Crossroad 49th Single Speculation Thread II

[Kingdom]

Memorial Address is my favorite! I love everything about that release, even though a lot of people hate Greatful Days and ANGEL'S SONG. I adore them

[Zeke.]

I don't think a mini-album would fare well. At all.
I hate to admit it but... nowadays, we need more room for the weak tracks. Not everything she has been making is wowing. But I take it for what it is.

[Ranma Matsuri]

^Same! I did kinda lose some of my love for ANGEL'S SONG (from playing it so darn much XD) but I seriously love every song on that album. It used to not be the case but as time went on and my music tastes changed, I gave the album a full listen through one day and was just like 'wow'. Imvho, there's not a weak track to be found.

[jbrat2219]

NO MINI-ALBUM PLEASE. MEMORIAL ADDRESS WAS ENOUGH THANKS.

[LadyAlterna]

omg is there a preview of crossroad?! I am so excited I hope it's as good as moon!

[prussian blue]

It's better if she name her previous album as mini album+extra interlude (point to GUILTY and NL)

I like the idea of mini album or an album with interludes though, but just not too much of them

[Mirrorcle Monster]

A mini-album would be okay, but if it´s going to be a 8 song mini-album, and each single will include at least two new songs, the mini-album would have only two new tracks, too poor.

[PURIN]

i woulndt want a mini album becuz i love her interludes (MINUS ROCK N ROLL CIRCUS, those interludes were pure poop)

[SURREAL__RAINBOW]

sorry but before the mini-album gurl must release another MY STORY with like 25 songs lol jks

[Picaflor 7/4]

I wouldn't mind a mini album. I think everyone fears one cause they think it'll never amount to the amazingness of Memorial address. I think she should try though. After all, Secret was supposed to be one. I do think she is long due for another one.

[primavera♥]

Yeah I just want a full album. I don't see what's great about a mini-album. There's fewer songs. Fewer chances to like a song. And no cool interludes to add to progression

And I never consider her albums like GUILTY so short considering a lot of artists I like release albums that length (about 10 full songs really) without as many lovely interludes. Its same for my fav jrock bands sometimes too. So I guess ayu just has a different standard as usual.

A nice long Album like MY STORY is always nice, right? But there's fans that complain about that. Were the number of interludes in RnRC sooo bad? 3. And 12 full tracks.
I don't see the point in wanting a mini-album if there's always complaints on not enough album tracks. If she keeps releases the way she does it just be a mini-album with like 1-2 new songs

[rakeru]

I think the problem with a mini-album is that it won't have too many new tracks and even fewer and fewer people will be compelled to buy it. Her singles are already just barely staying afloat, riding on a core fanbase that may not be able to keep pace with the rapid-fire release schedule. It's not like she could wait a long time between a mini-album and its singles, because then everyone would expect more songs. Any way, it would probably be a letdown.

[hsienko]

Originally Posted by rakeru

I think the problem with a mini-album is that it won't have too many new tracks and even fewer and fewer people will be compelled to buy it. Her singles are already just barely staying afloat, riding on a core fanbase that may not be able to keep pace with the rapid-fire release schedule. It's not like she could wait a long time between a mini-album and its singles, because then everyone would expect more songs. Any way, it would probably be a letdown.

Well Memorial address only had 3 new songs and people still bought it.


If she does a mini album and does 2 a-sides for the next 2 singles thats 6 tracks so the album would have 2 new tracks if she did 8 tracks for a mini album.

[bluegie]

Originally Posted by hsienko

Well Memorial address only had 3 new songs and people still bought it.


If she does a mini album and does 2 a-sides for the next 2 singles thats 6 tracks so the album would have 2 new tracks if she did 8 tracks for a mini album.

Ma was released at the time when she was still at the peak. Also, Ma was the first mini album selling over million copies, hinting that mini album does not perform as good as full album. I dunno if people walked away from ayu or they just didn't like mini album, but it's a fact that her album sales went from ~ 2 million copies (RAINBOW) to ~1 million copies (Ma) in just a year. I guess both reasons applied to that.

Then again, nowadays ayu's physical sales are mostly by hardcore fans, so whether a mini or a full album will not really affect her current sales. As long as avex's picking the right time again (i.e., no major competitors on the release day), she will get no. 1 for sure.

[njanjayrp]

Originally Posted by bluegie

Ma was released at the time when she was still at the peak. Also, Ma was the first mini album selling over million copies, hinting that mini album does not perform as good as full album. I dunno if people walked away from ayu or they just didn't like mini album, but it's a fact that her album sales went from ~ 2 million copies (RAINBOW) to ~1 million copies (Ma) in just a year. I guess both reasons applied to that.

Then again, nowadays ayu's physical sales are mostly by hardcore fans, so whether a mini or a full album will not really affect her current sales. As long as avex's picking the right time again (i.e., no major competitors on the release day), she will get no. 1 for sure.

The Japanese Music market had a "break down" in 2003. It wasn't just Ayu's sales that went down.

[ayumisrael]

Originally Posted by bluegie

Ma was released at the time when she was still at the peak. Also, Ma was the first mini album selling over million copies, hinting that mini album does not perform as good as full album. I dunno if people walked away from ayu or they just didn't like mini album, but it's a fact that her album sales went from ~ 2 million copies (RAINBOW) to ~1 million copies (Ma) in just a year. I guess both reasons applied to that.

Then again, nowadays ayu's physical sales are mostly by hardcore fans, so whether a mini or a full album will not really affect her current sales. As long as avex's picking the right time again (i.e., no major competitors on the release day), she will get no. 1 for sure.

Because MY STORY sold more than Memorial address it gives more legitimacy to think that it was mainly because it was a mini album.
(Well it fell from 1,850,000 to around 1,050,000) though usually artists that sell the amount of RAINBOW usually fall later to around the amount of Memorial address or less in most cases. (Like kuu - ~second session~ to Black Cherry, namie 181920 to GENIOUS 2000 and hikki SC to ULTRA BLUE where their sales just went down at those specific points) just that ayu could survive the fall with just a mini album.

[AyumiAi]

I said it in another thread, and i'll say it again.
Ayumi Hamasaki's cd's are not barely staying afloat, and her career is not dying.
Let's look at Koda Kumi, her last single only reached number 4,
Let's look at BoA, Her new single Woo Weekend only reached number 10 on weekly charts
Let's look at Namie Amuro's new single, only reached number 3 selling 23,000 copies first day, while Ayumi sold 35,000 copies first day with Moon/ blossom. These are all people who are considered to be on top of the japanese female music industry. Yui's last single sold 70,000+ copies first week, almost same as Ayumi hamasaki. So for those who say she's barely staying afloat i would like to disagree.
Ps. I would like a mini-album, but i would be afraid for the fact that there wouldnt be much new material to propel people to buy it, and a full album would be nice either way im excited.

[primavera♥]

Originally Posted by AyumiAi

I said it in another thread, and i'll say it again.
Ayumi Hamasaki's cd's are not barely staying afloat, and her career is not dying.
Let's look at Koda Kumi, her last single only reached number 4,
Let's look at BoA, Her new single Woo Weekend only reached number 10 on weekly charts
Let's look at Namie Amuro's new single, only reached number 3 selling 23,000 copies first day, while Ayumi sold 35,000 copies first day with Moon/ blossom. These are all people who are considered to be on top of the japanese female music industry. Yui's last single sold 70,000+ copies first week, almost same as Ayumi hamasaki. So for those who say she's barely staying afloat i would like to disagree.
Ps. I would like a mini-album, but i would be afraid for the fact that there wouldnt be much new material to propel people to buy it, and a full album would be nice either way im excited.

Comparing her to other female solo artists is not showing any proof that she's sooo popular. The industry is not just them.
When someone says they are worried a mini-album won't sell well because people may not want to buy it is sensible considering there are other artists in this industry besides namie/kuu/boa/yui etc who take up peoples music interests. And ayu would not be be getting number ones if she were releasing in other weeks (so that part is basically irrelevent)

A mini-album with a couple new tracks would probably be a move that shouldn't be taken after all this hype for these singles. They should give it some time and release a full album with more fresh songs

Mini-album does not equal the next Memorial Address. Plus if she does that it will be a much longer wait to get a full album as well have to go through singles. And in the long run in just less new songs which I don't like

[NintendoHTF1242]

Originally Posted by AyumiAi

I said it in another thread, and i'll say it again.
Ayumi Hamasaki's cd's are not barely staying afloat, and her career is not dying.
Let's look at Koda Kumi, her last single only reached number 4,
Let's look at BoA, Her new single Woo Weekend only reached number 10 on weekly charts
Let's look at Namie Amuro's new single, only reached number 3 selling 23,000 copies first day, while Ayumi sold 35,000 copies first day with Moon/ blossom. These are all people who are considered to be on top of the japanese female music industry. Yui's last single sold 70,000+ copies first week, almost same as Ayumi hamasaki. So for those who say she's barely staying afloat i would like to disagree.
Ps. I would like a mini-album, but i would be afraid for the fact that there wouldnt be much new material to propel people to buy it, and a full album would be nice either way im excited.

Kuu and Namie were up against some pretty tough competitors. BoA is a flop so that was expected. But yeah you can't compare it since M/b was released on a pretty quiet week. While Kuu was up against ARASHI and EXILE I think. Then Namie was up against that one Johnny guy.

[Bigtop]

Originally Posted by NintendoHTF1242

Kuu and Namie were up against some pretty tough competitors. BoA is a flop so that was expected. But yeah you can't compare it since M/b was released on a pretty quiet week. While Kuu was up against ARASHI and EXILE I think. Then Namie was up against that one Johnny guy.

That guy is Tomohisa Yamashita of NEWS, sorry Also add Yusuke, too - also a strong guy, by a bit...