complete loss of hearing in her left ear before the release of GUILTY, an even closer friend losing a battle with cancer, falling down the stairs and severely injuring her hand a week or two before PCDL. She's always continued because she doesn't want to let her fans down. So I think that some of the fault for things that have gone wrong with tours falls on us, the fans.

I noticed that we always point fingers and blame Ayu or her staff for when things go bad but we have to realize there are fingers pointing back at us. If the fans didn't expect or demand so much from her I don't think we might be having the conversations we are having now but that it just my personal opinion. Hope I didn't overly offend anyone.

[Bad Wolf]

No offense taken here at all. I agree with every word.

And if we were to send TeamAyu a message about how some people are a little disappointed with Ayu lately, I nominate you as the spokesperson

[Terri]

In some ways yes, and in some ways no.

I believe Ayu has become less personally involved in her work. For instance, eras and albums such as A Story or Rainbow she explained in certain interviews how specific songs were in relation to certain hardships or growth that she has experienced. To me, those feelings in an artist make their work so much more appealing and captivating. Now she's at a point where she's not the contender, more like the champion. Everybody knows the only way to keep your drive is to remain as a contender.

Aside from Ayu personally, look at the Japanese music industry. There's countless bands and singers all doing the same thing you sometimes forget their names (I know I do). So, these record companies, such as Avex treat their artists like toys. Dress them all the same, sing the same songs, and so forth. If one artist gets popular for doing something, the rest follow in line.

Finally, I think it's the generation. Sometimes it' NOT the artist, it's the listeners. The artists may still remain the same, but it's the audiences' perceptions and expectations that change. Most fans have been fans for years and not knowing, they grow up and see things differently. What excited them then, is completely vague now. Music is constantly changing and I think as a generation we've been exposed to such many different things that it obscures the way we feel about Ayu, or anybody for that matter.

[Andrenekoi]

Originally Posted by SunshineSlayer

I WISH it were only 1-2 years. Various things have been repeating around 4 years now.

Like what? really... besides the horrid summer/winter singles she MUST release every year (and if she doesn't, the same people who says she is releasing more of the same starts crying like a bunch of babies) I can't really think about that much re-used stuff...

Playing safe? (miss)understood was one of her most unsafe albums, Guilty has a far heavier sound than most idols releases and Next Level is highly influenced by the 8-bit underground music, what is not really a common thing on mainstream pop...

Her music is bad? This is a matter of opinion... There are people loving it! I remember I got really surprised when I noticed how much asian people entered AHS because watched Blue Bird on MTV or something like that, and Days is charting for more than a year now!

I do agree her voice right now is bad, since she discovered she was deaf, actually, but still... she discovered she is deaf, it will take her time to recover control of her voice... But other than that, Sorry, but I really can't see what is so wrong with her career! When her albums starts to sound alike or outdated when they are just released, I will be annoyed...

Ayumi626@ I would rather say she works so much cuz she doesn't wanna have the time to think about her emotional scars... But considering some stuff I read here on AHS, I'm pretty sure a lot of her fans around here prefer her depressed and composing "deep" music, than healing herself... I would even say that some people around here would see her as some kind of hero is she killed herself on her darker eras...

[noidea]

^ Actually, writing honestly about your emotional scars IS healing them. It's used in therapy.

[KPL]

Yes, and ayu actually did that.
untitled ~for her~

[GRACE]

Originally Posted by Andrenekoi

..Ayumi626@ I would rather say she works so much cuz she doesn't wanna have the time to think about her emotional scars... But considering some stuff I read here on AHS, I'm pretty sure a lot of her fans around here prefer her depressed and composing "deep" music, than healing herself... I would even say that some people around here would see her as some kind of hero is she killed herself on her darker eras...

Originally Posted by noidea

^ Actually, writing honestly about your emotional scars IS healing them. It's used in therapy.

Thank you noidea, that's the smartest thing you've ever said ever.

Not thinking about her emotional scars isn't healing, it's burying. It's trying to ignore them, which maybe makes her feel good for now, but the scars are STILL going to be there at the end of the day, and this kinda stuff just gets worse the more it's buried away. Hell, if that's what she's doing, she'll be more likely to crack and kill herself then heal

[alwyn]

totally agree with you ! ,, i am a huge fans of ayumi ,, but this concert are really getting boring!!!!!!!!!!

[Andrenekoi]

Originally Posted by noidea

^ Actually, writing honestly about your emotional scars IS healing them. It's used in therapy.

Yeah, with the help of a therapist (is this the word?)... There are some personal subjects that appears on Ayu songs since forever, what means they are not all that healed...

[Queen Bee]

Originally Posted by InoriNoUta

No offense taken here at all. I agree with every word.

And if we were to send TeamAyu a message about how some people are a little disappointed with Ayu lately, I nominate you as the spokesperson

Thanks!

Originally Posted by Andrenekoi

Ayumi626@ I would rather say she works so much cuz she doesn't wanna have the time to think about her emotional scars... But considering some stuff I read here on AHS, I'm pretty sure a lot of her fans around here prefer her depressed and composing "deep" music, than healing herself... I would even say that some people around here would see her as some kind of hero is she killed herself on her darker eras...

It's probably true that she works to avoid the emotional scars but it's VERY unhealthy not to take the time and handle each one but writing songs does sem to help but I think there is more she could probably do as well.. I have to agree with you about some of the fans here. I personally like a happier, healthier Ayu then a depressed Ayu.