Ayu Schedule #9 [2008-2011] - TV Appearances, Magazines, etc.

[Misa-chan]

IMO, at the end of the day, it's really up to the individual listener.

For example, I actually love her current voice so much more than her 2001-2003 voice (the "golden period" according to many fans here). Personally, I'd take her FIVE voice over her MA voice anyday.

As a comparison, looking the vids truehap posted above, I'd rank Love songs as my most preferred ayu voice, and No way to say as last. As for JEWEL, the most off-pitched performance of those listed, I'd still pick that over the HANABI/Nwts ones. HANABI/Nwts may have been more pitch-perfect, but the feel of her voice in JEWEL is far more appealing to me. To use the word everyone's been (over)using, I'd say the Nwts voice sounds "flat".

So yeah, ayu's voice now may sound worse to some, but it also sounds better to others. It's really a matter of personal preference, nothing else.

[maikaru]

Originally Posted by YUKARI

I always thought her voice got worse because

a. she does too many lives, she overloads her voice and doesn't soothe it properly.

b. she screams too much at her tours, this actually damages the voice a lot.

c. she smokes. I suspect ayu to be a smoker, since there was some paparazzi photo taken in night-club where ayu was partying with her staff. on the photo she was smoking, I remember she then even apologized for such a bad photo. I think it was 5-7 years ago.

d. the Miniere disease, which led her to deafness. of course, it's difficult to sing if you can't hear yourself.

these are my suppositions

Considering that Ayu said earlier this year when asked about smoking, "I hate the smell of the smoke" or something to that effect, she has either since stopped or the paparazzi photo was fake or edited.

However, she was a heavy drinker (not alchie status, but enough that she had one fridge dedicated to beer ) until last year, and that will arguably have an evem worse effect long term on your voice than cigarettes.

[ayumisrael]

She said something about performing tomorrow on TV!

[Bigtop]

Originally Posted by ayumisrael

She said something about performing tomorrow on TV!

Huh? But she's still in Hong Kong...maybe for TBS' Coming Soon!!? (just guessing, but that talk was NOT in our agenda...)

[YUKARI]

^tomorrow will be hey!x3 but she's not in guest-list ~.~

Originally Posted by maikaru

However, she was a heavy drinker (not alchie status, but enough that she had one fridge dedicated to beer ) until last year, and that will arguably have an evem worse effect long term on your voice than cigarettes.

a heavy drinker oh ayu

she'd better care about her health more, if she wants to continue her singing career.

[*hearT_Place*]

As far as Ayu's vocals go, I've always seen her as less of a technical singer and more of an emotional one (the problem with that is it makes her a less consistent vocalist than someone like, say, Sharon den Adel of Within Temptation or the singers of Kalafina. The good thing about that is that, when she's on, her performances have the potential to be very powerful). Like, at the end of that Life performance, the more emotional she got, the more "shouty" her vocals became. There were also parts in "Love song" where she sang the 2nd half of a phrase significantly louder than the first part.

I bet, like others have said, that her vocal problems in 2007 were almost completely due to her losing her hearing completely in her left ear; losing even part of your hearing can completely throw everything off, including (and especially) your vocals.

[SunshineSlayer]

Originally Posted by love in music

Yeah while this is OT ia with you and noticed the same but I notice a lot of people that prefer old ayu claim that they loved every single song up until a certain album (usually it's GUILTY or NL). To each their own but I myself really can't understand how people can love every.single.song on her pre-2009 albums and go on about how the quality of everything was just so much better than it is now. Like come on now. If everything in the past was sooo much better then girlish would be > Sparkle and that's obv not the case.

Well, speaking only for myself, I would take Girlish over Sparkle any day. But I am one of the few people that just doesn't think Sparkle is anything that great to begin with. I don't love EVERY song pre-guilty, there some that I only think are OK. But in general I am more likely to listen to them than the songs that I thought were just ok from guilty/next level/rnrc. I don't include Love Songs because I actually really like that album a lot; then Five took a nose dive.

I like a lot of what Relmy has been saying in this thread.

Originally Posted by hidekirby

Well, her voice has gradually got worse since 2006-2007 imo. I think it was with the JEWEL lives (not sure though).

Yep, I also pinpoint it exactly at the Jewel lives. I didn't consider her voice bad then, but it was when I noticed a change from before. I also think by far her best vocal period was 03-05, maybe even from the fall of 02(not counting the CDL as she was sick then). Since then I think her vocals are been off, she just has times that are more off than others. So when people say that she has "better vocals now" referring to the Power of Music tour etc., I always wonder "better than what?" They are still off, just not as off as say 2008, for example.

[roanmy]

While I like ANother song more after hearing it live, imo it was NOT good on Ayu's part, and frankly I don't know if I'd listen to the whole thing if she had sung solo. =/

And it saddens me, especially because I thought the Love song/M/Virgin Road performances in late 2010 were really good, then Life @Mステ was... meh.

[owlflight]

Ayu said on her twitter that she was heading to NYC. I think it's for the LOVE&HOPE+FIVE exhibition. Wish I was living there right now!

[njanjayrp]

Originally Posted by SunshineSlayer

Well, speaking only for myself, I would take Girlish over Sparkle any day. But I am one of the few people that just doesn't think Sparkle is anything that great to begin with. I don't love EVERY song pre-guilty, there some that I only think are OK. But in general I am more likely to listen to them than the songs that I thought were just ok from guilty/next level/rnrc. I don't include Love Songs because I actually really like that album a lot; then Five took a nose dive.

Me too. Even though I over-played Sparkle when it was out. The song itself is just catchy and not really something special. I wish girlish was a bit longer as it kinda ends too soon.

As for her voice I think the problem slowly started with the first INSPIRE/GAME lives. Where you can hear that she is trying to sound more like her back vocals and less like herself.

[truehappiness]

So when people say that she has "better vocals now" referring to the Power of Music tour etc., I always wonder "better than what?" They are still off, just not as off as say 2008, for example.

What I remember reading was that she sounded 'the best in her career' for a lot of reviews of POWER of MUSIC.

[njanjayrp]

Originally Posted by truehappiness

What I remember reading was that she sounded 'the best in her career' for a lot of reviews of POWER of MUSIC.

It's someone's personal opinion, but I find that to be a bit far fetched. I guess we'll see.

[asmAyumi1992]

Originally Posted by Misa-chan

IMO, at the end of the day, it's really up to the individual listener.

For example, I actually love her current voice so much more than her 2001-2003 voice (the "golden period" according to many fans here). Personally, I'd take her FIVE voice over her MA voice anyday.

As a comparison, looking the vids truehap posted above, I'd rank Love songs as my most preferred ayu voice, and No way to say as last. As for JEWEL, the most off-pitched performance of those listed, I'd still pick that over the HANABI/Nwts ones. HANABI/Nwts may have been more pitch-perfect, but the feel of her voice in JEWEL is far more appealing to me. To use the word everyone's been (over)using, I'd say the Nwts voice sounds "flat".

So yeah, ayu's voice now may sound worse to some, but it also sounds better to others. It's really a matter of personal preference, nothing else.

I'm with you! I have exactly the same opinions as you

[Misa-chan]

Originally Posted by njanjayrp

It's someone's personal opinion, but I find that to be a bit far fetched. I guess we'll see.

I've been watching ayu live in concert since 2008. Back in 2010, I thought her live vocals in RnRC were truly amazing, and lots of friends who watched it with me agreed. She had definitely improved since the NL tour and CDL Future Classics, both of which had "good but not awesome" kinda vocals for me. But when I watched PoM this year, I couldn't believe how much her voice had improved since RnRC. If there's any standard to go by, she sang M and NEVER EVER flawlessly.

As I've stated before, I much prefer her current vocals to her 2001-2003 vocals, so maybe I'm biased, though I really honestly think PoM Tour is the true peak of her vocal power. She has lost the nasal sound, she can control her vibrato well, she can hit both high and low notes properly, and deliver both old and new songs in a way that touched me which the studio versions, though much loved, just couldn't do.

But then again, as you said, this may just be my personal opinion, so guess you guys would have to wait and judge for yourselves.

[Aderianu]

do you remember how she sing evolution at best artist in 2009? After that she apologised to TA and become more serious for her performances.. that's why RnRC so good in vocal aspect

[njanjayrp]

Originally Posted by Misa-chan

I've been watching ayu live in concert since 2008. Back in 2010, I thought her live vocals in RnRC were truly amazing, and lots of friends who watched it with me agreed. She had definitely improved since the NL tour and CDL Future Classics, both of which had "good but not awesome" kinda vocals for me. But when I watched PoM this year, I couldn't believe how much her voice had improved since RnRC. If there's any standard to go by, she sang M and NEVER EVER flawlessly.

As I've stated before, I much prefer her current vocals to her 2001-2003 vocals, so maybe I'm biased, though I really honestly think PoM Tour is the true peak of her vocal power. She has lost the nasal sound, she can control her vibrato well, she can hit both high and low notes properly, and deliver both old and new songs in a way that touched me which the studio versions, though much loved, just couldn't do.

But then again, as you said, this may just be my personal opinion, so guess you guys would have to wait and judge for yourselves.

Regardless of everything I like her voice the way it is. RnRC was deffo her best tour vocally since MY STORY tour. I hope you're right!~

[Jester]

Music Station 16 Sep

"TBD Music" ughhhh She didn't decide what to sing yet? *hope for progress*
but I think It will be medley again, cuz it's special tape (3hrs)

yay for Ayu,Kuu, AKB XD

[inspire_rmx]

i'm hoping for beloved pls for the music station sp =)

[asmAyumi1992]

^Yeah I hope so too! Beloved FTW~~~

[AyUmIXx]

She replied the chinese fan who asked what song she's going to perform on next week's musta sp

濱崎歩：beloved//@中国滨崎步联盟: @濱崎歩 , which song(s) are u going 2 perform?

it's beloved guys!!!