Ayu ~Anything Goes~ XV (AHS' Ayumi Hamasaki General Discussion Thread)

[Faiza]

I don't understand why everyone is in awe of the Msta performance, are my ears wired differently to everyone else's? She screamed the whole way through it!

[Chris85]

Originally Posted by Faiza

I don't understand why everyone is in awe of the Msta performance, are my ears wired differently to everyone else's? She screamed the whole way through it!

She's been singing like this for years now, I guess people got used.
Personally after hearing her scream for 3 days in a row during recent CDL I finally realized that her shows are not worth attending.

[Faiza]

Originally Posted by Chris85

She's been singing like this for years now, I guess people got used.

I guess you're right lol, I stopped properly listening to ayu live after NEXT LEVEL because of it

[YukiUsagi]

Originally Posted by Chris85

She's been singing like this for years now, I guess people got used.
Personally after hearing her scream for 3 days in a row during recent CDL I finally realized that her shows are not worth attending.

You realized too lated

[~angel*ayumi~]

Originally Posted by Chris85

Personally after hearing her scream for 3 days in a row during recent CDL I finally realized that her shows are not worth attending.

Depends on what you are attending for.
I am attending for the show, so for me it´s still worth attending and I simply loved loved loved CdM Tour.

[truehappiness]

If you're going to an Ayu show for vocal gymnastics, that's kind of an odd reason to ever do it. Since her debut she's always been a middling vocalist but she really hit her prime in the early/mid 00s before the hearing issues that she never REALLY recovered from since then.

Personally, I think her vocals did something like this....

debut to 2001 - steady improvement
2002 to 2005 - prime
2006 to 2009 - DECLINE
2010 to 2014 - slight improvements post-hearing issues
2015 to 2016 (?) - slight decline

Might be lack of practice or consistent vocal coaching? There was a period that she was talking about it all the time AND she was also getting better but nowadays? Not so much.

Regarding her hair, I want to hold onto this as long as possible since we had blonde for sooooo long.

[Chris85]

Originally Posted by truehappiness

If you're going to an Ayu show for vocal gymnastics, that's kind of an odd reason to ever do it. Since her debut she's always been a middling vocalist but she really hit her prime in the early/mid 00s before the hearing issues that she never REALLY recovered from since then

I understand what you're saying, but I can reply that going to a live show not expecting to like what you hear is rather odd too.
I've been always addicted to live sound and interested in concert versions of the songs.
That's why I'm so into concerts in the first place. Ayu has her ups and downs when she sings live, I used to be hoping that she would improve eventually. I don't regret going to her lives, but I don't find them enjoyable anymore, especially considering that the tickets are not cheap.

Originally Posted by attractive nausea

Idk but as someone who got the chance to see her 20 times, saying her shows aren't worth attending is kinda rude to all the people whose dream is to get see her at least once in their life.

It's my personal disappointment, it's not like I'm campaigning "don't you ever attend her concerts!":-D if people go to her concerts to admire her beauty, enjoy the performance and they don't care how she sounds or they like how she sounds, it's their choice and it's ok.

Originally Posted by ~angel*ayumi~

Depends on what you are attending for.
I am attending for the show, so for me it´s still worth attending and I simply loved loved loved CdM Tour.

You're absolutely right. Unfortunately for me good vocals are way more important than the show, in fact they could save even bad show or set-list:-)

[Faiza]

^ pretty accurate in regards to her vocal changes, I just wish she consistently tried to improve/adapt her technique after her hearing loss considering she is still releasing music, it would make listening to her when she does perform live so much more enjoyable.

[truehappiness]

I think she got a bit "comfortable" as far as where she is now with her technique, but someone probably needs to take her aside and make her work on it ALL. THE. TIME. since it seems like a neverending battle.

Honestly, I think she probably wanted to quit her career in the late 2000s into 2010, or was on the verge of potentially doing so several times. It would certainly explain why things were a little muddled in that era despite things appearing to be "okay".

[attractive nausea]

^ What exactly makes you think she wanted to quit?

Going to see an Ayu concert for the vocals is pretty weird lmao, if i go to her concert it's for the pleasure to see her in real life. Idk but as someone who got the chance to see her 20 times, saying her shows aren't worth attending is kinda rude to all the people whose dream is to get see her at least once in their life. Yet you made a list of all the shows you attended in your signature as if it was something you were happy about, make up your mind lol

[truehappiness]

Originally Posted by attractive nausea

^ What exactly makes you think she wanted to quit?

Going to see an Ayu concert for the vocals is pretty weird lmao, if i go to her concert it's for the pleasure to see her in real life. Idk but as someone who got the chance to see her 20 times, saying her shows aren't worth attending is kinda rude to all the people whose dream is to get see her at least once in their life. Yet you made a list of all the shows you attended in your signature as if it was something you were happy about, make up your mind lol

Reading the interviews from after the fact, it sounded like she was REALLY on the edge during that point in her career.

She gave us hints with her writer's block at the time of GUILTY and somehow it feels like there was a lot she wasn't telling us.

[jean-baptiste]

Originally Posted by truehappiness

Reading the interviews from after the fact, it sounded like she was REALLY on the edge during that point in her career.

She gave us hints with her writer's block at the time of GUILTY and somehow it feels like there was a lot she wasn't telling us.

I agree. I feel like the "secret" she was trying to tell us with the Secret album was this. She didn't know if she could or wanted to go on. I heard it recently while reading the lyrics and it makes most sense to me. Songs like until that day, Startin', and Secret are the most evident of this in my opinion.

Also, I LOVE HER BROWN HAIR. She rocks any look, but my fav is brown.

[truehappiness]

Originally Posted by jean-baptiste

I agree. I feel like the "secret" she was trying to tell us with the Secret album was this. She didn't know if she could or wanted to go on. I heard it recently while reading the lyrics and it makes most sense to me. Songs like until that day, Startin', and Secret are the most evident of this in my opinion.

Also, I LOVE HER BROWN HAIR. She rocks any look, but my fav is brown.

Yeah, the secret was basically "I don't know if I want to keep doing this anymore" but she was trying to kind of laugh it off and mask it with other 'secrets'.

Actually, GUILTY makes me think it was titled as such because she felt guilty for having the secrets that she hinted at in the year prior.

If I can have one wish come true
Just get me out of here

from Secret


Hey, if I leave this place someday
I know that you will look at me in a satisfied way
Keep silent, and give me a nod of approval
So please watch over me until that day…

from until that Day....

It kind of felt like a farewell album of sorts and possibly why it had a few things shift while planning (mini to full etc)

[jean-baptiste]

Originally Posted by truehappiness

Yeah, the secret was basically "I don't know if I want to keep doing this anymore" but she was trying to kind of laugh it off and mask it with other 'secrets'.

Actually, GUILTY makes me think it was titled as such because she felt guilty for having the secrets that she hinted at in the year prior.

I was gonna say this! GUILTY is like the aftermath. Didn't she even compare it to Duty? Or at least she did with the cover. And if I recall, Duty is a song about being a role model or wondering how much longer she can hold this position of hers (totally paraphrasing and reaching into my memory lol). vogue is a song with a similar theme, no?

The fact that she compared GUILTY to Duty in some way says a lot, I think.

[ExodusUK]

I honestly think she should just retire from live singing at this point. Just for the sake of her hearing and legacy/reputation really. I don't want to read in 5 or 10 years that she's completely deaf or totally ruined her vocal chords.

[280301]

I don't think Ayu will ever stop singing, but I agree that a vocal coach should be a regular appointment for her. I will admit I was surprised at the quality of her vocals, given that the tour is in less than two months time. Perhaps having two tours last year had an impact on her voice?

Saying that, I do think it is hard for Ayu to sing some of her earlier songs given the changes in her vocal technique, and perhaps this is an unfair comparison. I hope that she will release music soon that will compliment her voice as oppose to challenging it immensely.

[truehappiness]

I wanna say that the ASIA TOUR was probably intended for both 07 and 08 to be distractions for her so she could avoid dealing with those emotions.

[truehappiness]

I think she's very on and off with her vocal training so she never really steadily improves, instead taking two steps back for every step forward.

[Chris85]

I think she can improve, but probably she won't. If she just stopped screaming, it would be so much better, because often she has no serious problems with staying on key. Sometimes I wonder if her staff ever tried to tell her that she should stop being a scream queen. Timmy could try at least since he's her close friend. Well, who knows, maybe he did give her good advices but it didn't help. She can sing calmly during verses of certain songs, so it's still possible for her.

[Andrenekoi]

Well, she is half deaf. And she won't get less deaf. I actually think she does pretty well considering her physical condition.