Lets vent about ayu?/why did your fandom decrease

[Max_ZZZ]

Hey ive been laying low here for a while, but with the new album coming out im wondering if anyone stands with me on ayus career at the moment because im a bit put off from it. even with her decline I always thought she was keeping true to her reputation for innovation, all the way up to FIVE. Brillante was incredible, and I was excited for what came next. Then I really felt like she lost a lot of quality in her work. The songs were mediocre or not amazing, and her image was aweful. A summer best was stupid af, the "minialbum" thing was akward and unnecessary, and I swear if she does fishlips one more time ill fly over and cut them off. Lol idk, theres a blog jpop random and he said it best for his party queen and love again reviews.
Dont get me wrong, im still a fan. Im here still cause I have hope that she has a few more kickass moments but idk everything seems basic girly love story lets dance instead of, what will be new?
Let me know your thoughts!
Ps. Feel the love is garbage... to each his own but gotdam

[J0nB0yH88]

I'm not fond of the 2 new songs, but I'm not going talk smack about ayu. She can try other things, not everyone is going to like them.

If you aren't a fan anymore why bother coming on the forum?

[happiholic★]

I've been feeling like her latest efforts are a little half-assed. I was incredibly disinterested in her for a very long time, but for some reason, lately I've been into her older stuff again. Probably because I didn't listen for a long time.

[marty]

I don't really relate to you, 'cause my interest in her is VERY high, but I've sure felt disappointed quite a lot the past year. I hated the whole, cheap way they handled her 15th anniversary and I do feel half of LOVEagain was lazy as hell. And I still hate LOVEagain covers more than (miss)understood ones, and that's saying something, lol.
But the best thing about Ayu is she's always, constantly changing, so chances are you'll find some way to like her again in the future, 'cause she's gonna change her game once again, that's for sure.

[Benikari47]

My interest for Ayu is still pretty high, however just like you i find her releases after FIVE kinda lackluster. The songs aren't even bad or anything, just boring and most of the time i find the tracks to be weaker versions of older songs. Party Queen took a few chances, some good (NaNaNa, Return Road) and some bad (Eyes, Smoke, Magic) but the rest of the album is just pretty.. blah.

Then she released LOVE and Song 4 U instantly became one of my favorite Ayu songs and Missing was a really great surprise as well, then came Again and she continued the high quality with Wake Me Up and Snowy Kiss. I was so stoked for LOVEAgain, i could hardly contain my excitement and then after listening to it i just blanked out. I liked some of the tracks at first, but after i finished the album i just sat there unable to remember any of the new tracks.

What was before Ayu's biggest strength has became a bore to me now, her ballads have brought me so much joy, sadness and nostalgia over the years but almost all of them sound the same today.. I like Pray, but it's not a track i feel like replaying over and over.

Merry Go Round was a nice surprise though, and the news of her new album being very up-beat and EDM sounds interesting. It could be a Next Level part 2 and since i love that album so much i'm really excited!

Just don't sound like Feel The Love.. PLEASE just don't!

[Bigtop]

Look here, I've been losing interest in Ayu, and for a number of reasons...

• She's 35 years old
• I've been too focused on other artists, such as Ayaka, miwa, Sayuri Sugawara and Yanawaraba (and even losing interest in Arashi/Johnny's as well, it seems...)
• I've been too busy studying at school, and need to study more, especially after I "only" got a 2.5 in my math class last quarter
• I lost my iPod! Even my 32GB iPhone 5 won't fit everything because I also sync photos to it...

And the list goes on and on. I do also believe that, partially because of her age, it seems her efforts are underwhelming, there hasn't been any promotion...I think we have lost much of her lust back from years ago! And, yes, even the 15th anniversary - I call that "lackluster" as well! I don't understand how much action was Ayu putting on her "15th anniversary year" - I just feel it's not acceptable to my standards! There's also this cannibalization of girls' J-pop music by AKB48, and... It's just too many reasons to say...

One thing's for sure to me - I'm not "Feel(ing) the love" with Ayu pretty much anymore. It's time for me to move on. When I first got interested in Ayu, I was 13, and she was 28; now, I'm 20 (almost 21), and she's 35; there are better options than this.

[chocopockymaster]

Originally Posted by Max_ZZZ

Im here still cause I have hope that she has a few more kickass moments but idk everything seems basic girly love story lets dance instead of, what will be new?

I grant you, there was a lot of that on LOVE again. But you can't deny that MY WAY, at least, even if it's a collaboration, is a totally new direction for her. I'd be interested to hear your thoughts on that track in particular.

Originally Posted by Bigtop

Look here, I've been losing interest in Ayu, and for a number of reasons...

• She's 35 years old

What on earth is this reasoning? You're losing interest in an artist you once loved because she's no longer in her twenties? You have to be kidding me.

One thing's for sure to me - I'm not "Feel(ing) the love" with Ayu pretty much anymore. It's time for me to move on. When I first got interested in Ayu, I was 13, and she was 28; now, I'm 20 (almost 21), and she's 35; there are better options than this.

kthxbye, don't let the door hit you on your way out.


I will honestly say that I, too, have gone through some periods over the past few years where my 'faith' in Ayu (if you can call it that) wavered a little bit. Party Queen was probably the beginning of that...I understand some people's reasoning as to why it was really a genius album (Deli's post on it comes to mind) but it fell totally flat for me with the exception of, like, Reminds me. I threw myself into her previous material and tried to wait it out, but she didn't exactly deliver with her releases after that either. I just kept reminding myself of what her music has meant to me, and how I didn't want to feel distanced from that. I never want Ayu to be just a 'phase' of my life.

I'm far from being the first person to say this, but when an artist has gone through as many 'evolutionary stages', so to speak, as Ayu has, there are bound to be some releases that don't just click with you. It's unfortunate that you've fallen out of love with her, so to speak. Personally, I loved FtL/MgR/Pray/MY WAY, and I'm excited that she finally seems to be experimenting more. I hope there are at least a few tracks on the new album that you can get excited about, since there's a lot to look forward to!

[J0nB0yH88]

Originally Posted by chocopockymaster

I grant you, there was a lot of that on LOVE again. But you can't deny that MY WAY, at least, even if it's a collaboration, is a totally new direction for her. I'd be interested to hear your thoughts on that track in particular.



What on earth is this reasoning? You're losing interest in an artist you once loved because she's no longer in her twenties? You have to be kidding me.



kthxbye, don't let the door hit you on your way out.


I will honestly say that I, too, have gone through some periods over the past few years where my 'faith' in Ayu (if you can call it that) wavered a little bit. Party Queen was probably the beginning of that...I understand some people's reasoning as to why it was really a genius album (Deli's post on it comes to mind) but it fell totally flat for me with the exception of, like, Reminds me. I threw myself into her previous material and tried to wait it out, but she didn't exactly deliver with her releases after that either. I just kept reminding myself of what her music has meant to me, and how I didn't want to feel distanced from that. I never want Ayu to be just a 'phase' of my life.

I'm far from being the first person to say this, but when an artist has gone through as many 'evolutionary stages', so to speak, as Ayu has, there are bound to be some releases that don't just click with you. It's unfortunate that you've fallen out of love with her, so to speak. Personally, I loved FtL/MgR/Pray/MY WAY, and I'm excited that she finally seems to be experimenting more. I hope there are at least a few tracks on the new album that you can get excited about, since there's a lot to look forward to!

well said! I also think ayu will give us a lot to look forward to.

...losing interest in a great musician because she's in her 30's just astounds me. there are MANY wonderful musicians who are a lot older than ayu and are still absolutely fantastic! that 'reason' is just completely ridiculous.

I must find this song MY WAY!

[YuriChan]

Originally Posted by Bigtop

She's 35 years old

I'm sorry... But that's a dumb reason to lose interest in ayu. The guys of B'z are in the mid 40's and they're still releasing great music! It shouldn't matter the age of your favorite artist, but the quality of music that they release.

[channy]

I don't know of any possible alternatives regarding Ayu's music. She was able to introduce the listeners to her very own pop genre. She's not a teenage phase to me. I will defend the glory and acknowledge the accomplishments that speak for Hamasaki's uniqueness forever.

[Delicious n Bold]

Age as a factor for losing interest in someone? A damn mess.
It 'makes sense' that somebody would put less effort as they age, but there are people that continually make good music as the age. Just look at kylie minogue. Kiss me once is one of her best songs and she recorded it in her 40s.

And as for my reason: I overplayed her to death. Like 20000 plays in a year, sometimes 1k plays a week. But I still check on Ayu/will be buying the new album.

[VegetaLove]

Party Queen. That's why.

[truehappiness]

My fandom wanes every once in a while but it's usually because she's touring and is basically doing nothing.

[adantatu2]

Originally Posted by Bigtop

Look here, I've been losing interest in Ayu, and for a number of reasons...[list][*]She's 35 years old

Really ? And the music isn't important ?

[Zeke.]

It's a mixture of different things. Of course there's the fact that material has changed. Every now and then there is something that screams that classic Hamasaki aura but more often than not lately it has been a slew of tracks that, when it comes down to it, I wouldn't miss if they were never released to begin with. For example, if I were in an alternate universe and got to hear clips of the majority of her songs from recent eras that "could have been" (songs that actually ARE existing in THIS universe), I wouldn't feel sad over many of them.

There is a study in which I read lately when researching materials for a research paper. My chosen topic was trance music but it broadened out to power of music and its effects, user experiences, etc. One interesting study was about how there is a part in the brain which is constantly making guestimations or expectations of music as you listen to it. This part of the brain which is interpreting new music as you listen to it, compares it to stored "templates" of music you have enjoyed in the past in another part of the brain. When your brains expectations are met or exceeded, the first area releases dopamine into the brain - and when this area compares the new piece of material you are listening to to the stored "templates" of which your brain has found pleasure in the past, the dopamine levels will fire off more intensely. But, if the new material is too "out there" compared to past experiences that have shaped your brains preferences, then you won't feel that "rush".

What I'm trying to say is, for a long time Ayu's music had this CRAZY effect on my brain. It was immensely powerful, and I have no doubt now after reading these scientific discoveries that the amount of dopamine my brain produced during the height of my love of her works (my favorite songs) just cannot be rivaled. After having that kind of experience, such INTENSE feelings of disbelief at how my expectations were continually exceeded, such an intensity will never return because the part of my brain which creates expectations and the part of my brain which holds onto those templates are filled with moments like those... even when lowering my expectations consciously, subconsciously my brain is a slave to those peaks in pleasure I had during the best moments in her music for me.

If she changes too much then the part of my brain that stores enjoyable templates is not satisfied. If she doesn't change much but does not exceed or at least live up to past attempts at a similar sound, then the dopamine will not fire off and disappointment ensues.

I once had this theory come to me when I was "medicated" and my mind was blown - that the reason my passion for her music was dwindling was because the rush I felt during my first years of fandom were SO INTENSE that it was virtually impossible to live up to that rush. Now that science has actually explained this as a possibility I am truly baffled by it!

[terra]

^That's an interesting theory, and I kinda agree with it. During my first years of fandom, her materials and lyric for me are one of a kind. It's so intense and powerful and it matches with the demand of my brain to listen to such music.

Idk how to say it but I felt like her materials especially since Love Songs (it's still the best from her 3 latest album so far) were half-assed or like unfinished products (e.g Tell All was a mixing mess for me). So I drifted away from her latest music even though I still love some like snowy kiss, Merry-go-round, Wake me up, and Return Road.

Maybe the fact that I changed and she changed and we're no longer as compatible as before (in terms of personal feelings and taste), that's what made me lost my interest.

And maybe, because I don't really dig the whole cutesy thing...? I mean an older woman can be cute like Kylie Minogue, she's cute but she's cute appropriately not like "Hey, I'm a higshchool girl!" things like that...or maybe because it's a part of Japanese culture I can never embrace

[Bigtop]

Okay guys, for those who criticized on my post, sorry about that. Was I off-topic or something?

I do still like her music, but I just haven't had a chance to listen to her more recent songs...

[primavera♥]

Lol. Why does everyone hate Party Queen so much. It's such an interesting album. Songs like Eyes, Smoke, Magic are so interesting and almost dark lyric wise. I love when she does that.

Sorry you can't appreciate what ayu is doing right now. You're probably ever only going to enjoy the past. That's natural. Ayu has been around for a while. It's a lot easier to disappoint when you've already done so much. Also easy to make comparisons to the past which most likely seems grand and nostalgic and emotional. Idk. That's just how it is for some people.

I see it with MUCC fans often. Even when they're changing up their sound. Especially when they're changing up their sound actually lol. Had it been released first in their career. It may have been loved, but it wasn't.

Anyway, I really loved LOVE and again ad mini-albums. Good quality to me. Surprisingly so. I feel the same way about her last single. So I hope it continues in this fashion. I only don't care for basic ass songs like the ones on FIVE outside of progress and BRILLANTE. And Melody. And I'll probably feel the same about Hello New Me tbqh

I also think that she looks fabulous lately. Hopefully we can get some more color and edge soon. That's what I ask for. But at least she still looks nice. It's very safe.

[KarenPang]

I've been a fan of ayumi since late 2005 . She was the 1st JPop artiste I started listening/supporting . Along the way , I found many other artistes to support besides her

Naturally , fandoms come & go . I stopped supporting some in due course but she's 1 of the few that I still support even up to now . I've gone through some incidents when my interest in her dropped but it didn't really came to a point where I completely stopped supporting her

And to say that you stopped supporting her just because she's old is the dumbest thing to say . You look around artistes that're older than her but yet they still got it even up to now , such as B'z , Fukuyama Masaharu-san & many others

Heck , even the members for my most fave artiste BREAKERZ are all older than her , well just 2 haha but do I support/love them cos of how they look & all ? No as that's just super shallow in supporting someone just because of looks

For me , I support an artiste based on the music that he/she makes . Looks come & go but talent still stays in a person in many more years to come

End of the day even though some of ayumi's personal decisions on some issues are questionable , there's no doubt she still reminds a force to reckon with . For her to do things her way & not caving into the latest music trends , I think that says a lot about her

She could have sell herself out but she chose not to do that . In that aspect , I respect her as she's in a stage where now she calls the shots on what she wants or don't want to do

[owlflight]

I don't think my interest in Ayu has decreased but I don't feel like the supportive fan I was a year ago. I'm not jumping to preorder her music releases like I used to. I blame that mostly on my financial situation. I have also discovered other artists so that splits up my time. Age wise, I don't care how old she is as long as she makes great music. Besides, one of my favorite singers aside from Ayu is in her 40s. But Ayu, I'm still waiting for some awesome rock songs from you!