namie's FUTURE vs ayu's NEXT LEVEL

[SURREAL__RAINBOW]

Well we've seen a bit more of ayu's NEXT LEVEL than namie's FUTURE so far, but what do you think?

Who is going to be able to give more and make better music/works etc on the new stage of their musical careers? Who do you trust the most?


Right now, I'm putting my money on namie's FUTURE. Everything that she seems to be doing since PLAY is so fresh and new. I can't get tired of her ^^


your vote




NOTE: THIS IS NOT A PAST<FUTURE vs NEXT LEVEL ALBUM FIGHT. THIS POLL IS ONLY ABOUT THE NEW PART OF THEIR MUSICAL CAREERS.

[love in music]

Ayu. I don't like Namie's new sound. It's like "LOL OMG LET'S ADD A BUNCH OF WEIRD SOUNDS IN THIS SONG AND SCREW UP THE ARRANGEMENT TO TRY TO MAKE IT UNIQUE!"

[non3ko]

Namie's coming out with fresh, new, different stuff that actually makes me want to listen to more than once. (repeat) There was only one maybe two songs I didn't like. (The Meaning Of Us)

With Ayu's NEXT LEVEL, I was like... its "fresh" sounding for Ayu, but it was an okay album. I only really like, "Sparkle" "rollin'" "Load of the SHUGYO" and "Days". I haven't listened to her album as much as I have Namie's and I've had NEXT LEVEL for much longer.

With Namie I think she'll continue to give us great music. Everything from Play has been buy worthy and in my top favorites. WILD has been out for months now and I still like it. And the video for WILD pwned Janet's Feedback. The spacemen bursting out of the walls to get down was awesome! It made me want to jump on screen and join in on the space-dance-orgy.

We'll see what Ayu has to offer in the future, because her recent stuff this year just didn't do it for me. I mean her latest single... BALLAD was mediocre compared to her past winter releases. "You were..." saved this single IMO.

For me:
Ayu : PAST>FUTURE
Namie : PAST<FUTURE

^It disappoints me to say that seeing as Ayu is (slowly becoming was) one of my favorite artists.

[pommy48]

Namie

Like you said~ It's just so fresh and the songs are just addicting, even though I haven't listened to them a lot yet, I can just remember them

While I've listened to NEXT LEVEL a lot, but some songs...are just unmemorable~

[Polyrhythm]

While both albums were a step backwards for their artists, the step Namie took back from where she was before seems greater than the step backward Ayu took. I pick NEXT LEVEL

[ストロボ・EdGE]

I just noticed that both of these albums were of the same concept but since I don't really listen to Namie's music (only a couple of songs) and much less a whole album, I can't really say but NL wasn't that much of a next level (not saying it was a bad album or anything but more it wasn't groundbreaking).

[do it again]

When you guys say "fresh", "unique", "exciting", original, i just say MESS. it's all been done before, but in SEPARATE songs instead of mashing everything together to just create something what really sounds like... a mess. i can't remember the melody to half the songs on PAST < FUTURE because it changes and it's just inconsistent. for instance, i love the last ~2 minutes of COPY THAT but it just seems stupid to throw it in there because it just ruins the flow of the entire song. it should've just ended and another song could've used a beat like that and it would have been an awesome hip-hop-esque track.

NEXT LEVEL and her most recent songs had really catchy melodies, strong arrangements and they were just much easier to listen to. Besides MY LOVE and The meaning of us, there are really no "easy listening" tracks because most of it sounds like a big jumble.

I'll say it again, if this is the future then PAST > FUTURE.

[Tom Punks]

Originally Posted by identity

I don't like Namie's new sound. It's like "LOL OMG LET'S ADD A BUNCH OF WEIRD SOUNDS IN THIS SONG AND SCREW UP THE ARRANGEMENT TO TRY TO MAKE IT UNIQUE!"

I agree with this lolol.

I don't like the direction EITHER is heading in, but I find Ayu's much more disappointing than Namie's. But I'm sure that's all because I love Ayu a whole lot more.

[*Petit*]

Ayu. Much more substance than Namie, JMHO. Allthough I think her latest album is more interesting than NL

[aloopy]

NEXT LEVEL was an ok album, but 90% of the songs on it got old really fast. like after 5 plays fast.
and then she released S/S ~LiA~.. and it's a really safe single.. nothing new or fresh. same thing with You were.../BALLAD (even though I LOVE You were...). but yeah, so much for taking things to the "next level".

Past<Future is an amazing album imo, but I have to say that I like her hip-hop stuff more, because I simply prefer that genre.
but I love it that she's releasing music outside her "comfort zone" and that she's experimenting with new sounds and stuff. and that's why I voted for Namie

[JackieRos]

namie of course
She has more catchy songs

[love in music]

Originally Posted by cutieismylife

When you guys say "fresh", "unique", "exciting", original, i just say MESS. it's all been done before, but in SEPARATE songs instead of mashing everything together to just create something what really sounds like... a mess. i can't remember the melody to half the songs on PAST < FUTURE because it changes and it's just inconsistent. for instance, i love the last ~2 minutes of COPY THAT but it just seems stupid to throw it in there because it just ruins the flow of the entire song. it should've just ended and another song could've used a beat like that and it would have been an awesome hip-hop-esque track.

NEXT LEVEL and her most recent songs had really catchy melodies, strong arrangements and they were just much easier to listen to. Besides MY LOVE and The meaning of us, there are really no "easy listening" tracks because most of it sounds like a big jumble.

I'll say it again, if this is the future then PAST > FUTURE.

I agree with all of this.

Originally Posted by aloopy

but yeah, so much for taking things to the "next level".

I don't believe Ayu ever said anything about how the music on NEXT LEVEL was taking things to a higher level than anything she had previously released. It was more like moving to the next level/stage of her career, like she says in the "NEXT LEVEL" lyrics. It's not like she was saying PAST<FUTURE like Namie, where it's really obvious she thinks her new songs are going to be better than her older ones.

[aloopy]

Originally Posted by identity

I don't believe Ayu ever said anything about how the music on NEXT LEVEL was taking things to a higher level than anything she had previously released. It was more like moving to the next level/stage of her career, like she says in the "NEXT LEVEL" lyrics. It's not like she was saying PAST<FUTURE like Namie, where it's really obvious she thinks her new songs are going to be better than her older ones.

yeah, NEXT LEVEL did sound like she was moving things to the next stage of her career.
but I was talking about the singles released after. they sound like songs she could have released in 2003 or 2007. nothing wrong with that, but there's not much "moving things to the next stage" going on if the concept is the same like the past years.

so what I'm trying to say is that if she wanted to move things to the "next stage / level" of her career she should have continued to do so and not just for one album.
but that's how I see it lol

[Crystal_Ageha]

Lol, we all knew this was coming...


Okay, I actually think Amuro's album is very good (for me, it's her best, besides STYLE), as far as it has a lot of variety and is pretty balanced at the same time. And I really love FAST CAR. The Meaning Of Us, Bad Habit, COPY THAT and SHUT UP are also pretty good. However, some of the tracks are extremely blugh (like Steal my Night, Defend Love and WILD D: ), and I don't like how many of the songs are very repetitive (like LOVE GAME, or SHUT UP and COPY THAT, specifically, which is what ended up ruining them for me x_x'). I also don't like that she has officially gone off into another direction of music style, simply because her hip-hop doesn't sell and she wants her popularity back. :\ Also, it feels like this album will get old pretty quickly (which takes it down a point D: ). But despite everything - because even though I only really like one song, I can see why some people would like the others, and I respect the fact that this is still a much better album than a lot of them - I still give PAST<FUTURE 7.5/10.

Now, please believe, I am not being biased because she's one of my favourite artists, but NEXT LEVEL is actually definitely in my top five favourite Ayumi albums, at the least, and I think it's a great album. I feel this was such a good album because of, again, variety (from GREEN to Sparkle to Rule to Days--wow :O), but also because every song brings something special to the album. The only song I don't absolutely love is rollin', but I still like it. But, the amount of interludes really bothers me, so that automatically takes down the otherwise perfect score - which, it's perfect because not only do I love all the songs and they still haven't gotten old (for me, at least), but because I feel there's literally something for everyone. :\ I give it a 9/10.

[rookies]

Namie.

[AyUta]

I go with Namie on this one.

[mcluva420]

Namie!!!
what a coincidence on how the titles have the same concept :O

not counting Ayu's upcoming album thats gonna be released in the future..
Ayu's "NL" seems to be slightly dimming & Namie's FUTURE is brighter ~ in music that is.
but atm, i have higher hopes for Ayu now ^^

[Hanabi_surreal]

Namie won... her songs in the last years are getting better and better

I can's hardly say that about Ayu (sorry Ayu u.u) but since 2 years ago her carrer get stocked imo.

[nanakopy87]

argh....i wanna vote for ayu but i accidentally vote for namie's T_T

[TITANIC]

Namie of course. more uptodate. Ayu still have her old style song such as Days, GREEN, Rule.