A BEST controversy..

[andre2907]

I don't believe in this whole 'I wasn't ready for a best album' thing. I think Ayu says that because it wouldn't be cool if she decided to say: "oh yeah... I was totally ready, I mean, I wanted to beat Utada Hikaru in sales". If she wasn't ready, she wouldn't agree on doing 40 covers etc... I don't believe in this at all...

But yes, according to Ayu, she believed it would be her last album.

And obviously, the thing about AVEX wanting to kick her out isn't true. No record company would spend millions promoting an album for an artist they want to fire... duh.

[theprojectzero]

I see.

I knew 'bout this news since A BEST is released. It's a really movin' story.

Hmmm... I dun't really agreed with ya all 'bout the whole Avex and Ayumi is fakin' it, just to get the A BEST high. Sumehow it could be true. I think Ayumi, she must really had felt it then that's why it changed her to be true to herself. Perhaps is all those drama, drama changed her.

When Ayumi said sumething like she wasn't ready to release a best album is because she thought her career is comin' to an end.

I wonder did anyone realize that Ayumi startin' to be true to herself since A BEST. I mean on the media. She used to be really childish and tolkin' like there's fingers stuck in her nose everytime. Seriously, i hate it! I been her fans since her first release thingy until now. Gotta say i hate her on the television when she first started spinnin' .

As for Avex always wantin' to kick Ayumi outta the company, i think it's true. After all, you know how bad is Avex can be. Though sume people here might think it's all part of the drama, drama to get the sale up, but Avex can't seal Ayumi mouth with nails, can they? So wot can they do? Just take the **** as it comes.

[ExodusUK]

Avex in a million years would never of let Ayumi go at this point. Ayumi probably accounts for more than half of their profits. I really can't imagine they intended A BEST to be Ayumi's last album. If anything I think they used it for a quick yen to strike fear into her fans and make them question if Ayumi's career is safe as they (avex) know that Ayumi has a huge following. Avex knew it was going to sell. Ayumi probably resented her fans being took advantage of. Maybe she even worried herself either way, I bet $100 that Avex never intended A BEST to be Ayumi's last album.

[ayu_fan929]

Originally Posted by IYFreak

I don't know why people don't trust wikipedia there information is always right they usually have stuff about Asian artist before other sites do.....
...just because people can submit to it doesn't mean its wrong and if it is it usually gets corrected quickly.

kinda off topic, but doesnt that contradict wut u r saying?

[Ryoko]

Originally Posted by IYFreak

I don't know why people don't trust wikipedia there information is always right they usually have stuff about Asian artist before other sites do And I heard about "A Best" being AYu's last album before I even checked at Wikipedia just because people can submit to it doesn't mean its wrong and if it is it usually gets corrected quickly. I even submit to wikipedia a couple of times. If it wasn't for A Best "I Am...." wouldn't have been released

Actually I must disagree.
There's a lot of information there that can't be verified by an interview or comment (for instance, the whole Ayu/hitomi being best friends instance)

If you really want to know about the whole A BEST being Ayu's last album, read the NTV interview. That basically explains the situation. Those were rumors about it being her last album.

[ImpactBreaker]

Originally Posted by theprojectzero

I see.

I knew 'bout this news since A BEST is released. It's a really movin' story.

Hmmm... I dun't really agreed with ya all 'bout the whole Avex and Ayumi is fakin' it, just to get the A BEST high. Sumehow it could be true. I think Ayumi, she must really had felt it then that's why it changed her to be true to herself. Perhaps is all those drama, drama changed her.

When Ayumi said sumething like she wasn't ready to release a best album is because she thought her career is comin' to an end.

I wonder did anyone realize that Ayumi startin' to be true to herself since A BEST. I mean on the media. She used to be really childish and tolkin' like there's fingers stuck in her nose everytime. Seriously, i hate it! I been her fans since her first release thingy until now. Gotta say i hate her on the television when she first started spinnin' .

As for Avex always wantin' to kick Ayumi outta the company, i think it's true. After all, you know how bad is Avex can be. Though sume people here might think it's all part of the drama, drama to get the sale up, but Avex can't seal Ayumi mouth with nails, can they? So wot can they do? Just take the **** as it comes.

LOL So why haven't avex kicked her out yet? Plus what would avex gain by kicking out one of their most profitable artists?
The drama was fake in my opinion. Ayu is cold enough to say she's just a product. Plus if her feeling were true she wouldn't honestly print covers with all the fake crying. People can believe in whatever they want though, as there will never be a true confirmation.

Originally Posted by IYFreak

I don't know why people don't trust wikipedia there information is always right they usually have stuff about Asian artist before other sites do And I heard about "A Best" being AYu's last album before I even checked at Wikipedia just because people can submit to it doesn't mean its wrong and if it is it usually gets corrected quickly. I even submit to wikipedia a couple of times. If it wasn't for A Best "I Am...." wouldn't have been released

There was actually a Wikipedia controversy a while back about someone submitting completely false information about someone, connecting them to all sorts of unsavory people and things. Since then, the people behind Wiki supposedly take stricter measures in accepting articles. Wiki may be correct about basic information but anything past that (like details about private lives, rumors, etc) should always be taken with a grain of salt, particularly information of Asian artists. Wiki is written by English speakers and I highly doubt that the people behind Wiki are able to verify certain things about Japanese artists. Also, because Ayumi is popular, there are fans (or anti-fans) who will post false information so that lies can be spread amongst Ayu fans.

Back on topic, with the A Best controversy, I think the fans took one small part of what Ayumi said and blew it up. Obviously, Ayumi and Avex are still together and she's still one of their top artists. Now, the only 'controversy' is the one that fans keep bringing up so that they can make the corporation the bad guys (thus blaming them for bad sales and stuff). Also, the entertainment industry has a way with twisting facts and milking all they can out of 'bad' news. I agree with Impact that this might all have been faux drama because even a little more attention means millions of dollars in the bank for BOTH Avex and Ayumi.

[alternarist]

Originally Posted by Ryoko

If you really want to know about the whole A BEST being Ayu's last album, read the NTV interview. That basically explains the situation. Those were rumors about it being her last album.

.

yeah read the NTV interview. it focused on ayu in the A BEST era..

[Eigakan]

where can I read the NTV interview?

[walking proud]

Yes, where can I read the interview?

[SheFliesHigher]

You can read it here: http://iota.asmallorange.com/~ahsfor...ad.php?t=25478 Although the translation is a bit shaky at points.

From what I always understood, Ayu took it as a symbol of the end of her career, and didn't like it for that reason. She also wanted to have more control over the release of her supposed "handpicked album". However, the theories that it might have been a cleverly crafted marketing ploy are quite interesting.

[ayu_fan929]

^thanks for the link!

[SunshineSlayer]

All people need to do to learn about this story is watch the NTV interview done in 2004. The album was released against Ayu's wishes - she thought three years was to little time to release a greatest hits album - thus she resang some of the songs in protest. She was so dissatisfied with the situation at the time that she was honestly thinking of quitting. "Interviewer: Why did you force yourself? Ayu: Because I thought it would be over. Interviewer: Meaning you would retire? Ayu: Retire? I didn't make a detailed decision, I just wanted to leave." However, when A Best sold a gajillion copies, it made it very difficult for her to just leave as she had been thinking about doing.

As for it being a marketing ploy - I think it was real, but Avex played it up for all it was worth.

[ImpactBreaker]

Originally Posted by SunshineSlayer

All people need to do to learn about this story is watch the NTV interview done in 2004. The album was released against Ayu's wishes - she thought three years was to little time to release a greatest hits album - thus she resang some of the songs in protest. She was so dissatisfied with the situation at the time that she was honestly thinking of quitting. "Interviewer: Why did you force yourself? Ayu: Because I thought it would be over. Interviewer: Meaning you would retire? Ayu: Retire? I didn't make a detailed decision, I just wanted to leave." However, when A Best sold a gajillion copies, it made it very difficult for her to just leave as she had been thinking about doing.

Maybe she was a bit dissatisfied. But her thinking of quitting or that avex wanted to end her career sounds a bit too forced. That's kinda like Utada hikaru mentioned in an interview she had had a relationship with another girl just to impress the gay people who were actually the ones supporting her EXODUS career in the US. The sames goes for Utada and ayumi each saying they both karaoke and listen to each other songs, it didn't sound exactly natural to me. One can lie in interviews or just spice things up, and us listeners shouldn't always accept such "facts" passively. That interview wouldn't really had brought so much attention if ayu had just mentioned she was extremely happy with A BEST album release and that everything was perfect. The moment she made the interview, she was already promoting the album. The "protest" of resinging a few songs can also be interpretted as nothing more than business. In my opinion it sounds pretty pathetic that a singer would get angry at their label and the label would print the covers of her crying showing her dissatisfaction with the label O_o;;; That would be extremely bizarre to be true.

[tokyoxjapanxfan]

well, what i heard, was that in japan, whene people normally released best albums, it usually meant in general, for anyone to release one, that it was the end of their career..which has obviously changed now and everyone releases them..lol..but im not sure if this is true..

so ayu wouldnt have said anything against avex, if it was the norm for people to do at the end of their career...

[evolution7931]

I'm ashamed that some of you would think that she would fake such a thing. Maybe if you knew the facts you would understand. She wasn't allowed publicly say in any magazine interview or other, that she was against the release of A BEST because of the fact that it may have hurt the sales. The only thing that ayu could do to try to hint that to her fans was the cover.. and its not like they had AYUMI HAMASAKI FINAL ALBUM on it or anything. really, go watch the 2004 interview and watch ayu crying when she talks about it, even 3 years later. you can see that she is sincerely hurt by it.
does ayu, to you, look like someone who would put on such an act to get a few extra million in her pocket, even if it were possible (which is isnt because they didnt let her say that she opposed the album till it was practically off the charts) ? o_O

if so. wtf.?

[ImpactBreaker]

Originally Posted by evolution7931

I'm ashamed that some of you would think that she would fake such a thing. Maybe if you knew the facts you would understand. She wasn't allowed publicly say in any magazine interview or other, that she was against the release of A BEST because of the fact that it may have hurt the sales. The only thing that ayu could do to try to hint that to her fans was the cover.. and its not like they had AYUMI HAMASAKI FINAL ALBUM on it or anything. really, go watch the 2004 interview and watch ayu crying when she talks about it, even 3 years later. you can see that she is sincerely hurt by it.
does ayu, to you, look like someone who would put on such an act to get a few extra million in her pocket, even if it were possible (which is isnt because they didnt let her say that she opposed the album till it was practically off the charts) ? o_O

if so. wtf.?

I know what the facts "published on interviews" were, but I also am able to interpret and process any kind of info I get in contact with. I wouldn't be ashamed of others for them doubting something they've read, I'd actualy be ashamed of myself if I were one to believe in every single thing I see published on the media. I love ayu and think her lyrics are real, but I'm not one of those that thinks ayu's a pure person with no syns who was born to spread peace and love LOL Just by the way she dresses we can say she loves to make a profit.
ayu's crying are "SO REAL". Specially the one in HEAVEN and HANABI ~episode II~ I'm one of those who thinks her crying in the Who... performances are all fake..... (of course that's just my opinion, anyone is entitled to interpret it the way they can). I don't mind those though, she wanted to be an actress and she has to create an image and promote it so that it will catch her fans attentions.
ayu sure does know how to promote her stuff in my opinion.

[SunshineSlayer]

Originally Posted by ImpactBreaker

Maybe she was a bit dissatisfied. But her thinking of quitting or that avex wanted to end her career sounds a bit too forced. One can lie in interviews or just spice things up, and us listeners shouldn't always accept such "facts" passively. That interview wouldn't really had brought so much attention if ayu had just mentioned she was extremely happy with A BEST album release and that everything was perfect. The moment she made the interview, she was already promoting the album.

That interview was given in 2004, years after the A Best release. Durring the promotion of A Best I don't recall her saying anything negative about the album.

I don't think Avex was trying to end her career at that point, but I do believe that Ayu was thinking of quitting. What would shock me, is if she HASN'T had thoughts of quitting before.

[JimmyKoria]

Originally Posted by ImpactBreaker

ayu's crying are "SO REAL". Specially the one in HEAVEN and HANABI ~episode II~ I'm one of those who thinks her crying in the Who... performances are all fake..... (of course that's just my opinion, anyone is entitled to interpret it the way they can). I don't mind those though, she wanted to be an actress and she has to create an image and promote it so that it will catch her fans attentions.
ayu sure does know how to promote her stuff in my opinion.

I agree with you. Didn't she cry in the "rainy day" PV? It was so fake looking. I've never seen her cry during a live performance so I cant say anything about that.

^ I don't believe PV crying is real.
Maybe live performances sometimes.