New album titled 'MADE IN JAPAN'

[mi|kshake]

I kinda have a feeling You are the only one is gonna be something like Anything for you lol

Yes, it makes me think the same! I'm up for another 6/7 minute ballad to get sucked into!

[4Seasons]

Yeah, good point. Not to exaggerate but the next album does feel like an important point in her career: is she going to continue doing familiar, simple music or will she go back to creating unique soundscapes?

[truehappiness]

I think if we're due for more "plain" tracks on MADE IN JAPAN, we may be stuck in this era at least for another two albums.

I wonder if it has something to do with her hair color.

[JinHamasaki]

If she is making an album that represents whats good in Japan, I hope she has more conceptual album art.

This might be cliched but I would love to see a photobook with Ayu in famous landscapes and scenary in Japan. We haven't had one like that since RocknRoll Circus?
-The middle of the booklet would have her in a huge panorama of Mt. Fuji. (traditional kimono)
-Ayu posing in a sakura forest. (elegant dress)
-Ayu lost in the crowd at Shibuya crossing (modern/rocker Ayu)
-Ayu on the sands of Okinawa (summer dress)
-Ayu in snowy Sapporo (winter fur coat theme)
#MADEINJAPAN

[truehappiness]

Kinda sounds more like a calendar shoot IMO.

I think she should probably go for an extravagant shoot at least once this year. But with how things are progressing, I don't think we'll be getting one for some time... until she has that itch again.

[JinHamasaki]

Originally Posted by truehappiness

Kinda sounds more like a calendar shoot IMO.

I think she should probably go for an extravagant shoot at least once this year. But with how things are progressing, I don't think we'll be getting one for some time... until she has that itch again.

And when was the last calendar? Oh well, but I think this is the most exciting album since RnRC for me

[truehappiness]

Yeah, I was pointing out that it was a little out there, haha. Calendars were so amazing... I wish we got one at least for a tour.

This is my most anticipated album in a bit, mostly cause it's so NEW. Not a single song to give us a hint of anything.

[!Lawi!]

Originally Posted by truehappiness

This is my most anticipated album in a bit, mostly cause it's so NEW. Not a single song to give us a hint of anything.

I know! I failed last time and listened to Party queen and hbya before the release of the album, but this time I'm determined to wait for the full HQ thing to leak before listening to anything!

[DogboyShugo]

MADE IN JAPAN has such potential for music videos. She hasn't been too keen on doing crazy effect videos lately, but using Japan as her inspiration. Any song using Japan's scenery as the theme could be beautiful in a pop or ballad song. The rich history that Japan has to offer could be an influence on this album

[truehappiness]

I'm curious what tracks are going to get PVs...

Is she going to even do them? Is she revealing them in a "lead single" order?

[Chibi-Chan]

To be honest I'm sceptical that the album MADE IN JAPAN will look like anything people are expecting from a title like this. I would love her to be creative again, but I don't think that will be the case.

[kotora]

「どう見られてるかな？」「どう思われるかな？」
言いたい事も言えないで誰かの理想のために生きないで。
-TODAY-

I like the title.

[orbitalaspect]

Originally Posted by truehappiness

I am sure we will get some.

However, after almost 20 years in the business, I think titles are going to get a little wacky for anyone who has done an album a year for those nearly 20 years. Someone with Ayu's catalog would probably be struggling but she is still keepin' on.

And I see what you mean, but a lot of the issue with LOVE again was that it was old demos that were meant for older albums. A ONE and sixxxxxx are intentionally the way they are and I think this album will be the true test of whether or not she still "has it" and hopefully she brings us that surprise or two that she used to, like a kiss o' kill or criminal.

Personally, I felt like Colours was an entire album of extreme changes for her aside from like two tracks, so maybe that is why she's holding back a bit after doing an ENTIRE ALBUM of unusual stuff (for her).

To go for urban AND trance AND "Beyonce pop" AND 00s/10s "dance" AND other things all in one album, it was just.. a lot.

You're right in a multitude of ways. She's written over 300 songs at this point, right? I imagine it's hard to come up with original song titles that consist of one or two words at this point. A part of me does feel she could reuse a word, just change the case. I mean, she's done it with chords and structure? Silly idea, I know. It would be real confusing to say, "No, I liked the all-lowercase 'guilty' more than the all-uppercase 'GUILTY'.”

[aliceshields]

I guess 13 tracks album...

[truehappiness]

With an intro or interlude, we could get a 14/15 tracker.

[aliceshields]

I miss the interlude, I really hope 2 or 3 interludes in this album.

[mizuki-7]

Honestly ? Isn't a bit cliché to assume because the album's title contains the word "Japan" so she has to be dressed like a tradional japanese ? I would like personnally because that's representative of this country but from what I understand she found inspiration in the Japan of today not the one of the past centuries so I don't expect her to use this cultural aspect of Japan !

Btw I found an article that seems very revealing about the new album if someone is able to translate it it would be amazing !!

http://109news.jp/event/20160503/58789/?detail

[truehappiness]

Spoiler:

ということで、まずはご報告！

今年も109ニュースでツアー密着をさせていただくことになりました！

といっても、まだ現場へはお邪魔していないのですが、

その代わりになんと！！！

今回のツアーのセットリストにも組み込まれていてるという、

まもなく解禁されるNEWアルバムに収録予定の新曲を聴かせていただくことができました！


個人的な感想となりますが、記名原稿でこういう書き方をすることは、

正直、おこがましいなとか、書いた自分が批評されそうで怖いなとか、

思うことがあるんです。

それでも、今回はハッキリ明言したいと思います。



浜崎あゆみが“覚醒”した――と。



「MADE IN JAPAN」というタイトルを背負うに相応しい、

四季の艶やかな色彩や温度感を感じさせる楽曲はもちろんのこと、

激しさ、たくましさ、清らかさ、可愛らしさ、その裏にある孤独や闇……



浜崎あゆみという人物が抱える多面性をこれほどまでに音楽と融合したアルバムが、

かつてあっただろうか？




ちょっと前に、ayuがLAに拠点を移した時期。あれは、浜崎あゆみにとって

もはやココにたどり着くための必然だったんだなと、改めて感じたんです。



というのも、帰国後にリリースしたすべての曲がいわばウォーミングアップで、

ココにきて、一気に突き抜けた感を感じたというか――。


「自分が恥ずかしくて、逃げたくて、大事なモノを手放してしまったのかもしれない」



帰国後に、そんな本音を口にした彼女が、



私には音楽しかないんだ。

私の居場所はココなんだ。



と、洗いざらいむき出しにして挑んだアルバム。それがコレなんだ――と。



そうして、丸裸になった彼女が着地した新たなNEXT LEVELでは、

聴きなれた歌声も、かつてないほどの変化を遂げていたり、


いったい、浜崎あゆみに何が起こったの？？



と、高揚しまくり。こんなに興奮しながら、何度も何度も聴き直したアルバムは

久しぶり…いや、もしかしたら初めてかもしれません。



20年近く歌を歌い続けてくれば、安定とか円熟とかって言葉が

普通は当てはまるものかと思うんですが、



やっぱり、違う！そうじゃない！



「MADE IN JAPAN」で浜崎あゆみが自ら導き出したものは“覚醒”





さらに激しく、さらに切なく、さらに愛らしく、さらにたおやかに。



こんなayuを待ってた！そんなアルバムであることは間違いないと断言します！



そして、

この新曲たちを織り交ぜてのツアーは、いったいどんなことになっちゃうんだ？？？

と、大興奮冷めやらぬまま、今週末は本番直前のリハーサルに突撃してまいります！



ぜひぜひ、お楽しみに！！！！！



Text/Takako Tsuriya

Seems that they got to listen to a majority of the album and 109news is going to be around for the tour again. We should expect lots of pictures!

Main points relating to the music seem to be:
- the album seems to reflect the colors/temperatures of the four seasons
- "Hamasaki Ayumi has awakened"
- the album has cuteness, loneliness, darkness, clarity, strength, and intensity... (seems like a pretty mixed album!)

And songs from the new album are definitely going to be mixed into the tour.

[rainbow_smile]

I'm really bad at Japanese, but that's what I understood from the article:

Seems like they're saying that the lyrics are similar to her signature writing style, it's honest and self-critical? The songs remind of the four seasons: fierce, strong, pure, sweet, something about solitude and darkness... It combines different sides of Ayumi Hamasaki. They also said something about her coming back to Japan after being away in LA,, and the music after that has been some sort of a warming-up for her?

Apparently this album is a return to form, "awakening" of Ayumi Hamasaki, a new NEXT LEVEL and was challenging for her. "That's the Ayu we've been waiting for"

The tour will include the new songs.

[truehappiness]

It makes sense that she keeps referring to the four seasons in TA entries now that we kinda know the intention of the tracks' sound. I still think a fall concert set is gonna happen!