New single MOON / blossom 7/14, 1st part of 3 single project [II]

[ILoveGeniuses]

Originally Posted by nanakopy87

oh ya.i totally forgotten about mirrorcle world
this is why i don't like to buy her singles.i rather download it.if not because you were.../BALLAD has the alternative cover,i think i will not buy it

Ayu's one of the two artists I buy absolutely every single, album, dvd etc. Yeah I know, she could've gotten rich off of just me from the start.

[waterballoon]

I'm looking forward the most to Don't look back remix and Last Links orchestra mix. The moL piano version.... well can imagine how it would sound like already ^^

[rakeru]

I hope they don't hold out on the covers for too long. I need to see them to decide which version I'll buy!

[jimex289]

The countdown to 50...I have a feeling her 50th will see something very big.

[fantaisie.sign]

Oops, I'm late to the conversation yet again...

Originally Posted by jimex289

I have a feeling her 50th will see something very big.

Originally Posted by all.night.raver

I hope 50 just shatters them all

This is the one thing that worries me about the 50th single: having very high expectations. While it's great to be excited for a possible single that's several months away, I personally think that's it's not good to maintain such high hopes for months at a time because it makes disappointment almost inevitable. I've seen that time and time again on AHS. Looking back over her past singles, Ayu seems to have found her niche and might not change her sound *too* much for that milestone release. For some weird reason, I keep thinking it'll contain a song similar to "Who..." in terms of sound and lyrics. Whatever it is, Avex will heavily promote it without a doubt, painting Shibuya with Ayumi Hamasaki posters lol.

Originally Posted by all.night.raver

Although forgiveness was terrible for the 30th single. Especially since they celebrated the 30th with a special live. I mean... forgiveness…?

I was an AHS member back when "forgiveness" was released, and I honestly do not remember a lot of hype behind that single. My memory might be terribly faulty, but I do remember all the mixed opinions on the song and people frantically trying to figure out the Engrish at the end of the song lol. I like "forgiveness" dearly and thought it deserved to be the 30th single because of its rich, sonorous arrangement and other characteristics that distinguished it from Ayu's preceding ballads. It really doesn't deserve all the "hate" it gets, especially when you look at the song itself from a technical standpoint.

Again my memory is probably faulty, but the only ballad that Avex hyped like crazy was "HEAVEN" which they compared to "My Heart Will Go On" back in 2005. Of course, part of that was due to the release of Shinobi which used "HEAVEN" as its theme song.

Originally Posted by Tony G

I've never associated ayu with 'filler' tracks. She's one of the few artists that puts just as much into the album tracks as she does into the single tracks. Often, the album tracks are better!

I wholeheartedly agree with this! Like SoldierofSilence said, some of her album tracks are definitely underappreciated.

Originally Posted by identity

I'm seriously dying for the moL piano version and Last Links orchestra version.

Originally Posted by Pieces_of_SEVEN

Really? I'm actually anticipating the Microphone and Don't look back remixes more.

I'm anticipating them all, but the "meaning of Love" and "Last Links" remixes excite me a little bit more because Ayu's classical remixes are incredible and turn out amazingly well. The dance/electronic/trance/techno/breakbeat remixes, on the other hand, are very hit or miss; they're either exceptionally well done or sadly terrible. My expectations are already super high for the "Don't Look Back" remix because I love that song so gosh darn much, meaning I'll likely be disappointed. I keep wondering how a MSTRKRFT remix of "Don't Look Back" would sound if they ever made one. Now *that* would be EPIC!

[maaya]

Very bad news for ayu, arashi is gonna release their single on 7/7 and we all know that their sell is so good also in the second week.
Is their a chance that she will get no2 in the first day?

[majrakun]

If Ayu's gonna postpone the release date after this, then something fishy is going on. I don't want her to move the release date, but I don't want her to lose too D:

[njanjayrp]

Ah bad news I guess. I wish AVEX wouldn't push the release date for once and fought for the #1, though I guess the odds are on their side...

[Crystal_Ageha]

Oh. ****.

[waterballoon]

oh dear. bye MOON, i'll only be getting ur leak or something a week later

[love in music]

UGH.

[Tasked]

actually. arashi doesn't sell good in their second week.. Their first week is usually extreeemely high, but the 2nd week is not.. Ayu can beat that.

Last few arashi singles
542,334 - 64,632
431,685 - 42,302
342,070 - 33,313

Arashi rarely gets #1 for 2 weeks with a single

[Nackar_91]

Originally Posted by Rody!

actually. arashi doesn't sell good in their second week.. Their first week is usually extreeemely high, but the 2nd week is not.. Ayu can beat that.

Last few arashi singles
542,334 - 64,632
431,685 - 42,302
342,070 - 33,313

Arashi rarely gets #1 for 2 weeks with a single

Exactly. And although record sale are dropping I sincerely doubt Ayu's first week numbers would drop so significantly she'd get below THAT line!

[TITANIC]

I doubt Arashi can beat on their 2nd week and obvioulsy Ayu will not sell more than 90K for the first week. im pretty sure

[Bigtop]

Yes, I'm totally concerned about that - remember when ikimono-gakari's Nostalgia was outsold by Arashi's Troublemaker, and the fact was that Nostalgia was only on their first week while Troublemaker was only on their second week?

This is quite concerning...

Any possible competition on July 21st, however, if there are "contingency" plans? I just tweeted to "ayunews" if they're planning some kind of play here...

But earlier I already did some analysis that should complement the one earlier here...

Originally Posted by Rody!

actually. arashi doesn't sell good in their second week.. Their first week is usually extreeemely high, but the 2nd week is not.. Ayu can beat that.

Last few arashi singles
542,334 - 64,632
431,685 - 42,302
342,070 - 33,313

Arashi rarely gets #1 for 2 weeks with a single

Originally Posted by Rody!

actually. arashi doesn't sell good in their second week.. Their first week is usually extreeemely high, but the 2nd week is not.. Ayu can beat that.

Last few arashi singles
542,334 - 64,632
431,685 - 42,302
342,070 - 33,313

Arashi rarely gets #1 for 2 weeks with a single

Originally Posted by Bigtop

I might need some analysis here, but first of all, the thing is that if fans are expecting for a possible album, it might be coming up later on maybe in August or such, as usually if this is just a single song in a single and that's all, and maybe before then there will be an upcoming album that the single is actually in the album, this single might just be considered by myself "useless"!

Here's how my analysis goes among "summer singles" (any Arashi singles released in July or August)

• Typhoon Generation (Pony Canyon) - #3
• Jidai (Pony Canyon - last one under that label!) - #1
• Hitomi no Naka no Galaxy / Hero - #1
• Aozora Pedal - #1, 154,832 (remember - this was the time that Arashi was not as popular as it is today!)
• One Love - #1, 313,976
• Everything - #1, 342,070

And when we take a look at Troublemaker's second week sales: #2, 64,632

What about Ayu's second week sales? Remember, her last single "You were... / BALLAD" had a double week in their first week, but I decided to put it here for reference; the last one that was regular was last year's "Sunrise / Sunset ~LOVE is ALL~" - here's the stats:

• Sunrise / Sunset ~LOVE is ALL~ - first week: #1, 75,352 (I don't know if this is quite concerning...)
• You were... / BALLAD - double week as first week: #1, 103,351

I don't know if this is quite concerning, but I think Ayu can make it through. The fact that Arashi's song is quite a bit slower tempo compared to the "Troublemaker" and "Monster" singles released earlier this year, as well as greater (earlier) planning for Ayu's 48th (MOON/blossom), 49th and 50th singles (which can equate that people are starting to buy this such item all because they want that preview for the 49th single!), I hope Ayu can get #1 there. But already Arashi's single is sold out for pre-order, while Ayu's still not, though with four choices and the first press releases are still available, I think she can make it, and there's still time (longer time) that the first press can sell out.

At Arashi's pace for summer singles on the other hand, they don't produce such 500,000+ sales, but they're still going to be great hits for summer; however, Ayu's much more planned and I hope her fans will be really crazy for this single. (And I hope both Ayu and Arashi come on Music Station at the same time for the summer!)

And already, this would be Arashi's 5th single since not releasing an album (except All the BEST! 1999-2009, which did not include "Everything"), and five singles are MORE than enough to fit in an album! (Except there's only five A-sides for Arashi, and generally Arashi does NOT release B-sides of their singles into their albums; Ayu only released two singles that would be in the Rock'n'Roll Circus album, but both of the singles were double A-sides, and as always, Ayu's B-sides are also included in her albums; as such, "RED LINE ~for TA~" was included in the RnRC album!)

Also, I have another thing to say: Are all of Arashi's works (along with other Johnny's artists such as Hey! Say! JUMP and KAT-TUN) available on iTunes (including Japan) or not? And if not, why?

There's still a month left, and there still have time... Arashi already have released five singles that are not assigned to an album yet, and if sometime during the month of June that they are releasing a new album, well this could dampen Arashi's sales a bit, while Ayu does not have plans for another album - they're already planning on their 49th and 50th singles...

And, I mean, here's the thing:

Originally Posted by KarenPang

31st single - To be free
Release date - 7th July 2010

Single release from Arashi featuring catchy pop tune and instrumental for two tracks total. Includes a bonus DVD featuring music video and making-of. *Unless otherwise indicated, DVDs are region-2 encoded (Japan, Europe, and Middle East), and carry no subtitles.

tracklist
1. [CD] To be free
2. [CD] To be free (Original Kraoke)
3. [DVD] To be free (Music Video & Making-of)

http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/detailview.html?KEY=JACA-5227

O_O

What ...... & just 1 song only ? eh eh eh eh eh & it only be released in CD + DVD edition too hmmm

I smell a new album after this

ONLY ONE SONG FOR A SINGLE!?

Come on, Arashi, you can do something better than that - or are they intentionally doing something like that because they want to root for Ayu on trying to chase for the streak?

I hope some of Arashi's fans are also Ayu fans...

[Tasked]

Originally Posted by Bigtop

Yes, I'm totally concerned about that - remember when ikimono-gakari's Nostalgia was outsold by Arashi's Troublemaker, and the fact was that Nostalgia was only on their first week while Troublemaker was only on their second week?

are you kidding? Nostalgia only sold 26,009 copies in their first week. That's not so difficult to beat for Arashi in their second week. Plus, Nostalgia was #3, not #2... Ayu will most definitely sell more than 26k

[Bigtop]

Originally Posted by Rody!

are you kidding? Nostalgia only sold 26,009 copies in their first week. That's not so difficult to beat for Arashi in their second week. Plus, Nostalgia was #3, not #2... Ayu will most definitely sell more than 26k

Of course, Arashi was much more popular than ikimono-gakari... The thing that on that week Nostalgia was #3 while Arashi was #2 surely fits that "Nostalgia was out-sold by Troublemaker" quote - didn't you look CAREFULLY?

Originally Posted by Bigtop

Yes, I'm totally concerned about that - remember when ikimono-gakari's Nostalgia was outsold by Arashi's Troublemaker, and the fact was that Nostalgia was only on their first week while Troublemaker was only on their second week?

[Tasked]

Originally Posted by Bigtop

Of course, Arashi was much more popular than ikimono-gakari... The thing that on that week Nostalgia was #3 while Arashi was #2 surely fits that "Nostalgia was out-sold by Troublemaker" quote - didn't you look CAREFULLY?

yes, but it has absolutely nothing to do with Ayu :p... I mean, we can name a few other artists that sold less than 30k in their first week and thus were outsold by arashi :p Ayu is not one of those artists

[Nackar_91]

Originally Posted by Bigtop

Of course, Arashi was much more popular than ikimono-gakari... The thing that on that week Nostalgia was #3 while Arashi was #2 surely fits that "Nostalgia was out-sold by Troublemaker" quote - didn't you look CAREFULLY?

Seriously?

Even Troublemaker, ARASHI'S BEST SELLING SINGLE SINCE THEIR DEBUT IN 1999, only sold 64k in its second week. Ayumi's lowest first week sales so far are somewhere around 75k. Even if Arashi manages to reach that number again for the second week (which I strongly doubt since it's only one song), Ayu would still have to have a STRONG drop in sales to become no. 2

Honestly, I think there's no reason to be worried at all.

[njanjayrp]

Originally Posted by Nackar_91

Seriously?

Even Troublemaker, ARASHI'S BEST SELLING SINGLE SINCE THEIR DEBUT IN 1999, only sold 64k in its second week. Ayumi's lowest first week sales so far are somewhere around 75k. Even if Arashi manages to reach that number again for the second week (which I strongly doubt since it's only one song), Ayu would still have to have a STRONG drop in sales to become no. 2

Honestly, I think there's no reason to be worried at all.

Yeah considering this isn't a typical arashi single (no b-sides and all) Ayu might actually have a good chance if her sales don't drop below the ones of Sunrise/Sunset.

ikomonogakari is a very bad example when it comes to single sales, even AAA took their #1 a few weeks ago, not by far, but still Ikimonogakari can hardly reach 50k in their first week so no wonder arashi took over.