Ayu ~Anything Goes~ XVI

[Andrenekoi]

Originally Posted by Baernash

Times has changed, sales has changed and way of promotion has changed. It's not just Ayu but other artists too (except teenage-idol bands and H!P). It's kinda like asking why they still not releasing her PVs/concerts on VHS/VCD. People loosing interest in buying physical singles and there are multiple reasons behind it:

1) a lot of people prefering digital downloads nowadays - most of people will rip CD and will listen to it on their smartphone/mp3 players anyway, so CD is more like collectible for fans by big "F"
2) content of singles started to shrinking - remember old Ayu' singles? Some of them had multiple remixes and 10-11 tracks at all. Later you could find just A-song, B-song and instrumentals, so if you're not a fan who cares for instrumentals you don't really need it in your collection
3) agressive marketing discouraging to buy - when they started releasing each single in multiple versions (with small difference like different bonus track or just cover), they tried to "encourage" fans to buy more than 1 version (to raise sales) but it didn't work. Fans would like to have all versions to not miss any content (like remixes or making of movies) but not everyone could afford it, so some of them just stopped to buy any version. In the past when she was releasing for ex. 3 singles + 1 album per year than total cost to buy it was Y6839. Now just to buy 1 single in all versions available you would have to spend about Y6000... Besides don't forget that japanese society is rotten by consumerism - they love to buy but they don't really have enough of pace in their appartments to keeps all the goods.
4) Ayu lost a lot of "old" fans - she changed and her fans changed too. People matured but can we say the same about Ayu's music? Sorry but no. She was composing songs, had great PVs with meaning... Now she's giving us things like "XOXO" and "Lelio" - empty, mainstream, Americanised.

The most I can't disagree Japanese society is very consumist, I can't stop finding ironic the first point I bolded considering you are from the UK, one of the central countries of the capitalist world. Really, "rotten"?

The 2nd point is a mere matter of opition. If japanese people were bothered by Ayu not being mature enough they wouldn't be buying music from AKB48, Kyary Pamyu Pamyu, Kana Nishino and Namie Amuro who is almost 40 and still releasing teenager club music. That being said, everything she done from RnRC until now, Colours being the only expection, dealt with more adult subjects than most of pretty much any act who is having yearly top 10s in Japan right now.

And your post is filled with factual errors, the digital music market in Japan is very small compared to the physical one, and acts considered cool still have people willing to buy several copies of the same single, that's what make AKB48 have strong sales, for example.

Ayu isn't releasing as many physical singles because there's no market for her to do that. She is selling alright considering everything (her peak being over 14 years ago, her super exposition during most of her career, she not fitting in current jpop trends that prefer digestible idols, her controversial personal life, etc), but if she starts flooding the market with new releases she will lose money both because there isn't enough people buying her stuff and because production costs depend on volume to get lower (what means the most copies of the same single produced, the less the single costs to the label) and she would be putting tons of physical releases to not really get much profit from it. Also teenagers are the core consumers of the music market, and almost 20 years into her career, there isn't millions of teenagers willing to buy 3, 4 copies of her same release like it happened back in the early 00's, that's why acts tend to release less physical stuff the older they get.

[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.

[Baernash]

Originally Posted by Andrenekoi

The most I can't disagree Japanese society is very consumist, I can't stop finding ironic the first point I bolded considering you are from the UK, one of the central countries of the capitalist world. Really, "rotten"?

Japan is the only country I know where people buying stuff (just because it's trendy), not using it and than (during "spring cleaning") throwing it away. You walking the street and you passing by sealed items, new toys, clothes with tags etc. dropped next to litters. I live in UK since few years and sorry but you can't compare consumist here to what's going on in Japan.

Originally Posted by Andrenekoi

If japanese people were bothered by Ayu not being mature enough they wouldn't be buying music from AKB48, Kyary Pamyu Pamyu, Kana Nishino and Namie Amuro who is almost 40 and still releasing teenager club music.

Japanese pop-culture was always cheesy and they always loved what's cute and young. People loved Ayu for maturity when she started her career as teenager, so they expected she'll continue this direction - they don't need her to act like she's 14 years old. If they want to listening silly songs with immature vocals they have a lot to choose from. Whatever you're calling Namie's recent releases this style works for her but things like "Feel the Love" not working for Ayu.

Originally Posted by Andrenekoi

And your post is filled with factual errors, the digital music market in Japan is very small compared to the physical one, and acts considered cool still have people willing to buy several copies of the same single, that's what make AKB48 have strong sales, for example.

Do you know why digital downloads are not popular? Because instead of buying online is cheaper to rent CD, rip it to hard drive and return it (yes, it's legal). And people who buy several copies of '48-bands or H!P sigles selling them as fast as full album is released or sometimes even faster (you can see how many used copies is available on auctions and in 2nd hand shops day after their release).

Originally Posted by Andrenekoi

Also teenagers are the core consumers of the music market, and almost 20 years into her career, there isn't millions of teenagers willing to buy 3, 4 copies of her same release like it happened back in the early 00's, that's why acts tend to release less physical stuff the older they get.

Sorry but in 00' teenagers didn't have to buy 3-4 copies of the same single/album, because there was just 1 version.

[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.

[luna7996]

Originally Posted by Baernash

Sorry but in 00' teenagers didn't have to buy 3-4 copies of the same single/album, because there was just 1 version.

1999
#neverforget

[Andrenekoi]

Originally Posted by Baernash

Japan is the only country I know where people buying stuff (just because it's trendy), not using it and than (during "spring cleaning") throwing it away. You walking the street and you passing by sealed items, new toys, clothes with tags etc. dropped next to litters. I live in UK since few years and sorry but you can't compare consumist here to what's going on in Japan.

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

Japanese pop-culture was always cheesy and they always loved what's cute and young. People loved Ayu for maturity when she started her career as teenager, so they expected she'll continue this direction - they don't need her to act like she's 14 years old. If they want to listening silly songs with immature vocals they have a lot to choose from. Whatever you're calling Namie's recent releases this style works for her but things like "Feel the Love" not working for Ayu.

And again, her only recent album with a more carefree sound was Colours, and again, her lyrics are still dealing with far more mature themes than the stuff you usually find on the Japan's top ten. It was a experiement, it was 2 years ago and it doesn't define the standart of her releases. About people liking Ayu because of her maturity, I don't know how far that's true when we talk about casual listeners, who are the ones that can actually make someone sells millions of copies of anything, considering the biggest part of her mainstream hits consist of innofensive summer pop tracks and pedestrian romantic winterish ballads. She was even seemed as some kind of dumb cute girl for a good part of her career.

Do you know why digital downloads are not popular? Because instead of buying online is cheaper to rent CD, rip it to hard drive and return it (yes, it's legal). And people who buy several copies of '48-bands or H!P sigles selling them as fast as full album is released or sometimes even faster (you can see how many used copies is available on auctions and in 2nd hand shops day after their release).

Most of the big acts among the teenagers actually have pretty strong digital sales, people like Kana Nishino, whose digital sales from singles are far larger than the physical ones. This doesn't happen with anyone that got big after the digital era, or whose sales are aimed to anyone who started buying music before the digital era. Still, neither the start of the digital era or the rented CDs are affecting Ayu as much as lack of interest from the public.

Sorry but in 00' teenagers didn't have to buy 3-4 copies of the same single/album, because there was just 1 version.

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.

[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.

[truehappiness]

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

[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.

[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 !

[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.

[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.

[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.

[truehappiness]

I want to say that she was making music that was a part of the front she was putting up. While it was incredible, I feel like she was so in control of how we perceived her that it seemed like that was the "real" Ayu.

IMO, a big part of it though is that she just isn't working with the same people she used to and because nowadays she is a very "Yes"-woman type that says "OK" to everything without demanding TOO much from people, we probably won't ever get Ayu like that until she decides she wants to do things like that again.

For the songs you listed, basically she doesn't do anything with any of them anymore aside from tasuku who composed but now only really arranges for Ayu unless it's an interlude. (alterna, one timer or two timer, HEAVEN was Kikuchi aka alan's owner, and then Sweetbox for the others).

I think this album may be a bit more experimental than the last two efforts and I would say Colours was bold and strong even if a little jumbled.

[RealLight]

Originally Posted by 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.

oopT

[truehappiness]

My main questions nowadays for critics are:

1) When did you become an Ayu fan?

2) Why do you like Ayu?

3) Do you see yourself as someone who enjoys change?

Note: I want to say you do not have to love everything BUT there is a limit IMO to how far things can go before it gets tiring of hearing that you hate X or Y.

If you’re afraid of change
Look at it from a distance
If what I did do and didn’t do
Are the same, be honest

It’s not such an outrageous thing
Don’t think too hard about it
I just mean that all I want now
Are the things I really want
That’s all

[ExodusUK]

1) When did you become an Ayu fan?
Spring 2005.
2) Why do you like Ayu?
Her music.
3) Do you see yourself as someone who enjoys change?
Yes but not change that results in negatives.

Not saying Ayu still doesn't have brilliant songs (TSMGO and Anything For You are just as good as any other older song), its just now they're a minority,