Has ayu lost her touch?

[ストロボ・EdGE]

Originally Posted by emiko

lol @ "drama". We have this discussion at least once every year. Nothing new, although now we have more "evidence" ;P

Saying she's mentally unstable because she isn't doing anything new sounds pretty dramatic to me, but that's just my opinion.

[SunshineSlayer]

Originally Posted by nanakopy87

no.i dont mean i'm underestimate her talent or what but sometimes her point of view isn't the same with us.i'm begin to confuse why is it so many people said she's using the same concept but i can see at least she did something different everytime?i don't feel she's recycling anything except for the recent PCDL08-09 and CDL09-10.
i guess i've been blind-folded recently. >.<

Well, here is what we mean by that. The stage itself has not changed since 2005, many if not all of the concert effects have remained the same (for example, even though I hadn't seen the Next Level tour, I knew exactly when and where the fire works explosion would happen in Love and Hate). The basic format of the concert has remained the same - open with powerful rock song followed by one of her more classic rock or fast songs, then cutesy section for two songs always performed essentially the same way, then its the "lets kick the crap out of men section" also always performed essentially the same, then its the ballad section also performed essentially...you get the point ^_^ etc etc. Even many of the countdown lives follow a lot of the same things. The concerts are extremely predictable nowadays. So while some of the details of the concert might change, they actually really aren't very different at all.

I loved the feeling that her concerts used to have where you truly didn't know what to expect. Nowadays though that is all but gone because I can basically predict the setlist or at least what type of songs will be where and what will go with them/how they will be performed before the concert even starts.

[nanakopy87]

Originally Posted by SunshineSlayer

^ Well, here is what we mean by that. The stage itself has not changed since 2005, many if not all of the concert effects have remained the same (for example, even though I hadn't seen Next Level, I knew exactly when and where the fire works explosion would happen in Love and Hate). The basic format of the concert has remained the same - open with powerful rock song followed by one of her more classic rock or fast songs, then cutesy section for two songs always performed essentially the same way, then its the "lets kick the crap out of men section" also always performed essentially the same, then its the ballad section also performed essentially...you get the point ^_^ etc etc. The concerts are extremely predictable nowadays. So while some of the details of the concert might change, they actually really aren't very different at all.

i haven't finish watching her previous concert (those before AT05) but i thought this started since A Museum?Just that she did not use Shuya as the solo dancer in most of her ballad for her 2000-2004 era
but so far,i do enjoy all her concert DVDs not because i'm her die-hard fans.i'm watching it because i can feel her sincerity to make her fans happy (although i don't really see this in CDL 09-10 )i can feel the hype.
i don't know how to express my thoughts but i always enjoy what she have done

[SunshineSlayer]

^ I still enjoy the concerts too. I still appreciate certain aspects of her performance that many other artists lack. It's just frustrating when I know she is capable of better.

As for when it started, I really wouldn't include anything before the My Story tour.

[nanakopy87]

aha.ya.she can do better but i guess she need some rest since she's a workaholic since the 1st day she join avex.this might help her to be more creative (i'm repeating what others said before )

[se7entheaven]

Originally Posted by SunshineSlayer

Well, here is what we mean by that. The stage itself has not changed since 2005, many if not all of the concert effects have remained the same (for example, even though I hadn't seen the Next Level tour, I knew exactly when and where the fire works explosion would happen in Love and Hate). The basic format of the concert has remained the same - open with powerful rock song followed by one of her more classic rock or fast songs, then cutesy section for two songs always performed essentially the same way, then its the "lets kick the crap out of men section" also always performed essentially the same, then its the ballad section also performed essentially...you get the point ^_^ etc etc. Even many of the countdown lives follow a lot of the same things. The concerts are extremely predictable nowadays. So while some of the details of the concert might change, they actually really aren't very different at all.

I loved the feeling that her concerts used to have where you truly didn't know what to expect. Nowadays though that is all but gone because I can basically predict the setlist or at least what type of songs will be where and what will go with them/how they will be performed before the concert even starts.

This is one of the main point that I'm trying to say. I always love her performances. I remember I started to love her even more years ago because I thought she's a great performer with all those stage antics and stuffs. Dome Tour & A museum which were classics and wow-ed me that time.

and I'm with you almost all your posts in this thread.

I know she once said MS Tour is the 1st Tour to have 'theme'. but since then she just stick to it, and you can actually predict how the setlist will turn out and how she's gonna perform. and the worse is like the stage is still the same, again and again. I was so scared she's gonna use the same stage for NEXT LEVEL tour which I was glad she didn't! and then came CDL and I'm done. Let say she love the NEXT LEVEL stage so much that she decided to use it again this year, with a lil twist. alright.

I really wish it's really produced by ayumi hamsaki though...I know she does produce...but since 2005-2009...it's dissapointing. her a-nation even seems to be cut outs from her tour now. ntg new anymore.

she definitely can do better considering how perfectionist she is. she just need to do something!

[SunshineSlayer]

^ Thanks. Even for Next Level the stage was still the same - it just had more screens put on it, but the design was still the same, you know same catwalk and all.

[se7entheaven]

^ oh well as her fans we can only...pray and hope for the better future of hers :p

[bluegie]

Originally Posted by nanakopy87

i haven't finish watching her previous concert (those before AT05) but i thought this started since A Museum?Just that she did not use Shuya as the solo dancer in most of her ballad for her 2000-2004 era

Actually it's not only about Shuya. Before MY STORY tour, the main focus was on ayu. Surely there maybe films OR dancers showing in between ayu's changing outfit time, but the camera focused on how they performed. You just dun see the dancers' faces that much on screen. Right now if Shuya/Maro/whoever is dancing with ayu, he or she may ridiculously get 10 - 20% of the screen time (close shot, face shot, etc.). Hey I'm watching the concert because of ayu, not the dancers. We dun really want that "extra bonus". Like I said before, how often do you see ayu standing on the stage alone nowadays? You must see her dancers around almost 80 - 90% of the time. I really miss the time when she swung alone while singing Dearest in A Museum, or singing Hanabi alone in Stadium (yes there were two dancers around, but we didn't see them much). She's been trying to hard to use "drama" to emphasize her songs nowadays.

[xLuna&1LOVE]

Who cares about the dancers? Come on. That's lame. They are just making a show and 100% Ayu isn't a show, that's all about one person. I repeat: Ayu isn't the show; her dancers are the show!

Hmm well, I think u are quite right. But everybody have his/her ups and downs, haven't they?
To be honest, I am not a really fan of Ayu's live singing. It's quite, well.. not good. I don't say she's bad, but she's so.. ordinairy. Rule live is so BAD! I can't stand it. Anyway, I don't watch the live-performances anymore, because I am too lazy and I DON'T REALLY GIVE A CRAP about that. But yeah; after 2007, her performances are going down.

[andre2907]

In my opinion, at this point her career is on autopilot. Literally. Everything is laid out so she doesn't need to waste much time planning anything, she just needs to follow a predetermined pattern.

After working nonstop, every single day, for 10 years, it's not really that surprising but the fact things are so predictable now is really a proof, in my opinion, that quality has gone downhill.

Of course AVEX still maintain a certain level of quality and she still has high budget for her concerts, PVs, etc. But she doesn't surprise people anymore. Why would I go to her concerts if I know exactly how it'll be (and I mean it literally, EXACTLY)? Why would I buy her album if her music is not nearly as memorable as before and, besides, it's not like she's bringing something new to the table musically (all her albums have the power rock, the heartfelt ballads, the summer-y song and so on).

[Batera]

Originally Posted by andre2907

Of course AVEX still maintain a certain level of quality and she still has high budget for her concerts, PVs, etc. But she doesn't surprise people anymore. Why would I go to her concerts if I know exactly how it'll be (and I mean it literally, EXACTLY)? Why would I buy her album if her music is not nearly as memorable as before and, besides, it's not like she's bringing something new to the table musically (all her albums have the power rock, the heartfelt ballads, the summer-y song and so on).

I can't believe I read this... lol
Do you know EXACTLY how her concerts will be, right?
Ok, so tell me how her 2010 tour will be and what are the songs she will perform on her next Countdown Live! ^^
LOL

And YES, Ayu STILL surprises people. Many AHS members like her new single and enjoyed the CDL 09~10. Ayu surprised me a lot last year, when she did a concert with a broken hand, and still has surprised me lately, with Arena Tour and CDL. Maybe I'm just a huge fan of hers, but every thing she does is a new emotion for me.

[SunshineSlayer]

^ I'm sure once she announces when the tour will start and once we hear whatever single or album will come out before then, he could do that. (as could probably many other people including myself) That is unless she finally changes things up this year. I basically already laid out how her next concert will be in my above post and if its different from that I will be surprised.

[andre2907]

Originally Posted by SunshineSlayer

^ I'm sure once she announces when the tour will start and once we hear whatever single or album will come out before then, he could do that. (as could probably many other people including myself) That is unless she finally changes things up this year. I basically already laid out how her next concert will be in my above post and if its different from that I will be surprised.

Exactly.

But look, I can already tell you her arena tour will start with a bang, then she'll sing some of her most recognizable hits, then she'll act all cute (probably, there'll be a video with lots of boys following her while she runs in some pink babydoll) for a few songs, do a dance routine with the girl dancers then with the boy dancers then she'll act rock n roll then she'll sing a few ballads with a long dress while she pretends she's going to cry (it'll probably involve some dramatic dancing with Shuya), then she'll appear with a flashy outfit, sing more recognizable hits and end out with another bang. Then she'll reappear on stage with a TeamAyu T-shirt and jeans (cause, omg, she was TOTALLY leaving the arena in her everyday wear but then decided to comeback to the stage) and she'll interact with the audience, singing a few more songs (everyone will sing along to Boys & Girls, of course) and the end.

She'll also interact with Shuya a lot in a very romantic and sexy way, Peco will thrust her hips and sexually harass a few dancers, there'll be a few solos by Yoshi... *yawn*

Then again, I hope I'm wrong and she'll decide to do something completely new in 2010. Let's hope...

[Crystal_Ageha]

Originally Posted by Ayumi~moments

Shes not lost her touch for me. I admit this year hasn't been the best for her, shes realised more so shes deaf, she even knows her live performances are suffering because she appolgised for that Evolution performance recently. She loves her job and she loves to sing and i think her passion lives on and she doesn't want that to die because she loves it.

My impression of most Ayu fans is because of the other music you listen to. A lot of fans i see here like a lot of RnB and over the top pop lark. Ayu isn't that singer AT ALL. Shes a pop artist and ballad artist. Which is completely different. Yeah she may have done songs sorta on the other lengths of pop like STEP you and such but there her one of songs shes written shes not always like that.

Most people i think on here expect too much also. Come on the woman is what 30? Shes had 11 years in music. The music industry seems to value songs about sex, getting women, getting drunk in clubs, finding some lover, drugs, war - Ayu sings nothing about that to be honest and she never will do. You guys all listen to this usually and expect ayu to come out with something amazingly dramatic. Not just that come on guys shes deaf in one ear - there logic tells me she can't dance that well. As a dancer myself you can't dance very well being deaf because your balance is effected dramatically so where other artists are putting on some amazing show with dancing and all this - its too much on Ayu herself. She has to be able to hear her own voice with one ear for a start which is hard enough so dancing and trying to do that is hard because you shake your dear drum and cochlea by dancing thus proving it difficult to hear.

I admit her singing hasn't been the best and her sunrise and sunset single wasn't that great but Japan likes her being who she is and they still buy her CD's and tour tickets and stuff. I was in Japan when Sunrise was out and i saw people buying the single in HMV and tower records. So people just like her for what she is and Japans not keen on people reinventing and changing so much. Hence why Miss didn't go down that well in Japan because it Ayu used the bg music of sweetbox. They don't like their artists to go too far out of boundaries.

If you don't like it i suggest you stop being a fan she's had a hard few years and reinventing herself will just make her sales shift further down. I think she needs to sort her ear situation out and learn to focus to listen to her voice in one ear and her vocals will improve. They have been fine during some of the you were performances.

I don't think Avex give her that much budget either no more and tbh am happy shes recycling her stuff at least shes showing she doesn't need to buy the fans with other crap and can just as well get by being herself and doing what she enjoys. Shes helping the planet for one thing as well by using the same stage.

THIIISSS!~ You said everything I tried to point out....except you said it much nicer, lol. You pointed out a few things, specifically the point about dancing, that I also didn't think of. Hopefully somebody reads at least your post, even if they skipped over mine. And thank you, Proud, for also reiterating the points, as well.

Originally Posted by Tom Punks

I think out of this whole thread, you're the one who overreacted the most. And don't start with the whole "you guys aren't true fans because you don't like her recent works" crap.

I wasn't saying people aren't true fans for not liking recent works, I was saying that I really don't believe some people here can possible be fans at all, considering there's not a single CD/concert/cover/shoot they've liked in many, many years. If you don't like "new" Ayumi, whatever, but stop trying to convince not only others, but especially yourself, that you're still a fan, when obviously, some people here just don't like her as much anymore, if at all...
And yeah, I did overreact a bit in my post. Sorry, lol. :X I was just really mad. >_>'

[SunshineSlayer]

^ But I don't see anyone here who is like that. Myself for example thinks Red Line is one of her best songs in a while and I loved the PVs for both You Were and Ballad. And I'm still going to be seeing her live again in the spring anyways. I haven't seen anyone here who has hated everything she has done the past few years but people who know that she is indeed capable of better things, especially when it comes to the concerts and hope that she will get back to that.

[Crystal_Ageha]

That's weird... 'Cause I see so many people who will say something like, "ugh, her new photoshoot looks like ****! She hasn't looked good since 2007, and her music has been just as bad lately." Obviously not those exact words, but many things similar.... It just makes me so sad, and so angry, to see some people here who never say a single thing nice about her, and pick on her for the smallest things, all the time, yet still call themselves huge fans. Besides on actual hate sites, never have I seen so much Ayu bashing than on here. ....How ironic, and terribly annoying, lol.

[GRACE]

Originally Posted by Crystal_Ageha

That's weird... 'Cause I see so many people who will say something like, "ugh, her new photoshoot looks like ****! She hasn't looked good since 2007, and her music has been just as bad lately." Obviously not those exact words, but many things similar.... It just makes me so sad, and so angry, to see some people here who never say a single thing nice about her, and pick on her for the smallest things, all the time, yet still call themselves huge fans. Besides on actual hate sites, never have I seen so much Ayu bashing than on here. ....How ironic, and terribly annoying, lol.

Oh hunny can you cut the crap, I'm sick and tired of people saying that people need to love everything about someone to be a fan, and if they don't they're a hater. Get over yourself, that's not being a true fan, that's being a stan. And no one likes stans, they NEVER see things for what they are, they never see the faults. I love Ayu, but she doesn't always look good. I love Ayu, but she doesn't always sound good. I love Ayu but she doesn't always make good music. These are facts, but I love her anyway. I just don't think I should be obligated to say something nice when she's made up in a way, or puts out something that clearly does not deserve praise

[lilmissgrusome]

Originally Posted by Crystal_Ageha

That's weird... 'Cause I see so many people who will say something like, "ugh, her new photoshoot looks like ****! She hasn't looked good since 2007, and her music has been just as bad lately." Obviously not those exact words, but many things similar.... It just makes me so sad, and so angry, to see some people here who never say a single thing nice about her, and pick on her for the smallest things, all the time, yet still call themselves huge fans. Besides on actual hate sites, never have I seen so much Ayu bashing than on here. ....How ironic, and terribly annoying, lol.

sorry but ayumi is human, we can expect her to be perfect.

when people say "she looks terrible in that picture" they're just stating their personal oppinion.

i know ive only been here for just a few months, but from what ive seen, people say really nice things about her

they say things like
*AYU! so cute ^^
*WOW she's so cool
*that was AMAZING
*she sang that beautifully

I dont really see those as picking on the tinyest details, and to me thats not picking on her, thats appreciating the fact that she is very talented

[Andrenekoi]

OMFG! You guys questioned her mental health?!
xD

What do u expect her to say when she releases something new?! "This is bad, don't buy it!" "I was too lazy to use something totally original, so, I resuded old stuff!" "This album is not really good, actually, it's only average!"

This is not being insane, this is marketing for God sake! How old are people around here?! 8?! Omfg!