Who says that Ayu is loosing popularity...?

[Melon Panda]

Ayumi's gaining stability, which is important for any artist. She's built up so much popularity that I can't ever imagine her being "irrelevant" (though I know that's going to happen eventually) or out of the spotlight. If she left the music industry as of now, she'd certainly leave a void that'll be tough to fill for any one artist. By expanding into Asia, she's making sure that in a decade or two, if she still wants to tour, (former) fans from beyond Japan will remember her and attend her concerts. Madonna seems ANCIENT to me but her tours still gross ridiculous amounts.

Still, I think "popularity" is a relative term. Yes, her music is selling way less than it used to. Yes, she's getting wrinkly. Yes, audience members are starting to grow tired of her. She's still Ayumi Hamasaki - idol extraordinaire - and tons of people know her, even if they aren't her fans. It's better than being a total unknown, fresh but still in need of a big break.