Why the hate...really?

[Crystal_Ageha]

YOU were the one who brought up that J-Pop only copied from the West, actually, remember? And considering you think that Utada's music, compared to Hikki's, is some kind of golden "years ahead of her time" crap (when I know for a fact I heard much better work, though with the exact same style years ago), yet a lot of her Japanese work is unoriginal--and you keep defending Western works compared to Japanese, and then hint that Western artists are much more creative than Japanese... I just had to say, no. That's certainly not true.
And you can't even pull the "Japanese copied the West's music" crap because everybody copies everybody's music at some point, lol. Why, a lot of American music right now is techno stuff I heard from Japan in the late nineties. So no. I needed to call you out on that. And then you got offended and had to say I only listened to Britney Spears, which is really ****ing stupid, so that's why I mentioned all that stuff I listen to. It means everything, for what we were talking about. Re-read your posts before making a new one.

[Andrenekoi]

I think that u r not getting what I'm trying to say, maybe it's just that my english is not that good... maybe is just that u can't properly read...

But here we go: As I said... but music everywhere in the world has creative people (very little) and generic people (most of it). most of jpop releases are very generic... and most of usa pop releases are very generic... Wich one is better? None of them, even if both does have amazing artists. But jpop is heavily inspired by western music (yeah, maybe u don't know... but r&b, hip hop, rock, reagge, techno, disco, dance, etc. aren't originally japanese musican genres ) and even enka has a lot of jazz influence. Does it make japanese music less creative than american music? No, it don't

About Utada: She was known in Japan for doing western pop there on a style that they were not used to... u can repeat how much u want that First Love and Distance are very creative albums, but it's a fact that if they were in english and released on the USA, most their tracks would be only... more generic pop. U can read some reviews from her older works urself if u want... Even so, my favorite album of hers is Heart Station, that is a very mainstream album (but far more polished than Exodus and Ultra Blue that IMO are too raw on the bad way), as u should know, Heart Station is a japanese album, sungly mostly in Japanese and if i'm not wrong, it's even her japanese album if the less english...

About TITO... It IS ahead of it's time... but what does it mean? Just that she wanted to release something really mainstream, and released something that is still going to be mainstream on some time (a few months ~1 year), better than Exodus, that would be mainstream like... now xD
Being ahead of it's time doesn't only mean being visionaty, but also knowing what is going to be in and out some time ahead, and that's how a lot of "trendsetters" do their stuff: Their are not inventing anything, they are just using what is going to be in when it's on the begining (like Lady Gaga for example... she did not invented the esthetics she uses, she was just the first mainstream artist using it on this time period... but still, some fashion designers were alread doing similar things at the same time)

[Crystal_Ageha]

Just for the record: Yes, it is your English. I'm not stupid, you just need to learn this language better before you go arguing and insulting, dear.

Also, many of those genres you listed have their origins not in the US, either. Go read up your music history before trying to use it to make a point.

I agree that a lot of First Love was very Western sounding. But guess what, the most popular tracks (Automatic, Amai WANA and First Love) were much more Japanese R&B than Western. I think Distance was more Western sounding, but again, the popular tracks were very Japanese (Can You Keep A Secret?, Distance and Wait & See, specifically, but also Kettobase! [very un-Western] and Parody).
But this is all pretty much opinion, at its core. So let's forget all that.

And finally, no, that's not what being "ahead of the times" means, actually, if I understood that first part right. (It sounds like you know, yet at the same time you have no clue--how does that work??) It doesn't mean coming out with something that is/was recently mainstream and will still be big years down the line. That's ridiculous to think. Being ahead of your time means coming out with something that isn't very well known now (and either hasn't been popular for a long while, or has never been very popular), yet in a few years it's seen as something great or classic, or maybe even timeless. The point is, it's trying something different that will soon be popular.
So you got it almost perfect in that last part--don't know what the **** you were trying to say before that. I guess the language thing again? Ugh.


I'm done discussing this. It's getting us nowhere.

[Andrenekoi]

^I didn't say that the music genres i listed were american, i said they are WESTERN =)

But yeah, let just ignore each other from now on

[ComatoseBunnySnatcher]

I rule <3

[Crystal_Ageha]

...^ What, lol? Did you mean you <3 Rule, or.....XD

[gallowsCalibrator]

Ugh...I just get so annoyed when people spaz because "OMG SHE'S WEARING THE SAME OUTFIT AS XX SHE'S A COPYCAT" I mean, seriously...Does it even matter?

I don't mean offense to anyone, just saying what I'm thinking XD

[Rainbow141]

*sigh* This is really annoying, when people try to say Japanese artists - not just Ayu - rip off Western artists. I actually know someone in real life who doesn't like J-Pop too much, she's listened to some of my favorites... She always says, "Oh my god, this sounds exactly like American music. No I swear, I've heard this beat before!" =_= This is the same girl I lost a Twilight argument to (when I still liked Twilight that is), and who nearly converted me to EdwardxBella. So there was no point trying to explain to her the release dates proof, and simply inspiration.

What many artists do, even Western artists with other Western, [I]of course[/I, is take inspiration from songs and artists they admire or maybe even love. The styles they listen to or like may just happen to meld into their own work. It might even be inevitable, at times, not to have some little tiny part of your song a bit like another. We have threads here of Ayu lyrics appearing in other songs, and everything. Popular phrases get repeated.

Anyhow... it's all inspiration, I'm sure. It's not copying unless you do the exact same thing, the exact same way. In music's sake, Ayu would only be a rip-off artist if she sang in English the Madonna or whatever songs, wore the same outfits, did the same PV, etc. Sure, Startin' and Britney's Toxic music videos are oddly similar, but was Ayu copying? No, not necessarily. It could be a parody, or a spoof, or whatever. If Ayu was seriously ripping anyone off, that artist's attorney(s) would be on her case within 5 minutes of that song or PV or whatever's release. If they're not worrying, we shouldn't be worrying or accusing either.

Funny there's all these Madonna examples floating around the internet... my mom heard LOVE 'n' HATE when I was listening to it earlier today, and said it sounded like a Madonna song. Oh brother.... >_<

[Crystal_Ageha]

Oh my gawd, lol. I'm actually really familiar with Madonna's music, and no way in hell does LOVE 'n' HATE sound like one of her songs!
And I still firmly believe that Startin' was a complete parody. I thought it was obvious, but I guess some people really think she was ripping everybody off. :\ I just don't see why she'd make it so obvious, and especially why she'd put in so much humour if it weren't really a parody. >_<

[Rainbow141]

^ Yeah... my mom may have been around for all of Madonna's releases (*cough*she'sold*cough* >.>), but she's definitely.... yeah. =__=;; She's wrong a lot. But I thought that was a coincidence worth mentioning.

And exactly, Ayu wouldn't run the risk of a complete copying of a music video belonging to such a famous (and no doubt guarded-by-a-team-of-vicious-lawyers) artist. It's a parody through and through. Parodies don't even have to be funny to be a parody. (my lit teacher just went over this, actually )

[panda87]

ayu's the only artist i'm actually loyal to in music releases and update on news. its because she's unique and does everything her way.

bottom line. people have the right to be influenced and utilize things in their own stylish ways. also, there's the existence of "trend". and if ayu ever did incorporate things she liked into her music, i honestly think, imo, that she made most of them sound even better.

and honestly, a lot of western music has no depth and passion to it. it's not a bias, but honestly, i "hear" that in comparison to western music, a lot more of japanese music is richer in composition, lyrics, and passion. it's relevant. it's there. maybe it's how the japanese view music-- as more of a work of art than just a display of talent. their music just sounds more sincere, as is Ayu's. no other kind of music seems to compare. this is my opinion though. other people who are more lighthearted can careless and differ. *shrugs*

[C+R+E+AYUMI]

Originally Posted by Crystal_Ageha

^ ^ I definitely think Ayu has a unique voice. But dancing... No. Just, no. ^^'

I agree. Although she got really better lately she isn't that good.
But I like her imperfection, in other case all the artists would be the same