Disappointing 10th anniversary.

[M_aria]

Well, after ten years you'd think you can go "low key" without it being such a issue. But I guess that's really just fan love and support even if it comes off as complaning. I kind of keep forgetting its her tenth year anniversary because its been so quiet but she's done so many amazing things in the past that maybe she just wants to reflect on that now. And while I was dissapointed about the lack of a summer single, since the previous ones have been some of my favorite songs, its not like its expected or in her contract or anything... but oh well, ill live and love ayu...

[jonneh]

Originally Posted by rikku411

I never really had any high expectations for this year for Ayu, and not because of her or anything like that. I just thought, "Ooh, 10th anniversary, cool!" My eyes weren't glazed over while I thought, "omg, she has to release 3 singles this year, be on every magazine, have the fact that she's spent 10 years in the industry announced at every corner." I was just like, "Another year of good stuff, I hope."

Yes, this! This is what I was trying to say for myself as well in my post above. I knew it was her 10th anniversary so I was like "Ooh wow! Neat!". My eyes definitely did not glaze over thinking about all the stuff she "has" to put out for her adoring fans, lol. ****, I'm happy she just cares about her fans in Japan enough to do such long tours.

[SolarAngel]

Originally Posted by panda87

i think she's working real hard. i mean, she's doing Asia Tours now, not like back then where she did more but only within the boundaries of Japan. but in comparison to what i've seen in other celebs in other countries and Japan as well, she's not doing much. there's singers who are actresses and designers as well who come out with new things at a good pace to satisfy fans. and then, in comparison to Utada, Ayu seems to has given more. things with Utada has gotten slow and "bleh" for me that i've lost interest in her. i think has become more low-key lately in her terms, yet i'm dyin for a new single or song now. it's been quite awhile. but with the recent upcoming releases, she's doing ok.

I think this is a matter of specialization. In other asian countries, you have celebrities who do tons of stuff but are half-past six in everything. They are mediocre singers, actors etc. We know ayu's singing isn't great but we also know her songs are of a certain quality and her performances are usually stellar. Also many celebrities are just given a script or told what to do but i think ayu is part of the planning and production process. I feel that's why Johnny's boys can do dramas, concerts etc as opposed to ayu who does 'less'. Level of involvement in the different stages of the whole product could be a reason. And to be realistic, this is what ayu may want to fall back on when she's past her 'prime'.
This is my opinion.

[LEOyumi]

I'm actually feeling happy that she didn't release any more singles. MW is more than enough, she could release a single only next year and I wouldn't be angry about it. I want her to rest (although she's not ¬¬).

I wasn't expecting anything for her 10th anniversary, so that's okay. There are being lots of releases from her this year, so I don't think we need more =P

[TakaSama]

After reading this whole exhausting thread, I thought I'd throw in my two cents from inside Japan.

Ayu has dedicated fans, but she isn't super popular to new crowds anymore. As others have stated, a 10th anniversary is a way to remind the Japanese public that she's "old," and that actually isn't beneficial to her image. Fans want to see her in person more than they want to see her on TV or in magazines, so the tour is a good route for her to take.

She is still everywhere though. Whenever I go to an electronics store, I see her pictures on Panasonic camera/mp3 player adds. At music stores, they still have her products on display separate from the regular shelves and they have large posters. Now that A Complete has been announced, there is a table at the entrance to the store with a HUGE poster of one of the Mirrorcle World single covers announcing the release date and that preorders have started. At karaoke, BDam has teamed up with Ayu's 10th anniversary celebration and now has not only all of her discography but several concerts and remixes available to sing too. When you select a song by her, her 10th anniversary logo flashes. No other artists have this kind of promotion through karaoke.

Also, when Mirrorcle World came out, maybe she didn't perform on Music Station, but at literally every store I went into, and even at the gas station, I heard the song being played. The radio play for Mirrorcle World was far more frequent than the radio play for Talkin' 2 Myself. Yes, this has died down, but I expect I'll be hearing a lot more of her once again now that A Complete and the new single are coming out soon.

On top of that, Ayu barely finished recording GUILTY. She said herself that creating the album was a miracle because she was going to give up. And although I love the album, I think Ayu is in a period of severe creative burn out. The reason we haven't had a new single for the summer is probably because Ayu hasn't had any new lyrics until recently. Unlike other artists, no lyrics = no song because she writes her lyrics herself. Yes, it is very unfortunate that her burnout coincides with her 10th anniversary, but I personally would rather her come up with quality work than to try to push out subpar music just to make it a "productive year."

While I liked Mirrorcle World, I felt like that was a warning that she was getting to that point - yes Mirrorcle World is good, and Life is even better, but both of them give me the impression that she had to squeeze her creative juices to make them. And I half suspect, although I have absolutely no proof, that due to the way Life sounds, the song was originally written some time before and only recorded now. I seriously reminds me of Heartplace from RAINBOW..

Anyway, if Ayu has no new single, that of course means no new magazine or TV promotion. It's a shame but her burning out musically leads to silence on the promotion front. I suspect she's been writing a lot of lyrics over the last few months and the new single is the result of her finally being satisfied with the product - the 10th anniversary has little to do with its release.

[truehappiness]

Wow, I can't believe you read the entire thread! That's amazing, especially considering how huge some of the posts are.

In response, I think you're right in that Ayu has been somewhat close to a burnout in terms of lyrics/musical production, something that I really should've seen as an Ayu fan having read the 10th anniversary article in which she states that GUILTY was a "miracle" to have been produced with basically no emotion whatsoever. Although, I sort of wondered how she's been dealing with things in the last few months.. the happy times and the sad times... like, has anything inspired her since GUILTY? I wonder if the lack of tie-ups in general has allowed Ayu to sort of relax as opposed to churning out singles like in previous years [Many Panasonic tie-ins, VISEE, Morinaga.. etc.]... well, whatever she does put out, I'll be happy with. I usually am, anyway.

I wonder if Ayu herself questions the quality of her work after it comes out.. despite not listening to it much after release, sometimes even forgetting that she made stuff years after. Maybe she really wants to create something truly worthy of the 10th anniversary? Something big perhaps? Like, she doesn't want to just put out any song, and it's as you say that she may be finally satisfied with something. I just hope that this new "kakkoii / cool" song really is as she says.

[criminal]

Originally Posted by TakaSama

Whenever I go to an electronics store, I see her pictures on Panasonic camera/mp3 player adds.

Oh, really? I thought that Ayumi wasn't used for audio advertisements anymore. At least she isn't shown on the Panasonic website in the D-snap and D-dock sites.

[truehappiness]

I think Ayu still has the D-snap contract, it's just that she hasn't had a song tied up with it lately.

Her last "official" tie-up to it was like 1 LOVE in 2006. I remember they sorta skipped Ayu a few times for LUMIX as well when a song wasn't coming out.. I guess we'll see. The new songs coming up might have a future D-snap as a tie-in.

[Isthan]

I don't think she's been slacking off, I'm not disappointed in her. No summer single so no TV and magazine promotion so that's why we haven't been hearing about her so much these days, I guess... Sure it has felt like a silent year so far, I've been listening more to other artists lately but that's what I always do when there's only little news about someone.

So I'm not complaining, it's just more quiet time for her now. But of course I'd want more Ayu! So I hope the autumn single will be a blast!

[truehappiness]

Sorry to post again, but I forgot that Ayu did the D-snap advertisements for late 2007.



No song was tied up to it though. I don't know why..

[SolarAngel]

Thanks for the insight TakaSama. I think most of us know the feeling, being forced to write essays which we feel nothing about. It may be something like that. I hope ayu can find sources of inspiration outside of her experiences and friends' experiences. Like how she wrote a song is born. Fuel prices... something i don't know. Olympics, something like Born to be. Gah...

She looks great in the D-Snap adverts btw

[sitara]

Originally Posted by ImpactBreaker

A death of a friend can't HUUURT so much for such a long period (unless the person seriously has a depressive disorder, because we have mechanisms to deal with extremely terrible news and get over them). Usually people who lose important family members are already able to work on their stressing jobs after a month, so why does it have to be so different to ayu?

wow, you have never lost anyboy close to you right?
everybody acts with such an situation differently. there is no official deadline where you HAVE to be over somebody's death. LOL

[truehappiness]

Well, I lost my older brother [to an unknown cause] some time after the end of 2005, a few days after getting Ayu's CDL05-06 from a tracker.. yeah.. that concert has some bad memories attached to it. You never forget, and I'm still not over it, but you still have to live your life, so.. yeah.

[sitara]

my speculation is that there won't be that much action going on after her asia tour.
such a big tour is tiring, and then it's already time again to start working on the next countdown concert. this time arund i have the feeling there won't be an album at the beginning of 2009.

but wait, that was also my opinion about "secret" and then she pulled off a whole album @___@ if she does that again, pulling songs from nowherer, no singles, no promotion, the album sales will be very low, i believe.

yes, she needs a rest, yes she's been overexposed for years. i believe if ayu made some vacation for some time, it would be refreshing for her fans when she comes back with new creative lyrics.

[ayumisrael]

She doesn't want to rest.
and I don't think resting will make her lyrics more creative or better.
She can write creative lyrics non stop it depends on how the songs goes and what it's about and everything that involved writing lyrics and making them a song.
Not because you take a rest so they will be better.

[sitara]

Originally Posted by ayumisrael

She doesn't want to rest.
and I don't think resting will make her lyrics more creative or better.
She can write creative lyrics non stop it depends on how the songs goes and what it's about and everything that involved writing lyrics and making them a song.
Not because you take a rest so they will be better.

well, this is just my opinion. but nobody can deny that she has done some lyrics recycling lately. if she had more time to be creative, i think her songs would be different.

[*+Dark.Night.Angel.+*]

I guess right now people are more demanding of surprising things...

Ayu is doing the best that she can!!!

I love that effort but I REALLY want her to take a break and comeback as strong as always!

*+D.N.A.+*

[zeroshin888]

You guys, I bet you anything if she decided to release a summer single, you will all go on complaining about how unoriginal and similar the new summer song sounds in comparison to her previous ones. She's working hard and doing great, we can't expect more from her. She's been in this business for like 10 years, she can't release singles like every other month...

[truehappiness]

You guys, I bet you anything if she decided to release a summer single, you will all go on complaining about how unoriginal and similar the new summer song sounds in comparison to her previous ones.

To tell you the truth, I'd love it. LOL. I always feel alone in my love for Ayu's summer tracks. It really stinks that people don't appreciate them [or Life, tbh.] more...

[SolarAngel]

^You and your Life! I thought Pride was awesome and when i joined AHS and did a worst track in (m)u album poll, it was so... Maybe some people just need ayu retail therapy. They may not like the song but they'll buy it and cherish the cover anyway and that's ok.

Actually i feel ayu can free herself up more. Some of the things she does seem kinda unnecessary like some of u were saying, she seems to be a perfectionist in the documentaries when I feel she doesn't have to be. And when it comes down to that, she should be improving on her vocals, familiarizing herself with the sound system etc rather than hawk eyeing her dancers. I know people have different ways of working but why waste your energy? I don't need inspired lyrics. Just lyrics that make sense and a decent instrumental to boot.