Out of Ayu's albums..which do you have the biggest problem with?

[Amrai-chan]

A song for xx I think. It's good but I just don't care for it much.

[Mai82Go]

Party Queen.

[rikku1994]

Maybe Rainbow and Rock n' Roll Circus.

Rainbow is one of her most boringest album for me, too generic >.<

Rock n' Roll Circus was a mess! XD

[Max_ZZZ]

party queen FOR SURE
the covers were worse than a paint job, the only good song was with trusty DAI (return road, which was actually an amazing song). and honestly the pvs were such a SMH i dont care how heartfelt hbya was her weave was falling off and timothy was chanting in the background "AYUMI HAMASAKI IS MINE"
however controversial love again im happy its a step up from party queen

[ComatoseBunnySnatcher]

^ her wig was ****ing awful in that pv. too light pink.
***** was trying to look like Utena.

[Rae Noir]

Really sad to see so many people not liking Guilty. Sure, it has it's flaws; too many interludes, second half seems a bit out of place compared to the first half, but for me the first six songs + "Marionette ~ Prelude ~" and "Marionette" completely redeem the record. Honestly, for me tracks 1-6 and 8-9 still continue to astound me! I love the darkness, angst, and anger that starts at "Mirror" and runs right through to "Guilty" and "Marionette", and quite frankly "Fated" will always be for me one of Ayumi's greatest tearjerkers.

I've also never been that bothered by Ayumi's more primitive vocals on her earlier albums. I think she sounds cute and young, adorably human and unpolished. I also don't have that much of a problem with Party Queen; it's grown on me over time. The albums I probably have the most trouble with are My Story, as I just find it too bland in places (I can understand A Song For XX also being considered bland, but as it's her earliest effort I can let her off with that one as she hadn't really found herself as an artist), and dare I say it, the forthcoming Love Again. Everything about this album just seems like bad news to me - the unimaginative and uninspired title and covers (too much like Love Songs, we don't need the rehash, once was enough surely), and as for the songs I've heard so far, they all seem like good efforts with honest intentions but they just sound rather bland and/or samey. They try, but they just don't hit the mark with me. I realise we haven't heard the whole album yet, but with its wholly messy start, I can't see it turning in to one of my favourites.

[greggerz189]

Party Queen. It's the one album of hers that I didn't put on my iPod. I don't listen to it regularly and I can't recall the tracklist offhand. Timmy's vocals were too prominent on the entire record and it killed the songs for me. He was fantastic on BRILLANTE, but that should've been the end of the road in terms of featuring him on her songs.

[Mari-chan]

A Song of XX.. I don't like most of the songs.. and I don't like her voice there.

[Jason]

Secret and NEXT LEVEL.

I was disappointed with Secret because I felt absolutely nothing for that album. I've listened to it on numerous occasions and I struggle with it. It just feels like there's no life in it whatsoever, in my opinion.

And NEXT LEVEL because I was SO hyped for it. I thought the singles leading up to it were amazing and waiting for it to arrive at my house was nail biting. But after more listens I liked it less and less. It's a rushed album and I think if more time was spent on it it could have been so much more.

[pepper]

Love songs.... It's such a cohesive, massive LOVE themed album, I barely can listen. It's making me fall asleep. There are a lot of GOOD song (and my beloved Love song) but all of em together get me tired....

+ R'n'R Circus... in a big shortcut, it's a MESS. I like most of the track, but I feel CHAOS while listening to this album.

I always disliked NEXT LEVEL & GUILTY (maybe not dislike, but they were somewhere very low on my list) but I started to LOVE NEXT LEVEL atmosphere. Two ballads, only one "filler medium track" (NEXT LEVEL) energetic sounds all over. I only can't stand LOVE 'n' HATE... and I skip Days (too cheesy for me, I can't listen to this song, sorry xD) Well this album always felt too rushed, but still, now I feel very good about how it sounds.
And GUILTY vocals always made me crazy, but there are some very precious songs (decision, untitled ~for her~, even glitter!) that makes this album very easy on atmosphere (a little dark, not so "heavy on love", i like it) so I just always choose this album over Love songs.

+ I can't barely listen to I am... ballad section (from a song is born till the end of Endless sorrow). I like listening to these songs (besides irritating a song is born) but all together is a yawnfest.

[Jawdarna]

I would have to say NEXT LEVEL. I never liked the singles (Rule/Sparkle, GREEN/days - excluding Sparkle). It's an album I feel that the single songs really destroyed the concept. It's like Ayu said, "Mmkay, I feel like doing a techno/electronic inspired album, I don't care about how the singles I have previously released may effect how the album sounds as a whole."

And this has been going on since NEXT LEVEL. It's one extreme or the other. Too similar sounding overall (Love songs) or too scattered in relation (Party Queen).

I also think it has the most mundane title and ending songs of any Ayu release.

Saying this though, I absolutely adore Rollin', EnergizE, and Sparkle...
So, it's not a terrible release. Just an average one.

[Andrenekoi]

Originally Posted by Jawdarna

I would have to say NEXT LEVEL. I never liked the singles (Rule/Sparkle, GREEN/days - excluding Sparkle). It's an album I feel that the single songs really destroyed the concept. It's like Ayu said, "Mmkay, I feel like doing a techno/electronic inspired album, I don't care about how the singles I have previously released may effect how the album sounds as a whole."

And this has been going on since NEXT LEVEL. It's one extreme or the other. Too similar sounding overall (Love songs) or too scattered in relation (Party Queen).

I also think it has the most mundane title and ending songs of any Ayu release.

Saying this though, I absolutely adore Rollin', EnergizE, and Sparkle...
So, it's not a terrible release. Just an average one.

This works for her whole discography until Love songs... xD

[Tony G]

Don't really have a "problem" with any of her albums, but A Song for XX is my least favourite.

I love GUILTY, don't get the hate. Been listening to it the last couple of days and there are some gems on it. Dark, guitar-heavier Ayu is awesome.

Seems to be more hate for MY STORY and RnRC, which is really surprisingly. I loved both albums.

[Klauser_Bateson]

Originally Posted by Tony G

I love GUILTY, don't get the hate. Been listening to it the last couple of days and there are some gems on it. Dark, guitar-heavier Ayu is awesome.

My thoughts exactly. GUILTY is one of Ayu's best albums for me. It's one of only two Ayu albums I can listen to all the way through without skipping (RAINBOW is the other).


I think the only album I truly have a problem with is Party Queen. It was not a good album at all. Timmy being everywhere didn't help either. I had no idea he had background vocals in like 99% of the album until I flipped through the booklet recently and saw he had BG vocals in every song except reminds me.

Hmm...maybe that's why reminds me is the one song I love out of the whole album...

Though I do wonder what Timmy's been up to these days.

[ayuuk]

Party Queen. Period.

[SURREAL__RAINBOW]

Love songs
I didn't like the covers that much now that I think about it, and the trilogy with Mannie was a big WTF for me. And now that they are not together anymore it's kinda awkward to watch. I don't like the album as a whole even.

Party Queen
I love the songs, but I don't like the covers and I really dislike the pvs right now.

A SUMMER BEST
Tremendously unnecessary release. Covers are okay but I can't believe they are putting the limited track You & Me in the new album, just NO.


LOVE again
I can't believe they tricked us into buying the two "minis" and then put everything in one album with almost no new material. And the covers are way too similar to Love songs... She looks gorgeous but that's it. Just cheap.

Ayu used to have a special theme for every album, I lost sight of that after FIVE perhaps.

[daybreak123]

A Song for XX - Actually, I don't think her vocals are the biggest problem! I just don't like the songs at all. From your letter is the only song I actually like and ASFXX is nice. But yeah, her vocals are bad and it's just painful to listen to certain songs because of them.

Secret - Ugh, this album is just so bland. It makes me feel absolutely nothing. Even though I don't like all of Ayu's albums, there's always a song or a few I really like. But with Secret, there are't any gems. Jewel is the only song that I sometimes listen to.

Love Songs - There are a few songs I love, but overall Love Songs is just pretty damn boring. I don't think it's a good sing if the most interesting songs on the album are interludes - which is the case for me. I don't know, I just don't find Love Songs interesting. I can't even remember what 3/4 of the songs sound like...

[alternarist]

I will exclude A Song for XX and LOVEppears since I didnt like ayu back then simply because i didnt like her cutesy vocals. It was Duty that led me realise that ayu is special.

back to the topic, I would think its Party Queen. i dont really like the mid section. call and Letter totally didnt leave any impression in me at all. the mid section is too depressing for me (but perhaps this is what ayu wants?)

the 2 cabaret songs... not a fan out of them but i will skip them. They lyrics to me were nonsensical? i didnt know what ayu was trying to do.

[Bad Wolf]

Secret.

That album is seriously just such a joke to me. I can't explain why I think so little of it, but it just comes off as this giant MESS to me. And it's all diva and over the top and I just hate that era and that album so much lol So glad that GUILTY came after that and kicked its arse because my god, GUILTY >>>>> Secret, forever. Even the covers to Secret were so lackluster and cheap.

[inspire_rmx]

Party Queen