new album "A ONE" 2015.04.08 in stores V

[everlastingRAINBOW]

Interesting WARNING and Walk both begin with "Lalalalai"s.

[BlackSilence]

I hadn't listened to the whole thing yet, but what i've heard so far is brilliant, not to mention she sounds completely breathtaking!I am also overwhelmed that AHS actually agrees on this one. I felt like the girl won't disappoint this time. This whole era was giving me really good vibes from the beginning. I always have faith in her. <3 Totally forgave Colours lol

[VegetaLove]

Now that we've seen CD scans and booklets and stuff, I wonder what the 'hidden message' is for "A ONE". I don't see a letter in between.

[Delicious n Bold]

We got the complete booklet scans?

[hidekirby]

Originally Posted by VegetaLove

Now that we've seen CD scans and booklets and stuff, I wonder what the 'hidden message' is for "A ONE". I don't see a letter in between.

ALONE seems the answer.

[truehappiness]

Just as a title, "Movin' on without you" supports the ALONE thing, kind of. But then again I dunno in what sense since she has found love.

[ALfromHELLSING]

I hope avex will release A ONE worldwide on iTunes. If not I'll wait for the proper rip. I mean they even released A Theme Songs (Drama Edition) but never released Colours, should have been other way around.

[Klauser_Bateson]

I love this album from beginning to end. I can get through it without skipping a song, haven't done that since GUILTY. I love all of the new songs and even Zutto... is growing on me.

This may be my favorite J-Pop album of 2015. Ayu nailed it.

[Kirshwasser]

this album is so much better than COLOUR

[Uknow!]

I see you always speaking about love when I don't see romantic love in her lyrics or messages. Why Alone if she has a husband? Because her life, her art is not romantic love only, there are a lot of things. I'm starting to think that I'm the problem hahaha because where people only can see romantic love in her art I can see a lot of things and a lot of diferents types of love thar no are romantic. Obviusly she talks about romantic love in the lyrics too, but normally her lyrics are wrote to look a little like romantic love but it isn't.
She is alone and she can feel alone, having a husband could not change it.

[relmy]

This is the album Love Again was trying to be. It feels so much richer and more complete. Her vocals alone on NO FUTURE and Anything for You are way more nostalgic than anything on Love Again.

[BlackSilence]

Originally Posted by Kirshwasser

this album is so much better than COLOUR

this album has more COLOURS too lol

[Akutenshi]

Does anyone remember that one quote she said around the Party Queen era? I believe it was this (found on tumblr):

"The truth is that though I hate loneliness, I love it at the same time. Things like love and forever, I’ve always wanted to believe in these, even when I was young, but a part of me just couldn’t. I wished and believed that someone other than myself would come to understand me and accept me better than I could. I believed and trusted too much at some point, but in the end, I managed to realize it. Realize that I could not believe. I found that I could not share myself with others. It’s not anybody’s fault, nor is it that things were not going well, it’s just that I could not change myself. In the end, I am who I am."

This could correlate to the album title and why she could still be ALONE even if she has a husband. And a lot of her early works discuss being alone, whether due to her parents or what have you. Sometimes people can feel alone no matter who they have around them.

[Kirshwasser]

MY GOD... ANYTHING FOR YOU MAKES ME CRY !!!!!! SO SAD but also very hopeful
the ending is just..... cant even describe it

[orbitalaspect]

01 a Bell - 10/10
One of the best interludes since NEXT LEVEL.

02 WARNING - 9/10
I haven't heard Ayumi rock this hard since Microphone.

03 NO FUTURE - 8/10
Reminds me of Like a doll.
May be a bit unmemorable, but this is what old Ayu would sound like today.

04 Anything for You - 9/10
For a stereotypical Ayu ballad, this feels oddly refreshing.
I realized at 5:30, this song will be among the LOVE ~Destiny~'s/Voyage's/No way to say's/CAROLS' of Ayu's career.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED: Listen to Anything for You -> Walk for an emotional 12-minute mix.

05 Last minute - 7/10
This was remastered from the single. It sounds less electronic on the album.

06 Zutto... - 7/10
Zutto... doesn't stick out on the album like it did on the single.

07 Out of control - 9/10
This reminds me of MY STORY/(miss)understood era.

08 Story - 9/10
This strongly reminds me of (miss)understood/Secret era.

09 The GIFT - 6/10
If A ONE's songs were each a beautifully wrapped Christmas present, The GIFT would be a christmas sweater.

10 The Show Must Go On - 10/10
Heavily reminds me of Ayu's crazy tracks like AUDIENCE from the Duty era.
This is snowy kiss' more attractive sister.
This doesn't feel like it's six minutes long.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED: Listen to snowy kiss -> The Show Must Go On for a 12-minute high NRG mix.

11 Walk - 10/10
The chorus pops into my thoughts all the time.
Easily some of Ayu's best vocals in years.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED: Listen to Anything for You -> Walk for an emotional 12-minute mix.

12 Movin' on without you - 9/10
Does not fit AT ALL with the record, but nice to include for the sake that people loved this cover.

FAMILIARITIES
01 a Bell - MY STORY, Secret, GUILTY
02 WARNING - I am..., GUILTY, NEXT LEVEL, Rock'n'Roll Circus
03 NO FUTURE - Loveppears, I am..., Love songs
04 Anything for You - Love songs
05 Last minute - Rock'n'Roll Circus
06 Zutto... - (miss)understood, LOVE again
07 Out of control - MY STORY, (miss)understood, Secret
08 Story - (miss)understood, Secret
09 The GIFT - Party Queen
10 The Show Must Go On - Duty, LOVE again
11 Walk - Love songs
12 Movin' on without you - Colours

OVERALL SCORE: 8.58 / 10

A ONE does not beat my review score for NEXT LEVEL, but it does beat my review score for Secret, which has been my second favorite recording from Ayu. That puts A ONE in my top two on first listen.

The GIFT and Zutto... are the odd children on this album. As much as Ayumi loves The GIFT, it is the weakest written song, the weakest performance, weakest production, and comes off as the unwanted step-child of the album. Zutto... is forgettable compared to other tracks on the album. I am glad it was placed in the middle of the track-listing to give more attention to more impressive tracks.

I think the PVs for The GIFT, Last minute, and Zutto... don't add to the experience. This is my first Ayu album that would've been more fulfilling without PVs. Sure, I would've imagined what Ayu could do for some of these songs, but I probably would've much rather preferred not having PVs to knowing that a song like The GIFT was chosen over a song like The Show Must Go On. After hearing Out of control, I think it better fits the video Ayu shot for Last minute instead of Last minute. WARNING was a good choice, and I think it will remain the one PV that added something to A ONE.

On a final note, a Bell easily joins tracks like kaleidoscope, Labyrinth, Rebirth, and the tasking-ludes. I wish there were just a few more to pad the track-list. I would've been happy with four interludes and ten tracks too.

[Kazeyomi]

Finally got a chance to listen to A ONE.
OMG THIS ALBUM. I'm like



I haven't fangirled so much over an Ayu album for ages lmao.

[visionfactory]

Originally Posted by Kirshwasser

this album is so much better than COLOUR

no

[hayasaki]

It leaked afterall!!! My copy will arrive in two days and i'm seriously keeping myself from DLing the album!! LOL I wish there'd be a venue only promotion for A ONE on Saitama as the tour starts with free goods etc.

[Refix]

If the pictures in the booklet somehow had similarities with the pictures of photo goodies, then it's gonna be so damn boring and big disappointment to me...

[truehappiness]

There are photos of the booklet. It is the same.