Ayu as an Idol

[g~sus~]

for me...it's her look...

[ayu_fan929]

I would say both. Without the image/promotion, she wouldn't have gone far in the industry. At the same time, without the musical factor like in lyric writing and some song compostion, she would've just been another average Japanese female singer.

[*hearT_Place*]

^I agree. Without the fact that she writes her own lyrics, I think that she would have been just another idol singer who would have faded fast. Writing her own lyrics also gave her some control. And her voice wasn't exactly stellar back when she started. I think image had something to do with it, but I also think that her lyrics as well as her creativity really pulled audiences in. That's what pulled me in, at least.

[pbs1605]

I would say that Ayumi uses both,To have lasted as long as she has and to have been a successful as she is it takes more than looks.

[Uemarasan]

Everyone, thank you for your all your replies

HiruNoKaze and Petit, great points you've both made. Thank you for a fascinating conversation I'm sorry if this post is long.

Petit, yup, what you mention happens a lot (i.e. the use of metaphors). In some English songs, I hear a metaphor that has nothing to do with the content of the song pop out of nowhere!?! I think some songwriters do it to make it sound "deep". And I heartily agree with what you say about the "cleanness" of the Japanese language. I think it's easier to choose words in Japanese for music because of their open-ended sound.

HiruNoKaze, I'm with you. That has happened to me so many times, too! The melody of a song is what I hear first so it's what attracts me from the start, but then when I read the lyrics a lot of times they turn out either unremarkable or, at their worst, take away my enjoyment of the song altogether. That's why sometimes I deliberately "mishear" lyrics or make up lyrics of my own. Hehe.

I do think it is possible for someone to be both poet and songwriter, but I have yet to discover an artist who succeeds at both. Sometimes, a songwriter tries too hard to be "poetic" that the song ends up apppealing too much to poetic sensibilities and so much of the immediate emotional connection is ignored or lost. For me, simplicity is the key. Just imagine how hard it is to sing a Sylvia Plath poem. Of course, this has a lot to do with the state of contemporary poetry: it is so far removed from popular appeal that it is a dying art. I doubt a lot of people can name a living poet they like! It's in a very bad state. And to think, the popular music of the olden days were in fact poems sung.

And I do agree with you, there are a lot of songs in English that are lacking in ideas, but to be fair that also happens in Japanese music. It really depends on the skill of the songwriter, and , well, on who you listen to. There are Japanese equivalents (loosely) to the likes of Milkshake, Sexy Back, and Hollaback Girl The Gorie with Jasmine and Joann songs, for example. For really good lyricists in English, I recommend Fiona Apple (although rhyme gets in her way sometimes), Bjork, and Thom Yorke of Radiohead. You could check them out here

http://showcase.netins.net/web/ssinc...lelyrics.shtml
http://www.bjork.com/facts/lyrics/
http://www.greenplastic.com/lyrics/

So, in the end, I am just so thankful that Ayu's lyrics have depth, especially since I fell in love with her music before I took the time to understand Japanese. Thank the heavens!

And, yes, Italian is such a lovely language to listen to.

[HiruNoKaze]

I first got to know Ayu because she made me feel happy when times were bad. She really changed my life. After that, as I found out more about her, things just got better and better lol. She's like the complete package! Hotness.