NEXT LEVEL tracklist + CD2+DVD cover

[jimex289]

I do remember very clearly she started recording/working on other songs during the Rule / Sparkle period and even before it. What SS mentioned is definitely legitimate but I don't think "rushed" to that extent. Ayu seems like she's up to her neck with work but isn't this only natural? If she worked at her leisure who knows how long it'd take for a new album to come out. It's not just a contractual obligation but also an obligation to her fans, is it not? As a musician this is her job and I think she understands it very well. In the Time interview, she also stated something along the lines of: "If I'm given 6 months to complete an album, I'll do it in the last 3 days, etc". Maybe this explains why she's running around so much. She seems like the type who does everything (or mostly everything) in one go. I guess what I'm trying to say is she may be pressed for time but when is she not? The quality of her work does not necessarily diminish by virtue of being pressed to meet a certain deadline. What's to say she wasn't in heavy thought about what she was going to do for her next album way before she even touched it?

What's the criterion for having something be inspired? She's always written honestly based on her experience and the experiences of others around her. And then, obviously, how we interpret her lyrics may be totally different from what she was writing about. A song that is quickly discounted could have significant meaning to her. Of course we'll never know unless it comes from her own lips. I don't think it gets any more inspired than this; and if it does then it can't be helped. One cannot force her to do something she really cannot do.

[Uemarasan]

Whoever said rushed = bad in the first place? Whoever said an album that takes longer to produce is automatically a better album than an album that is quickly put together? Artists work in different rhythms. It seems like Ayu makes equally good music when there is pressure or time constraints (Evolution came a mere month after M. These are two of the greatest Ayu songs, in my opinion).

Also, given Ayu's enormous productivity, it makes sense that she would have an album in no time. Miike Takashi makes two sometimes three movies a year, and he's still making them great!

Plus, who is to say that the concept for this album hadn't been fleshed out yet before work on it started? Who says Ayu hadn't been thinking about it way before? In my experience, it's conceptualization that usually takes the longest in the artistic process.

[SunshineSlayer]

^ My problem with the "rush" thing is this. Based on her TA messages she is actually STILL recording parts of the album. Now rush doesn't have to automatically equal bad - Secret was rushed, but I liked that album. However, what if there is something wrong with a recording or they think "oh it would be better if we could add this" or do something else instead, or record a stronger vocal track and so on and so forth. But because of this limited amount of time, they really can't fix those things if they exist - the product has to get rushed out to store shelves no matter what because Avex wants to have more impressive end of year numbers and for no reason other than that. I just don't like that attitude towards things that are supposed to be "art" - pop art, but art none the less.

[Andrenekoi]

Originally Posted by SunshineSlayer

^ My problem with the "rush" thing is this. Based on her TA messages she is actually STILL recording parts of the album. Now rush doesn't have to automatically equal bad - Secret was rushed, but I liked that album. However, what if there is something wrong with a recording or they think "oh it would be better if we could add this" or do something else instead, or record a stronger vocal track and so on and so forth. But because of this limited amount of time, they really can't fix those things if they exist - the product has to get rushed out to store shelves no matter what because Avex wants to have more impressive end of year numbers and for no reason other than that. I just don't like that attitude towards things that are supposed to be "art" - pop art, but art none the less.

Well... it seens like she aways worked this way...

[MissElin_]

Originally Posted by orangeland

This cover screams Ladies Night, part II.

Nono it screams RAINBOW-Ayu goes Namie Amuro a la retro. ^^

[SURREAL__RAINBOW]

Originally Posted by Luv ~Venus~

ummm no she can't. Just stop lying.

ewww
I can smell poo

[mtr_ayu]

man, I want the pv makings on my USB!!! I don't understand why they cannot put them on a 2 GB USB. Must be another avex gimmick to make us buy the physical album !

[SunshineSlayer]

Originally Posted by Andrenekoi

Well... it seens like she aways worked this way...

The difference this time though, is in the past, if she had to delay a release she could. (And she did do that a few times) But in this case, the album has to get out the door by Mar. 31st or else it won't count. That's the only logical explanation for why the date of Mar. 25th was chosen and then afterwords do a mad dash to finish the album and all the pvs in time, while sacrificing promo for Rule (and so far it seems even the album itself) in order to meet such a quick release date. That's what I don't like about it- even if parts of the album are left unfinished, even if it may sound finished to listeners, we will never know whether they actually had something else in mind but simply just weren't allowed the time to finish it properly.

[wyien]

WHAT?! Hm.. The titles doesn't look too good. Though, yes, the cover is pretty! I wish this will be a good album, though I'm not really anticipating it now.
Awesome. Thanks for the info! Would LOVE to hear NEXT LEVEL! It sounds so super nice!

[kiseki89]

The cover is very colorful!

04.Sparkle ＜video clip＞

Interesting.

Thank god I did buy MW, it's not in the album. Neither is life..

[extepan]

what's SHUGYO?

[ArchangelLegend]

^ SHUGYO is Earth's primary source of energy and constitutes 98.6% of our solar system's mass. This energy comes to us in the form of light and heat. It is unlikely that we and other organisms to exist if SHUGYO did not favor our beings. SHUGYO is also known as our sun god.

Spoiler:

This is probably a better definition of what SHUGYO is.

http://ahsforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=87051

I view it as deep mind-body training.

[kendelle]

Originally Posted by mtr_ayu

man, I want the pv makings on my USB!!! I don't understand why they cannot put them on a 2 GB USB. Must be another avex gimmick to make us buy the physical album !

Welcome to the world of Avex artist fandom!!

[tokyoxjapanxfan]

Originally Posted by SunshineSlayer

The difference this time though, is in the past, if she had to delay a release she could. (And she did do that a few times) But in this case, the album has to get out the door by Mar. 31st or else it won't count. That's the only logical explanation for why the date of Mar. 25th was chosen and then afterwords do a mad dash to finish the album and all the pvs in time, while sacrificing promo for Rule (and so far it seems even the album itself) in order to meet such a quick release date. That's what I don't like about it- even if parts of the album are left unfinished, even if it may sound finished to listeners, we will never know whether they actually had something else in mind but simply just weren't allowed the time to finish it properly.

what do you mean by "it won't count"??

[Deep snow]

i just LOVE the titles!!!
Bridge to the sky, Load of the SHUGYO, wtf but i LOVE it to death!!!
and it has 14 tracks, yay!!!

...not yay, i actually expect at least 15 songs
but, yay!!!

[Jwiz]

what do you mean by "it won't count"??

I believe it has something to do with the financial month or something? Avex has to release as many things as possible on this month to make sure that it is still a very profitable company.

[BoBo]

cool i think this will be an awesome album ^^

[SunshineSlayer]

Originally Posted by tokyoxjapanxfan

what do you mean by "it won't count"??

It was discussed more on the previous page and in another thread as well. But basically, March 31st is the end of the financial year in Japan.

[labello]

WTH?! Her hair looks like Peco's!!!! OMG! No!!!!

I don't know what to say about the cover. It's so bright and blinding my eyes O.o
I think it's acceptable but not really one of her bests.

The tracklist is un-ayu-ish, seems a bit to easy for her but I think the songs will be great. Hopefully it is a album with which she is pleased.

[zyoeru]

The cover is pretty funky, I like it. But damn, it's very retro, right?

But the track list are quite unusual for Ayu (IMO) I'm always surprised when I come across a track with more than 3 words. ^_~