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

[AyumiAi]

:O Im surprised at all the hate NL is recieving!!! its one of my all time favorite albums!
The up beat songs are amazing, and days, green and curtain call are really emotional and i love them!
AHh !!
I think Ayu's music hasnt gone down hill at all, but like some have said she's found herself.
Ayu's music reflects who she is, and early in her career she was extremely unstable,and trying to find herself, now she is a balanced and stable person and so will her music.
I love ayu's new music , but i must admit i miss her high pitched voice like in powder snow and still alone those are some of my favorite songs!

[primavera♥]

^too true...images don't translate into music. In all sincerity

And yes apparently ayus image must matter so much to people because if she makes a little mistake in their eyes it just somehow worsens her career
Its not such a big deal. XD

Ah well~ its kinda true about the other artists too

[evolution7931]

Every artist I'm a fan of that has a major fan community freaks if an album cover is fug

[emi♡]

^cause it sucks to have them put out stuff that is fug.

[pepper]

Wow, i almost the same opinion as 1st poster...

She started to do the same scheme all over again with the tracks (summer upbeat songs, winter ballads and rockish tracks, so true~ but it mixes~ like rockish songs for singles in Guilty mixed with winter ballads, and upbeat summers singles)

I hate how she is after the trend in Japan. When i started to listen to Ayu (After RAINBOW) when i looked at the scanlation i could tell the diffrence between the models in magazine and the articules with Ayu's photos. She was freakin unique in that magazines. They tried really hard to make her 'the diva'

Now all i can see it's those whole glamorous-cute styled photos (It started with the (M)U but with some expeptions) like the other models in magazines. I know it's all tredny now in Japan, but Ayu was always UPPER then the models. More creative.

From Guilty to R'n'R C i can see that she started to... be creative. There's still those glam curly hairs, diva makeup from the posters, but the new single sounds.. very old styled. It's nothing special afterall, not the hitbuster, but when i heards blossom i started to cry Oo Im not fan of MOON but this song also have that vibe, that "something".

[hsienko]

Originally Posted by ♥pepicolada

Wow, i almost the same opinion as 1st poster...

She started to do the same scheme all over again with the tracks (summer upbeat songs, winter ballads and rockish tracks, so true~ but it mixes~ like rockish songs for singles in Guilty mixed with winter ballads, and upbeat summers singles)

I hate how she is after the trend in Japan. When i started to listen to Ayu (After RAINBOW) when i looked at the scanlation i could tell the diffrence between the models in magazine and the articules with Ayu's photos. She was freakin unique in that magazines. They tried really hard to make her 'the diva'

Now all i can see it's those whole glamorous-cute styled photos (It started with the (M)U but with some expeptions) like the other models in magazines. I know it's all tredny now in Japan, but Ayu was always UPPER then the models. More creative.

From Guilty to R'n'R C i can see that she started to... be creative. There's still those glam curly hairs, diva makeup from the posters, but the new single sounds.. very old styled. It's nothing special afterall, not the hitbuster, but when i heards blossom i started to cry Oo Im not fan of MOON but this song also have that vibe, that "something".

"The reason I do photographs is to help people understand my music, so it's
very important that I am the same, emotionally, in the photographs as in the
music. Most people's eyes are much better developed than their ears. If they
see a certain emotion in the photograph, then they'll understand the music.---Björk, Index Magazine, july 2001

I think that's what most artists do. I believe Ayu used to believe in this same philosophy but then somewhere around GUILTY or so she started giving in to the way the press and the media wanted to portray her, as a huge glamorous pop idol diva, the madonna of Asia.

Yeah, I hate to say it, but covers are important. It's a major selling point to albums and singles. It sucks, but I've heard many people not buying something because of the cover. I'm not one of them, but I understand. Some people like visual better than audio, and the other way around.

Oh, and I don't really mind the summer single/winter single thing as long as the songs are good. It would be nice to have a variety of single release patterns though, but too bad!

[love in music]

Originally Posted by xLitax

Yeah, I hate to say it, but covers are important. It's a major selling point to albums and singles. It sucks, but I've heard many people not buying something because of the cover. I'm not one of them, but I understand. Some people like visual better than audio, and the other way around.

Oh, and I don't really mind the summer single/winter single thing as long as the songs are good. It would be nice to have a variety of single release patterns though, but too bad!

Yep, I think they're pretty important too, who doesn't want to see ayu maintain her gorgeous image? I just think it's stupid to care more about a couple images than the music. I think it's idiotic to buy a single only for how good the cover is, but that's just me. If I love what I hear, I'll buy it, no matter how ugly or pretty the cover is.

[evolution7931]

Originally Posted by identity

Yep, I think they're pretty important too, who doesn't want to see ayu maintain her gorgeous image? I just think it's stupid to care more about a couple images than the music. I think it's idiotic to buy a single only for how good the cover is, but that's just me. If I love what I hear, I'll buy it, no matter how ugly or pretty the cover is.

Well, what's the point of buying a CD when you can download the music (legally) and still support the music that way. This isn't 1999, we don't have to buy CDs anymore to get the music.. so the whole point of buying a CD to me is to have it as a collectible. To hold it in my hands and look at the pictures in the booklet. So to me, buying a CD is -all- about the packaging. Because I can hear the music on my computer all I want without it.

If that makes me idiotic then so be it.

[SunshineSlayer]

Originally Posted by evolution7931

Well, what's the point of buying a CD when you can download the music (legally) and still support the music that way. This isn't 1999, we don't have to buy CDs anymore to get the music.. so the whole point of buying a CD to me is to have it as a collectible. To hold it in my hands and look at the pictures in the booklet. So to me, buying a CD is -all- about the packaging. Because I can hear the music on my computer all I want without it.

If that makes me idiotic then so be it.

No, I agree with you. These days, when you can get the contents of a CD so easily other places, the packaging now means even more than it ever did.

[love in music]

Originally Posted by evolution7931

Well, what's the point of buying a CD when you can download the music (legally) and still support the music that way. This isn't 1999, we don't have to buy CDs anymore to get the music.. so the whole point of buying a CD to me is to have it as a collectible. To hold it in my hands and look at the pictures in the booklet. So to me, buying a CD is -all- about the packaging. Because I can hear the music on my computer all I want without it.

If that makes me idiotic then so be it.

CD's are higher quality, I'm never going to stop buying them because of that. To me, there's nothing like listening to great music in the highest quality.

[channy]

Originally Posted by identity

CD's are higher quality, I'm never going to stop buying them because of that. To me, there's nothing like listening to great music in the highest quality.

This is not true! Just download the songs in .FLAC then! Right now I am listening to the ayu-mi-x excerpts from ayu-mi-x III in .FLAC and the bitrate is near 1000kbps (!). It is a loseless format, so 100% CD quality

Believe me, I wouldn't put anything on my Ayu-HDD if I wouldn't be sure, it is the best quality available!

[Mintkisses]

Originally Posted by evolution7931

Well, what's the point of buying a CD when you can download the music (legally) and still support the music that way. This isn't 1999, we don't have to buy CDs anymore to get the music.. so the whole point of buying a CD to me is to have it as a collectible. To hold it in my hands and look at the pictures in the booklet. So to me, buying a CD is -all- about the packaging. Because I can hear the music on my computer all I want without it.

If that makes me idiotic then so be it.

I agree 100%. Other way I see it is if I'm spending the $20 on a 4 track CD, might as well like the whole package (cover and booklet). For me, if I don't like the cover of an album/single it kind of brings the value down to me. Like you said evolution7931, I could just download the songs if I wanted them.

[AyumiAi]

I think to the hard core fans the covers matter, but not enough to sway us from buying the single or not. What happens is, for example me, if i see a cd or a single with an interesting cover, or something that draws my attention ill listen to it or preview it at the store and if its good ill buy it. Thats the point of a good cover. To draw new people in. Even if i dont know that artist ill be like cool cover, cool song, why not buy ?

[Mintkisses]

As I fan, I'm a little guilty to admit that the cover of the single/album is a factor that I consider when wanting to buy an album. And that's why I am a human. There would be no such thing as advertisers and people who went to college for 4 years to specialize in advertisement if it didn't matter to the public.

What stands out to me is creativeness. I don't want to buy a single with a one color back ground and Ayu making a cutsey pouty face with a t-shirt on. Unoriginal, non-creative, and boring.

Some examples of un-creativity. glitter/fated and Sunrise/Sunset covers. Obviously, background's fake and she's standing in a 2 foot tub (or whatever) of water. BALLAD/You were... she's laying on the floor. The I am... photo book wasn't too bad because of the different angles that were shown (this made it believable).

From my opinion, as a huge fan but also a buyer, I want to see something creative. The RAINBOW album as a whole was creative. The cover was nicely done, and the photo book was enjoyable to look through. MY STORY and Memorial address were brilliant. I adore each and every cover and photo in the photo booklets. Even little things such as in the UNITE! single cover, UNITE! is written in the sand and not computer generated.

In some way or another an album/single cover will influence buyers (not saying that there isn't any fans who could care less). The photos can not only be important to the fans, but the general public who might have never heard her work or seen Ayu before is also involved. Smart little tricks that could have attracted new fans were her topless cover in LOVEppears, the bird on her shoulder in I am..., her cat outfit in Duty, etc.

^ No. I like good covers too, and I will admit that I do buy based on that. But what I meant was if I really want a CD and the covers aren't to my liking, I'll still buy it.

Who wants to own something with ugly packaging?

[lfe.]

Best album imo was m(u), then things started going downhill. Secret was still good, a lot of tracks I enjoy from that album. GUILTY was boring, t2m decision fated are the only tracks I still tune to. NEXT LEVEL was great for the first week then quickly got old, re-playability is not that album's strong suit. R'n'R Circus was a big step up from the last two albums but I only tune to Microphone most of the time. Or perhaps I just tune to Namie too much these days. /shrug

[primavera♥]

I understand people caring more about the cover and packaging and there's nothing wrong with that. Its.only strange imo when people go so crazy over a bad cover or even a good one. Its like they can critique it as much as the single and album if not more. O.O some people really care about image (a lot) but no problem with that

But for me there's other reasons for actually buying her albums (which thanks to my parents I basically can't do). Of course I can just download them. but I'd rather not
U see. My fav album is (m)u. And so my parents got the CD version. Even if the cover isn't perfect I'd rather have it other tthan any other ayu album or single because its my favorite and it has a sentimental value. Just owning it.
My An Cafe mini album (cd+dvd)...they're not on the cover. Its just a bunny witha gun or something (althought its cute). But I liked just having their newest album at the time.
I won't buy albums if they mean nothing to me and I won't buy them because they have a pretty cover (not worth it imo)

But if ur simply buying for the pretty cover then does the music even affect the determining of the purchase
Like is it there to just sit there and look pretty? If its as evolution said. Just a collectible for looking through the photobook.

[hsienko]

Originally Posted by StrawbariSnowAyumi

I understand people caring more about the cover and packaging and there's nothing wrong with that. Its.only strange imo when people go so crazy over a bad cover or even a good one. Its like they can critique it as much as the single and album if not more. O.O some people really care about image (a lot) but no problem with that

But for me there's other reasons for actually buying her albums (which thanks to my parents I basically can't do). Of course I can just download them. but I'd rather not
U see. My fav album is (m)u. And so my parents got the CD version. Even if the cover isn't perfect I'd rather have it other tthan any other ayu album or single because its my favorite and it has a sentimental value. Just owning it.
My An Cafe mini album (cd+dvd)...they're not on the cover. Its just a bunny witha gun or something (althought its cute). But I liked just having their newest album at the time.
I won't buy albums if they mean nothing to me and I won't buy them because they have a pretty cover (not worth it imo)

But if ur simply buying for the pretty cover then does the music even affect the determining of the purchase
Like is it there to just sit there and look pretty? If its as evolution said. Just a collectible for looking through the photobook.

The way I view it is if a single or w/e has a bad cover then there's like a 45% chance that the song is bad or the album is bad.

[primavera♥]

Originally Posted by hsienko

The way I view it is if a single or w/e has a bad cover then there's like a 45% chance that the song is bad or the album is bad.

Now that is something I don't get. I understand people not buying a single because of the cover but I don't understand how there is any intelligent logic in assuming a single or album is at all bad because the cover is. There's no real connection in all honesty considering the many artists I listen to with not so amazing covers but with amazing songs on the single/album. Utada does this. Several I've Sound girls do this. Ayu does this.
Like what correlation does a good or bad cover have with if the music is good or bad. Covers might help determine the theme but often they don't.
I just don't get that. However if u so greatly believe in that then I'm sure it influences what u think about a album/single instead of not having any bias first listening to it (although I'd hope not). But as I've said so many times ...to each his own

I guess a lot of judging on artist quality comes from covers, etc these days (feel bad for some artists)...
I try not to worry about covers when I see a new artist or something as usually when Ive skipped something with a not so great cover, it is a gem. And I've done this with ayu too, regretably.