Lets vent about ayu?/why did your fandom decrease

[pepper]

oh, I was debating with my friend about Ayu today and I saw the thread so here we go:


Hm, just see:
Party Queen - 1 slow ballad
Love again - 8 slow songs....

I don't like "love-dovey" music in general, I find them meaningless. If I want meaningless music, I prefer "party/electro" music or any other. (thats why I like Party Queen It may be found as immature music or sth, but I listen to them for bits/music/dancing to it, not for meaning). It doesn't mean I don't like her "slow" songs - they can be very powerfull (see, her power ballads) or they can be very emotional within the lyrics (BRILLANTE, ever free etc)

And I hate putting US in Japanese music, so I hate putting Japanese culture in western music (see: Avril's new video). She will NEVER sound good in english. She will never be "US diva". She will always be japanese diva. That's why I will never like her "You & Me"/"Feel the love" inspirations. It just don't fit her.

Feel the love PV was quite funny. I just don't dig the style she went in the music for it.

[Kanzaki]

I definitely feel like her creativity doesn't excite me the way it used to, but honestly, my interest in her music decreasing has a lot more to do with my waning interest in japanese culture and music in general. Around the time I became a fan (2003), my weeabo levels were too damn high But even so, her music was still very exciting, different in arrangement compared to popular western music and even jpop at that time, and I hardly listened to music, because it was all the same old. Today, I almost feel like it's the other way around - the original and exciting songs in jpop are getting fewer and fewer, but I keep getting introduced to really amazing western music.

So, it's a combination of many things. Ayu does pretty much the same thing over and over (and why wouldn't she? It works for her, and her music is decent. And well, with the exception of a few songs where she still manages to surprise me), I don't have the enormous levels of interest in japanese music I used to, and western music just is overall better, I feel. I can't really bash Ayu, musically, she's had few misses and a whole lot of outstanding songs.

[channy]

I assume a lot of J-Pop fans fancy Japanese singers prevalently for their "Japaneseness". The moment their illusionary teenage-interest in Japanese pop culture fades, they abandon the formerly beloved artists as well. That's a phase of growing up. Music in general is often a phenomenon among younger folks because adults are planning their careers and don't have much time for pop madness anymore nor would they identify with role models made for teenagers whatsoever.

I for one refuse to let my Ayu fandom go because I once swore I will have her music play on my funeral. It's sick-minded, I know. Industrial plastic music on a funeral, blimey. However, as a 90ies kid, you don't know any better. We were raised with fake emotions, so why not perish along with them at the end of our time?

[PURIN]

ever since TK started composing crap for her my interest dropped slowly

[Zeke.]

Originally Posted by Chibi-Chan

because you're a man and you don't know how this whole cult of thinnes and obsession with beauty constantly discriminating every woman who doesn't fit in the category "sweet little princess" feels

I agree with most of your posts comments. However, I have to call out this assertion because it's one of my biggest concerns.

Men may not feel pressure to be thin but the male physique is very much asserted to men. The strong, muscular, "sex appeal" type. There is still pressure to live up to a physical standard and it's very tough because men aren't supposed to care about beauty. That is slowly changing. However, the pressure is still there that "I am not good enough" and to assert more sex appeal in the form of physique. On a side note, the task of achieving a muscular built physique is much more difficult, time consuming, and draining than it is to achieve a thin body type - so the work a man has to put in to fit that image is much more than women who merely want to be thin.

[Andrenekoi]

Originally Posted by Zeke.

I agree with most of your posts comments. However, I have to call out this assertion because it's one of my biggest concerns.

Men may not feel pressure to be thin but the male physique is very much asserted to men. The strong, muscular, "sex appeal" type. There is still pressure to live up to a physical standard and it's very tough because men aren't supposed to care about beauty. That is slowly changing. However, the pressure is still there that "I am not good enough" and to assert more sex appeal in the form of physique. On a side note, the task of achieving a muscular built physique is much more difficult, time consuming, and draining than it is to achieve a thin body type - so the work a man has to put in to fit that image is much more than women who merely want to be thin.

Men suffer pressure to fit in a certain physique, but is nowhere near the pressure women suffer. You just have to observe how common is for fat men to be married to "skinny hot" women on media, or count how manny famous fat men are against how manny fat women.

[Chibi-Chan]

Originally Posted by Zeke.

I agree with most of your posts comments. However, I have to call out this assertion because it's one of my biggest concerns.

Men may not feel pressure to be thin but the male physique is very much asserted to men. The strong, muscular, "sex appeal" type. There is still pressure to live up to a physical standard and it's very tough because men aren't supposed to care about beauty. That is slowly changing. However, the pressure is still there that "I am not good enough" and to assert more sex appeal in the form of physique. On a side note, the task of achieving a muscular built physique is much more difficult, time consuming, and draining than it is to achieve a thin body type - so the work a man has to put in to fit that image is much more than women who merely want to be thin.

That's a difficult topic and although I think the pressure for women is much harder (not the becoming thin part but the overall assumptions about women that come along with it, like women are just pretty dolls and that their worth is measured by their appearance and not their skills - in simplified terms) I agree that men also suffer under the sexism that actually is directed at women. While women have to be pretty and gentle men have to be tough. That's especially a problem for little boys who should be kids and not bothered by the "men don't cry" shit.
I hope one day girls can be loud and play dressed up as a pirate and boys can be shy and play with "My little Pony" if they want to without anyone telling the kids they aren't "real" girls or boys.
And I find it interesting that you say men don't have to care about beauty, because here in Germany they have (not as much as women, though). A friend of mine who comes from the US always says that people over there think European men are all "gay". Is this true?

[rikku1994]

all this drama just because of Feel the Love MV? ._.

[channy]

^ Sometimes you just have to sort things out *leans back and lights a cigar*

[marty]

^
Lol.

Originally Posted by emi♡

Actually, I think that's the bigger problem anyways. Ayu always has these grand ideas for things, and can never execute them properly.
Another reason why people get disappointed with her.

Yeah, I thought so too.
Even if for me it's more a problem Ayu started to have recently, 'cause before I always felt she could deliver her ideas just perfectly.
In the last few years, instead, it's like I have this feeling a lot of times, when I think I understand where she wanted to go, but she just didn't quite get there.
I think her budget is kinda low nowdays, too.

[Delirium-Zer0]

Originally Posted by marty

Even if for me it's more a problem Ayu started to have recently, 'cause before I always felt she could deliver her ideas just perfectly.
In the last few years, instead, it's like I have this feeling a lot of times, when I think I understand where she wanted to go, but she just didn't quite get there

I feel like this is a HUUUUGE problem for Ayu lately. The fact that people are arguing about the Feel the love PV almost half a year later is very telling about how ineffective the message there was.

I think honestly if James Ellis hadn't looked around all confused at the end, and if he looked at her like "Wow, you're a knockout" when she was back in her overweight form, the whole PV would have been saved. Her confidence makes her attractive even if she doesn't look like Ayu, right?

And speaking as a girl who was getting the most dates & the most bow-chicka-wow-wow when she was at her fattest, that's completely true advice for the real world, too! Would have made the video totally fine IMHO.

But no, James Ellis can't act or the director couldn't direct or someone didn't suggest the right thing or something. I dunno what happened. But that one tiny moment killed the whole video.

[Zeke.]

Originally Posted by Chibi-Chan

That's a difficult topic and although I think the pressure for women is much harder (not the becoming thin part but the overall assumptions about women that come along with it, like women are just pretty dolls and that their worth is measured by their appearance and not their skills - in simplified terms) I agree that men also suffer under the sexism that actually is directed at women. While women have to be pretty and gentle men have to be tough. That's especially a problem for little boys who should be kids and not bothered by the "men don't cry" shit.
I hope one day girls can be loud and play dressed up as a pirate and boys can be shy and play with "My little Pony" if they want to without anyone telling the kids they aren't "real" girls or boys.
And I find it interesting that you say men don't have to care about beauty, because here in Germany they have (not as much as women, though). A friend of mine who comes from the US always says that people over there think European men are all "gay". Is this true?

It's becoming more accepted to be a man who grooms but concern with beauty is still predominantly seen as a female thing. Also, at least women can talk about feeling pressured by media (this is a public issue, women stand together, etc), where as you don't see men speaking up on pressures because it is engrained in men's minds to just deal. Not to express, etc. So they have less outlets and in turn feel more loss or pressure.

Ha, I guess I've heard jokes about Europeans being gay. But there's jokes about everyone being gay now.

[maneayu]

I miss the Ayu with a meaningful yet low-budget PV like Daybreak.
She should continue doing that.
But then, to be a real artist, maybe she needs to stop having a luxurious lifestyle IMO.
Closer she is of a real life, the closer she is to the feelings of a normal person. That way she will convey all of this into inspiration for fantastic lyrics like those she wrote at her earlier era.
A life made of champagne, chocolates, Luis Vuitton bags, diamonds and houses around the world would eventually kill any trace of creativity, IMO.

I mean, look at artists as creative as Eddie Vedder, yet the guy still carries a pretty normal life.

Maybe I'm wrong, but this is just my opinion. :/

[primavera♥]

Originally Posted by maneayu

I miss the Ayu with a meaningful yet low-budget PV like Daybreak.
She should continue doing that.
But then, to be a real artist, maybe she needs to stop having a luxurious lifestyle IMO.
Closer she is of a real life, the closer she is to the feelings of a normal person. That way she will convey all of this into inspiration for fantastic lyrics like those she wrote at her earlier era.
A life made of champagne, chocolates, Luis Vuitton bags, diamonds and houses around the world would eventually kill any trace of creativity, IMO.

I mean, look at artists as creative as Eddie Vedder, yet the guy still carries a pretty normal life.

Maybe I'm wrong, but this is just my opinion. :/

Rich people can have hearts. And creativity. And difficulties in life. Ayu has been rich like this for a while though fans are more aware of it now certainly. Also, I really would prefer no more pvs like daybreak

[rusuke]

In my personal view

I really don't know if Ayu's luxurious lifestyle really affect the way she writes her lyrics, interpretation of her videos, etc. We know her that ever since she loves luxury things (i.e. Louis Vuitton bags in A Song for XX booklet), clubbing, champagne, jewelry, etc. but I believe that because there are so many things happened to her, these changes her point of view as an artist. She is opened to try new things, even different from her style because that's the way she is. I'm trying to be optimistic of her change of image path, both musical and artistry. But it just doesn't work out for me.
I'm a prisoner of her older persona and music. Mysterious and haunting. Inspiring and sensational.

And I'm not so fond of her current voice now. Even her own renditions of her old songs in her live concerts now, failed to impress me.

Ugh.. I really don't know. I still love her. She's still my most favorite artist of all time since 2002 and nobody would ever gonna beat her! But my hype of my fandom faded out drastically as time goes by. That's inevitable.

[Andrenekoi]

What are those non-meanful PVs she is having so much lately? At least GREEN, Sparkle, Curtain Call, You Were, Sexy Little Things, Don't Look Back, Lady Dynamite, How beautiful you are, Progress, Brillante, Beloved, crossroad, Sweet Season, Song 4 U and Sweet Scar are all pretty meanful... She also has a lot of eye-candy pvs, but she always had those.

[rikku1994]

Originally Posted by maneayu

I miss the Ayu with a meaningful yet low-budget PV like Daybreak.
She should continue doing that.
But then, to be a real artist, maybe she needs to stop having a luxurious lifestyle IMO.
Closer she is of a real life, the closer she is to the feelings of a normal person. That way she will convey all of this into inspiration for fantastic lyrics like those she wrote at her earlier era.
A life made of champagne, chocolates, Luis Vuitton bags, diamonds and houses around the world would eventually kill any trace of creativity, IMO.

I mean, look at artists as creative as Eddie Vedder, yet the guy still carries a pretty normal life.

Maybe I'm wrong, but this is just my opinion. :/

You do know that she always had that kind of lifestyle?

And when your name is Ayumi Hamasaki it's pretty impossible to live a "normal" life.

[Zeke.]

Originally Posted by rusuke

In my personal view

I really don't know if Ayu's luxurious lifestyle really affect the way she writes her lyrics, interpretation of her videos, etc. We know her that ever since she loves luxury things (i.e. Louis Vuitton bags in A Song for XX booklet), clubbing, champagne, jewelry, etc. but I believe that because there are so many things happened to her, these changes her point of view as an artist. She is opened to try new things, even different from her style because that's the way she is. I'm trying to be optimistic of her change of image path, both musical and artistry. But it just doesn't work out for me.
I'm a prisoner of her older persona and music. Mysterious and haunting. Inspiring and sensational.

And I'm not so fond of her current voice now. Even her own renditions of her old songs in her live concerts now, failed to impress me.

Ugh.. I really don't know. I still love her. She's still my most favorite artist of all time since 2002 and nobody would ever gonna beat her! But my hype of my fandom faded out drastically as time goes by. That's inevitable.

Same! Ayu will ALWAYS be my most favorite artist; nobody will ever create such a strong impact on me as she has. Her music is truly an extension of myself, and I think most all of us feel that way.

[ayumisrael]

And when she releases awesome stuff, oh how it makes us have an eargasm and other ...gasms and we are back to be fanboys like we just discovered her and fell in love with her music.

[marty]

I don't think her rich lifestyle makes her write bad lyrics. I mean, let's just look at Party Queen ones.
It's her personal, unique way of seeing life that makes her write such brilliant lyrics. She will always have that, Louis Vuitton bags or not.

And, on a side note because I can't help myself, Daybreak is an amazing PV. Kinda like Sweet Scar: nothing happens, yet they're brilliant. And so thoughtful, in a very delicate but powerful way.