NEXT LEVEL album thoughts - Page 8 - Ayumi Hamasaki Sekai
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  #141  
Old 23rd March 2009, 11:31 AM
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top 2 fav songs and interludes

Bridge to the sky
this song could be 'everlasting dream ~episode II~'

NEXT LEVEL
MY FAV!! blue-bird-ish.. lively and fresh song

Pieces of SEVEN
AHHHHH!! i like the mystical sounds in this interlude. they should put this piece of music (minus the upbeat tempo) in the bejeweled game!!

identity
sounds like '1 LOVE' <3
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  #142  
Old 23rd March 2009, 01:03 PM
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I like this album. The songs keep playing in my head, especially NEXT LEVEL and identity.
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  #143  
Old 23rd March 2009, 02:23 PM
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way to think the worst of ayu. if you think that she's seriously not more than designer clothes & money now and that's all that's on her mind then wow.
That's not quite what I meant. She is and will always be more than designer clothes & money, I know she is. But, I just don't feel like she gave her absolutely everything with this album.
Hmm, how should I say it. It's like she's trying to be something else than what she used to be, and I don't mean that she should not write happy songs (though I must say that I don't really find the album that happy, but more like encouraging and "fierce") and try new and fresh styles (even though there's so much elektropop and that around I don't find it really new).

I was a bit worried when she posted some TA messages saying "I should start writing some lyrics". I thought that the lyrics used to just come to her by her feelings, I'm pretty sure she said something like that around I am... or Rainbow. Lyrics that are made while just sitting somewhere and writing something that comes to mind can't be very emotional, right? Why would she feel emotional when singing them?
Maybe I just think of emotional differently than most people here, who seem to listen mostly to popular music, because I myself listen to mostly heavy metal and hard rock with the expection of Ayu.

It's just my opinion after all, and I DO like "identity" to death. Sparkle, GREEN, RULE are still great. Even LOVE 'n' HATE is slowly growing on me. And even though I thought the melodies of rollin' and Energize are really forgettable, today morning when I was making breakfast I found myself humming rollin'. So I still like the album, and I'd still give it 7/10 like I did before. I just except so much from Ayu because I know how great music she can make. After GUILTY and Mirrorcle World my expections for this album were really high so it totally could've been worse.

edit: so I just read the lyrics of rollin' and I have to say it just notably raised its points in my eyes Very good lyrics even though I'm not sure what to think about their pairing with an upbeat and playful arrangement.

Last edited by Not~Yet; 23rd March 2009 at 02:47 PM.
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  #144  
Old 23rd March 2009, 03:05 PM
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Am I the only one who dislikes love n hate?

Last edited by cirrus012; 23rd March 2009 at 03:31 PM.
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  #145  
Old 23rd March 2009, 05:02 PM
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after listening to them all, i really think she has lost her writing spark.
but indeed, this is the NEXT LEVEL. the album surely is electronica/experimental, which i was hoping for, and i was a bit satisfied. but i felt a deep disappointment. i was not too pleased... maybe b/c it's she's so different with this one. it's her best DISCO album... i loved the wicked craziness of it... so at the same time, i'm very very impressed and satisfied as well. at times i think she rushed this and composers just through things together. the songs seemed scattered and not well-composed... but i guess that was her view of going to the next step.

so overall, i'm very impressed yet taken-aback with the NEXT LEVEL album. it's still sinking in i guess, however, i enjoyed each song... but she just doesn't have that thoughtfulness anymore.

EDIT: here's my full review w/o ratings b/c... i hate picking a number.
Spoiler:

Bridge to the sky - it's just... so beautiful. i think its her best interlude yet.

NEXT LEVEL - beautiful. its a new sound that isn't to reminiscent of any previous songs. i really love this song. composition is well done and sounds rich and complete.

Disco-munication - this one really made want to jump up and go disco crazy. it's a push... but it sounded quite shallow... as there was something missing that had to fill in some gaps...

EnergizE - this one is really cute yet sophisticated-sounding at the same time. but i don't think it has the magic like her previous songs where it has a lasting impression on me, where the tune sticks or has anything that stands out. it's like, just another great pop song.

rollin' - absolutely "rollin'"-like. unexpected sound from Ayu... so i felt "wow... not bad, ayu. not bad" i enjoyed it but don't love it. it doesn't stick either.

Load of the SHUGYO - this one kicks butt. but the rock part sounds a bit "cheap" if you get what i mean.

identity - at first, it starts out like someone drunk composed this. it's crazy... but picks up and tries to make sense. i think the chorus totally saves this song b/c i loved the chorus, also b/c it's memorable.

LOVE ‘n’ HATE – i really like this one. i think it'll grow huge on me too. it's dramatic and something new i didn't expect. however, it seems incomplete. i feel it needs a "climax" to it... not a song i'd listen to on repeat though.

Pieces of SEVEN – amazingly composed... beginning sounds a bit creepy but later on it turns out to be a genius composition that almost stuck on me as memorable.

Last edited by panda87; 23rd March 2009 at 09:23 PM.
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  #146  
Old 23rd March 2009, 10:19 PM
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I'm really loving this album already! I love the covers, so vibrant and modern. And the title is definetly one of her bests, "NEXT LEVEL" describes this album well!

It's hard to decide any favorites yet, so I'll just quickly review the songs I've been listening the most so far:

NEXT LEVEL is fun, it's somehow so airy and light, easy to listen. Summer!

EnergizE is so fun and catchy, I like the electronic feeling. Very summery too!

Sparkle is cool, I starting to like it more and more... It's really great to listen when going to party! The electronic instruments really fit. It's just... cool, I don't know how else to describe this song.

rollin' has amazing beat, especially at the beginning when the volume starts to pick up after ambient intro. It's like pulse and it's getting louder, just like the lyrics describe: "The world is rolling around at the speed of rebirth". I'm loving the lyrics, it one of her bests.

Rule is a solid rock song from Ayu, I like it.

LOVE 'n' HATE is really new and suprising. Very dramatic, and the countdown sounds so cool... I loved the song from the first time I listened to it.

As for the new songs, I haven't yet listened identity and Curtain Call enough, I'll get into them soon I think~

//edit: I've been listening to identity now, it's great, especially the chorus... "ID, ID.."
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  #147  
Old 24th March 2009, 04:09 AM
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The album is uber GOOD! After listening to at like uhmm... 50 times?

i found myself liking LOVE 'n' HATE... and i thought... this would be a good song to start a concert. XD
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  #148  
Old 24th March 2009, 04:20 AM
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Wow so many mixed reviews! I'm hearing a lot of things about her losing her writing spark. Isn't it possible that she just tried another writing approach?
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  #149  
Old 24th March 2009, 04:25 AM
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I noticed that there are a few comments that talk about her not being able to write as well as before, all lost the "emotional" touch...

I mean, I really don't think so...

Take rollin' for example. I think this song has amazing lyrics; she talks about all the problems in the world now, like economic crisis, global warming, etc. Especially so in Japan, where the economic is really falling at a alarming rate. I mean I think the lyrics are really good in most of the songs, so I don't understand why people are complaining about her not being able to write as well.

For the "emotional" touch... sorry but I've cried to NEXT LEVEL, Days and Curtain call. I don't really know how must a song be to be "emotional" to you guys, but the 2 ballads in NEXT LEVEL are really emotional for me.

Days holds a very special place in my heart, and whenever Ayu starts singing with the choir in Curtain call, I just get chills.

Maybe I'm expecting too little, but I really think this album is awesome.

Again, just because a song tackles tough issues (rollin'), it doesn't mean it must be an emo power ballad (a song is born, anyone?)!
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  #150  
Old 24th March 2009, 09:21 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by waterballoon View Post
I noticed that there are a few comments that talk about her not being able to write as well as before, all lost the "emotional" touch...

I mean, I really don't think so...

Take rollin' for example. I think this song has amazing lyrics; she talks about all the problems in the world now, like economic crisis, global warming, etc. Especially so in Japan, where the economic is really falling at a alarming rate. I mean I think the lyrics are really good in most of the songs, so I don't understand why people are complaining about her not being able to write as well.

For the "emotional" touch... sorry but I've cried to NEXT LEVEL, Days and Curtain call. I don't really know how must a song be to be "emotional" to you guys, but the 2 ballads in NEXT LEVEL are really emotional for me.

Days holds a very special place in my heart, and whenever Ayu starts singing with the choir in Curtain call, I just get chills.

Maybe I'm expecting too little, but I really think this album is awesome.

Again, just because a song tackles tough issues (rollin'), it doesn't mean it must be an emo power ballad (a song is born, anyone?)!
Curtain call's lyrics are way too simple, repetative and cliche as Ayu has been writing about those kinds of things in many of her songs, even though I like it's it's the worst piano ballad she has done (the only ballad that I like less is Close to you).

rollin' might have good lyrics, but the arrangament, vocoder and over all composition are simply not fitting imo - the song feels like an endless interlude.

NEXT LEVEL is however a masterpiece imo, whenever DAI and Ayu work together it simply has to turn out into amazing song.

identity and LOVE n HATE deffo lack "real emotion" and LOVE n HATE only needs an amazing chorus and it would be great.

I don't know after 2 days of listening to the album, sure I like it overall, but still not more than any of her previous albums
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  #151  
Old 24th March 2009, 12:00 PM
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I'm really loving this album! All the songs are great to me!

NEXT LEVEL: My album favourite. It's so relaxed and beautiful and makes you let out a contented sigh... This song'll be something I'll be listening to for a long time. XD

EnergizE: The english is so cute! Though this song is one of the less-memorable ones IMO. It sounds good but then it didn't have anything new towards the end and got repetitive in my view.

rollin': I really liked this one too! At least I remember really liking it. I don't actually remember how it sounds like. >.> I guess that's the problem I have with rollin' and also EnergizE.

identity: But, I remember the chorus for identity! Love this song. The chorus is so dramatic and reminds me of a heavier version of (miss)understood for some reason. Love it!

LOVE 'n' HATE: Best song out of all the album tracks! I fell in LOVE with this song. It was just so different and had sooooooo many variations and surprises everywhere! I don't care if it sounds all over the place as long as it keeps on surprising me and coming up with new things. XD I just don't like how repetitive songs like EnergizE were.

Curtain Call: A pretty ballad. It sounds sooo much more beautiful on HQ. The lyrics were a bit simple and if Ayu were to have made them more poignant... like, I dunno, use more imagery? And have more sets of lyrics for the chorus (like Who...)? Something like that. I suppose it would have made the song much better.

Overall I love this album and I would really give it an 8.5/10. I think there isn't a track that's truly skippable, like there was in most of Ayu's other albums. But in terms of the tracks along by themselves, I think there are better tracks on other albums that stand out a lot more. This album is a great balance of really good songs, but there's nothing extremely shiny in there.
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  #152  
Old 24th March 2009, 12:13 PM
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^doesnt the endless interlude of rollin' make it feels like its really rolling on and on and on? hahaha...
but yea I agree with LOVE 'n' HATE...ITS NEEDS A CHORUS SERIOUSLY...

the 320kbps version made the album so cool and powerful.
and yes I agree with Keikeia about each track being very gd on their own which makes the album super good in terms of music that no track truly stands out. I don't think I would skip much too...

after a while..i skipped (not that i hate the song...but i just wanted to hear wad i REALYL like)

in GUILTY - (d)lma, t2m (O.O i love this song seriously..but decision had a much more powerful opening), GUILTY, glitter
Secret - Startin', It was, the pop section

quite a pity for the above albums...this album shouldnt face that predicament

Last edited by freedreamer; 24th March 2009 at 12:17 PM.
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  #153  
Old 24th March 2009, 02:50 PM
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Originally Posted by njanjayrp View Post
Curtain call's lyrics are way too simple, repetative and cliche as Ayu has been writing about those kinds of things in many of her songs, even though I like it's it's the worst piano ballad she has done (the only ballad that I like less is Close to you).

rollin' might have good lyrics, but the arrangament, vocoder and over all composition are simply not fitting imo - the song feels like an endless interlude.

NEXT LEVEL is however a masterpiece imo, whenever DAI and Ayu work together it simply has to turn out into amazing song.

identity and LOVE n HATE deffo lack "real emotion" and LOVE n HATE only needs an amazing chorus and it would be great.

I don't know after 2 days of listening to the album, sure I like it overall, but still not more than any of her previous albums
Hmm, hahaha I love LOVE 'n' HATE chorus! I think it's really awesome.

Well I still agree with you about the D.A.I + Ayu thing... NEXT LEVEL is a masterpiece.

But well, actually Ayu has so many albums... I think some albums are more focused on certain aspects of musics than the others.

Like how MY STORY is very lyric-based, and (miss)understood is genre-based, and GUILTY is emotion-based...

I think NEXT LEVEL is like arrangement-based.

Because I can't tell you how much I LOVE the arrangement of the album tracks, especially LOVE 'n' HATE! The way the violins, synth, drums and guitars flow with each other in LOVE 'n' HATE is such a eargasm oh my Godddddd~~~~
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  #154  
Old 24th March 2009, 06:32 PM
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on her losing her writing spark. even though the lyrics speak of [big or small] problems and such, her phrases are rather cliche. how should i say it... they don't strike as powerful or strong and come out as quite weak. its not like "oooo can't be said it any better!" b/c i'm only getting the impression of "yeah, i know right?" i think she's just writing songs just to write songs nowadays.
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  #155  
Old 24th March 2009, 06:38 PM
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^ i disagee. i still think her lyrics are of the same quality as in any other previous albums. maybe she's repeated a couple points, but other than that they're still very well written.
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  #156  
Old 24th March 2009, 08:45 PM
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I agree that still her lyrics are well-written...they seem so to me, well

I liked LOVE n HATE & rollin lyrics & all their arrangement, well, they are simply my 2 most fav songs

I know how much fans complain about lack of ballads & such

I guess that during her 1st half of career, age 18-23 is such a state for everyone, a state of becoming really mature that explains deepness of the lyrics & thoughts

if we remember clearly her emotional state that time was rather low, because she was lonely, and it explains dark view on things around

her getting on top influenced too, that explains her lyrics too

now she's mature, confident, positive & has friends, so she doesn't have that emo-state

I guess so
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  #157  
Old 24th March 2009, 08:51 PM
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this is the first time that i fall in love with an ayu album in first sight!

I LOVE HER NEW SONGS!! i was waiting for this since MY STORY!!


but one album to another the same the same sound
Memorial/STORY/(miss)u / Secret / GUILY....
THE SAME DEJAVU

but now is the moment for the first time in a long time for a REALLY BRAND NEW PRODUCTION!

this album is the best in year!
my favorites:

02.NEXT LEVEL
04.EnergizE TOP1
05.Sparkle TOP1
06.rollin’ TOP1
09.identity TOP1

10.Rule
11.LOVE ‘n’ HATE
13.Days
14.Curtain call
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  #158  
Old 24th March 2009, 09:13 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by panda87 View Post
on her losing her writing spark. even though the lyrics speak of [big or small] problems and such, her phrases are rather cliche. how should i say it... they don't strike as powerful or strong and come out as quite weak. its not like "oooo can't be said it any better!" b/c i'm only getting the impression of "yeah, i know right?" i think she's just writing songs just to write songs nowadays.
You can write a better lyrics?
Lyrics is AWESOME. She's #1 in writing lyrics.

First impressions of song names was OMFG what is it? But when I read lyrics translation I've understand that Ayu will NEVER disappoint ME with her lyrics. Simply masterpiece!
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  #159  
Old 24th March 2009, 11:56 PM
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i think she's just writing songs just to write songs nowadays.
so true.

first, she must, she has a contract and deadlines.
second, what is there STILL possibly to write about?

she's practically fulfilled all her dreams and her life consists of recording, touring, having fun with her staff and probably bathing in all the bling she's making with it.

it's not that I think she should stop writing her own lyrics, but anyone thinking that she can still genuinely express her emotions as elaborate and honest as she maybe once did is definitely lying to themselves.
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  #160  
Old 25th March 2009, 12:05 AM
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I hate this thread now.People can't oppose to other opinions because TEH AYU[insert any creative word here] will hunt you down.YES,HER LYRIC-MAGIC IS SLOWLY FADING.

As much as I like this album,it still won't be special.I think it lacks emotion.ARE YOU GOING TO HUNT ME NOW?
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