[Charts & Rankings] The Official Oricon Thread ~Party Queen~

[sinfonietta]

Originally Posted by Kazeyomi

Actually #2 is really good for a female solo singer after 14 years career and she's not in her peak anymore.

Agreed with this. Especially considering that female soloists aren't exactly the "trend" right now - both in 2010 and 2011 the highest selling CDs (at least the singles) were those by AKB48 & sister groups with some of JE's younger/newer groups sneaking in here and there.

[Griz Lee]

it makes me sad that some fans dont like this album.I just LOVE it. but i love everything ayu does ..i will buy every album that ayu makes till ayu will make them just for us. Its a present from her. And i dont really care about the sales. Sales are sales. Just numbers...haters gonna hate, true fans gonna love..

[*Petit*]

Originally Posted by isthisLOL?

Oh my god! The first album cover with an actual concept since ages ago! Kill it with fire!

I'd say Love Songs had stronger musical concept or idea if you like than PQ. ;-)

[toniayu]

Originally Posted by Kazeyomi

Actually #2 is really good for a female solo singer after 14 years career and she's not in her peak anymore.

I don't get why people should whining like that :/ just because you don't like that album, doesn't mean it's crap and it don't deserve to be #1. I don't want to complain about people who don't like it though, just for who made a huge drama about it.
It seems, she should release I am... copycats for the rest of her life .

EXACTLY WHAT I FEEL

[jewelbox]

People are kinda sensitive about other people's opinions? o_O
Umm, I seriously don't believe that people who dislike the covers are shallow.
For me, this album is fresh Ayu, I like that. Even if it is little bit western, I just skip those songs I don't like so much (NaNaNa). She did a good job, but the promotion absolutely is non existant, I can't understand why.

[isthisLOL?]

Originally Posted by *Petit*

I'd say Love Songs had stronger musical concept or idea if you like than PQ. ;-)

I quite clearly talked about the album cover though The concept in the songs is held together mainly by the lyrics obviously.
And I wouldn't call less variety more idea or concept. I absolutely adore Love Songs but it was only so coherent because it was practically all a similar sound.

[*Petit*]

^
entschuldigung ! I must've read it too quickly. sorry!

if you're interested in the concept behind love songs though, it was to transform or at least tweak the typical TK sound and songs by using acoustic and instrument associated with classical music instead of synths. You can hear what's probably a medley of some of the demos ayu was given by TK here: http://www.avex.co.jp/ it's pretty interesting to hear compared ot how it ended up and to see how ayu's lyrics fit the melodies IMO !

[isthisLOL?]

I know, which resulted in the songs ending up having a quite coherent, similar sound. However, that's no different from saying "let's make a rock album!" or "let's make a disco album", that's not yet a strong concept. Just an unified sound idea. Ayumi practically does that with every compsoer of hers, seen by the number of times composer and arranger aren't the same person even when the composer CAN arrange.

[ayu_ready?]

I am not surprised with the sales but I didn't expect them to be like this either

I think it might be a complex of things why it didn't sell

I do think that the covers are not liked by the Japanese. they like simple things, they like complcated things, and they do have hentai, but to me it seems that the covers are not that appealing to them, somehow, but are more appealing to a westerner

I can kind of see the strategy behind it and its release. I guess they saw FIVE doing well and thought maybe it could have worked out even better, with a full album, not a mini

yet, how should I put it...I think FIVE might have been forgotten fast, and people just got cold to Ayu. they weren't that warm prior to FIVE too. and had no news from her for long. not the fans, but, eh, just the crowd, the potentional customers

I think this just means they probably lost the interest. with such an intense competition, a lot of releases, they have just forgotten about our Ayu. because there are new artists who release often and often and this is how they keep the people interested and her release just got lost in all this, because a couple of CMs do not make up for a 'good promo'

I know that in Korea variety shows can really so much multiply the sales. I wonder if it works for Japan too...maybe she could have done it. have some fun and a nice easy interview on the TV?

I do think, though, that such a drop is a sign. maybe she will see it as one and it will inspire her for a new amazing album with completely new composers, production stuff and promotion team? maybe it will push her forward. I think she will consider the sales, no matter what she says in the interviews, she does have certain obligations

I do not yet understand the reasons for all this mixed-up stuff about releases, such as the photobooks, such covers, unknown stuff in the Middle East whatever it was

I was filled with promises but the final result turned out to be so much different in many aspects, I do no understand, it's the first time I have expirienced it during my 10-year fandom.

it doesn't matter whether I like the album itself, but what was promised to us wasn't given properly. a kind of a feeling like this, though probably it sounds confusing to understand.

[isthisLOL?]

What do you think was her "promise to us"? I got exactly what I expected tbh, the promotion is the one really unexpected aspect for me.

[jbrat2219]

Originally Posted by njanjayrp

If it's not an eye candy people won't dig it...that's the main issue. I don't have a problem with it, but people are generally shallow and dumb so yeah.

I totally agree. For an artist with such depth her fans are SUPER shallow.

[ayu_ready?]

Originally Posted by isthisLOL?

What do you think was her "promise to us"? I got exactly what I expected tbh, the promotion is the one really unexpected aspect for me.

there are confusing things with photobooks, their releases, Middle East PV, album shoot in London
and 'conceptual album'

[jpopfan018]

Ayu knew that her era is over, she has mentioned it years ago. There are fans who stayed with her as time goes by and there are those who choose to leave her because she has become the "ayumi hamasaki" that they no longer can feel the connection with. But ayu has continued to produce music that is true to herself and best reflect/project her visualizations/thoughts about issues in her life or from those people around her.

I liked the story being told in Party Queen. The covers are not exactly my favorite but I can appreciate them better after knowing the concept behind it. People can dislike the album for whatever reasons but it is so wrong of them to wish for the album to flop. Ayu has put in a lot of effort to produce the album and revealed a lot of her life and I can relate to her lyrics (why I'm still a great fan of hers since her first album).

Also, HLS tour was scrapped last year due to the unfortunate 311 disaster and it is being re-created this year that best reflected Ayu's current visualizations and concept that she wanted to share with us. It will be sad if it is cancelled due to the lacklustre sales of Party Queen.

The promotion for Party Queen has just began so lets not be too quick to judge the sales of the album.

Side note: I'm glad that Party Queen photobook release has been postponed as I reckon the photobook could be release as HLS tour goods and perhaps using a different concept rather than "Party Queen".

[TeamAyu2004]

^^^ Yep! I have said this many times before!

[truehappiness]

Not getting #1 is NOT going to make her cancel her tour. Heck, I don't think even selling only 2 copies of the album would make her do that.

[Minttulatte]

People are annoyed because she's #2? -____-;; I don't really care about her chart positions tbh. As long as I can enjoy most songs on her new albums I'm happy.

[emi♡]

Talking about canceling the tour?


Can people get anymore melodramatic?

[njanjayrp]

Originally Posted by Yumsushi

Way to generalize. Maybe if the concept was better executed it would appeal to more people. If it was an issue of shallowness, more people would buy an album that resembled their own lives no?

I believe this was the way they wanted the covers to be. Over the top and tacky. Yes the execution does seem like it totally failed, but do tabloid magazines and paparazzi pics really look any better? Do dead drunk party queens look like princesses when in fact they are sad and depressed? No.

[Tom Punks]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rf3w9CVa1go&t=02m11s

This is obviously the reason it's not selling. =D

[Ayuminaj]

Sorry i have a question and i don't want to read 10 pages of comments about everything to see if it was answered.

Oricon doesn't count digital sales. But who counts ? It seems recochoku doesn't count album sales either (only single tracks).

There must be some company in Japan to count digital album sales. If not, this is completely crazy.
And did they count "accidental" digital sales before 21/3 ? Cause PQ was released a week before on itunes.