[2009] What actually causes ayu's sales to drop?

[emi♡]

Originally Posted by Sophia ~ The goddess of Wisdom

In addition, if you look at her A-Complete sales, you will see that only a small portion of the sales is coming from japan, whereas a large portion of it is coming from other asian countries, and the oricon simply does not take those sales into account, and so this misleads us and makes us think that Ayu is declinging VERY rapidly.
I know this because I lived in Hong Kong for a few months last year, right arounbd the time of her asia tour, and I know that when I walk the streets, I hear many people talking about Ayu, and CD stores, fashion stores, and almost every place with teenagers will have Ayu music on.
When she had her first Hong Kong concert, even really big stars in the chinese music industry went to see her, and the same thing happened in Taiwan and Shanghai too. In addition to winning many awards in other asian markets.
So I think it's fair to say that her popularity is indeed dropping from her peak in japan because she is nothing new anymore, but in Asia, she is really establishing her popularity, and seeing a large increase in the number of fans, as well as sales in other asian markets. So I wouldn't be suprised if she also reaches her peak again by support of her asian fans from different markets.
I'm one of the fans that really supports Ayu, and I expect to see her reach her peak again in Asia.

that's interesting. Do we have figures for her sales in those countries?

[JinHamasaki]

Originally Posted by Sophia ~ The goddess of Wisdom

I know this because I lived in Hong Kong for a few months last year, right arounbd the time of her asia tour, and I know that when I walk the streets, I hear many people talking about Ayu, and CD stores, fashion stores, and almost every place with teenagers will have Ayu music on.
When she had her first Hong Kong concert, even really big stars in the chinese music industry went to see her, and the same thing happened in Taiwan and Shanghai too. In addition to winning many awards in other asian markets.

That reminds me that when my mother and little brother went to HK I requested them to buy the MY STORY CD+DVD album since it would have been just released. They had a really hard time finding it at all the major record shops because they were simply out of stock!

Nonetheless, they got the last copy at one store and it just so happened to be the cover that I wanted, too!

[Piccolo]

Well, you can't stay at the top forever. That and her music started changing around the 'I am...' period.

[SURREAL__RAINBOW]

isn't a normal thing to happen?? I mean... no one can stay in the top for ever xD

[Crystal_Ageha]

^ Yeah. And I honestly don't want Ayumi to constantly be at the top. I want her to have to work for her success, and to rise and fall just like everybody else in the world. It makes being her fan that much greater, for me.

Originally Posted by CoriKaru

Why , lol? She definitely has the best sales, if that's what was meant...

[SunshineSlayer]

Originally Posted by Crystal_Ageha

Why , lol? She definitely has the best sales, if that's what was meant...

Namie Amuro has by far the best DVD sales of any female artist. For original albums, Superfly and Koda Kumi sold better this year. If you want to count female fronted bands too, then Ikimonogakari and Dreams Come True as well. If you count best of albums, then ayaka did better too.

For physical single sales, so far Days/Green has still managed to stay on top, but when you count in digital downloads it seems that Juju is actually the best selling female artist for singles this year. Other female artists digital sales I'm not as sure of, but there could be some others that surpassed Days/Green as well.

[waterballoon]

Originally Posted by SunshineSlayer

Namie Amuro has by far the best DVD sales of any female artist. For original albums, Superfly and Koda Kumi sold better this year. If you want to count female fronted bands too, then Ikimonogakari and Dreams Come True as well. If you count best of albums, then ayaka did better too.

For physical single sales, so far Days/Green has still managed to stay on top, but when you count in digital downloads it seems that Juju is actually the best selling female artist for singles this year. Other female artists digital sales I'm not as sure of, but there could be some others that surpassed Days/Green as well.

lol you're scaring me! But at least I think Ayu has been consistent in her sales... steady drops while still bad, are more significant of her (declining) popularity I suppose; like she isn't losing her fans in an erratic way, but in a steadier manner.

As much as I love Kuu, I have to say her sales have been very inconsistent. TABOO was horrible, then stay with me had omg downloads, then TRICK was so-so, and then 3 SPLASH and Alive/Physical thing had like horrible sales.

At least Ayu doesn't sell 190k for a single and then 80k for the next... O_O

[SunshineSlayer]

Originally Posted by waterballoon

lol you're scaring me! But at least I think Ayu has been consistent in her sales... steady drops while still bad, are more significant of her (declining) popularity I suppose; like she isn't losing her fans in an erratic way, but in a steadier manner.

haha, I don't mean to scare you! I'm just explaining why that point in particular was wrong. Ayu is still doing better compared to several other female artists.

[waterballoon]

Originally Posted by SunshineSlayer

haha, I don't mean to scare you! I'm just explaining why that point in particular was wrong. Ayu is still doing better compared to several other female artists.

Ahaha I guess the only thing she is doing relatively well would be her singles... Ayu - single seller queen.

[shizukanaotoko]

i just don't think ayu has released anything very ground-breaking or widely appealing lately her music videos haven't been the best either and a lot of her lyrical material echoes older material that i'm sure not only fans but most of the japanese audience can recognize immediately~ of course i still love her but i think she needs to release something of higher quality also, she's getting older and there are a lot of rumors floating around about ayu copying other artists' fashion sense and lyrics... i'm sure that hasn't helped either :/

[SURREAL__RAINBOW]

about the sales, ayu has had really good sales bcose avex made her release new stuff like a machine would! if utada or anyone else would release like that they would be the best sellers of all for sure...

ayu could sell really really good only at her pick times and now she keeps selling thanks to her loyal fans

[vampireknightzero]

Maybe Ayu should disappear for awhile...then come back, so ppl will not take her for granted~

[nanakopy87]

i doubt if this will help.they usually won't be famous anymore if he/she disappear for even a while...not all like namie...can gain back her popularity after married and divorce

[sitara]

this thread makes it sound as if an recent ayu release failed to chart in the top 10.
ayu is good, people just want new material, not recycled lyrics.
constant overexposure does that.

[foxhana]

I think for me, it is becaues there are many new people ocming up and the sytle of music of the whole industry is changing, and.................... one very impt point for myself is.. ayumi is not cute anymore, but is still acting.... it is very evident especially to a female, females pick up these kind of things easily. So... I think at 30 she is ACTING cute, whereas like Vivian Hsu, she acts cute but she acts naturally cute. Am I getting through or is everyone confused about what I am talking about? O_o

I used to think AYumi is very cute, that was 8 years ago, and after buying her albums and all her concert DVDs, I still think she is cute, but act cute. It is bad for me to see her holding it up, like, it cannot be natural........... guys will love her but for a girl like myself... I think girls likes less of these things already especially when maki horikita is up there. Get it? No? It is hard to explain too. HAHAHA.

Also, my friend buys all her singles, and only a few of her albums, because my friend said that "I already have all her singles, why would I want to buy her album, I have no more money" Obviously she didn't buy her compliation CDs and the BOX single recently too. My friend is getting very tired of having to keep up with her singles all the time, buying them supporting her, my friend has a life to support too.

And me too... I have never bought much of her singles, and till now I stil lwant to sell the singles I own of her. I really don't need that many singles when I already have her every album...

[foxhana]

hmm i think so tomboyish? I don't think she's tomboyish, i think she is more poised? LOL At yet her short hair makes her looks sooo good. I once wanted to copy her short hair and ask my hairstylist cut that but decided that my air was too precious for that. XD

Annnnnnnnnnd, i want ayumi to rest...............

[haikudasai]

She peaked.

She doesn't have the staying power of creating new and fresh things. She sort of is like Madonna on this. Legendary for what she was and not for what she will be.

Also it's time for change. She's been doing the same thing now for the past several albums. Let another talented person with fresh ideas have their dreams come true.

[jhwan]

For now is lacking promotion and single release

[lilmissgrusome]

well im no expert but shes been in the media a lot so people might be getting bored of her over there.
and also (read this on wiki) it might be because shes partally deaf, it said on wiki that there was a decline of sales when she announced it T^T

[ccsharumun]

There are any number of reasons factoring into the drop of sales, some of which are out of her control entirely (such as piracy). I agree, too, that while her music nowadays isn't bad, it's hardly what is used to be. (Save for the lyrics--ever brilliant, I'd go so far as to say it doesn't seem to have quite the passion of previous stuff, whether composed by CREA or not).

Still, I think it's important to remember that a decline in sales doesn't mean low sales. She still sells quite a bit next to other big names in the Japanese market.