why ayu doesn't want to go global

[channy]

I think Ayaman Japan and their PV for "Poipoipoipoipoi" are BY FAR funnier and a lot more weird than any gangnam style. They deserve a worldwide breakthrough! >: D

[JackieRos]

is called FLOP.

[yves918]

Ayu wouldn't have to use anymore English in her music than she does already. She doesn't speak Chinese, but she had a big show in Taiwan that I'm sure many of us have watched.

She can do one big show in, say, the U.S. When I say "big," I mean as big as Madison Square Garden. There's enough of a fan base here for that, but not for more shows. L'arc~en~ciel did this, and I think it was pretty successful. Ayu will never break into mainstream Western music, but there are still a lot of Ayu fans who live outside of Asia who would definitely see her one big show in their country (me included).

[Party_King]

KODA KUMI tryed USA... FAILED
UTADA HIKARU tryed USA... FAILED
& others...

and already AYUMI herself FAILED (in GERMANY) too... with every release of her 6 singles...

so.. why she had to risk everything?

[jbrat2219]

She has no good reason to go global. There's maximum risk and little reward.

[jang-kun]

for ayu to go global will definitely compromise her legendary craft of music. i'd die if i hear ayu singing "hey sexxxy laadddeehhh"

[microphone]

Originally Posted by Party_King

KODA KUMI tryed USA... FAILED
UTADA HIKARU tryed USA... FAILED
& others...

and already AYUMI herself FAILED (in GERMANY) too... with every release of her 6 singles...

so.. why she had to risk everything?

Why do you feel the need to bring up Utada and Koda Kumi? Ayu is different, although I agree she wouldn't be successful.
Unless, you mean it's because they are Asian?

She certainly has the European look but her music is not western-friendly. Westerners for the most part do not react well to foreign things, even if they are some-what western.

[jang-kun]

^PQ is somewhat western... that makes sense. lol

[owlflight]

She could at least make an international fan club. It would be much easier to join Team Ayu then. Or she could just get her music and videos back on the USA iTunes Store for me... I'll stop that rant of mine.

[inthezone]

Asian music will never be popular outside of Asia. It's sad but true. Americans especially will never accept them, especially japanese people.
Psy is only popular because the video is funny.

[microphone]

Originally Posted by jang-kun

^PQ is somewhat western... that makes sense. lol

I don't think even Party Queen would have much success in the states or Europe. (edit: Is that the point you were making? )

[NintendoHTF1242]

Originally Posted by inthezone

Asian music will never be popular outside of Asia. It's sad but true. Americans especially will never accept them, especially japanese people.
Psy is only popular because the video is funny.

They're playing the song on radios.

[emi♡]

Originally Posted by Party_King

KODA KUMI tryed USA... FAILED
UTADA HIKARU tryed USA... FAILED
& others...

and already AYUMI herself FAILED (in GERMANY) too... with every release of her 6 singles...

so.. why she had to risk everything?

You can't release one or two things in a new market and expect to do well. Especially when there's no promotion or hype.

Even western artists fail that way :/

You need to have a label that is dedicated to making you huge. And people like Ayu and hikki and kuu, boa, namie, etc...I'm sorry, but...they're just too old and done.

They have successful careers somewhere else. Why come here? Why try? There's nothing new here for them


About Americans accepting Japanese people. Um lol. No one even cares about that.

Americans don't accept Asians in music because they don't speak English without accents that sound funny to our ears because of our social conditioning. That's it.

The other thing is. Most Asian artists that come here, don't have their own style. Mostly because their style overseas is what's popular there. Ayu included. You can't just get some random person no one knows, and drop them into a style that everyone else is doing, and then, have them not even sing well/without an accent.

They need to have something new and special, to cover niches in the market that aren't overcrowded...which most are.

There's just no place for a lot of asian acts, sorry.

[saigodansu]

It's a small minority in the western world that listen to any kind of asian music. There will never be a majority making it worth it to asian artists to branch out here. And it's sad that the reverse goes very differently and they accept so much from he western world and keep changing to try to be like the west. Asia was better off without western influences, most of what they have changed in asia to be like the west is from the worst sources of influence.

Narrowing it down to just Ayumi. I didn't mind when she was 1st learning english and we got her cute thankyous and bye bye. But now that the western influence on her career involves Shake it, na na na, I'm a sad queen, the hollywood like "luv ya beb" exchanges with Timmy and others etc., it's not cute anymore, it's just sad and making her CDs worse with each release. I think japanese artists should take a lesson from other japanese people I've met and have some pride in being japanese instead of trying to be westernized.

[BlackSilence]

^ as much as japanese artists would go westernized they will STILL have that something western artists don't. they ahve specific voices. Their music even tho vesternized is still very different. However quite some rock artists do gather crowds for their concerts, regulary. i think ayu could probably get 3-5 venues of 1000-3000 people filled up like once 2-3 years with long time loyal fans who already know her, of course it wouldn't be one of her grand shows , just very intimate mood ones. But i'd love that. I honestly would take that anytime over a grand show. because you actually GET to interact with the artist. And you can feel them much better. Their vocals would blossom even more and there would be more thought put to the actual song's arangement than to the whole production of the whole show.

on the other hand i don't think she could make herself a stable career in europe or usa, and i believe things like that would strip off her uniquness, because we all see what "music" is loved around the world nowadays, and i really don't want to see her turning into one of the many instead of being one AND only.

Psy is a big joke, people like stupid stuff for some reason, i on the other hand can't stand it.

[saigodansu]

Not too many places around for crowds of 1-3000, plus if they were that small it wouldn't be worth touring anyway. She already stays busy year round so I don't think an international tour is even under consideration. Look at her recent trip to Vegas & LA for example. She was making all her posts about it in japanese, responded to no one at all in english like during previous trips. Either her management or if you believe the line about her making all decisions, then she herself doesn't care as much for the fans here as what they try to make us believe from time to time.

[sugarbasil]

Rammstein was/still is very popular in the United States. I wonder if there's something to learn from their overseas success...

[gogirlanime]

Originally Posted by channy

Her place is in Japan/Asia and if she would book giant concert halls in western countries, it would most probably turn out as the biggest flop ever?

Asian music for western standards is considered as "special interest" and would not make a profit elsewhere in the world.

Nailed it, if she was willing to do one concert in the U.S.A, probably L.A. or something and let us know a year ahead (so we could save and fly to her) she would probably do it but I am assuming she feels it is not worth the effort so she doesn't.

[ayu-fan]

Ayu's music and voice just don't fit western pop, that's enough reason for her to stay only in Japan.

PSY is an exception though, his video is funny and the music really catchy, the chorus contains only like 'eeeey sexy lady' which is perfect for most western ears lol.
And K-pop music is basically American music with different language.

[paper_doll]

In the case of Rammstein, I think it's about genre. Metal doesn't appeal to a large audience like pop does, so the fact that they don't sing in English isn't a huge deal, especially since many prominent metal bands are from Europe and don't sing in English. I think you're more likely to find someone who listens to metal being open to other languages than someone who listens to mainstream pop.

If Ayu did one concert on each coast, I think she'd do perfectly fine. But, like other people said, she would never make it to the mainstream.