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

[Zeke.]

When I mentioned her vocals on R'n'R, I was specifically speaking toward the a capella / album version of RED LINE. That ending part just ruins the whole song.

I really liked Ayu's earlier PVs, where's everything is natural and not computerize...

[njanjayrp]

Originally Posted by happiholic★

Of those I would say I like Microphone, Last angel and Love song. However, none of them have the same impact for me that her releases previous to these have had. When RnRC was released it was the first time I was truly disappointed in a release Ayu had made. And from there the biggest up she's had for me was thinking about those songs "Oh, this song is horribly, unbearably boring like her other songs have been!".

Oh well. I'd say only NEXT LEVEL truly disappointed me and I consider it her worst album to date, though it doesn't mean I don't like it. It's just that I like it less than the others. I dunno. If she hasn't made anything I consider amazing in 3 years I'd prolly stop following her even after being a fan for more than 6 years. You must like her a lot. Lucky for me with each album she manages to surprise me with something.

[truehappiness]

Originally Posted by AyusJewel

I think so too. Her earlier PV's have such a beautiful story sometimes. I watched her new PV's (Another song for example) and sometimes i thought "Is there any background story?"
I don't like PV's with only one scene and dance-parts only. I love ayu's PV's where you can see, that was a hard work to shoot and a big effort.

The best example was "Progress" i was so dissappointed, when i saw this PV. What was this? It is such an epic song...and it had deserved an epic pv...

They explained the concept behind progress in the making-of. It was a pretty epic project I thought that fit the song.

Ayu's older PVs seem to get some sort of weird rose-colored glasses treatment because while she does have a ton of PVs that were full of meaning earlier on in her career, she has just as many PVs where nothing is really happening around her or there's no "story" to be seen. I wonder if it has something to do with her change in directors at some point in her career (I'd say around Memorial address/MY STORY) where she went from basically using Wataru Takeishi every single time to experimenting with other directors.

So far from what we know about the PVs for this album, I don't think they would please many of the naysayers since one of them takes place in an apartment during a house party and another has Ayu in a nightclub with 'freaks'. There is the PV filmed in the Middle East(?) and the one where she rides a military tank and a factory/robotic drones are involved as well as a very sad ending apparently but who knows how those will turn out?

I think that FIVE's PVs suffered from being rather experimental in some ways and in others, not so much.

progress - stop motion PV concept, also done by RADWIMPS a while back. They need to take TONS of photos with a DSLR camera to create the effect

ANother song - a standard PV from any 'urban' singer, was essentially "URATA NAOYA"-made

Why... - the video was probably made with the concept of being a DOSQA promotional video. All of the outfits worn in the video are made by the fashion designer and one of the concepts was even lifted from their promotional materials.

beloved - made with the message of "hope" in mind, the concept was basically "find the color in your life in your darker days" but it wasn't executed as well as it should have been... probably because it was Leslie Kee's second PV ever

BRILLANTE - this had a bit of a story (something about the past and the future), but they probably could have done without the men

None of the PVs for FIVE were really standard Ayu PVs except maybe the last two and two PVs that vaguely resemble what she normally does probably isn't enough to satisfy people.

When I mentioned her vocals on R'n'R, I was specifically speaking toward the a capella / album version of RED LINE. That ending part just ruins the whole song.

IMO, it does not ruin the song at all. It's supposed to be very raw as though she is personally telling you that she is there by your side, holding your hand when you are feeling down.

Originally Posted by Kana×Shin

I really liked Ayu's earlier PVs, where's everything is natural and not computerize...

What PVs were 'computerized' recently? For the most part, her PVs -are- all natural.

[isthisLOL?]

Without the men there would have been no story in BRILLANTE. I stand by BRILLANTE being the best PV in Ayu's videography for me. A great concept with good direction and great art direction. I have yet to find a flaw. Except maybe the visual composition of the close-ups but...you can't really blame anyone for that. Close-ups, especially in film, are practically never perfect in that way and there were 2 people in them simultanously.
Usually Ayumi's PVs have something offputting about them. Something, often something small, doesn't fit in. There's a bad angle, an awkward cut...but BRILLANTE was textbook work from the first until the last second.

[happiholic★]

Originally Posted by njanjayrp

Oh well. I'd say only NEXT LEVEL truly disappointed me and I consider it her worst album to date, though it doesn't mean I don't like it. It's just that I like it less than the others. I dunno. If she hasn't made anything I consider amazing in 3 years I'd prolly stop following her even after being a fan for more than 6 years. You must like her a lot. Lucky for me with each album she manages to surprise me with something.

I do like her a lot. Her previous releases are amazing, despite that I'm not so into her now. They have made me a fan for life. And even though I don't particularly like her new songs, I don't really hate them. There are far worse songs. Just not my style. So, instead of being all grumpy about not liking her new stuff or hating her/stop being a fan, I just don't listen to her newer stuff, and turned my attention to Koda Kumi, because her music has been more my style lately. Also, I give all Ayu's new stuff a try, but if I don't like it, I just switch to an older song.

[ayu_ready?]

Originally Posted by happiholic★

I do like her a lot. Her previous releases are amazing, despite that I'm not so into her now. They have made me a fan for life. And even though I don't particularly like her new songs, I don't really hate them. There are far worse songs. Just not my style. So, instead of being all grumpy about not liking her new stuff or hating her/stop being a fan, I just don't listen to her newer stuff, and turned my attention to Koda Kumi, because her music has been more my style lately. Also, I give all Ayu's new stuff a try, but if I don't like it, I just switch to an older song.

this is the story of my life, but now when Kuu is gone for a while I dunno what to do. I have BIG BANG & YG but no female artist

[njanjayrp]

Originally Posted by happiholic★

I do like her a lot. Her previous releases are amazing, despite that I'm not so into her now. They have made me a fan for life. And even though I don't particularly like her new songs, I don't really hate them. There are far worse songs. Just not my style. So, instead of being all grumpy about not liking her new stuff or hating her/stop being a fan, I just don't listen to her newer stuff, and turned my attention to Koda Kumi, because her music has been more my style lately. Also, I give all Ayu's new stuff a try, but if I don't like it, I just switch to an older song.

That's oke. For me, when it comes to Ayu, even if a new song isn't instantly a hit for me, I'll give it some more time, read the translation and pay careful attention to the composition/arrangement. So far many songs managed to grow on me this way.

Originally Posted by ayu_ready?

this is the story of my life, but now when Kuu is gone for a while I dunno what to do. I have BIG BANG & YG but no female artist

The only thing that pops into my mind is how can people listen to kpop, but asking that would be stupid, right lol

[emi♡]

^because we listen to things for different reasons?

For example, when I want to get down and ghetto dance, I dont want an Ayu song. Its just not the right feel.

Its not astrophysics.

[njanjayrp]

Originally Posted by emi♡

^because we listen to things for different reasons?

For example, when I want to get down and ghetto dance, I dont want an Ayu song. Its just not the right feel.

Its not astrophysics.

I said it's a dumb question and therefore I wasn't really asking for an answer as it's beyond obvious Of course it's not astrophysics, cuz if it was I'd prolly understand it better ^^

[emi♡]

Lol okay.

[SKYia]

In my childhood days I had a favourite song called NANANA so that's my first association



Love Jimmy's voice.

No bashing guys !

[happiholic★]

Originally Posted by ayu_ready?

this is the story of my life, but now when Kuu is gone for a while I dunno what to do. I have BIG BANG & YG but no female artist

I don't have many artists at all now. I still haven't accepted that Kuu isn't going to be doing anything for a bit. Its a hard pill to swallow. I loved sifow, but she's gone. And Miray too. I guess I have to rely on Kana Nishino, mini, and hope against all odds that Ayu releases new material that I love, the way I love Memorial address era stuff. I have been neglecting K-Pop these days...

[pepper]

Originally Posted by SKYia

In my childhood days I had a favourite song called NANANA so that's my first association



Love Jimmy's voice.

No bashing guys !

that's why each song can be very diffrent from our expections! (: NaNaNa can be a ballad, and Shake it can be a hardrock... ^^

and KF, part of my childhood too, my mum listens to them a lot, and Nanana its one of the songs I can stand... ;D

[Kazeyomi]

Maybe NaNaNa would be a interlude. Who knows
I was expecting a song called 'LaLaLa' instead though lol.

[Pieces_of_SEVEN]

I hope the upbeat songs are fierce and hot like INSPIRE or sort of STEP you, and not super bubblegum like EnergizE

[!Lawi!]

Originally Posted by Kazeyomi

Maybe NaNaNa would be a interlude. Who knows
I was expecting a song called 'LaLaLa' instead though lol.

Doesn't seem likely, since it has a PV

I hope it will be a rock song a la Pink

[emi♡]

I hope we never ever have an energize again.

[Pieces_of_SEVEN]

^^I don't hate it, but engrish from ANY jpop artist (unless you sound like a native like hikki or crystal kay) turns me off a bit. I like the track...but I like her more fierce pop tracks MUCH more, like LOVE 'n' HATE, Sparkle, INSPIRE, etc.

[emi♡]

yeah, im just no on the bubblegum tracks.

And im the same with engrish, but I know its all special in japan...whatever, I hate it.

I guess I just want her to be cool and not all idk trying to be cute. Why would she. Shes damn cute enough lol