"A COVERS" - what would Ayu cover?

[Delirium-Zer0]

Would be awesome to hear her cover an old Tohoshinki song, too.

Easy Come, Easy Go! would just make my heart burst - I adore that song.

[primavera♥]

Originally Posted by Ashen Twilight

I could totally see Ayu doing something like The first finale in me, Sabaku no Yuki, and Bizarrerie Cage. That would be amazing.

I think a cover album would be a great idea. Kuu's ETERNITY ~Love & Songs~ is one of my favorite albums. If we made realistic tracklists, I hope it would look something like this:

01. Haru yo, Koi (original: Yumi Matsutoya)
02. LIFE (Original: Mika Nakashima)
03. mind forest (Original: GACKT)
04. Nanpasen (Original: Akina Nakamori)
05. Itsuka no Merry Christmas (Original: B'z)
06. by myself (original: hitomi)
07. OVERNIGHT SENSATION (Original: TRF) *see Ayaka Hirahara's cover*
08. Moving on without you (Original: Utada Hikaru)
09. Honnou (Original: Shina Ringo)
10. Zettai Zetsumei (Orignal: Momoe Yamaguchi)
11. Koigokoro (Original: Nanase Aikawa)
12. Natsu no Tobira (Original: Seiko Matsuda)
13. DEPARTURES (Original: globe)
14. The first finale in me (Original: MELL)

I tried to mix in a few well known classics, and few of them are not realistic, but you never know!

Sabaku no Yuki would be perfect. Especially the "lalalas" at the end. Ugh. I would melt. The first finale in me even more so probably. And it'd certainly be a perfect ending to a cover album.

I also like the rest of your trackist. LIFE would be great for her. Honnou would be interesting to hear.

And I totally forgot about Gackt. Ayu would totally rock some Gackt songs

[Baernash]

If she'll release a cover album that will be sign that she's ending her career. If sales going wrong artist releasing cover album - fact. Sometimes it temporary helping to keep the contract, sometimes not.

[truehappiness]

I don't know about that... Ken Hirai's career has never done that horribly and he's had two or three Ken's Bars.

[Tom Punks]

Kuu's career was also far from over when she started releasing hers lmao

[Ashen Twilight]

Hideaki Tokunaga's Vocalist series of cover albums has done extremely well. But at this point, Ayu wouldn't have to worry about becoming Hitomi Shimatani and covers being the only thing people really recognize her for and get her sales.

[Deep snow]

Does the song 'Tada no Ame' have a complete, longer version? I'd like to see ayu finishing what she started in the CMs

[Gustavopc]

What about Western songs? Do you guys think ayu would cover an American or European artist? It'd be interesting imo if she covered something from Madonna (which seems to be her major Western influence) or some 80s stuff

[Baernash]

Originally Posted by Tom Punks

Kuu's career was also far from over when she started releasing hers lmao

Her first was kind of filler between releases, 2nd was also a filler after her marriage/pregnany. At that time she released also few crappy "best" albums (hopefully digital only).

I don't know about Ken Hirai but cover albums (self released - not as kind of bonus CD or something), remix albums etc. are usually fillers or last chance for record company to earn on artist whose popularity going down. AYU already released her filler (LOVE CLASSICS) so...

[truehappiness]

Well, Ayu's 'filler' tends to be remix albums and has always been since her peak. I don't think they signal anything about her popularity since she's ALWAYS done them. Mostly classical nowadays though.

[Baernash]

Ayu's popularity going down since a long time but it's not even loosing fans, it's rather changing target of fans. She'll be releasing even if will have no idea what to do with her career anymore or will be completly deaf just because she's rich and have too big influence on avex. End of story.

[truehappiness]

I am just saying her doing remix albums or cover albums means nothing about the 'health' of her career like it does for most other acts. Of course she isn't as popular as before, but I think any side projects are just 'business as usual' for her.

[Delirium-Zer0]

Tribute & cover albums are actually having some time in the sun right now... MOST cover albums released over the last few years have been by major artists with no real issues in their sales at all. Maybe you could call them "filler" depending on your personal standards for that, but they're selling very well and no one is really thinking less of the artists who do them - quite the contrary from what I'm seeing. J-Pop is having a nostalgic period right now.