Ayumi ~ The Anything Goes Thread 9 ~

[truehappiness]

I didn't really know what to expect from these producers which was exciting.

[Bigtop]

Has anyone been paying attention to Ayu, AKB48 and Oricon recently? If you have been really keeping track of record for both Ayu and AKB48...

AKB48 become first artist to have 20 consecutive million selling singles after 'Green Flash' surpasses 1 million sales
http://www.tokyohive.com/article/201...-million-sales

AKB48's 39th single "Green Flash" which Kashiwagi Yuki and Kojima Haruna serve as the center, sold 1,001,000 copies in its first week, topping Oricon's latest weekly single ranking.

"Green Flash" is the group's 26th consecutive chart-topping single, and they broke the record of "the most number of consecutive No.1 singles" (for female artists) which was held by Hamasaki Ayumi with 25 consecutive singles. Hamasaki Ayumi held the record for 4 years and 5 months.

Also, the single is the 20th consecutive million selling single (21st in total) for the group. Up until now, no artist has achieved 20 consecutive million selling singles, so AKB48 is the first one to accomplish it.

Not only that, but they also broke the female group's record of "the number of consecutive years with No.1 singles" which was 5 years and had been kept by Morning Musume (from 1998 ~ 2003). The record stood for 12 years as this is AKB48's 6th consecutive year to have a chart topping single since 2009.

Source: Oricon

...well, there goes Ayu's #1 single streak. Last got #1 single in 2010 with "L", then broken three years later with "Fell the love/Merry-go-round", Ayu's streak of #1 singles that spanned from 2002 (!) to 2010 has finally been surpassed by AKB48 with their 26th single, Green Flash, just announced today.

For AKB48, you have to go back to 2009 when they got their first #1 single, "RIVER" - and they have been #1 since then. Just unbelievable.

This was a record that was certainly broken, despite all those worries whether that single will reach a million in the first week alone for the 19th consecutive time. Most people have been keeping an eye on its numbers only, but for those who've been keeping a track on Ayu and AKB48, that day has come - Ayu's consecutive #1 single reign has finally come to an end, among all female artists in the Oricon.

Ayu will still hold the consecutive #1 single among female soloists, since AKB48's a group. Long live the Empress! Still have to congratulate AKB48 though for their successive efforts, although I still have to wonder about those "inflated" single sales they have been having (all because of those fanboys buying a whole lot of AKB48 singles just for handshake or senbatsu election tickets) - RIVER got 178,579 when it got #1; this one barely gets a million (by a thousand!); Labrador Retriever last year got 1.66 million...

I really miss those days. 2010. The year when the Ayumi Hamasaki world united in London for Rock'n'Roll Circus, and then the MOON/blossom-crossroad-L single trilogy that would be her last #1 singles up to today...time goes really fast. It's been five years since all those events occurred?

[NintendoHTF1242]

Originally Posted by Bigtop

...well, there goes Ayu's #1 single streak. Last got #1 single in 2010 with "L", then broken three years later with "Fell the love/Merry-go-round", Ayu's streak of #1 singles that spanned from 2002 (!) to 2010 has finally been surpassed by AKB48 with their 26th single, Green Flash, just announced today.

For AKB48, you have to go back to 2009 when they got their first #1 single, "RIVER" - and they have been #1 since then. Just unbelievable.

This was a record that was certainly broken, despite all those worries whether that single will reach a million in the first week alone for the 19th consecutive time. Most people have been keeping an eye on its numbers only, but for those who've been keeping a track on Ayu and AKB48, that day has come - Ayu's consecutive #1 single reign has finally come to an end, among all female artists in the Oricon.

Ayu will still hold the consecutive #1 single among female soloists, since AKB48's a group. Long live the Empress! Still have to congratulate AKB48 though for their successive efforts, although I still have to wonder about those "inflated" single sales they have been having (all because of those fanboys buying a whole lot of AKB48 singles just for handshake or senbatsu election tickets) - RIVER got 178,579 when it got #1; this one barely gets a million (by a thousand!); Labrador Retriever last year got 1.66 million...

HOLY SHIT! 20 consecutive million-selling singles!? I didn't realize they released so many singles already; I stopped following them after Flying Get lol congrats to them. Too bad about Ayu losing her record but meh; like you said, Ayu still holds for most consecutive solo singer.

[ayumisrael]

Originally Posted by NintendoHTF1242

HOLY SHIT! 20 consecutive million-selling singles!? I didn't realize they released so many singles already; I stopped following them after Flying Get lol congrats to them. Too bad about Ayu losing her record but meh; like you said, Ayu still holds for most consecutive solo singer.

I still can't believe for how long AKB48 can sell millions for singles, it's insane.

Well, ayu still holds most #1 singles for female and solo artists with 37, but I won't be surprised if they can surpass that in the future. lol
They have 11 singles to go...

[Zeke.]

imo, the performance of Memorial address at AT10 is better in every way, shape, and form than any previous performances. She looks a million times better, she exudes this passion and energy, she COMMANDS the stage, and her VOICE... OMG. Her voice is SPECTACULAR! There are tiniest details that I just MELT into the floor over. For example:

The way she sings the line "Tatta ichido de iikara", specifically the "...do de" part! Those two syllables alone are SUBLIME!

And the way she goes "Wa-oh" before the guitars kick in! and she just TRANSFORMS!

Seriously, you have to go listen to the way she sings those two syllables. I could listen to that part on loop. I usually rewind the video just to hear her deliver that line 3 times before following through with the entire video.

[Zeke.]

I thought the a best live one was the overly rehearsed and put on version lol. I feel AT10 is so raw. Of course rehearsed but you can tell she's so in the moment and element at the same time. Plus the vocals. I melt for those little intricacies in her voice for that performance. The way she sings those two syllables alone is enough to cement it for me. Also, the way she is able to control her voice at the part before the bridge is spot on. That part can get a bit "waily" easily but she really controlled it and delivered it so well. And then her voice again is just after the bridge is soft yet strong. There's just so many details to love and fawn over in the inflections from that performance. I melt. I'm melting. I'm melted.

[Zeke.]

I think the ASFXX performance at a-nation in the rain was pretty great though. I only watched once but remember being impressed with it.

I don't like the AT08 version cause when I went she performed is this love? which was 10 times better and so much more hardcore lol.

[Zeke.]

I've had this image on my phone for a long time but have been too lazy to upload it. Not sure where this is from or what the occasion was.

[mellody]

I always think that NOW&4EVA is full of feelings compared to most of ayu recent songs after LOVE again, which is nice.
Even though most people here think that it feels flat and a bit disappointing, I love that song so much.

[sitara]

i want a new remix cd so badly. nah, more than one!
with songs that never or hardly got remixed before.

pieces of seven, i have retweeted your tweet!

[axmish87]

Originally Posted by Ashen Twilight

Speaking of Mylene Farmer, when it was announced that RedOne was working with Ayu, I was hoping that the song would sound similar to Lonely Lisa because I could totally see Ayu singing that song, even when it was first released. Unfortunately, we got XOXO. >_>

Yes , you are right those were my thoughts exactly. I do agree with truehappines that XOXO is catchy but a song similar to Lonely Lisa would fit Ayu like a glove. It has that Ayu sound and style.
Congrats to the AKB48 but i really do NOT see anything remotely interesting in them as a group or individually. Although i have to admit that i listened TWO of their songs and actually LIKED them and those were Kaze Wa Fuiteiru and UZA and i know i was lamenting why oh why Hitomi Shimatani didn't sang UZA.
The song would sound 100% more awesome

[ExodusUK]

The Show Must Go On judging by the preview is fucking amazing, never played a preview so much.

[maxikot]

I just bumped into this hyper early performance of "Poker face" and it's unbelievable that this is the same person that we know today. Still great perf, she is adorable
https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v...type=2&theater

[oaristos]

Originally Posted by maxikot

I just bumped into this hyper early performance of "Poker face" and it's unbelievable that this is the same person that we know today. Still great perf, she is adorable
https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v...type=2&theater

That's adorable!

[sitara]

^ oh wow!
It is weird how they left her standing all alone on this huge set of stairs. You can see how awkward she feels in between singing the lyrics. Just looking into the distance; waiting for more text to sing.

[axmish87]

I just love these old performances of Ayu. They really have a certain charm to them.

[Delirium-Zer0]

It's hard not to love seeing how Ayu moved back before she was comfortable on stage... it's so stiff and awkward and ADORABLE. You just wanna give her a hug lol

[Surreal17]

This live performance of Poker Face sounds better than the actual studio release lol

[channy]

I love Ayu's early TV performances, too. She was a different person back then. The way she talked, sang and moved.

Simply unique.

[ayu-michan]

Hey guys where was the last date of POM tour back in 2011? Like, was the final concert in Yoyogi or somewhere else?