NEXT LEVEL album thoughts

[SunshineSlayer]

Originally Posted by waterballoon

The thing I don't get is how you're blaming Ayu for the 'rushed' thing. I mean it's not exactly her fault that this album is 'rushed' to you. It's avex! I'm 100% sure they told her, "Hey finance year ends 31st March, make an album so that we can get the cash rollin'!"

Surely, Ayu could have said no BUT this is still the company... the people who give her her paycheck...

I gotta agree with maikaru, who mentioned that if she was REALLY "making songs for the sake of it", there wouldn't be a 8 month gap between Mirrorcle World and GREEN/Days.

I don't think anyone "blamed" Ayu for that, just simply stating that is the way it is and it is unfortunate. And as for making songs for the sake of it, as I said, I mostly mean the album tracks.

Originally Posted by waterballoon

You have also mentioned earlier about the excessive use of effects on her voice on this album... while I agree with you because Rule's vocoders in the verses are SO extra, I think I've got something to say on this too.

People aren't just referring to vocoders when they are talking about production though. In this album her voice is tripled, quadrupled over(maybe more) as well as other studio tinkering and it definitely sounds more so than on her other albums. This once again points to her voice being weak these days and actually the more tinkering in the studio you do, the more flat the vocal ends up becoming imo.

Originally Posted by waterballoon

Oh, one more thing before I end. You also mentioned about feeling something while listening to Fly high and the rest. What are you feeling? Suicidal thoughts?

Because to me, EnergizE and Fly high make me feel the same thing - confidence and happiness. The difference is that Fly high had a lot of doubts, but EnergizE is definitely 100% "I can do it".

Maybe to you, even happy songs need to have this "emo" vibe to be good... but that was Ayu in the past. Another member has also mentioned in LOVEppears, many of the happy-sounding songs have dark lyrics. I mean I like the contrast, but what's wrong with have a happy-sounding song that really is happy? Is a song less emotional just because there aren't emo stuff and regrets in its lyrics?

uhhh What? lol. That's my first reaction to reading all of this. First of all, I hate emo and I don't even like Guilty that much. I hate that emo is even considered a genre since songs with sad lyrics have always existed since the beginning of time. And once again, when feeling a connection to the song, it has nothing to do with weather the song is happy or sad, it is all in how that song is delivered through the composition, arrangements, and most importantly the vocals. I think part of the reason people aren't feeling that connection is because of the vocal issues mentioned.

I don't think this is a BAD album and I don't think the lyrics are that much of an issue (other than Sparkle), some of them are quite good and some are extremely repetitive. I think that she is capable of better albums though. If you can whole heatedly enjoy this album, that is great for you though.