[tabloid] Pop pundits see mutiny on Hamasaki's horizon

[andre2907]

Originally Posted by Gunblitze

Well...if Avex does sac Ayu, some other company would pick her right off the bat

Not sure... Japanese industry is weird. Look at Ami Suzuki... she was one of the most popular singers in Japan in the 90s and she was sacked after law problems and nobody wanted her, until now, years later, when Avex saved her. If Ayu is causing trouble for Avex, any company would want her causing troubles for them too. But Ayu is powerful and she could have her own company...

[Syphex]

Originally Posted by Euroboy

They should be happy she's bringing in money. Although, if Ayu DID get mad at Matsuura for hiring Ami, then that's a little insecure on her part.. Eh, everyone has their faults. Ayu will due what she has to do... I still wanna marry her and that'll never change ^_^

its not like she's doing anything bad even if she does have that much power. the company is still going good.

There IS something wrong with having a single artist have so much power. The more power ayu gets; the worse off the company will be since they will come to be entirely dependant on her rather then a lot of people. If one person(ayu) was the strongest in the company; what would happen if she suddenly left either on her own accord or because of a decision avex made? Or if she did something that totally destroyed her image? You guessed it....Avex would crumble because they lost one of thier most important people. That is why Avex is investing in many artists and, if it's true, sort of downgrading Ayu. They need reliance on many people and cant make one too powerful. I dont know if Ayu saved matsuura's job on her own; but I think it was mostly her that did persuade Avex. Had ayu been "just another artist" I think things might have turned out differently. Point of that was; if you can save a job by just simply saying "If you don't save his job i'll leave this company" then you have too much power over marketing decisions.

Avex being Insecure? No.
Avex being Smart? Yes. Despite all the Avex-haters here; they need to rely on many other artists instead of Ayu if they want to have some economic security. You can't blame them for that.

and if she had so much power, her releases woudl be way better

I dont see how more power=better quality songs.

[elaniel]

Originally Posted by andre2907

Not sure... Japanese industry is weird. Look at Ami Suzuki... she was one of the most popular singers in Japan in the 90s and she was sacked after law problems and nobody wanted her, until now, years later, when Avex saved her. If Ayu is causing trouble for Avex, any company would want her causing troubles for them too. But Ayu is powerful and she could have her own company...

Its not that no one wanted Ami it was cause she had sued her management and the label had an out of court settlement.

She was virtually blacklisted from all labels cause they ewre all wary the same thing would happpen.

[bulmasman]

it has to be admitted that Mainichi has some great story's though...

Poolside perverts with X-ray eyes swim against tide of public decency



I wouldn't take this article seriously at all

I've even read on that site about moms performing certain acts on their sons so they'd get higher grades in school.

So yeah, lol. I'm not too trusting of it and if it is true, I dunno- doesn't really bother me.

[Echiko]

wow..this article is really confusing. xD; *coughs* believe..or not? haha...

[gakkun]

Pop pundits see mutiny on Hamasaki's horizon
Ayumi Hamasaki.




Ayumi Hamasaki faces the once unimaginable prospect of being dumped by the label she is even now regarded as holding up, according to Shukan Jitsuwa (7/14). The 26-year-old diva is regarded as the face of Avex Records, which has ridden on the back of Hamasaki's success to become one of the most powerful players in the huge Japanese music industry.

Hamasaki is said to work hand in hand with Avex President Katsuhito Matsuura and is rumored to have the "power of an Empress" when it comes to decisions regarding the company's personnel. But whispers have it that Hamasaki's rule is under threat.

"Ayu is just too powerful, so people within the company really hate her. Matsuura discovered Ayu, she has too much power for even him to say some things to her. There's been a movement for some time to get rid of her," a music industry insider tells Shukan Jitsuwa.

It's only natural in some ways that Hamasaki has the power she wields. At one stage, her earnings made up 40 percent of all the money Avex made. But the situation has changed.

"Now, her sales are about 5 billion yen. The ratio of money she makes for the company has declined significantly, with the firm taking in about 75 billion yen," the insider says. "That's why the company wants to rid itself of her influence."

Matsuura, Hamasaki's biggest supporter, is apparently no longer the staunch ally he once was.

"Avex has just signed Ami Suzuki, who was one the verge of retiring because of troubles with her talent agency. The trouble is, Ayu despises Ami. Because Matsuura signed Ami without asking Ayu's permission, the relationship between the two has soured," a music writer tells Shukan Jitsuwa.

Coming into the middle of what seems to be a crumbling empire is Yasuhide Uno, the president of cable radio company U-Sen and a newly appointed director at Avex. Uno has a reputation for wielding the ax and has already started implementing a major internal restructuring at the record company.

"Whatever way you look at it, the management style at Avex is warped. When there were moves afoot to sack Matsuura last year when he was still managing director, Ayu said she'd quit if he was fired. That was enough to save Matsuura's job. And then he was promoted to president. It's ridiculous that a single artist can influence who is going to run the company," the writer says. "Uno is obviously not happy with a company run like that, which is the real reason behind his appointment as a director."

And as Hamasaki's professional relationships may be on rocky ground, her recording career is also under threat, with her past two singles barely mustering much attention at all.

"She's already a regular on biggest taxpayer lists and isn't hungry for success like she once was. Hamasaki's success over the past four or five years would have seen her pocket at least 5 billion yen. She would have no trouble paying cash for a posh 200 million yen apartment," an Avex insider tells Shukan Jitsuwa. "She doesn't need to do the back-breaking work anymore."

It's the suggestion that Hamasaki has reached the comfort zone that is fueling speculation that Avex no longer needs her.


"Even if Hamasaki and Matsuura's relationship is as prickly as rumor would have it to be, the reality is that the pair of them alone still control the fate of a company employing about 900 people. It's weird that a situation like that could even exist. The company's slide is entirely the fault of those two," the music industry writer tells Shukan Jitsuwa. "You don't hear too much good about Uno, either. But Uno sees (Hamasaki and Matsuura) as two peas in a pod. If he's not happy with the management of the company, he'll lop them both off. If Hamasaki is sacked, there's no doubt she'll form her own company to go into direct competition." (By Ryann Connell)


Shukan Jitsuwa 7/14 edition

~~~

Source

[AyuGAME]

although there has been many thread about this
but the pics you post it..its my first time seeing it..
wow..looks like this was a big news

[gakkun]

ahh ooops could someone merge this thread into the other one.

[lovia]

who cares whether this is real? come'on its a tabloid! anyway.. even if avex dump her, like she will be handicap? NO! Never! she will sure make a company of her own!! that will also be even more cool!! and we'll get to see ayu grooming new artists!!! hahaha get real... =\

[RebornLS]

Excerpts from the MSN article"

"Ayu is just too powerful, so people within the company really hate her. Matsuura discovered Ayu, she has too much power for even him to say some things to her. There's been a movement for some time to get rid of her,"

Matsuura, Hamasaki's biggest supporter, is apparently no longer the staunch ally he once was.

"Avex has just signed Ami Suzuki, who was one the verge of retiring because of troubles with her talent agency. The trouble is, Ayu despises Ami. Because Matsuura signed Ami without asking Ayu's permission, the relationship between the two has soured,"



MSN reported this article
http://mdn.mainichi-msn.co.jp/waiwai...dm023000c.html

I did a little snooping on the site, they seem pretty unbiased, so it should be interesting to see what devlops.

Granted, I was skeptical about this article. So, I made a few calls to my japanese friends in Osaka and Tokyo and asked their opinion on it. They said they could believe it happeneing. Ayu isn't in the lime light as much as she once was. One of them also said, articles about Ayu's future being grimm is nothing new. It isn't a secret Avex workers hate Ayu, even I the ignorant American knew this
This is a shock to me. Given the fact it is a rumor, and rumors are 90% of the time bull.

MY TAKE: She aint leaving Avex anytime soon. If anything Avex will test the waters with Ami and the sucess of Ayu's next album. I just find it hard to believe.

[ohsixthirty]

this was actually posted some time back...

[~Amy~]

*sneezes* Oh dear, I'm algeric to bullcrap... *leaves the thread*

[ohsixthirty]

^HAHA!

[evolution105]

old news.....*yawn*

[Corybobory]

She also goes to GAYBARS!!!! And she's pregnant!!!

[Hugo_Perry]

Booo! Booo! Booo!

[ohsixthirty]

can i nominate this thread for the "best thread ever" award?

[stardusties]

Originally Posted by ~Amy~

*sneezes* Oh dear, I'm algeric to bullcrap... *leaves the thread*

LOL!!! you're so witty <3 x3


anyways ya o_o...that's not true oo;

Ayu's soo special been carryinging around that baby for YEARS no wonder she can't dance all out!! [xD;;....]

[voltron]

Originally Posted by Corybobory

She also goes to GAYBARS!!!!

That actually IS true though. There were pictures of it in that tabloid, and she wrote about it to TeamAyu after the "event." x_X