Ayu - Anything Goes Thread -XI-

[Minttulatte]

A Song for xx isn't that bad. It's my least favorite Ayu album but I don't hate it. I'm too used to her high pitched voice to even care about that anymore. A Song for xx has some of the best lyrics ever, that's the main reason why I can't hate it. I can relate to many songs on the album so I love to listen to it.

And I managed to take a part in July 1st Play-Day yesterday for the first time in 9 years of being her fan. I haven't cared about it at all for years, but this year I suddenly felt like I'll be a bad fan if I don't listen to it so I did. I used to hate July 1st for a reason I don't even remember anymore.

[truehappiness]

It's so funny that Shu-ya is finally back (at least in a PV)! I guess that explains all their recent meetups~

[mi|kshake]

Random fact ''A Song for XX'' gets a lot of hate in this forum and I get why. Ayu's voice is super high pitch and some of the songs basically scream 90s buuuut I just gave this album a lisen from start to finish today (which I haven't done in years) and its still such a great album. I forgotten how great POWDER SNOW is! I am never speaking badly of this album again!

Yeah, when I first got ASFxx which was in 2005, although I liked songs such as ASFxx, Friend II and Powder Snow, I was like "Wow, this sounds so dated", which is weird because now I'm all about the datedness! Like Namie's Concentration 20 <3

Think I need to listen to ASFxx again!

Btw way nalini-dahlia, I would go for Love Songs as it is my favourite of those 3 albums.

[tsumekaze_]

A song for xx is a gem. Both lyrics-wise and vocally, I love that imperfect voice she has, you can here already hear those traits which would characterise her style later. I love that we can see the starting point of her vocal evolution, which is also the reason why I love MOON (the 1998 album) I dont know i get so emotional everytime I hear A song for XX, like THATS MY BABY YOU COULD NEVER HAVE IMAGINED AT THE TIME WHAT YOU WERE GOING TO BECOME. From your letter's lyrics are heart-breaking, love that song.

[BlackSilence]

for some reason i absolutely love this~ <3

[oaristos]

The only bad thing about A Song for xx is her vocals. In general it is a really good album.

[Delirium-Zer0]

The dated sound was a deliberate choice, too. I think a lot of the fans that dislike it don't realize that it was on purpose rather than just a cheap cop out or something. And to be fair, I wouldn't know it unless I'd read Yasuhiko Hoshino's comments in the Tell All book. But at the time I do think it was probably a bad move since they went with a sound that wasn't old enough yet to have gotten to "retro" status... so now that it's been so long, it DOES sound properly retro so I think fans are warming up to it more.

I do understand going with a slightly older style of music rather than going back to a retro-cool style, though. I mean Ayu's first image to the public was that mature-young-woman black pant suit look, so it made sense to go with a music style that would've appealed more to (and been more associated with) slightly more mature people. When ayu's handlers and producers read Ayu's lyrics & saw her work, they WERE mostly struck by her maturity & life experience rather than any youthful coolness she might have had, you know? So that aspect of her personality was probably what they most wanted to leverage when they were initially putting her image together.

[tokyoxjapanxfan]

^ Is this in relation to A song for XX?

[orangeakira]

I could never get into the original version of A song for xx. I love the A ballads version, the acoustic orchestra version, and all the remixes of it. However, I just can't listen to the original without feeling bored. Maybe it's because it was her first album and she didn't have enough money yet for production, but to me the instruments and synths sound cheap, and her voice sounds kind of lifeless.

I didn't know who she was when she debuted. I got into her sometime between Rainbow and Memorial address. So I heard the a ballads version first. It was so raw and beautiful and powerful and she sounded so angry and hurt and emotional. It has such a special place in my heart. I was really addicted to it, and I listened to it a ton when it was still new to me. I think I actually got teary eyed when I read the English translation. it just made her emotions 10x more intense and meaningful when I knew what she was saying, and the meaning behind the song.

So when I got around to listening to the original studio version I felt so appalled. I was speechless I couldn't believe how cheap and emotionless the whole song sounded. I actually at first believed I downloaded the wrong song and was in fact listening to the Demo version. I was pretty much visualizing her recording the song in a studio while sitting with her legs crossed on a chair, texting someone and not even looking up at the microphone.

It's very unfortunate because it's such an amazing song and I'm pretty sure I would have liked the original 100% more if I didn't hear the A ballads version first and make that deep emotional connection with it.

~~~
Actually, come to think of it. I think the reason I love the Ferry Corsten Chilled Remix so much is because of her vocals. The cold, non-caring, emotionless sound of her voice makes the remix even better because it adds emphasis to the cold/winter/chilled/frigidness of the remix. I always thought the remix sounded that way. I've talked to some other people who think the song is just a laid back/chill out song, but to me it sounds like a wintery song. The only other thing they could have done to the remix would be to add cold winter gust of wind sounds mixed in the background. To me, it sounds extremely cold and wintery. Hell, I think it's her most winter sounding remix.

[truehappiness]

It's very interesting to listen to these creator interviews from Colours' TeamAyu version. I kinda wish they'd do this more often! She mentions the English version of Terminal in this... wonder if it'll get released at some point.

[stepYOU1234]

Originally Posted by artcika

for some reason i absolutely love this~ <3

The emotion there is what makes that a good performance. I think if you showed that to someone as an introduction to Ayu, they would not be hugely impressed but the draw for Ayu has never really been her vocal ability. It is her ability to bring her emotions through with an imperfect at times voice.

I love all the version of A Song for XX but I do have to be in the right mood for the original. The A Best Live and A Ballads versions are my favourites at the moment. I love her stronger voice but that she still packs in the vunerable/betrayed/mature/defiant feelings. There's such a great contrast of emotions in that song. I know some people get bored of her performing it so much now but I could listen to it forever and if I ever did go to see her live, that would be one of the songs I would definitely want to see.

[rainbow_smile]

I was at Cosmo World in Yokohama today and Ayu's kanariya was playing

[Refix]

I wonder, now that Avex posted Ayu's videos in full, will Avex follows international artist which in every new release, they only release songs in CD and digital... or the simple way to put it, no more PV in the physical album. If you want the videos, watch YOUTUBE or Vevo. Or download from itunes, don't know if that available.
Wonder if it will affecting her sales.
Then again, if this act of posting full videos only for awhile, promotion or whatever, then one day those full videos won't be available again.

[YukiUsagi]

Those are blocked in Japan, will not affect her sales

[BlackSilence]

Originally Posted by stepYOU1234

The emotion there is what makes that a good performance. I think if you showed that to someone as an introduction to Ayu, they would not be hugely impressed but the draw for Ayu has never really been her vocal ability. It is her ability to bring her emotions through with an imperfect at times voice.

I love all the version of A Song for XX but I do have to be in the right mood for the original. The A Best Live and A Ballads versions are my favourites at the moment. I love her stronger voice but that she still packs in the vunerable/betrayed/mature/defiant feelings. There's such a great contrast of emotions in that song. I know some people get bored of her performing it so much now but I could listen to it forever and if I ever did go to see her live, that would be one of the songs I would definitely want to see.

for some reason i love her voice in that HANABI performance. Not to mention it is one of my fave ballads from her. It is packed with emotion no doubt but the way she belts out the notes is what gets to me i think.

oh and i love A Song For XX the A BALLADS version. And i same as you cannot get bored of it being performed live.

BTW, i think i'm the only person who really loves You & Me, especially when it's performed live. That song really isn't THAT bad.lol

[Delicious n Bold]

One friend asked for jpop recommendations for the first time ever and I told him "fairlyland" as the first option.
Well guys my ultimate fav Ayu song has been decided by myself subconsciously.

[Pieces_of_SEVEN]

I've always loved HANABI lives, but nothing tops a-nation '05 for me!

[terra]

Originally Posted by Pieces_of_SEVEN

I've always loved HANABI lives, but nothing tops a-nation '05 for me!

Yes! I LOVE that one, I never listened to it before at one point and when I did I was surprised. She exceeded my expectation of performing HANABI live, and the rearrangement was superb

[Pieces_of_SEVEN]

^agree. her vocals were on point, and I love how her harmonizing at the end!

[Delirium-Zer0]

Originally Posted by tokyoxjapanxfan

^ Is this in relation to A song for XX?

Yes, the album as a whole as opposed to the song.

I'm not really in the habit of quoting things... too accustomed to tree-style discussions like reddit & facebook have o_O