Has ayu lost her touch?

[emi♡]

Originally Posted by Ayu_no_tenshi

i don't have a problem and i never said i don't like this discussion. obviously, i wouldn't have written that really long comment on page 16 if i didn't wanna be involved, so please don't tell me what to do. that would be like me telling the people on here that constantly talk crap about ayu to not visit the forum, period. my point in suggesting for people to read the interview was to offer them a little insight and maybe to help them understand a little more. a lot of people here just rant on and complain about things just because they can. they expect (and even demand) too much of her. if you don't like her, that's fine. everyone has their own opinion, and there is nothing wrong with that. however, there is no need for people to be so harsh and say the hateful things that they do. no one is gonna stay fresh and completely on top of their game for all eternity and regardless of how people feel...she still tops the charts and remains a very influential figure in the music industry and with fashion. i think a lot of the issue is because the overseas fans don't get to see into her life as much and they don't see her on tv, read her interviews, and the like. the language barrier, along with living in a different part of the world where you aren't exposed to her in the media creates a sense of detachment and can make people unappreciative.

You just seemed a little mad that day :/ Besides, the interview, while great, is not different from anything she has said before, and as a lot of the people who are saying she may have lost her touch are older members...I mean, it's a good idea to suggest it, but not really helpful, so I didn't really understand I guess.

Spoiler:

This is off topic and not directed at you, but people keep talking about these other people who come here to just complain and rant. Would someone mind PMing me with a list of these people? Maybe I just don't come in here often, but I am seriously missing all of this, because whenever we get into these discussions, they seem to go pretty well for me. Everyone always has interesting points.

So the blatant ranting about her...I guess I'm just oblivious to it or something.

I don't really agree with the sense of detachment. Of course it must be true for some people, but a lot of us are here every day, following the news all the time, discussing all the time. Ayu has taken up so much of a lot of our lives, regardless what media she comes through.

If I was in Japan, seeing her all over, it would just reassure me of her status...which I was already aware of.


Honestly, I think it's great that people like her new stuff and whatever, but sometimes I think it's a little more they like "her" and how her music is different from other music, because it is, and that idea is still new.

For others, it isn't. I'm not going to go around telling people why they like this or that...but I think that the "Ayu factor" plays a huge part of why people do like her music in general. Her music still is personalized to her, and honestly, imo, it doesn't even have anything to do with her. I think I'm personally tired of the lack of talent around her, which people may not agree with...but whatever. We are constantly getting rehashed things that are not in her control. The few things that are in her control, like her lyrics, aren't that bad at all.

In fact, they're probably all of the best parts.

[ExodusUK]

Yes. To put it simply, the quality of all her releases are not upto the standard she set through 2000-2003 where every release was stellar and worthy of it's accolades and sales. Now she just seems to release whatever she can scrape together before a deadline. I'll continue to follow and will always listen to her but I'm not going to fool myself into believing she ***** gold.

[SunshineSlayer]

Originally Posted by AyUmIXx

Ayu still can gain new fans from her recent works, isn't that great enough?
even though she can't really gain bunch of fans like she used to be (well, that's because she was still new at the time)... but she's been great enough her music still can attract new people to listen to that's why her popularity is stable in Japan.. not at her peak, but not downhilll as well~

I think she is gaining more new fans outside of Japan because she is new to those people. However, the amount of the fans she is gaining in Japan I think is probably relatively low.

[Tom Punks]

Originally Posted by ExodusUK

Now she just seems to release whatever she can scrape together before a deadline.

I agree with this. :/ Soooo much.

[jamester]

I am a fan of Ayu since '&' single (so it should be around 2003). I was very excited about all her concert and start collecting all her stuffs like Live DVD and singles. I still remember I showed all my friends all Ayu's DVD and told them "this is the way a concert should be: differend and spectacular!"
Remember A-Musemum 03 "M"?
Or Dome Tour '01 "Evolution"?

Ayu lost creativity?

Indeed IMO yes!

She keeps doing the same thing from year to year. For CDL, I don't even buy the DVD anymore since last year. I thought it's just the same summary from all her previous concert and nothing's spectacular inside.

For AT, well, I found nothing new. Same laser performance, same dance ("I'm lost" dance), same stage design, same ring/tissue performance, and the worst: same song performance! I can tell how I get really bored she sang "evolution" or "UNITE!" or "Boys & Girls" in her every concert!

The closing part didn't touch me anymore. I remember the most part that makes me want to cry is Stadium Tour 2003 (or 2002?) when she sang "Who.."

Now everything became static. No improvement, no spectacular performances, no stunning dresses. It's just recycles of what she did in the past.

I think I'll stop buy her original concert from now and will download them only ~~

[Andrenekoi]

^I don't wanna be a ass, but really... I always have a hard time trying to understand why someone would like A-musum... it's her 2nd worst concert ever IMO x_X

[truehappiness]

I don't think it's a loss of creativity as it is an inability to step back and realize that she is doing a lot of the same thing in recent concerts. However, there's probably a reason why she's doing this because on some level, it all works. I imagine that watching the DVDs and seeing footage of her lives doesn't even begin to compare to how many of her concerts appear to actually being at the concert, so it seems to me that more than ever, her tours and CDLs have become a spectacle that is meant to be enjoyed live, not on DVD. IMO, it was inevitable that she'd repeat performances and start to lack the innovation since she tends to do a CDL/tour every year (this is 6-7 years later after 2003 after all, about 12 individual "shows" later excluding a-nation) but I would never have expected so many fans to be so naggy and negative.

The way I see it, with the sheer amount of shows she does, it's not surprising at all that she's had repeat performances. And lately her focus has been on mainly entertaining those who are actually at the concert, and often that doesn't translate into very entertaining DVDs. I think fans just need to consider that because Ayu has set the bar so high for herself [DT01, and then AT05] it's rather difficult for her to live up to the innovative levels of those concerts. [And anyone who really expects !!AMAZING!! from a CDL needs to realize that those are two day shows and generally weren't that great to begin with... they only started getting quite good after CDL04-05 and 05-06 IMO.]

[njanjayrp]

Originally Posted by Andrenekoi

^I don't wanna be a ass, but really... I always have a hard time trying to understand why someone would like A-musum... it's her 2nd worst concert ever IMO x_X

yeah, the costumes were pretty much trashy and totally out of the place and the stage was pretty scary ^^ so yeah it's among my least fave concerts as well.

[emi♡]

Originally Posted by Andrenekoi

^I don't wanna be a ass, but really... I always have a hard time trying to understand why someone would like A-musum... it's her 2nd worst concert ever IMO x_X

Thats funny, because one of my friends once said the same thing! He was like "I don't get the hyp around A Museum...it SUCKED..."

I personally don't really remember it...her concerts before the ATs I have a hard time remembering or differentiating sometimes...but anyway, I went and looked at the screen caps...And the outfits! omg. There was probably worse stuff about the concert...but man...those outfits...


@truehappiness: You know, I mean...maybe. It's just for me, there really is no excuse. I know she's trying her best, and she thinks everything's so cool, but for me...it's really hard to not be negative about something that is just boring and recycled.

Especially since I have sat and watched amazing artists perform where it's just them and a band, and been thoroughly entertained...

Sometimes I think it's just because we're like hardcore fans, and have seen every concert and know them so well...but meh.

I really don't care how innovative they are...but when I'm watching them and in my head im like "isn't this from 07 and 08 and oh yeah back in 02" then I kinda start feeling "meh" about it...especially when her vocals don't hold the performances...but that's a different story.

[AyUmIXx]

Originally Posted by SunshineSlayer

I think she is gaining more new fans outside of Japan because she is new to those people. However, the amount of the fans she is gaining in Japan I think is probably relatively low.

so you mean that the fans in Japan are just the hardcore fans who will always never miss her concerts every year, even though Ayu added more dates to her NL tour?

to me, if a singer adds more dates to his/her concerts, that mean more people are interested to watch his/her concerts, no?

it's kinda hard to believe that if the Japanese fans are not gained, then who would want to go to her concerts? if it's also said that Japanese fans have lost interest on her..

[love in music]

Originally Posted by Andrenekoi

^I don't wanna be a ass, but really... I always have a hard time trying to understand why someone would like A-musum... it's her 2nd worst concert ever IMO x_X

LOL that concert is the definition of tacky. but I thought her voice was really good in it.

[Andrenekoi]

Originally Posted by identity

LOL that concert is the definition of tacky. but I thought her voice was really good in it.

That concert was so tacky Koda used it as an inspiration for her Christmas Tree dress x___________x

[emi♡]

^ ...sometimes kuu seems so innocent to me. like she wants to, like, replicate something because it looked so cool, or try something out and is all excited...and it just ends up...so bad lol...

Originally Posted by AyUmIXx

so you mean that the fans in Japan are just the hardcore fans who will always never miss her concerts every year, even though Ayu added more dates to her NL tour?

to me, if a singer adds more dates to his/her concerts, that mean more people are interested to watch his/her concerts, no?

it's kinda hard to believe that if the Japanese fans are not gained, then who would want to go to her concerts? if it's also said that Japanese fans have lost interest on her..

One of my friends, who is way more hardcore ayu than me, used to say that Ayu's been sort of living off her fanbase in Japan for a long time.

And it is the same people always going to her tours.

There could be a lot of reasons why they added more dates...and I guarantee it's not all because more people wanted to go...I don't remember the last time Ayu sold out an arena...but I don't really know about that....

or any of this for that matter, just stuff I used to hear.

[AyUmIXx]

^
oh really?
really the same ppl? how could that person know it's always the same ppl?

the only reason that i could always think of adding tour dates, it's because more ppl would want to come, same things always occur to other artists that i've been reading about..i really can't think of any other reasons that would suitable for that kind of situation other than the enthusiasm of ppl towards Ayu~

could avex be so dumb to lose a lot of money by renting the arenas much longer since they probably know that the concerts won't be sold out, since Ayu has lost her fanbase in Japan? hmmm~~

[emi♡]

^...her point was just that she's supported mainly by her fan base in Japan...which would mean that every year it is her fan base going to the tours...which is the same I guess, with new ones here and there.

It obviously isn't growing at some crazy rate though, since her sales in general are declining, but I think it's fairly stable and has been for a while.

I don't necessarily think she's losing fans per say, but I think she's losing those, like, casual listeners? I guess, or average people...I'm not sure what to call them...but thats nothing new, for any of the artists.

I really don't think they added the tour dates just for more people to come, although it is a big one...Avex is thinking in terms of how many tickets they are going to sell, and they are always going to make a profit, whether Ayu sells out the arenas or not...because regardless of how bad her sales are...if Ayu has a concert, people are going to go, for whatever reasons.

However, if it was all about her fans, we'd have seen like, totally packed concerts these last few years...Ticket sales were really low this time around I think too...I remember us talking about it, but not really the reasons...so I dont know.

It would be great if it was people's enthusiasm towards Ayu...because that's a win win situation for everyone.

[bluegie]

I agree with emiko on this one. Some hardcore fans dun usually just go to one concert. Some of them will attend all the dates within the same arena, or even following ayu across a few arenas. Yes there must be causal listeners attending ayu's concert as well but the portion will not be that big. Hardcore fans in Japan are really crazy and they can devote lots of money just for who they worship. Like I say before, a tour is probly just a festival for fans. Just like every single year Japanese will go picnic under sakura trees, catching goldfish in the summer festival, etc.

Well... I dun think she is losing her hardcore fans, because if so, it's between the time 2005 - 2009. She has already lost many casual buyers in 2003 (just look at the dropping sales from RAINBOW --> A BALLAD --> Memorial address). Right now it's really like the extremely hardcore fans buying her physical cds in Japan. Causal listeners dun buy cds anymore, except if they think the album is really good enough to buy.

Originally Posted by truehappiness

I think that all some fans might need to do is reevaluate why they fell in love with Ayumi Hamasaki, and perhaps they might be able to rekindle the spirit that they had when they first discovered her. Heck, every so often, I have periods where I just don't really feel interested in Ayu, so I don't really pay attention to her for a few weeks/months. But eventually, she brings me back every. Single. Time. As long as she's able to do that, she hasn't lost her touch at all in my book.

Hmmn.. how I fell in love with her in the first place.. I was gonna download hikki's Addicted To You when I saw two cds covers on the mp3 distribution site. One had a white doll on the cover, and the other one had a black (hehe.. LOVEppears vs. appears). I was like, "wow this looks cool." So that's how I first connected to ayu.

I can tell you that it's not her song getting me into ayu in the first place. It's about her fashion, her innovative idea (e.g., covers). I believe I heard some one newer fan saying that her SEASONS cover sucked because it's just an ayu holder a picture. But back then when vogue was released, Far away's cover was already leaked on the web, and I was kinda surprised to see a lame cover (why using the same picture on Far away), then a month or so later SEASONS cove was leaked, and I was like, "wow I love this concept!!" All the fans were excited about what kind of covers she would do, and no one ever questioned if she would fail us at all. Of course, her songs is another factor attracting me as well (but that's kinda like a few months after LOVEppears).

Originally Posted by Andrenekoi

^I don't wanna be a ass, but really... I always have a hard time trying to understand why someone would like A-musum... it's her 2nd worst concert ever IMO x_X

Well I have a different view on that one (not to against you btw). Her outfits in that one were actually quite amazing (during 2003). I remember fans loving her white dress in M, the flower dress in forgiveness (oh and I love the violinists in that performance), the opening outfit (when she sang A song for xx), etc. Yeah that golden dress is a bit tacky, but I love she swung while singing the last part of Dearest. It's actually the very first concert to give a run down of her career (sorta like best of CDL).

[njanjayrp]

Originally Posted by bluegie

Well... I dun think she is losing her hardcore fans, because if so, it's between the time 2005 - 2009. She has already lost many casual buyers in 2003 (just look at the dropping sales from RAINBOW --> A BALLAD --> Memorial address).

Well I have a different view on that one (not to against you btw). Her outfits in that one were actually quite amazing (during 2003). I remember fans loving her white dress in M, the flower dress in forgiveness (oh and I love the violinists in that performance), the opening outfit (when she sang A song for xx), etc. Yeah that golden dress is a bit tacky, but I love she swung while singing the last part of Dearest. It's actually the very first concert to give a run down of her career (sorta like best of CDL).

There was no decrease in sales from A BALLADS => Memorial Address, MA sold better and MY STORY sold more than both A BALLADS and Memorial Address, which sold the way they did because one was practically a RMX/re-arrangement album, while the other one is as you know a mini album

The ASFXX costume on A Museum was plain weird. She looked like a big chandelier and imo, not a good looking one, plus all of those clowns which had little to do with the chandelier itself

[noidea]

Originally Posted by Andrenekoi

That concert was so tacky Koda used it as an inspiration for her Christmas Tree dress x___________x

Gotta love your comments on J-Pop females...

The only performances of A Museum I watch at all are A Song for XX, M and forgiveness...my opinion is pretty obvious, isn't it?

[Ayu_no_tenshi]

Originally Posted by emiko

You just seemed a little mad that day :/ Besides, the interview, while great, is not different from anything she has said before, and as a lot of the people who are saying she may have lost her touch are older members...I mean, it's a good idea to suggest it, but not really helpful, so I didn't really understand I guess.

i didn't mean for it to come across that way, but the constant bickering does get a little annoying. i don't think she's losing her touch at all tho. i've been with her from the start and i still feel the same about her. i could probably say that my love is even growing. i think it's more a matter of some fans losing touch with her. that's sad.

[Batera]

People say bad things, others say good things...
People complain here and there, up and down, back and forth (lol)...
But, in the end, everyone loves Ayu!!!
Everyone is here giving their opinions and looking for news everyday!
People wouldn't waste their time to visit a forum of a artist they don't like!

So, Ayu hasn't lost her touch!