Lets vent about ayu?/why did your fandom decrease

[channy]

When "Pray" first came out I'd immediately notice it's notorious western vibe but by now I feel like it's a pretty basic and solid song in terms of a Japanese ballad. Not that americanized as I had thought a few months ago. The "SEASONS" and "Far away" moments appear as though they were meant to resemble an homage to Ayu's most precious musical pieces from the past.

[Delirium-Zer0]

And the outro sounds like HANABI too... it does really have a nostalgic "let's explore retro ayu" feel. That can't be by accident.

[primavera♥]

People just stay worshipping Namie ever since she rose to the top again after years of meh. And then blame ayu for not doing the same when their careers and stylrs are completely diffrrent.

But whatever. Also, I can't say that Namie is avant garde. Like lol.

Also, maybe ayu's concerts are just still enjoyable. RnRC in 2010 was one of her better tours to me with themes and stuff. Like AT05 but not copying it. And then PoM was also changing things up as far as tours go, in a nice way. HLS is enjoyable to me because I really love the theme and the way the performances were, it was an interesting vibe from ayu. ABL was such a "standard" ayu concert, so there I can see complaints maybe. But honestly. I would still pay money to see ayu live.

Ayu can attempt to reinvent herself and she will most likely become even more irrelevant. Because she will never be like Namie lol. They are so different, people need to get with the program.

[Andrenekoi]

People who believe Namie is anywhere near doing avant garde stuff should leave their homes more and see the world, because really...

[Coelacanth]

I think Ayu will have the last laugh. Do you honestly think anybody will be listening to Namie's "hip-pop" noise 15 years from now? It will be dated, but in a bad way. That's the issue with production-oriented material. All these "hip" acts are seeking "hotter" production, while the emphasis on the composition of the piece is practically nil. It's style over substance. Melody, harmony, and lyrics shouldn't be an afterthought.

Gorgeous pieces like SAKURA and untitled story 2 will be more appreciated as we ourselves mature and stop worrying about what sounds "cool" and "fierce." Ayu's sound is timeless.

And lmao at avant-garde!!!! Namie's "hip-pop" material is pretty much comprised of cheap renditions of the tracks on Janet Jackson's flop trilogy albums (Damita Jo, 20 Y.O., Discipline).

The only reason that Namie has a career imo is because Japan still irrationally LOVES Janet Jackson. I mean, the Tokyo radio station J-WAVE plays several of her songs per day. The Japanese probably love female singers who whisper and sing-talk through their songs because they're easy to sing at karaoke LMAO.

[relmy]

I don't think people will care about SAKURA or Namie's latest single in 15 years time.

Ayu's current stuff sounds like a cheap rendition of her own stuff from 10 years ago. She's not doing anything remotely creative either.

[primavera♥]

^And when she tries to do anything random song differently, no one likes it anyway. So it's back to rehashing old stuff...maybe it's just japan.

Though I think later, I will appreciate a lot of her current songs. Especially when she tries new things. But the public won't.

Love again isn't ayu's best by far. Yet, for me sadly it's still better than what a lot of other japanese artists put out, imo. Sad world.

[relmy]

Originally Posted by primavera♥

^And when she tries to do anything random song differently, no one likes it anyway. So it's back to rehashing old stuff...maybe it's just japan.

She never does anything too different though, so I don't think it's a case of her being too ~avant-garde for anyone's tastes. Her style has always been Jpop tinged with whatever her thing is at that point. It's just that she's done everything 2 or 3 times by now so where is she meant to go next?

Combined with the same dancers doing the same routines, with the same format at tours, the same staff and team behind her work, it's all come to a head in the past few years. Love again being a 'throwback' album so soon after the, throwback sounding, Love Songs doesn't help either.

I'm not optimistic for the new album (not a fan of the music the people's she's working with produce), but I'm hoping that it'll be the first of a few shake ups that break the rather habit-based and friend-circle production she seems to have fallen into.

But, I guess I don't really know what it is on the music side. I wish I loved Love again/FtL/Pray as much as some people do here, but I don't, so what can you do. I'll just wait for whatever's next and hope it clicks.

[Andrenekoi]

I searched for Sakura on youtube and most videos were people singing it at the karaoke...

I guess the song was better received than some people would like to admit...

[Coelacanth]

Most of you are unfortunately brainwashed by the Western mainstream music consumer's mindset of music that is fresh and "current" = good.

Not sure how any of you could be considered arbiters of good taste anyway since most of you, outside of listening to Ayu, only expose yourselves to K-pop, Namie, Lady Gaga, and shitty EDM. LOL

[emi♡]

About Namie. No her music isn't "avant garde" (lol please don't use that word), but I think it's interesting that many people liked her change of style.

I don't think that would work with Ayu, unfortunately. Even though Namie changed her style, she went from one mainstream sound to another...even with her mixing it up in the middle for Past<Future. I don't think Ayu has that advantage.

Originally Posted by Coelacanth

Most of you are unfortunately brainwashed by the Western mainstream music consumer's mindset of music that is fresh and "current" = good.

Not sure how any of you could be considered arbiters of good taste anyway since most of you, outside of listening to Ayu, only expose yourselves to K-pop, Namie, Lady Gaga, and shitty EDM. LOL

But maybe they're the best audience for Ayu's current music. It's not like she has the technical or artistic knowledge to do the things actual musicians do.


As for her voice, tbh I never really listened to how "emotive" ayu's voice sounded in her songs. But the other day...I was listening to Boys and Girls, and I wrote on twitter how it sounds like she has such conviction in her voice. Like you NEED to listen to what she's saying cause it's the damn truth. (In a song like Boys and Girls wut)

But going back over her songs...I don't think that quality has been in her voice since like, Rainbow or before :/ Or else it's very rare in only a few songs.

And I mean, I don't think that it really affects the quality of her music THAT much. She still has gorgeous songs, but I think that lent something very special to her older music for a lot of people.

I always just felt, like Ayu's old music was technically better. Better composed, better arranged for the most part, etc. But in this instant, I felt something else. Like I finally understood something that other people have always understood about her older sound.

Maybe it's just the raw nature of that sound, free from any glitz and glam, unpretentious and just honest.

[Andrenekoi]

^You know you can always stop following her, don't you? I mean, she doesn't seen to get anything right according to your tastes...

[Zeke.]

Originally Posted by Andrenekoi

^You know you can always stop following her, don't you? I mean, she doesn't seen to get anything right according to your tastes...

Omg I absolutely hate when people pull this card, more than anything.

We all love ayu and it's natural to hope she can do well and have an impact like you know she's capable of. It's not as simple as letting go when she's had such an effect on your life.

Ugh, such a self-righteous and self-sufficient comment.

[relmy]

Originally Posted by Zeke.

Omg I absolutely hate when people pull this card, more than anything.

We all love ayu and it's natural to hope she can do well and have an impact like you know she's capable of. It's not as simple as letting go when she's had such an effect on your life.

Ugh, such a self-righteous and self-sufficient comment.

I know, right? I love Ayu, even if her her material hasn't been great recently, she'll probably make something I'll love again (lmao) in the future. I wish I could love everything unconditionally, but I don't. Life goes on, Ayu keeps making new music.

Originally Posted by Pinguu

She doesn't need to do avant garde stuff (what's avant garde stuff anyway for a mainstream pop singer ?) but I think she needs to give some identity to every album she does, not necessarily reinvent her music, which anyway would be a disaster.

I agree with you. When I said she isn't avant-garde it's not an insult, it's just not what I expect her, or want her I guess, to be. She's... Ayu. I'm tentative about the new album too. Music wise I'm eh but directionally I'm looking forward to what's coming next.

[marty]

First, Namie, doing "new" stuff? You kidding me?
She litterally started to be relevant again when she threw herself on that EDM bandwagon. Let's not.
Secondly, I don't think I get the point of all this. A song is either bad or good. You can do new or old stuff either nicely or badly.
Ayu was always open to try new things, remaining faithful to her style. In my opinion, the important thing is to give "soul" to a song, to make it iconic.
If there's one thing you can't blame Ayu for is to not try. She does. You can list your opinions on why you don't like it, but she did try and still does.

[Zeke.]

I don't mind Ayu doing "the same", I was always one who was happy with her churning out the copy & paste winter ballads. However, my argument has always been, if you're going to stick with the same style, you either need to do it JUST AS GOOD as you've done in the past, or excel over that. Which lately she has not succeeded in doing.

Originally Posted by relmy

Ayu's current stuff sounds like a cheap rendition of her own stuff from 10 years ago.

As relmy says, it retains some certain familiar Ayu style, but done so cheaply and entire flights of stairs behind what she has done in the past. I never wanted anything crazy from Ayu or wild, I just wanted her to continue doing what she was best at doing and maintaining the quality and professionalism within the material. If she were to continually release great rock songs or great winter ballads with a slightly different spin on the formula I would never complain again - the catch is, they need to continue being great.

[Zeke.]

I agree about emotiveness to an extent, but I did feel like November has some of her strongest projections of emotions out of her entire discography. That last bit after the instrumental buildup is utterly amazing.

[miki_beland]

Originally Posted by Zeke.

I agree about emotiveness to an extent, but I did feel like November has some of her strongest projections of emotions out of her entire discography. That last bit after the instrumental buildup is utterly amazing.

Agree… there is something so special about that song. I'm still in love with it

[hsienko]

Originally Posted by Zeke.

Omg I absolutely hate when people pull this card, more than anything.

We all love ayu and it's natural to hope she can do well and have an impact like you know she's capable of. It's not as simple as letting go when she's had such an effect on your life.

Ugh, such a self-righteous and self-sufficient comment.

Don't pay that old stunt queen any mind, she's just trolling for attention like always. The point of this forum and this topic is to have a debate - you use your words to make and defend a point. If you ever feel the need to pull the "why are you here then, gtfo" card you do not ever need to be participating in the discussion - period.


Anyone who still call Namie music "hip-pop" clearly hasn't listen to anything since 2005. Really there are manufactured acts who sound kinda of similar to Namie like Rihanna but Namie still has her own distinct sound but that is not even important.

Clearly, you all did not get what I originally meant - Ayu is redundant. She uses the same ideas and formulas well past their expiration dates and as time has gone on it seems to have gotten worse. No one is saying she needs to start making dub step club bangers or go chola and start rapping in spanish - I appreciate her use of classical instruments but its annoying when every song is like 6 minutes long and follows the same verse, bridge, chorus, verse, bridge, chorus, 2 minute instrumental part, chorus, chorus formula. On top of that, every song has to have every instrument that ever existed in it - like 80 violins, chellos, harpsichord, rock guitars and kazoos and all kinds of other shit after a while it has just started to sound ridiculous because you can't even differentiate between the songs anymore.

I think she should fire every single last person in her staff from her housekeeper to her manager and restock with new people (old and young!) who can bring her some fresh ideas - it'll send shockwaves through her artistry.

[Benikari47]

I'm a bigger fan of Namie than Ayu, but the only avantgarde song she's done would be Ballerina lmfao so let's not. Her EDM songs sounds like everything you hear in America, only difference is that she's doing the genre better than 80% of those artists over there.