New album 'Party Queen' out 03/21 information thread [V]

[elvis810]

i didn't want to buy the album at first but now that the covers are out i want them so badly! i agree the magazine tabloid idea needs better execution but she still looks gorgeous.

thank god she didn't pull a pink hair cover or i will puke!

[microphone]

Yuta Nakano? Well, this can only mean good things. (I'm being optimistic.)
I'm bummed Tetsuya Yukimi is not participating, however.

[truehappiness]

There's a possibility he did a song and didn't go on the trip to London with everyone else as last time he wasn't in London (I think) and he did meaning of Love/Last Links/count down.

[tokyoxjapanxfan]

Ohhhh so... maybe... the reason the separate photobook is being released is because the cover in fact only represents the outside of the album. and really, there's a cover from the London shoot underneath and within the lyric booklet, so there aren't any of the Party Queen shots in the album...

Meh. Over thinking.

[Calico]

I actually love the covers. But I'll avoid my reasons.

RE: to the previous topic and feminism vs. objectification - there are perfectly good arguments for either side in this case (Although I believe Ayu is quite knowledgeable in this area and knows what she's doing) but regardless, when words like "****ty" and "trashy" and "w****" and any other word commonly used to bring women and their sexuality down is used, you (general) pretty much lose most if not all your credibility. Sadly it's something I'm really used to in this forum after all my years of being here.

My fave cover is the CD only one, but of course that's the one I WON'T get I was thinking of just getting CD+DVD to save money but now I may just splurge for the CDL one since I like that cover more.

[Aderianu]

now I notice obi at the picture =(
but maybe cover on booklet will be different?

[Lady~Deviance]

Originally Posted by Zeke.

Off-topic but I hate the GTFO, DIAF, ABCD, LMNOP's poppin' up left and right almost as much as I hate talklikethisokthxbye.

I literally almost fell off of my bed reading this. Too funny!



I feel bad for ayu. Like I mentioned in the other thread, according to a few Japanese friends of mine, folks over in Japan are not thrilled with the covers and are bashing her relentlessly. For her sake I hope the "Sad Party Queen" underlying theme works in her favor because not many people are catching on apparently.

[truehappiness]

Originally Posted by Aderianu

now I notice obi at the picture =(
but maybe cover on booklet will be different?

That darn OBI! I still wonder if those are actual samples in the box or if they're just mockups made as placeholders.

I hope we get some nice interviews about the album so she can elaborate further than she did on Twitter.

according to a few Japanese friends of mine, folks over in Japan are not thrilled with the covers and are bashing her relentlessly.

That's not at all the reaction I've seen on blogs and BBSes. The reaction from what I've looked at is rather positive and much less panicky than what I've seen here. They call the covers 'cool' or 'cute'. They're 'good' to some people, but they're concerned because she's so skinny on the cover. People seem to be saying that the cover is more natural than they were expecting. Japanese fans were sort of expecting more makeup and a super 80s-ish cover.

Can anyone gauge the reaction over at mixi? At ameblo/a mobile BBS, it's pretty much "The covers are good!".

http://www.rankbank.net/amaran/histo...sin=B0073ZX0UM

After the covers released, the CD+2DVD version went up 20 places or so at Amazon.jp.

[elvis810]

Originally Posted by truehappiness

Can anyone gauge the reaction over at mixi? At ameblo/a mobile BBS, it's pretty much "The covers are good!".

Because they are!

[TeamAyu2004]

i dont think there is anything wrong with them...
They are not her best covers, but you really can only have one best... lol
I like them!
(I think the DVD covers and much much better... i love where it looks like she is reading a book!)

[Kanzaki]

Originally Posted by Lady~Deviance

I feel bad for ayu. Like I mentioned in the other thread, according to a few Japanese friends of mine, folks over in Japan are not thrilled with the covers and are bashing her relentlessly. For her sake I hope the "Sad Party Queen" underlying theme works in her favor because not many people are catching on apparently.

Why can't people ever just stop at "not liking something" and just take it to an unnecessary next level of "you suck". Just keep your stupid opinions to yourself if you don't have some nice way of putting it, talking to someone who put work into doing them.

[SunshineSlayer]

If ayu ends up having some kind of secret covers that explain this albums theme then I might like it. But as it is, if you have to explain your concept on twitter, then obviously your concept was not executed well. I don't appreciate Timmy's post either. It's not the fans fault they can't see it when there is basically nothing in the photos themselves to support it.

[SummonerXI]

I don't get why people are so up in arms about the covers. 1. No need to shame Ayu for expressing her sexuality. 2. The photos are part of a theme. There is a sexual aspect to partying, which is what the album is about for the most part.

There are many sides to Ayu and this is just one of them. I think it's silly (and slightly misogynistic) of people to say she's lost her dignity because she's being sexual in this covers.

[Coelacanth]

I mean, the barcode and bizarre "new album" sticker in the bottom corner still clearly allude to the covers as being a cover of a magazine. It could have been done a whole lot better, though.

[SunshineSlayer]

That I got right away at first look. It's the supposed SAD party queen aspect that didn't come across.

[emi♡]

Originally Posted by SunshineSlayer

If ayu ends up having some kind of secret covers that explain this albums theme then I might like it. But as it is, if you have to explain your concept on twitter, then obviously your concept was not executed well. I don't appreciate Timmy's post either. It's not the fans fault they can't see it when there is basically nothing in the photos themselves to support it.

+32546846546351654

I like the covers, but the execution is crap.

[Maemi]

Originally Posted by SunshineSlayer

If ayu ends up having some kind of secret covers that explain this albums theme then I might like it. But as it is, if you have to explain your concept on twitter, then obviously your concept was not executed well. I don't appreciate Timmy's post either. It's not the fans fault they can't see it when there is basically nothing in the photos themselves to support it.

[njanjayrp]

Originally Posted by Lady~Deviance

I literally almost fell off of my bed reading this. Too funny!



I feel bad for ayu. Like I mentioned in the other thread, according to a few Japanese friends of mine, folks over in Japan are not thrilled with the covers and are bashing her relentlessly. For her sake I hope the "Sad Party Queen" underlying theme works in her favor because not many people are catching on apparently.

With no actual proof it's kinda hard to believe a word you're saying... I usually find that Japanese people who don't listen to her/not like her don't really want to talk about her, as far as the people on the internet go...they bash just about everything and it doesn't matter as they are never the ones buying her albums.

Originally Posted by SunshineSlayer

That I got right away at first look. It's the supposed SAD party queen aspect that didn't come across.

I didn't really get that either. She doesn't look happy on the covers, but not particularly sad either. I am hoping this is just these are just the slipcase covers and that there'll be something different inside that will actually make the concept a little more obvious.

[jewelbox]

Originally Posted by SunshineSlayer

If ayu ends up having some kind of secret covers that explain this albums theme then I might like it. But as it is, if you have to explain your concept on twitter, then obviously your concept was not executed well. I don't appreciate Timmy's post either. It's not the fans fault they can't see it when there is basically nothing in the photos themselves to support it.

THIS. I don't like Timmy "shouting" to fans, at the end of the day she can always kick him out of her life and career but she would be nothing without her fans lol. And I think criticism from fans should be taken seriously and under consideration, but this is Ayu so.

[truehappiness]

And I think criticism from fans should be taken seriously and under consideration, but this is Ayu so.

I actually don't think fans' opinions should factor into artists' work. It just varies way too much from person to person and it doesn't seem right in my opinion for any artist to not follow their gut just because some fans don't feel the same way. At the end of the day as a fan, you're going to like what you like and dislike what you dislike. Ayu probably listens to and internalizes most criticism handed to her, but I doubt that she ever changes her mind because of it.

I do wonder what caused Timmy to explode like that though... what did he read and where did he go to see the comments?