Ayu's music: when did it start to go downhill for you?

[Kingdom]

Yes, the 2009 photo shoots were horrible. 2010 got so much better so far!

[Antonio Ruiz]

I seriously can't believe some people think that way but anyway, we are all different and have varied opinions.

I don't see her music going downhill, on the contrary...I think it's getting better. Her best album yet is NEXT LEVEL because it sounds totally different to anything she did before and after. Sadly, not many people seem to like it and that's why she decided to go back to the same thing with R'n'R Circus.

evolution is an ok song in my opinion, I don't see how that can be so unique. The style is similar to songs like SURREAL and AUDIENCE. Besides, her voice is much nicer now that is slightly deeper than before.

First 3 albums were the weakest. It started to get much better since MY STORY. If her albums were still the same as in the beginning and her new songs sounded like evolution then I wouldn't like her music at all and I definitely wouldn't buy her albums.

[auss246]

Call me easy to please, but I haven't thought she's gone downhill at any point.. she's still selling ALOT of albums and singles, her songs are still interesting for me, and she has attempted to experiment, which is definitely a good thing (I think NEXT LEVEL an album full of creativity and risk tbh!). So I have liked alot of her work, and there's hardly a song I can't tolerate. So for me, I think there's a pretty good chance I'm gonna love Ayu and her music for a long time yet!

[emi♡]

About the photoshoot topic. You know, I understand that she's had some bad ones, and that she's never been perfect...but I have to say, there is a big difference between her older photoshoots, and her photoshoots now.

I don't remember anyone ever saying that Ayu was on drugs back then because of her expressions, or that a picture was so altered by photoshop/lighting/make-up/whatever that it didn't even resemble her.

I'm sorry...I know this has been hashed to death, and I really don't want to get too into it, and even though I don't have any problems with the way she's decided to take pictures now and I do love a lot of them....I think denying that there has been a definite change in the way she carries herself in shoots, and that it has been reflected in the finished work, is just madness.

I don't have any reasons for it...and I don't really care, I just personally think the whole difference is rather odd. It's not like she just changed her clothes and thats it...the shoots were bizarre lol

[se7entheaven]

I can't exactly pinpoint which era or when but I've kinda lost her some time ago...things are still okay but the ayu-effect is slowly dissapearing. Someone here used to say something about her entering this safety zone and she's just comfortable with it and there you have it, she's getting somewhat boring tbh at times. I love her but that doesnt mean I worship her and I have to love everything she does. Guess I'm not a hardcore fan I once was.

[prussian blue]

Originally Posted by sugarbasil

I did, however, very much enjoy RnRC and I've got a feeling of satisfaction back at least.

I really feel her music is going downhill since (m)u until NL though, I just cant follow her songs because they just font fit me, something is different in songs from the albums. But thanks god RnRC was so fabulous and she caught my attention again.

But what really make me feel that her music career is going downhill is when she start to sing "ooooooOOOOOOOOoooooOOOOOooOOooOOooOO" in her vibrato, I really get annoyed and also her "rock-cute-sexy-cool-hip" concept of her tour, at first I thought they look good, but after a zillion concerts that made with the same concept, I got so bored with her. RnRC tour isnt really helping from what I saw from the preview too

[se7entheaven]

^ Ya other than her music comes her live performances...like seriously...

[love in music]

Originally Posted by emiko

I don't remember anyone ever saying that Ayu was on drugs back then because of her expressions, or that a picture was so altered by photoshop/lighting/make-up/whatever that it didn't even resemble her.

I dunno, maybe people just didn't want to sound rude or something, because things like that have definitely happened in the past.

[hsienko]

Originally Posted by prussian blue

I really feel her music is going downhill since (m)u until NL though, I just cant follow her songs because they just font fit me, something is different in songs from the albums. But thanks god RnRC was so fabulous and she caught my attention again.

But what really make me feel that her music career is going downhill is when she start to sing "ooooooOOOOOOOOoooooOOOOOooOOooOOooOO" in her vibrato, I really get annoyed and also her "rock-cute-sexy-cool-hip" concept of her tour, at first I thought they look good, but after a zillion concerts that made with the same concept, I got so bored with her. RnRC tour isnt really helping from what I saw from the preview too

Her last good tour was AT 2007 after that they've all just been crap, especially the CDLs, they're just garbage, same stage every year with rehashed costumes/concepts.

[kagami]

^ I think calling them garbage/crap is pretty rude tbh. Ayu and her staff put in a lot of work to produce these tours/concerts so even if you don't like you could go about saying it in a better way.

I personally love her most recent CDL; it was fun, the setlist was awesome and her vocals sounded better than they have in ages.

I also wonder if I'm the only one who isn't bothered if she has a few not so good photoshoots and concerts. Some people here seem to agonize over them, as if they spend their whole lives looking at her pictures and watching her performances. I only usually watch her concerts occasionally, even if I love them. Maybe I'm just odd lol.

[AyUmIXx]

i love her CDL0910 though..it's so much fun
much better than her previous CDLs
she put much better shows in the tissue dance parts~
and her ATs never bore me..i still enjoy it a lot

[Andrenekoi]

Originally Posted by kagami

^ I think calling them garbage/crap is pretty rude tbh. Ayu and her staff put in a lot of work to produce these tours/concerts so even if you don't like you could go about saying it in a better way.

I personally love her most recent CDL; it was fun, the setlist was awesome and her vocals sounded better than they have in ages.

I also wonder if I'm the only one who isn't bothered if she has a few not so good photoshoots and concerts. Some people here seem to agonize over them, as if they spend their whole lives looking at her pictures and watching her performances. I only usually watch her concerts occasionally, even if I love them. Maybe I'm just odd lol.

Yeah, and I will feel like I love garbage if people say this stuff, cuz At09 it's my favorite tour from her! xD

And I agree with the photoshot comment... People complain about it as if it was an artistic expression, while it's just a magazine trying to sell clothes... Considering the way fashion magazine shots are done, I would say she has little to no control over the final result of her fashion photoshots, she is just another model on them... on the same way, she doesn't pick the outfits nor say how much photoshop she wants for them...

[PrincessAyu]

Originally Posted by prussian blue

I really feel her music is going downhill since (m)u until NL though, I just cant follow her songs because they just font fit me, something is different in songs from the albums. But thanks god RnRC was so fabulous and she caught my attention again.

But what really make me feel that her music career is going downhill is when she start to sing "ooooooOOOOOOOOoooooOOOOOooOOooOOooOO" in her vibrato, I really get annoyed and also her "rock-cute-sexy-cool-hip" concept of her tour, at first I thought they look good, but after a zillion concerts that made with the same concept, I got so bored with her. RnRC tour isnt really helping from what I saw from the preview too

the vibrato thing is really blah to me too, but despite the changing... vocal abilities? I think at times, especially at concerts rather than tv (Msta etc) lives, her voice comes out well even now.

As I read a few pages back, true this is AHS and at AHS there's people who'll always get angry or sarcastic to people who talk a little less than 100% positive about Ayu. Truth is, things ARE changing. Ayu's music has changed and I also think Ayu's concerts (+ outfits) have started to get recycled since 2005 or so. The music is ok I guess, but nothing original. I can totally understand if people feel she's going downhill. The vibrato is one thing, but I think her voice still comes out very well some times.

For the sarcastic people: you should respect someone's opinion and you should be able to respond to someone in a civil way, or decide to let it go and not respond at all. Coming with some sarcastic response, and even harsh remarks that are harsh towards the very idol you're so defensive about in the first place, isn't mature or necessary at all. And it makes no sense either.

[waterballoon]

Originally Posted by Andrenekoi

I would say she has little to no control over the final result of her fashion photoshots, she is just another model on them... on the same way, she doesn't pick the outfits nor say how much photoshop she wants for them...

she certainly has control over what kinda face she wants to make though. The "OOO Look I'm so cute!" face in her recent photoshoots since 2007 is just... yeah horrid.

"I'm a clown, I don't tell you that I'm funny, I tell a joke."

Same concept here. She's adorable definitely, but she doesn't need to tell us in our faces with her disgusting over-exaggerated "kawaii" face that she's cute. She only needs to be who she is - naturally, to let us know she's gorgeous/adorable/whatever.

[prussian blue]

Originally Posted by PrincessAyu

the vibrato thing is really blah to me too, but despite the changing... vocal abilities? I think at times, especially at concerts rather than tv (Msta etc) lives, her voice comes out well even now.

I understand that people's voice change, but sorry, for ayu case's, I don't really like it. You can always hear a huge gap between her older live voice and her recent one. You know, ironically, I used to hate her voice in AT2002, but after watching and listening too much to her recent tour, once I re-watch AT2002, I feel so touched that she used to have those good voice back in the early 00s. Her recent voice is just... too much for me. But I still do enjoy her songs, I still like her though. And this is just my opinion

[Kazeyomi]

Originally Posted by Ranma Matsuri

Yes, I was exaggerating on that point with is why I added the smiley at the end. I wasn't being serious with the percentages nor did I expect people to take them seriously. What I should have said before is most of the lyrics I've read from her seems to similar themes (the hand holding, the girl power anthems, etc.). It's not a big deal since I can't understand Japanese anyway but I get a little disappointed when I'm downloading the translations to completely different songs and finding a lot of similarities in the lyrics. That's all it is really. Then again, I'm not really a person for "wordly" themes, they're great when done right (which Ayu always does) but I've always been more for the artist/lyricist speaking about their affilictions, their own emotions and problems because if it's coming from the source it seems a lot more real and no two people will think/act/react and feel the very same about something happening in their lives so it's always interesting. It's not a proven and convention free method but that's just the way I feel about it.

Aw I was writing almost the same things

I don't hate her recent lyrics. As I said they're not all bad, especially in RnRC.
But I don't know.. maybe I'm such a nostalgic girl and I miss her old point of view. When she was describe the world in a very bittersweet way.
Her lyrics are still pretty sad now, and I know things changes during ages. She can't think in the same way as she was 20. But they're missing.. something that I can't describe unfortunately, due to my bad english lol
Anyway that's just my opinion guys, and as I previously said I'm not disappointed by her in any way. She has some ups and downs, but she's still my favourite singer


However about the image thing.
I think Ayu's is more beautiful now than before imo. Maybe because she looks more mature. Except in photoshoots when she's trying to looking cute lol.

[Andrenekoi]

Originally Posted by waterballoon

she certainly has control over what kinda face she wants to make though. The "OOO Look I'm so cute!" face in her recent photoshoots since 2007 is just... yeah horrid.

"I'm a clown, I don't tell you that I'm funny, I tell a joke."

Same concept here. She's adorable definitely, but she doesn't need to tell us in our faces with her disgusting over-exaggerated "kawaii" face that she's cute. She only needs to be who she is - naturally, to let us know she's gorgeous/adorable/whatever.

Usually you take 50, 100 photos in order to get 1... If she takes 50, 100 photos with tons of different faces and the magazine takes the one where she looks retarded... no control =)

And also, usually the photographer is the one who tells the model how she needs to pose and what face she needs to do... so, still, no control

[waterballoon]

Originally Posted by Andrenekoi

Usually you take 50, 100 photos in order to get 1... If she takes 50, 100 photos with tons of different faces and the magazine takes the one where she looks retarded... no control =)

And also, usually the photographer is the one who tells the model how she needs to pose and what face she needs to do... so, still, no control

I'm not sure how relevant this is, but I remembered watching a video of her flaring up because someone was late or something for one of her magazine shoots (I think it was the photographer?)... around 2001.

That might be 7-9 years ago ago but I still think she holds the same amount of control over everything; even photo shoots. I still feel that she probably sits with the creative teams and chooses what photos to use (most celebs do that tbh)... maybe this is the image she wants to portray; and I would NEVER understand why, but if it's her choice then...

But yeah, the photographer usually directs most of the photos' elements, and that is why her 2010 shoots are far superior to her 2009. Because she got rid of the POS we all know as Kazuyoshi Shimomura.

[Andrenekoi]

^She acted like that cuz the studio was late, not cuz she disliked the final result... It's totally different! And If I'm not wrong, that wan't a magazine shot, it was a promotional shot for herself during ABest. She was paying, she was the boss...

It's different from fashion magazine shots were they are paying to have her...

[chloeM]

i'd say... since... after... NEXT LEVEL album... I couldn't connect myself to Rock'n'Roll Circus~