Ayu: Anything Goes [XXIX] - Page 17

Toniayu123 · #**321** 23rd March 2021, 05:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tokyoxjapanxfan

Drama queen would have been a more apt title in reference to how she’s

Wish she’d put out an album with that tittle. I don’t want to be pessimistic about it but, I don’t think we’ll ever see that side of Ayu again, I think she’ll go for safer sounds and image in her future releases, sadly.

Andrenekoi · #**322** 23rd March 2021, 07:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tokyoxjapanxfan

The funny thing about party queen though is... no one really perceived Ayu in that way? (A crazy partier that is.)
Drama queen would have been a more apt title in reference to how she’s perceived. I mean based on her social media presence it doesn’t even look like Ayu has friends outside her colleagues lol. Not that that’s an issue, but I mean, it’s not like she was Britney of Paris or Lindsay-level party girl.

If she made it like a character or alter ego a la Madonna’s Erotica album or Sasha Fierce I wonder if I’d have been more interested in it lol.

Well, there was A LOT of rumours that she trashed hotel rooms while abroad or that she had several abortions or had several STDs or that she was cheating on her boyfriend. I wouldn't call that a "party queen", but for rumours like that being spread around like they did, people for sure did perceive her as trashy. I can't remember rumours like that being spread around about Hikki or post 90's Namie, for example.

There was also a recent post here on the forum where someone said a japanese friend told they Ayu fandom was seemed as trashy party people.

Quote:

Originally Posted by !Lawi!

^YES! I love the 'fakeness' behind the apparently bubbly atmosphere of Party queen (the song)! She obviously made it even more obvious (maybe a bit too on the nose) with the 'I am a lonely queen' lines she added in one of the concerts, but even in the original album the idea is clearly there, that line being in NaNaNa.

I think you may have finally reconciled me with the loss of the original photoshoot

I like that explanation, that the cover is intended to be uncomfortable too!

I guess I never saw Love AGAIN as part of the trilogy but it makes sense. I've always found Love AGAIN unintentionally sad because it sounded like she was trying to replicate an album/a relationship. I probably don't love it as much as the other two but it was so exciting to have another trilogy of clips, and there are a lot of good tracks on there too!

I think Love AGAIN actually have a pretty mature perspective on romantic love, and IMO the whole album is about falling in love, having your heart breaken, recovering and falling in love again. If it wasn't for the EPs that turned out to be singles, I think the reception would be much better.

Katsuyuki012 · #**323** 24th March 2021, 01:26 AM

LOVE again is fantastic IMO and I hate how the whole EP situation kind of ruined the album's reputation and/or perception for a lot of people. I'm pretty glad that this didn't affect me. :'D

Also, Party Queen is one of my favourite Ayu albums. I'm so happy to see that there are more and more people enjoying it as time goes on.

MKAyu · #**324** 24th March 2021, 02:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andrenekoi

Well, there was A LOT of rumours that she trashed hotel rooms while abroad or that she had several abortions or had several STDs or that she was cheating on her boyfriend. I wouldn't call that a "party queen", but for rumours like that being spread around like they did, people for sure did perceive her as trashy.

It's hard to say if people started such rumors because they view her as trashy and so they assume it's what she WOULD do. I remember back when I was teaching English and I had a student who was a gal. She had a boyfriend and was proud of being home each night taking care of him. But my boss once told me that she was clearly a party girl and got very surprised when I told him this student never went out partying! He'd been totally sure based on her appearance.

Not to say if Ayu did or didn't do anything, but things like "has multiple STDs" just sounds like the kind of thing people say when they decide a girl is a slut, so OF COURSE she must have had them.

Hikki never had that image, so of course no one spread such rumors about her. She's divorced multiple husbands just like Ayu at just as young an age, but she's quieter.

Andrenekoi · #**325** 24th March 2021, 02:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MKAyu

It's hard to say if people started such rumors because they view her as trashy and so they assume it's what she WOULD do. I remember back when I was teaching English and I had a student who was a gal. She had a boyfriend and was proud of being home each night taking care of him. But my boss once told me that she was clearly a party girl and got very surprised when I told him this student never went out partying! He'd been totally sure based on her appearance.

Not to say if Ayu did or didn't do anything, but things like "has multiple STDs" just sounds like the kind of thing people say when they decide a girl is a slut, so OF COURSE she must have had them.

Hikki never had that image, so of course no one spread such rumors about her. She's divorced multiple husbands just like Ayu at just as young an age, but she's quieter.

If she was seemed as someone like that, the whole Party Queen image totally made sense. And Ayu worked with that by emboding this perception people may had about her, hinting a party album but actually giving that character depth. In a sense, this is not THAT different from Madonna's Erotica.

SURREAL__RAINBOW · #**326** 24th March 2021, 05:53 AM

Can we organize a play day for A BALLADS 2's release????

To boost views on youtube, streams on spotify, etc?

**DonkeyKongRemix** · #**327** 24th March 2021, 07:48 AM

I recently had a CD player installed in my car and the speakers are pretty good. I hadn't had any real good Ayu sessions for a while so I've listening to her discography quite a bit and was completely floored by Love Songs all over again. For me, it is definitely in my top 3 favorite albums of hers. It's so powerful, epic, and beautifully sewn together. I think it's just top notch.

And my sister really enjoyed it and asked for a copy.

The album that overwhelms me is Guilty. The tone of that album is haunting and potent, and leaves me feeling honestly quite raw.

And it hit me while listening to it that they should have made an orchestrated version of it. Literally EVERY SINGLE song on there would so amazing that way! When I realized this, I actually felt extremely frustrated because it feels like a hopeless desire, yet it could have been truly satisfying!!!

Evolution7/4 · #**328** 24th March 2021, 09:34 AM

^Agree on both counts. Add into the fact the album was a surprise coming out so soon after Rock n Roll Circus, was a complete 180 change from that album and was the first time Ayu return to a nostalgic 90s sound (but in a fresh way) just make it such a highlight in her career.
And yes, Guilty really has such a darkness to it. It really encompasses that dark time in Ayu's life. But thats what makes it so beautiful, artful and raw. And we have the followup of Next Level to brighten things up

tokyoxjapanxfan · #**329** 24th March 2021, 12:25 PM

The darkness of Guilty I think actually played a big part in my disconnect from it during its release. At the time I was 17? 18? And really enjoying and loving where I was in life. So the album being in direct contrast to how I was feeling actually kept me from enjoying it as much as her previous work. I appreciate it MUCH more now that I have life experience haha. I certainly listened to it a lot, but I didn’t really “feel” it until later in life. Though it’s still quite a heavy album and not something I often listen to in full. Fated is probably the song that stands out to me most. I wish it was more popular. I’m very excited to hear the remastered version.

Evolution7/4 · #**330** 24th March 2021, 12:53 PM

Fated is one of my faves. A proper rock ballad. Its just so sorrowful and angsty but in a chilled out, worn out way with a glimmer of hope. Such a beautiful piece of music.

Guilty was actually my first full Ayu album. I had a few of her singles and my fandom was just being born when I did an exchange trip in Japan. Mirrorcle World had just come out so I had my host family bring me to the CD stores to buy it and thats when I saw Guilty on the shelf. My mind was BLOWN hearing talkin 2 myself lol At the time I couldn't believe a "pop diva" had made such a hard rock sounding pop song. I was hooked!

Lyssayu · #**331** 24th March 2021, 02:36 PM

Guilty is probably my favourite album, and it's attached to so many great memories of that time (meeting Ayu in Paris, Mirrorcle World, 10 years anniversary etc.). I think it made me go 'crazy fan' as well haha! I genuinely love all the songs in there and the different atmospheres.

Personally never been a fan of Party Queen - I mostly play the call->Tell my why section and be done with it

Which photo was supposed to be the cover and got replaced? I can't remember now...

SURREAL__RAINBOW · #**332** 24th March 2021, 04:32 PM

So much happened during/for the GUILTY era!

We learned about her hearing loss, her close friend passed away, she didn't hit #1 with it...

I personally love it so much, it's hard to listen to nowadays, I have to be in the mood for it. I was also 17 when it came out.

Evan Odinson · #**333** 24th March 2021, 06:59 PM

I love GUILTY since I was in a pretty dark moment when it came out and it actually helped me to get through it, it's a very special album for me

btw Dearest was trending in Japan after the TV show Premium Music 2021 broadcasted a live performance from 2001 (not sure which one exactly) and there were over 16K tweets about it in less than an hour, HER POWER

BlackSilence · #**334** 24th March 2021, 07:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Evan Odinson

Sounds great, let us know their reaction if they let you play that playlist!

I'm happy to report no song of hers was skipped. One of the chicks even hummed Marionette at one point. No comments, but not skipping is a good sign �� so Ayu is approved by hardcore goths from 90s

Lyssayu · #**335** 24th March 2021, 09:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Evan Odinson

btw Dearest was trending in Japan after the TV show Premium Music 2021 broadcasted a live performance from 2001 (not sure which one exactly) and there were over 16K tweets about it in less than an hour, HER POWER