Lets vent about ayu?/why did your fandom decrease

[SolarAngel]

I think when releases are accompanied by decent promotional efforts by ayu herself, personally I would feel that it was well thought-out and planned. So even if I don't like it (sunrise/sunset), I still respect that there was a concept, extensive preparation and thought process behind the whole thing. It was an effort by ayu standards that set her apart from so many other artistes for me.

These past few years I found it very lacking. For eg the moon/crossroad/L with the 'trilogy' concept just pasted onto it and no promotional effort outside of her live concerts. Just from the songs and pvs I knew that the much effort was put into the production but I also felt that ayu didn't prepare her schedule well enough to have time to promote it. That was a dip in her lofty effort standards and then with subsequent releases it seemed to sink lower and lower.

At this point I feel so attached to ayu on a personal level that I'll probably hang in until she retires but I find myself wishing she would improve her act. I think it's fitting her decline is how it is (unlike r&r circus period which I thought was awesome and didn't get what it deserved).

That being said I always hope she does well in her musical endeavours and I'm crossing my fingers for this new album.

[Zeke.]

Oh jesus, the generic ballad talk. She doesn't need to do some offbeat, avant-garde trash in order to make music that is enjoyable. Honestly, the "generics" that ARE well produced, composed and arranged are what she's good at and ENJOYABLE listens. I hate when people get all uppity and exude that "this is too basic for me" attitude about a lot of her songs that had wide market appeal. What the fuck do you even like then? Gut-it-pez?

[Andrenekoi]

^Something that couldn't be releases by pretty much anyone...

@emi
As yourself say when I praise her songs based on lyrics to you, I don't speak Japanese. :p Still not crazy about the melody either, the arrangment is nice, the singing is crap.

[waterballoon]

Originally Posted by Andrenekoi

The only thing I see there is a incosistent singer with a runny nose dressed on a birthday cake while singing a generic ballad...

runny nose? Have you watched AT 12? That's a real runny nose.

I'm still a big fan, and as generic her recent albums are, she still dishes out songs that are WAY better than most others I listen to.

I just feel that she used to be so coherent with everything pre-2009, and that she always had brilliant ideas which she executed so, so, so, well and beautifully. From LOVEppears to (miss)understood she really was at her prime because every era felt like a package. IDGAF that she was shrilling in the Duty album or that her hair was shit in the RAINBOW era.. what matters is that as a whole, each era was complete - a nice little package that felt consistent, with effort, and well thought out.

Recently, she's been haphazard. Good examples are her 10th and 15th anniversary. I love Days to death but the 10th anniversary singles were quite lackluster in terms of a whole package; A COMPLETE was nothing special. 15th was worse because she didn't do anything but tour, and you can argue that she's touring even more blah blah but FFS she's ayumi hamasaki, she's THE Queen of J-Pop, yet her 15th anniversary felt like a muted song in a corner of the room.

the 50th singles project was rubbish as well; the link between MOON/blossom, crossroad and L is..?? Though we did get Love songs which was her best album since MY STORY imho, the whole era felt so disconnected and I couldn't believe her 50th single was about her one year husband.

Which brings me to my next point - the way she's handling herself these days makes me because it feels a reverse; she should be behaving like how she did in 2010 - 2013 when she was younger because those silly mistakes are so.. unprofessional and unbecoming of someone like her.

I'm still unhappy about pasting Mannie's face on the PVs of her 50th single, I'm even more appalled and disgusted with the whole Maro saga, pasting his face on PVs and an album cover is just.. self-indulgent.

That's it. I think she's getting self-indulgent, and you know what that reminds me of? Lady Gaga. She's self-indulgent and she doesn't make a buzz anymore.

I repeat what I said on another thread that AT 12 was so disgustingly self-indulgent that I couldn't stand watching it. There's something attention-seeking about the "I am the Lonely queen" shit that puts me off.. however low her life was (ASFxx - Duty, I am.../A BEST, GUILTY) she was never self-indulgent, attention-seeking and being a baby about it. I hate Party queen so much, that year was her lowest to me.

And the discussion on Feel the love? We wouldn't be getting it if she had proper execution for it. She touched on dangerously scandalous topics in the past (price of fame, politics, homosexuality) in her PVs and every idea was executed with a nice thought process (Endless sorrow, Dearest, GREEN, Lady Dynamite, my name's WOMEN, alterna, Free&Easy).. in the past we may not always get her message, but none was offensive or at least came across offensive, and what we understood was what we perceived. Yet we can't point a finger and be so certain because nothing was obvious.

In Ftl, she had a good albeit typical concept for loving thyself but like what emi mentioned, the execution was so so so bad. I cannot believe she let the last part with James Ellis slip; if this were evolution she would move from the director's camera, to James, told him off and get his shit together to get THAT expression SHE WANTS to convey the message she wants. But she didn't.

Which brings me to my next point. She really doesn't care anymore sometimes does she?

[primavera♥]

We discussed this earlier. I think she does care. And I don't think we can truly know how she feels compared to the past anyway. I still like how Deli describes ayu's career and why a lot of fans feel the way they do.

[Andrenekoi]

Originally Posted by waterballoon

runny nose? Have you watched AT 12? That's a real runny nose.

I'm still a big fan, and as generic her recent albums are, she still dishes out songs that are WAY better than most others I listen to.

I just feel that she used to be so coherent with everything pre-2009, and that she always had brilliant ideas which she executed so, so, so, well and beautifully. From LOVEppears to (miss)understood she really was at her prime because every era felt like a package. IDGAF that she was shrilling in the Duty album or that her hair was shit in the RAINBOW era.. what matters is that as a whole, each era was complete - a nice little package that felt consistent, with effort, and well thought out.

Recently, she's been haphazard. Good examples are her 10th and 15th anniversary. I love Days to death but the 10th anniversary singles were quite lackluster in terms of a whole package; A COMPLETE was nothing special. 15th was worse because she didn't do anything but tour, and you can argue that she's touring even more blah blah but FFS she's ayumi hamasaki, she's THE Queen of J-Pop, yet her 15th anniversary felt like a muted song in a corner of the room.

the 50th singles project was rubbish as well; the link between MOON/blossom, crossroad and L is..?? Though we did get Love songs which was her best album since MY STORY imho, the whole era felt so disconnected and I couldn't believe her 50th single was about her one year husband.

Which brings me to my next point - the way she's handling herself these days makes me because it feels a reverse; she should be behaving like how she did in 2010 - 2013 when she was younger because those silly mistakes are so.. unprofessional and unbecoming of someone like her.

I'm still unhappy about pasting Mannie's face on the PVs of her 50th single, I'm even more appalled and disgusted with the whole Maro saga, pasting his face on PVs and an album cover is just.. self-indulgent.

That's it. I think she's getting self-indulgent, and you know what that reminds me of? Lady Gaga. She's self-indulgent and she doesn't make a buzz anymore.

I repeat what I said on another thread that AT 12 was so disgustingly self-indulgent that I couldn't stand watching it. There's something attention-seeking about the "I am the Lonely queen" shit that puts me off.. however low her life was (ASFxx - Duty, I am.../A BEST, GUILTY) she was never self-indulgent, attention-seeking and being a baby about it. I hate Party queen so much, that year was her lowest to me.

And the discussion on Feel the love? We wouldn't be getting it if she had proper execution for it. She touched on dangerously scandalous topics in the past (price of fame, politics, homosexuality) in her PVs and every idea was executed with a nice thought process (Endless sorrow, Dearest, GREEN, Lady Dynamite, my name's WOMEN, alterna, Free&Easy).. in the past we may not always get her message, but none was offensive or at least came across offensive, and what we understood was what we perceived. Yet we can't point a finger and be so certain because nothing was obvious.

In Ftl, she had a good albeit typical concept for loving thyself but like what emi mentioned, the execution was so so so bad. I cannot believe she let the last part with James Ellis slip; if this were evolution she would move from the director's camera, to James, told him off and get his shit together to get THAT expression SHE WANTS to convey the message she wants. But she didn't.

Which brings me to my next point. She really doesn't care anymore sometimes does she?

So, when she was singing about how much the cruel evil world made her suffer, and about how much it hurt to be such a naive person on a world so cruel to her, she was being brave/mature...

When she was singing about how she was fucking up her own life by avoiding pain by partying and drinking and blaming others, she was imature and self-indulgent?

Ok...

[Zeke.]

^ she didn't need to blatantly spell it out "I'm the lonely queen." She had to explain Party Queens cover but it was unnecessary to be so upfront with asserting herself that title. It's like when Kumi claimed herself queen of live or even how ayu raps in self indulgence in m-flos songs - it's gross to be self indulgent. It's just not likeable.

I do miss the "package" feeling. I can't complain about 10th anni singles though cause I do believe those were put together well. The photo shoots and covers were some of her best, if not the best. Stunning.

Also regarding manny in the PV, that's how they met lol. She wasn't married to or dating him when he was cast.

[Andrenekoi]

^Her fans didn't really get it without the lonely thing, did they? Western fans even started disturbing her about it on twitter.

Even if the album by itself was pretty dark, if it's mostly about loneliness and if she does call herself lonely queen on the album.

And the thing is, she is blaming herself for being the "lonely queen", for the first time on her whole career she is blaming herself for her life being fucked up, and this is pretty mature considering people tend to overlook their own fault on their life condition.

[ayumisrael]

How can one lyrically like A Song for xx but not like songs like reminds me and its whole section and even songs like SAKURA is beyond me.

Personally, AT12 was one of her best tours both in concept and entertainment (vocally as well) especially better than most pre 2009 tours. I get that people get/got disconnected with her, but there's no need to be extreme in the matter of voicing opinions of her like she became a drug holic nonchalant killer. At least with her recent relationship/marriage it doesn't seem like she is going to shove her husband in her work and she's gonna try new stuff (which shows she cares a lot).

I also have a theory that the fact that she is not promoting as much as she used to and don't have long full eras of styles, performances and promotions on TV/mags don't let people feel her or that she has an era going on, or a concept for an era/album/album promo.

Also it was said earlier that A COMPLETE was nothing special. It didn't have a lot of stuff but overall it was a really great package, -especially- for the Japanese (which is her most thought of target audience if not almost the only) and it bared fruits too successfully. From just before starting to sell less than half a million it got her back to 850,000 on that time for this album. Except for a new single song and a new version for a 10th annivesary song she didn't really have to do much since anniversary albums usually don't celebrate new material. (Nor best albums but a lot have 1-2 new songs to promote them).

[marty]

I feel like some people get carried away on this.
She didn't decide to be the Queen of J-Pop. It happened and if she doesn't want to be thebestofbestesevah anymore, it's totally her right to do so.
She doesn't have to prove anything. It's like people think she has this legacy to carry on, while she explained very bluntly in her interviews recently that she no longer feels the need to be perfect to protect herself from the world.
Now, I think her effort lately isn't adequate, but not because of some high standards I have, but because in general if you do your job, you kind need to do it right. Especially if I know you can do wonders, because you already did in the past.
And I think she does her part nicely. She put nice ideas and great lyrics. People screw them up a lot of times with horrible production. I'm not asking her to take the camera and film her thing like she would have done in the beginning, but to just step in sometimes.
Like with her 15th anniversary. Like, I don't even want to talk about it. I wanna forget about it. I'm just taking the music and closing my mouth about it, because if I start on that disaster, I'm never gonna stop complaining, lol.

[Andrenekoi]

I don't really get what people wanted from her anniversaries...

Massive promotion, so she could annoy the public impacted with her almost 10 years long superexposition more efficiently?

Two albums a year, considering she released new music on both anniversaries?

Multiple tours so she could start selling 1/3 of the DVD copies she was selling before like Koda?

Really, I don't get it...

[primavera♥]

I don't get the big deal over party queen. I love the concept of her being a lonely queen yet showing the facade of a party queen. It's a lovely concept and one some people can relate to. I like when ayu talks about stuff like that. I mean, she's done it before much earlier on the past. It's always nice. I remember some thread forever ago about a young new artist singing a sad song about her parent's divorce, and people were complaining about it. Just saying she wants attention and stuff. So stupid. People can express whatever problems or issues they want in their art. Whether it's the lonely child or the lonely queen. Also, ayu is known for her illustrious career that may be misunderstood, while kuu really does put on great lives. They can call themselves whatever they want. Artists don't have to let other people always define them.

[emi♡]

Originally Posted by Andrenekoi

@emi
As yourself say when I praise her songs based on lyrics to you, I don't speak Japanese. :p Still not crazy about the melody either, the arrangment is nice, the singing is crap.

I get that. But when it comes to songs that are generic, I think it makes a difference for a lot of people, and especially for Japanese people, when they have to watch a performance with nothing else happening, and an orchestral arrangement.

And actually, it's funny you say that. I always saw Dearest the other way around lol Nice melody, generic arrangement lol

I feel like that about a lot of her ballads though. Like No Way to Say. Or Days (even though I hate that melody, it's at least interesting).


As for Party Queen...I didn't mind the concept. I just don't think that sort of thing is relateable for most people. Like, the vast majority of people who don't know what it's like to be different and placed above others. If you've never felt that, how can you know? lol

Originally Posted by Zeke

It's like when Kumi claimed herself queen of live or even how ayu raps in self indulgence in m-flos songs - it's gross to be self indulgent. It's just not likeable.

It would be different if they were saying this shit in like every other song, or if they acted like Mariah Carey all over the place....but they don't. I think it's also a very..."western" thing, to do that. In Kpop, they're always doing crap like that, saying they're on top, or saying their names. To me, it's less about how they feel, and more just, another thing to throw in the song because it seems *cool* to their culture.

She's just being trendy.

[Andrenekoi]

^I like the live arragment usually, but the official arrangment is pretty generic too...

[ayumisrael]

Originally Posted by Andrenekoi

^I like the live arragment usually, but the official arrangment is pretty generic too...

Let's say I love both Dearest and Pray.

[Andrenekoi]

Originally Posted by ayumisrael

Let's say I love both Dearest and Pray.

(Adrenekoi - Please make some room for Private Messages).

What I like about Pray is how unnusual it is for an Ayu ballad!
(Done! )

[Zeke.]

Lol, Pray is like the one of the most generic things she's done. Really, calling Dearest generic and favoring Pray.

[Andrenekoi]

^It's not like you praise anything that isn't generic and done by everyone to ever sign a label contract...

[NintendoHTF1242]

Originally Posted by primavera♥

I remember some thread forever ago about a young new artist singing a sad song about her parent's divorce, and people were complaining about it. Just saying she wants attention and stuff. So stupid.

Ayumi Nakagawa. Loved that damn song so much but she stopped making music zzzzzzzzzz

[Zeke.]

Originally Posted by Andrenekoi

^It's not like you praise anything that isn't generic and done by everyone to ever sign a label contract...

Lol. I think we just have different definitions of generic, etc.
For me, ayus classics aren't generic at all. And I honestly CANT see anyone else doing them. Her greatest hits have a melancholic subtlety to them, and I love the songs in which they sound "born" to be that way. Songs that seem almost as if each note was constructed out of a pattern of rules. Songs that may seem as if they have the simplest melody, but are genius because of it.

Her "generic and done by everyone tracks" for me are everything that does not have those qualities. Which means most of her recent tracks. Pray seriously sounds like an anthem anyone could've sang, and the arrangement certainly is less spectacular and less modern than most of the tracks she released 10 years ago.