New single 'Feel the love / Merry-go-round' out 12/25 [II]

[truehappiness]

Originally Posted by njanjayrp

I don't think this is really an evolution~ The thing is Ayu has songs with way better production. Both the songs don't sound really polished to me and I dunno. Even though I like Merry-go-round a lot from the preview and think Feel the love is better than songs like Greatful Days I still think that it's quite weak to be a lead track and to be honest neither one of the two songs good enough to be on a single. Knowing Ayu this is only going to be a one time thing [hopefully]. I am not to crazy about this direction tbh. I'll survive a couple of songs though and in the long run I will prolly appreciate theM~they aren't bad, but far from absolutely amazing.

What do you mean by 'better production' though? Arrangements? Mixing?

[njanjayrp]

Originally Posted by truehappiness

What do you mean by 'better production' though? Arrangements? Mixing?

Both of those. The songs just don't sound polished enough to me. Maybe they'll sound a bit better once the cd is out.

[truehappiness]

Originally Posted by njanjayrp

Both of those. The songs just don't sound polished enough to me. Maybe they'll sound a bit better once the cd is out.

The mixing was done by that new guy so it could explain why it sounds very different...

And as for arrangements, I think she tends to veer towards drums/guitar/strings a bit too much, so this is fresh imo. The synths do sound a bit cheap, but what can you do? At least it isn't the Nakata boop boops.

[njanjayrp]

Originally Posted by truehappiness

The mixing was done by that new guy so it could explain why it sounds very different...

And as for arrangements, I think she tends to veer towards drums/guitar/strings a bit too much, so this is fresh imo. The synths do sound a bit cheap, but what can you do? At least it isn't the Nakata boop boops.

They do sound fresh, but for me it's not always a good thing. Bold & Delicious was fresh and the arrangment was epic. I dunno I am among people who want Yuta Nakano to arrange everything.

Merry-go-round is deffo gonna be something I'll listen to a lot~ Even though so many of Nakata's songs sound the same I think his arrangements sound richer somehow.

[truehappiness]

It's probably because he's perfected that sort of Akiba/electro-pop sound, haha.

[Deep snow]

I've just heard Merry-go-round on her Facebook page. I'm...indifferent about it. I neither love nor hate it. It sounds weird now but I'm very sure it will somehow grow on me.

One thing, though: I'm really glad that it doesn't sound too hip-hop-esque. With m-flo attached to it I was afraid that the song would be some hip-hop R&B shit.

[pchan1986]

This song is analyzed way touch. I love it plain and simple.

[waterballoon]

so the beginning riffs were an ORGASM to my ears then the arrangement gets soooooooo bland I can't omg please improve it for the final release

but besides that IT'S EVERYTHING I WANTED. REMEMBER HOW I mentioned hoping Merry-go-round would be an EDM snowy kiss? HOLY SHIT WE GOT IT and I freaking love the lyrics... there's this bittersweet (wistful?) nuance to it... it's too beautiful. Kinda like the atmosphere of Days + the shot beats of snowy kiss. VERBAL/m-flo wasn't redundant, it brought me back to Kana Nishino's earlier songs which was super cool.

btw aside from the arrangement, I kinda hate the 1000000000 layers over her voice. very much like snowy kiss... it comes across noisy.

[Minttulatte]

I completely forgot to comment on Merry-go-round here I see. I really like the song. It sounded awesome and VERBAL's rap is awesome as it always is♥ I was also able to relate to the lyrics so well that I started to cry which is very rare for me when it's a Ayu song. Last time I actually cried while listening to an Ayu song was in Love songs era I think. That album made me cry. Sadly I haven't listened to it at all since then. o.O

[Livey~]

I can't wait for covers!

[Deibel]

Is this fanmade? I guess so, 'cause I haven't seen it in AHS before.

[Deibel]

Okay, sorry then xD Thanks for replying!

[marty]

I see this "trying to jump on the trendy thing" as a evolution for Ayu. I mean, it's not the first time she does something just for the fun of trying it, but it is the first time she's doing it with the most popular genre. She's still challenging and evolving herself guys. LOVEagain, now, that was a safe play (even with gorgeous songs).
And if she can express herself with EDM, owning the style like she does with every other, I don't see where the problem is.

[NintendoHTF1242]

Originally Posted by marty

I see this "trying to jump on the trendy thing" as a evolution for Ayu. I mean, it's not the first time she does something just for the fun of trying it, but it is the first time she's doing it with the most popular genre. She's still challenging and evolving herself guys. LOVEagain, now, that was a safe play (even with gorgeous songs).
And if she can express herself with EDM, owning the style like she does with every other, I don't see where the problem is.

THIS SO MUCH OMFG

I really don't understand why Ayu doing EDM is a big problem. Ayu fucking owned this shit so hard that Namie is crying. So y'all are gonna have to deal. Merry-go-round is one of the best Ayu songs I've heard in a long time. And that's saying a lot because I stopped with Ayu ever since Love songs.

[ComatoseBunnySnatcher]

Originally Posted by NintendoHTF1242

THIS SO MUCH OMFG

I really don't understand why Ayu doing EDM is a big problem. Ayu fucking owned this shit so hard that Namie is crying. So y'all are gonna have to deal. Merry-go-round is one of the best Ayu songs I've heard in a long time. And that's saying a lot because I stopped with Ayu ever since Love songs.

Hear, hear!

I for one am glad if we only get 2 ballads in the next album (NL style). We've had so many since Love Songs and alot of them didn't really stood out...

[Pieces_of_SEVEN]

Don't really care for VERBAL being in the song...but I can deal with it. He's done much worse. Also, people seem to be liking this much more than FTL...I love them both a lot.

Really hoping for some remixes on the single! It's EDM...how can you not remix that. lol

[visionfactory]

I love Merry-go-round so much ^_^ it's so different

Though I really hate the Gangnam Style effect they used in both songs T_T ahhh those parts

[Kazeyomi]

^
What Gangnam Style effect? :O

I'm really impressed by Merry-go-round though. I like Feel the love, it's fun and catchy, but Merry-go-round it's way better. Cannot wait for the full song
It's strange listen to Ayu and VERBAL together in a song lol I was waiting for a collab between them for ages and now it's here I still can't believe it!

[PoetGirl]

even Feel the love is better than Merry-go-round but Im not feelin any of them

[Benikari47]

Merry-Go-Round is actually solid, much better than Feel The Love for sure. The instrumental is stunning and her vocals are rather nice as well!

I can't help but find them dull and uninspired though, Ayu sounds awkward doing this kind of EDM music, it comes off as gimmicky and a tad tacky actually. As catchy as they are i can't take them seriously, i really appreciate that she's trying something new but if she has to do electropop/dance music something like Sparkle or Rollin' would be much more pleasing imo. Cause here she just sounds like a back-up singer, she doesn't own the songs at all. Namie does this genre of music much more justice, where Ayu clearly owns on the ballad front (which is why i'm looking much more forward to Pray)