Empress of J-Pop to withdraw from Japan, and focus on the US and Europe [Theory]

[mcluva420]

Originally Posted by rakeru

of course it would be fun for us, the fans, but if Utada can't make it, Ayu doesn't stand much of a chance. yes, Ayu is waaaaay more interesting as far as style, videos, and personality (on and off screen) go, but Utada has no Japanese accent and plays according to the rules; she pipes out just the kind of commercialized nonsense that forms mainstream. Ayu's style just doesn't conform that way. she WOULD be much better at getting people's attention, though.

BoA might make it
i think hikki sounds asian when she sings english xD

[sailorseraphim]

hmmmm well this is exciting news....

[jimex289]

I don't think she'd make it here. Maybe I'm being too pessimistic but I strongly feel this way. Of course, a lot of her fans in America like me would support her all the way...but that still amounts to very little fans compared to back in her native country. First things first she'd have to completely get rid of her accent or to the point that there's just a teeny tiny hint of it to gain some acceptance. I don't think that's going to happen...it'd be extremely hard for her to do if she hasn't been speaking it for a while...that goes with any language. avex would no doubt dump a lot of resources into having her infiltrate the American market. At the very least she'd make a stir because she's been dominating in one part of the world...people will let their ears decide though. Some people here made a good point that it'd be degrading to an artist of her caliber...if she comes here I want to see her at least garner as much support as Hikki, whose claim to fame was basically a game song. Ayu does not have anything like that going for her at all, except maybe Inuyasha. I'd say more people played Kingdom Hearts in America than watched Inuyasha or had a memorable experience of Dragonballs. To put it into perspective, her coming here is like putting a featherweight against a heavyweight. Not to say she's any less good, but here's where the term "pound for pound" comes in. The culture here is just totally different. The plus side to this is if she starts learning English people could communicate with her better.

In the end this could be real or it could be fake information. I'm not going to fully believe it until she says something about it...I guess it could only be natural she wants to move on to something new. After all, it's very lonely at the top.

[UHPlus]

Originally Posted by rakeru

Ayu is waaaaay more interesting as far as personality (on and off screen)

you must be cracking a joke.

[catcher_inthelight]

Originally Posted by Dan.C

Hope not.

I prefer a retired and housewife Ayu which from time to time holds a concert/do a promotion/releases a single just for the fun of it, rather than a complete deaf Ayu caused from a Euro/US career.

All the paper cranes in the world wouldn't help her then and subsequently we would never hear her again as we would like to.

Yes. Yes. and YES!! I agree with everything you said except for the fact that I would LOVE her to at least have maybe two english alums! so thats...what... like 6 singles? A CONCERT OR TWO IN THE U.S. and THEN houswifies for our Ayu cutie!! ^_^*

[Minttulatte]

I don't know what to say. I'm not personally very fond of the idea of Ayu becoming a worldwide pop star. I just feel like she should stay in Asia. I don't know. I'm okay if she really wants to do it, but I hope that she'll get more success than BoA and Hikki. And she would still write her lyrics herself. But anyway, we'll see about that. To be true to you I'm kind of curious about this actually. Even if I'm not fond of the idea, I still want to know what she's up to.

[FuNsTyLe]

Yeah se does write her own lyrics, which is good. But it doesn't really matter in the US/EU anyway if you do that or not.
Only way I can see Ayu making it abroad is promo promo promo, they have to really put BIG money into promoting her, I'm not talking local radio stations and internet websites, but really big stuff, like get her on Superbowl or something...
She has the looks and style to make it, voice... Well, if she doesn't sound too squeaky it will be ok I g, but
So basically, they need to put tons of money into this, release the right type of music and just get people's attention... I dunno really but that's just my 5 cents...
It would be awesome if she made it

[Harisufanforever]

I could accept the fact, if she really wanted to.

However, I think there is one band who could make it big in America/or Europe. The band that I am talking about is Monkey Majik. Why? First of all, The lead vocalists are White, Canadian, and speak/sing in English. However, I think they could debut in America if they wanted. They have already done a few lives in Canada.

[octolina]

this could explain the recent big changes to Ayu. Everything about her. Perhaps she is preparing to appeal to a new audience?

and somehow i think she has a greater chance to make it... more than Hikki and BoA. I think Ayu has something very captivating about her.

[polka-dot-jewel]

I don't know if Ayu should try to have an international career (she is a bit old to really start one), but maybe she should just do an international tour. She could stop in various countries (US, UK, Australia, France, Canada, Mexico, etc.) and have a concert or two in each place. It could always be a tour where it's basically like a "thank you" to the international fans who have stuck with her, whether they've been fans of hers for a long time or not.

True, it would be harder to do one (especially in countries where English isn't really a spoken language), but if she were to do something like this, I'm confident she'd be able to pull through.

[mangoo_x3]

a toliet covered with diamonds, what if you they fall in the toliet?

ughh please let this be fake. if not, im really getting tired of hearing how ayu spends her money but yet NEVER hearing her donating whatsoever.


I also do not know how will Ayu even make it in the US market because her songs are very DIFFERENT, it probably wouldn't attract alot of new fans in my opinion.

[njanjayrp]

Originally Posted by mangoo_x3

a toliet covered with diamonds, what if you they fall in the toliet?

ughh please let this be fake. if not, im really getting tired of hearing how ayu spends her money but yet NEVER hearing her donating whatsoever.


I also do not know how will Ayu even make it in the US market because her songs are very DIFFERENT, it probably wouldn't attract alot of new fans in my opinion.

Well we had 2 Asian pop stars trying to merge into American mainstream market with nothing to stand out besides the fact they're Asian, so the fact her music is different could be a good thing

[octolina]

Originally Posted by mangoo_x3

a toliet covered with diamonds, what if you they fall in the toliet?

ughh please let this be fake. if not, im really getting tired of hearing how ayu spends her money but yet NEVER hearing her donating whatsoever.


I also do not know how will Ayu even make it in the US market because her songs are very DIFFERENT, it probably wouldn't attract alot of new fans in my opinion.

About the toilet: I think it's laminated with a plastic polymer cover over the diamonds. Otherwise, it would be real prickly to sit on it. And I also think it's not real diamonds. Something could be lost in translation, they could have meant jewels or something else.

And I think if she were to release a US single, it would not be a song like Jewel or Curtain Call. Methinks it would be a little like Sparkle, or Lady Gaga/Madonna/Kylie Minogue style songs. Her team would compose something to appeal to the US market, definitely.

[hanabiwings]

Mmm... I think she is perhaps readying herself to enter a new market. I don't know if that means a new music market or a new entertainment industry. Couldn't it merely be an expansion further into Asia that she is preparing for? That is: an expansion of activity outside of Japan. Or perhaps she is readying herself for something outside of singing. Either way, if I'm reading this right, it would seem that Hamasaki herself was writing on her BBS those two messages quoted (about being nervous and making a decision and so on). But it needn't mean something like either retirement or expansion, right?

I don't know if she could make it in the US. The European market appears, to my eyes, to be a little more forgiving when it comes to different styles, backgrounds, and so on. In any case, of course I would wish her well in any endeavor she embarks upon. And, of course, I secretly wish that she would get super-popular in my home country (the States). But I hope that she capitalizes on her popularity in Asia as it is already an established market for her.

When trying to tap a market such as the United States, promotion appears to be a decisive factor; Utada's 2004 effort, though edgy and varied enough to 'make it' on some level (in the opinions of many music lovers I've talked to), the lack of promotion seemed to be a great problem. Her 2009 effort has a much more mainstreamed sound, which she crafted with several songwriters despite her usual self-produced methods. I've heard Utada a lot on satellite radio, and she was featured on MTV several times on some television shows, I understand. But major promotions (such as live singing on morning television) were few. BoA, I've also heard on satellite, but her promotion appears to be even less than Utada's. Both of these artists have demonstrated talent in their respective niche markets in Asia. The problem seems to be, in my estimation (and not backed up by statistics or empirical study--forgive me!), a lack of concentrated promotional efforts. But this has long been an issue for Japanese artists, and other artists from Asia, when they attempt to break into the U.S. Dreams Come True had an album from VIRGIN Records that was poorly promoted. They have the talent and sound to capture at least a niche market in adult easy listening. But it didn't happen. I'm convinced that promotion campaigns have to be rather significant to break into the market from outside of the country. Artists with less appeal (charisma, talent, uniqueness, etc.) and a better PR machine seem to fare better. But I'm rambling. ^^;

[~*Mabushii*~]

Maybe she just decided to do a couple of shows here? There's enough fans here I'm sure to try put a couple of shows.. even in Japanese, and maybe throw in some English there for fan service?

[lividlillies]

As far as moving to an American market, I have to agree with everyone who's saying, "That's a bad idea." To me, Utada's English albums seem... pardon me, but... kind of vulgar. Almost every song in "This Is The One" mentions sex or cheating or both. The sound is awesome and stuff, but if Ayu wrote that stuff and sang it...

I'm not sure if I'd buy an album that was such a shift from her usual style. Part of her allure, to me, is the fact that she writes such meaningful lyrics.

For her to make a move and end up changing her style... it'd be suicide. It wouldn't get her any fans here and it'd destroy a lot of the fanbase she has built up.

Now, if she came over for a single NYC concert or something... *o* Even though I live in Canada, I'd make a way to be wherever that concert was. For real.

Actually, I don't think that'd be such a bad idea. It could be a way for her to acknowledge her fanbase overseas and stuff... But, you know, I'm just dreaming. ^^;

[Crystal_Ageha]

Ugh. Ayumi Hamasaki would NOT make it in the US. Absolutely no chance unless, for some odd reason, US music takes a full 180. >_< Now Europe, on the other hand... There certainly is a chance. But for some reason, I've always hoped that Ayu would just stay in Asia. Of course, I would LOVE it if she did a few overseas concerts for her fans!! But not a full debut. I know she would, at least in the US, fail horribly, and I don't want to see that. I don't want her to go through that. She's too good to waste her time on people who won't even give her a glance.