Ayu ~Anything Goes~ XVI

[attractive nausea]

^ Thanks, but i guess people will be waiting in line already before that time, huh?

[truehappiness]

Judging from photos taken pre-concert, it's never TOO many people, but it's good to get there probably like an hour early just so you make sure you get the things that tend to sell out within an hour.

https://www.instagram.com/evanbon1017/

This guy on Instagram really loves Ayu! Has some really expensive taste in clothes too... has A BEST t-shirt in one of his looks and replicated Ayu's Opening Ceremony look on Instagram!

[attractive nausea]

^ Okay! Thank you for the information!

[truehappiness]

XOXO and Lelio are fun experiments though. I say that it was mostly a diversion for her and a way for her to 'run away' from Japan, but now since then she has gone back to being herself.

[Baernash]

"Party Queen" or "Colors" it's not Ayu I used to like but does it really matter? Few years ago I became disapointed in direction of her career and couldn't say a good word about it. I think I just accepted things as they are now, because I'm starting enjoy songs like "XoXo" or "Lelio". Ok, it's not the same "wow" feeling as in the past but...

[truehappiness]

Originally Posted by Baernash

"Party Queen" or "Colors" it's not Ayu I used to like but does it really matter? Few years ago I became disapointed in direction of her career and couldn't say a good word about it. I think I just accepted things as they are now, because I'm starting enjoy songs like "XoXo" or "Lelio". Ok, it's not the same "wow" feeling as in the past but...

I think she is changing, which is good. evolution is inevitable and I think a lot of people expect her to be the Ayu she used to be when she just can't do that. She's always going to be a new Ayu with every album.

[truehappiness]

Actually, in Japan there were several versions of some things depending on the release. There were also the different additions of things like a "single DVD" separate from the actual single or fanclub editions.

The idol way of doing things has always been around and it's only recently been HORRIBLE with like 15-20 versions of one CD.

[thinkingoutloud89]

^but thats not the music faults but rather your minds. Studies showed that we connect to everything with were exposed to be for 25 much heavier, so everythinga fter that will never have that effect on us.

[Andrenekoi]

Originally Posted by thinkingoutloud89

^but thats not the music faults but rather your minds. Studies showed that we connect to everything with were exposed to be for 25 much heavier, so everythinga fter that will never have that effect on us.

Well, IMO a lot of Ayu's best material were released on the later part of her career. I also really like Colours as a dance album, even if the lyrics aren't as mature as her usual.

[4Seasons]

Originally Posted by Andrenekoi

Well, IMO a lot of Ayu's best material were released on the later part of her career. I also really like Colours as a dance album, even if the lyrics aren't as mature as her usual.

What do you consider "later part"? A lot of her best material comes from MY STORY to NEXT LEVEL for me. After Love songs, not really.

Originally Posted by truehappiness

I don't see any issues with Colours IMO other than maybe that it is kind of a hodgepodge compared to even her most grab-baggy of albums.

It's such a good pop record if you're looking for variety.

What's "grab-baggy"?

I liked Colours when it was released, then I HATED it after the PVs and concert. But now I really love Colours a lot. It's a top 5 album for me.* It's so light and fresh and fun and modern. It's really easy to listen to at any time.

Ayu's music is great, but a lot of it is so heavy, it is almost a drag to listen to. Colours is like a great collection of easy songs with a wide variety of sound.

*Top 5 is probably something like Secret, Love songs, MY STORY, Colours and NEXT LEVEL. Secret and Love songs are always in my top 5, the other 3 may vary. You may notice that I prefer her "fresher" albums.

[Corvina]

Originally Posted by 4Seasons

Ayu's music is great, but a lot of it is so heavy, it is almost a drag to listen to. Colours is like a great collection of easy songs with a wide variety of sound.

That's exactly like I feel about her. I really love some of her discography to death, but because of its heaviness I can't always listen to it. I mean, yes, she does have lighter and fun stuff as well, but mostly I dislike those. *cough*You & Me, Feel the love*cough* *cough*Thank You,Sweet season*cough*
She's just not (as) good at those imo. Though there are some exceptions. Also she does too much ballad and midtempos for my liking generally anyway.
I'm naturally tending to some melancholy at times, so listening to heavier stuff doesn't help and I need somethign different. If her discography would be a bit more balanced, I'd probably be a bigger fan. But it's alright as it is, I appreciate her.^^
(and btw. that's probably the reason I love Kuu so much - she has heavier songs here and there, but overall she's an upbeat and cheering artist + I love her voice)

[4Seasons]

Originally Posted by Corvina

That's exactly like I feel about her. I really love some of her discography to death, but because of its heaviness I can't always listen to it. I mean, yes, she does have lighter and fun stuff as well, but mostly I dislike those. *cough*You & Me, Feel the love*cough* *cough*Thank You,Sweet season*cough*
She's just not (as) good at those imo. Though there are some exceptions. Also she does too much ballad and midtempos for my liking generally anyway.
I'm naturally tending to some melancholy at times, so listening to heavier stuff doesn't help and I need somethign different. If her discography would be a bit more balanced, I'd probably be a bigger fan. But it's alright as it is, I appreciate her.^^
(and btw. that's probably the reason I love Kuu so much - she has heavier songs here and there, but overall she's an upbeat and cheering artist + I love her voice)

Yes! I agree so much. I love music appropriate for a melancholic mood. Kinda laid back and a bit nostalgic, like an autumn or spring breeze feeling (if we're on the same page).

And Kumi does have a lot of nice, easy music (I love her too). Songs like Someday, I'll be there, With your smile, On Your Side, 逢いたくて, Everyday, anytime, etc. come to mind. <3

Edit: Except I love Feel the love and Sweet Season and such haha.

[truehappiness]

This photo is just like... hilarious to me, cause it makes me think Ayu is gonna DEVOUR that child.

[truehappiness]

I don't see any issues with Colours IMO other than maybe that it is kind of a hodgepodge compared to even her most grab-baggy of albums.

It's such a good pop record if you're looking for variety.

[tokyoxjapanxfan]

Before Japanese artists would release music very similar to western artists. The difference was that foreign release were far harder to see.

Now, like the rest of the world, young japanese people are using youtube and easily viewing music from the west.

They no longer have to wait for japanese versions of western music, because they can get it instantly straight from the source.

Sure they might not understand the lyrics right away, but I mean, most people here don't understand japanese either lol


I think that's the biggest difference between now and before youtube

[truehappiness]

YouTube really changed the game, too bad it took as long as it did for record labels to embrace it.

[mizuki-7]

Yes it's definitly something to be taken in consideration the new generation is really open to western music now even in my country we don't really have french singer able to attract teenagers most of them have turned to English-speaking singers when I born in the begining of the 90's the only foreign singers I heard were the very popular ones now things like youtube, itunes etc.... etc... really changed everything !You can really find the artists that fit your tastes instead of being "forced" to listen to what is actually popular like lemmings ... it's really a global phenomenom !
I don't see the appeal Ayumi could have now on the new generation I prefered her to stay true to herself and make effort to be more appealing among people who followed her in the past I will say the 30/40 !

[Baernash]

Originally Posted by luna7996

1999
#neverforget

But covers and content was still the same - it was more like "pick up disc color you like"

Originally Posted by Andrenekoi

Don't call other people's culture rotten. Actually, don't even do that with your own, this is disrepectuful as fuck.

Where I called anyone's cuture rotten? I only refered to consumerism as negative behaviour.

Originally Posted by Andrenekoi

They always did buy 3, 4 copies of the same release, and not only in Japan. I'm not talking about artists who release the same stuff with different covers, I'm talking about people actually buying several copies of the exact same release in order to prove their artist is the biggest when chart numbers are out.

Now you writing about fanatics, not fans. Also who else is buying multiple copies? People who want to earn later reselling brand new 1st Press few months or years after release.

Originally Posted by mizuki-7

Yes it's definitly something to be taken in consideration the new generation is really open to western music now even in my country we don't really have french singer able to attract teenagers (...)

It's like that since a very long time, so it's not only new generation. In Japan young people used to love anything related to USA, especially music. It's the same in Europe - western music is distributed globally and that's giving a people feeling of it's splendor over local artists (as kind of "world standard"), not counting the fact that a lot of local artists trying to follow styles popular in US, sing in english etc.

[Andrenekoi]

^Yeap, nowadays some C-rate american popstar grab the attention from teenagers from times to times... Back in the 90's or even the 00's nobody outside of the USA would give 2 shits to the singing careers of Selena Gomez or Demi Lovato for example.

[ExodusUK]

Listening to (miss)understood..I don't know how Ayu has gone from making bold and strong tracks like Alterna, Fairyland, Ladies Night, Pride, Heaven, etc to midtempo bland ringtone music garbage like Summer/Winter Diary and the rest of the boring ballads from A ONE and Six.