2012 Album Annoucement

[freedreamer]

I have faith the covers will be stellarrrrr once again
yea i hope she'll change it up for the cover. i rarely see AYu albums that have the same styling

[jbrat2219]

Originally Posted by bondingo

But about this new album; it better be a hell of a lot better than the **** stain that was FIVE. I swear to god, I'm STILL disappointed about it. Love songs wasn't much better. Please Ayu, get better or take a break, because you aren't impressing me at all lately

I don't want this to sound mean, but just because Ayu doesn't meet your standards doesn't mean she needs a break. Five not included, there are plenty of people who are happy with her past few albums. Particularly Love songs.

But I am curious about her releasing this album right out of the gate. She's definitely changing up her release pattern and I love it. I mean, when was the last winter/summer single release? Sunrise and You were...? Since then she's been rather unpredictable.

[bondingo]

^ It doesn't sound mean, but a lot of people have been getting less and less satisfied with each release since Secret and on, and I'm just one of many. I really do think she needs a break, and I know for a fact that I'm not the only one who feels that way.

Me saying I think she needs a break because I think she's been getting worse with each release is just as valid a point as someone saying they don't think she needs one because she's been getting better. It's all about opinion, and clearly we just don't share one in this case

[jbrat2219]

^ I feel like if she does break for anything it should be for personal time not necessarily for music inspiration. But obviously she needs to give us something besides FIVE before she goes anywhere . I like FIVE, but... You know...

[bondingo]

I think so too, but I think the time off might do good for her creative output as well. I miss the intensely creative Ayu. We get flashes of it here and there, but not nearly as frequent as with some older albums. With FIVE, it seems like instead of doing the same old Ayu songs we've heard a million times before, she did boring songs we've heard a million times from OTHER artists.

And I think about half of Love songs was amazing, but it still followed the sad, recent trend of her albums being half amazing and half filler (FIVE excluded).

[RayJason]

@Koumori I was throwing that in out of the blue!

[Pieces_of_SEVEN]

Originally Posted by bondingo

^ It doesn't sound mean, but a lot of people have been getting less and less satisfied with each release since Secret and on, and I'm just one of many. I really do think she needs a break, and I know for a fact that I'm not the only one who feels that way.

Me saying I think she needs a break because I think she's been getting worse with each release is just as valid a point as someone saying they don't think she needs one because she's been getting better. It's all about opinion, and clearly we just don't share one in this case

For you, it's from Secret on.
For someone else, it's I am... on.
For someone else, it's Rock 'n' Roll Circus on.

Doesn't mean the quality of music has changed, just means people have tastes, and since ayu constantly changes her style, this is to be expected. Doesn't mean she needs a break at all.

[jbrat2219]

@bondingo, Yeah, but part of me feels like even if she did break for inspiration it wouldn't do much good in a way. Only because, I mean she's tried and done everything. Anything we get is bound to be reminiscent of her past works in some way as they have been for a while now. At this point I feel it is only matter if 1) it's actually any good and 2) if the fans like it or not. What new bounds can she reach? What new sounds can she use? Edge mentioned a full electro album but as he also said she touched on that in NL... That was her attempt. So is it that she needs something "new" and "fresh" or is it that she needs to refine her sound?

[Tom Punks]

Originally Posted by Pieces_of_SEVEN

For you, it's from Secret on.
For someone else, it's I am... on.
For someone else, it's Rock 'n' Roll Circus on.

Doesn't mean the quality of music has changed, just means people have tastes, and since ayu constantly changes her style, this is to be expected. Doesn't mean she needs a break at all.

Actually, I do think the trend is Secret on. Obviously it doesn't apply to every single fan out there, but there does seem to be a general trend.

[jbrat2219]

Originally Posted by Pieces_of_SEVEN

Doesn't mean the quality of music has changed, just means people have tastes, and since ayu constantly changes her style, this is to be expected. Doesn't mean she needs a break at all.

I agree.

[bondingo]

Originally Posted by Pieces_of_SEVEN

For you, it's from Secret on.
For someone else, it's I am... on.
For someone else, it's Rock 'n' Roll Circus on.

Doesn't mean the quality of music has changed, just means people have tastes, and since ayu constantly changes her style, this is to be expected. Doesn't mean she needs a break at all.

I didn't say it was from Secret on for myself. I think it's from Next Level on; I'm just saying a lot of times I hear people saying Secret was when she really started going downhill. You hear a lot more people doing things other than stanning around release time, which is why it's not as common to hear criticism now as it was when FIVE leaked (and the previous albums).

Like I said, it's just opinion. That's great that you don't think a woman who works all the time doesn't need a break, but I think she does. And I don't think the problem is her changing her style too often. I wish she did more often. I wouldn't exactly say the woman changes it up too much when we get four summer singles in a row that are practically indistinguishable and ballads that take me til the chorus before I can tell which one it is.

Originally Posted by jbrat2219

@bondingo, Yeah, but part of me feels like even if she did break for inspiration it wouldn't do much good in a way. Only because, I mean she's tried and done everything. Anything we get is bound to be reminiscent of her past works in some way as they have been for a while now. At this point I feel it is only matter if 1) it's actually any good and 2) if the fans like it or not. What new bounds can she reach? What new sounds can she use? Edge mentioned a full electro album but as he also said she touched on that in NL... That was her attempt. So is it that she needs something "new" and "fresh" or is it that she needs to refine her sound?

I think it's both actually. I do appreciate that she tried something new with FIVE, but it was unfortunately a failure in my opinion. I'd like her to try new things that are truly untouched by her before, which we see here and there, but usually only for a song or two on each album (Sparkle on NL, Sexy little things and Don't look back on RnRC, and Do It Again on Ls). I just think there hasn't been enough reinvention. Sure she's covered a lot of genres, but it's generally the same ones we see, and when she strays from the usual recently, it's either only for a song or two, or only done in a minor way (i.e. the "electronic dabbling" of NL).

[Misa-chan]

Originally Posted by bondingo

I think it's both actually. I do appreciate that she tried something new with FIVE, but it was unfortunately a failure in my opinion. I'd like her to try new things that are truly untouched by her before, which we see here and there, but usually only for a song or two on each album (Sparkle on NL, Sexy little things and Don't look back on RnRC, and Do It Again on Ls). I just think there hasn't been enough reinvention. Sure she's covered a lot of genres, but it's generally the same ones we see, and when she strays from the usual recently, it's either only for a song or two, or only done in a minor way (i.e. the "electronic dabbling" of NL).

Maybe the problem's with the fact that ayu's been using the same arrangers, plus her personal taste as well. I mean, she probably gets hundreds of demos from all sorts of composers, and I'm sure there will be at least a few ones that are really different and out there. But maybe they don't get chosen by ayu, and even if they do, maybe the arrangers twist it completely to give it that certain sound which some of us feel is "the same old boring thing". So it's not that new things don't get tried out, it's just that they probably never made it all the way to an album/single and to us, the listeners.

Besides, she's always been trying new things. With NL, she tried her hand at electro-pop. With RnRC, she tried out Arabian-styled music with Dlb. End of last year, she tried out a duet with a male singer. With FIVE, she experimented with more duets with another singer, RnB style, and whatever style BRILLANTE is. It's not like she hasn't been trying out new things, it's about whether we like them or not. If we happen to not like a few of the things she's been trying, we criticize her to heck and back, like what alot of people here are doing..

As someone pointed out, everyone has an opinion about when ayu's 'decline' started. From Secret on, RnRC on, I am... on, whatever. I just want to add that there are people like myself who think that she's never fallen, and is in fact better than she was 7-8 years ago. It's not that we're stupid fans who love everything blindly. I do have dislikes, for example, Lady D, do it again, BRILLANTE, I won't mind if ayu never did those songs. (now I'm gonna get murdered by BRILLANTE fans ) So yeah, everyone likes different things, and maybe it's easier to just try to love ayu for who she is now, and not how she was in the past. It's alright to have your own personal 'ayu peak', but to expect her to hit it with every single release is just setting yourself up for inevitable disappointment..

[PoetGirl]

Just because more than two people think something doesnt mean its right. Love songs is pure quality album, I think if it means couple of albums in a row that you dont like someone's music anymore your taste rapidly changed and its time to move on.

I mean, I pretty much respect idols from my childhood but Im not into their music anymore. You're not going to be in the same place forever.

[bondingo]

Misa-chan: Good post. You make a lot of valid points and I agree with a lot of it.

Originally Posted by PoetGirl

Just because more than two people think something doesnt mean its right. Love songs is pure quality album, I think if it means couple of albums in a row that you dont like someone's music anymore your taste rapidly changed and its time to move on.

Except that isn't the case. And while you tell me "just because more than two people think something doesn't mean it's right", you go and say your opinion as if it's what is right, with the justification being that you yourself believe it. Even though it's my opinion, it isn't fact that Ayu's recent albums have been not as good as her earlier ones, just as it's not fact that they're just as good or even better. It's all opinion, and you have no place telling me "it's time to move on".

If I'd given up hope in Ayu, I definitely would have been long gone, but obviously I haven't, and I'm sure as hell not gonna move on because you told me I should. She still shows enough of what I love about her that I haven't left. No, I haven't been as pleased with her as I'd like to be, so I'm expressing my opinion about it.

I swear to god, AHS has to be the only place on the internet that you can't express a criticism about Ayu without getting a barrage of comments defending her. She doesn't give a **** what any of us say and it's not going to hurt your credibility as a fan to listen to and consider opinions that are different than yours. Keep that in mind.

[PoetGirl]

No, I havent said my opinion is right, I just wanna show you that other people see very different. Nothing much really.

'It's time to move on' is my advice which I meant by dont set your expectations when you know she isnt your cup of tea anymore. Its understandable that you wanna know whats she's up to since she's being a huge part of your life, but its not wise to expect she will do something you imagined her to do it.

I didnt mean anything bad really. I just said how I deal with the same thing.

[love in music]

Originally Posted by bondingo

I swear to god, AHS has to be the only place on the internet that you can't express a criticism about Ayu without getting a barrage of comments defending her. She doesn't give a **** what any of us say and it's not going to hurt your credibility as a fan to listen to and consider opinions that are different than yours. Keep that in mind.

well it is a fan forum.. I get my head cut off at every fan forum I make a negative comment about the artist. people here are actually very tame in comparison to other ones i'm a member of.

[bondingo]

^^ It just came across a bit assuming to me, which is why I responded the way I did. Thanks if you were trying to help, but I'll know when it's time to move on. Thankfully, I don't really think that point will come for a long time. It takes quite a lot for me to give up on artists that are one of my absolute favorites, and Ayu is/was my favorite for more than 6 years now.

^ Thank god I'm not a member of those boards then

[Key ~eternal tie~]

Aww, but I like the later Ayu. I feel that Ayu can finally be happy with what she's created now. During the I am.../Rainbow period, I feel that she was under a lot of stress to create her own material, and it put strain on her voice, and inevitably her performance (CDL 2002-03).

For me, Ayu has always been Ayu, and will always be Ayu... I won't wish for Ayu to create a certain genre of music, because I can always go back to my old time favorites from listening to her older songs.

Sure the older material is great too, but for me, Ayu creates better performances as time goes on... Isn't there a reason why the people who do criticize her now, still follow her music etc. Surely if she's that 'bad' people will eventually become indifferent, then as fans, are we asking for too much?

Sorry for ranting on, I just feel that Ayu doesn't get as much appreciation because she's created so much great music in the past and it's hard to top. But does this give us reason to say Ayu is disappointing?? I certainly don't feel Ayu has disappointed me.

[letter]

Originally Posted by Key ~eternal tie~

Aww, but I like the later Ayu. I feel that Ayu can finally be happy with what she's created now. During the I am.../Rainbow period, I feel that she was under a lot of stress to create her own material, and it put strain on her voice, and inevitably her performance (CDL 2002-03).

Good point. I wish she had the determination to compose now. She may be composing, we don't know, but she doesn't put anything out.

[ayumisrael]

In CDL 2002-2003 she was sick