New digital single 'Mask' out November 18th, 2022

[Uknow!]

Originally Posted by Cahz-

Ok, it's better than expected. It's fresh and energetic and that outro sounds kinda Christmas-ish with those bells.
Dreamed a Dream may be more of a banger but it also sounds more dated than Mask.

That part is talking about it!

風が冷たくなってきたねもう冬がそこまで近づいてきたね
優しい歌だけが聴きたくなっている 想像してまた傷を傷で隠すの？

Rough translation:
The wind is getting colder. Winter is already so close.
All I want to hear is a gentle song Imagine, do you cover your wounds with scars again?

[BlackSilence]

Originally Posted by Aderianu

For people who come here to vomit with rainbow unicorns I put my opinion under the spoiler

Spoiler:

what a huge disappointment
It sounds like many other TK songs, and they all are not so good. That's not ayu's fault, that's completely fault of composer and arranger who is the one person, as we know. I wish ayu never work with him again until he create something really outstanding.
At least cover is cool.

LOLOLOL


So, i mean, it’s alright. If i had to chose one out of the 3 that we have already got, i think this would be the one as in i don’t hate it (yet). It didn’t make my ears bleed like Summer Again did, i like the melody of it and it has some interesting bits in it. If it started playing randomly i wouldn’t skip it, but it's not the song i’d seek to listen to purposefully.

Ayu to me is drama in a music form. Her voice works a lot better with rich arrangements, maybe that’s why this one doesn’t make me gag lol cuz it has a bit more weight to it. Over all these 3 are not it. Especially the first two, those were some watered down scraps from the garbage bin. I hope we won’t get any more of that.

[tokyoxjapanxfan]

I like TK, I like this song.
But it’s not “great”—it’s actually rather safe.

But I dislike DaD, and Summer Again I liked at first but now find myself skipping. And I don’t like 23rd monster. Lol Oh, I do like Nonfiction too but I legitimately just forgot about it when thinking about her recent songs lol. Not sure if that says something…

So, this is the most palatable track for me. But again, nothing outstanding. Videos can sway me though, so let’s see what tomorrow brings lol.

The thing that’s been irking me a bit though is her pronunciation? Vocal inflections? That weird “uuuuuuurh” sound… I know she’s done it forever, and I love it in I am… but now it’s feeling way more used?

[ShiraJemJem]

I like it. I hate the winter/carol part at the end but I still like it. The hook part is so catchy.

[Sky High]

I was not too fond of the song. It sounds so dated. Let's hope that PV will be decent.

[summerain]

I really liked how unusual the melody is. People often say some TK compositions "doesn't go anywhere" and that's exactly why I like it. It's a different way to build a song and it sound strange for us who are used to listen to songs with intro-verses-prechorus-chorus-anotherverses-anotherchorus-bridge-chorus(sometimes-with-a-bit-higher-tone)-end structure. I know some of the deconstruction are not always well done, but I liked it in here.

The arrangement sounds a classical 90s TK song, but it doesn't sound dated to me. The album is gonna be cohesive as hell, as we are having a lot of 90s reference, specially dance music within Dreamed a Dream, Summer again and now MASK.

[Foyuki]

Originally Posted by Aderianu

For people who come here to vomit with rainbow unicorns I put my opinion under the spoiler

Spoiler:

what a huge disappointment
It sounds like many other TK songs, and they all are not so good. That's not ayu's fault, that's completely fault of composer and arranger who is the one person, as we know. I wish ayu never work with him again until he create something really outstanding.
At least cover is cool.

cannot agree more
plz arrest TK
Nonfiction wins

[perfectodub]

I'm actually enjoying the song. I was not very exited for a new ballad, maybe because summer is comming in this side of planet and sunny days give me a lot of energy.

I tried to make something more into disco with this new remix of MASK I hope you like it.


https://youtu.be/gbHxBALhWW8

[kotora]

Originally Posted by Foyuki

cannot agree more
plz arrest TK
Nonfiction wins

"Please arrest TK" gets me weak.

I really miss her CMYK, DAI, HAL era.. most of the songs are top tiers the best song in her career.

TK can go to retirement jail for making our ears suffering.

[hud]

it's alright but I wish she stops working with TK. not going to have replay value imo.

[280301]

I didn't like MASK's previews, but I actually really like the full track!!! It *almost* appears to me as a classic Ayu track.

I'm not a huge TK x Ayu fan (but I adore globe), but I enjoy that TK and Ayu integrated somewhat of an unusual structure here. I also like the texture of the arrangement - it feels a little rough and gritty, though I wish that the track became progressively cleaner and smoother towards the end, I think that would have elevated it further. The last minute of the track does capture some of that old school Ayu magic for me also.

Maybe I just remain a sucker for Ayu's solemn "La la las" after all this time. I think that Ayu's mastery of bittersweet and melancholy musings, and TK's tendancy to create tracks "that go no where", are a fantastic pairing here.

However, I will note that this is kind of track that I would expect as a perfectly decent album track (either halfway through or toward the end of an album to re-energise the overall vibe). I don't think it's a great choice as fully-fledged single. I would still love for Ayu to release a grand winter ballad.

Regardless, this is probably the song I've liked best since Ayu released TROUBLE. I'm pleasantly surprised - Ayu really made my day! I think it joins the ranks of WORDS (which I greatly warmed to after not liking it initially) and aeternal (which I enjoy, but still believe requires a beefier arrangement) for me as being the "Ayu rehashing her classic style" tracks with merit.

[LOONAppears]

I liked it! Definitely some things I wasn't expecting, like the key changing between the chorus and verse, and the outro part which makes me think that that was the part the made ayu cry. I absolutely love the pre-chorus! I kinda wish that the chorus the sound that follows ayu's voice in the bg, a synth i think? I wish that was a different type of sound cuz i agree that it does make the song sound outdated, and I like outdated song elements, but when they're done right. the song is very dramatic in typical ayu fashion , love that. overall pretty good song, however there are some things that I might've done differently had i been the one to produce the song. this got me excited tho, cuz if we're getting a house album from ayu i might have to buy 100 copies LOL

ayu18 singles ranking as of right now:
1. summer again
2. dreamed a dream
3. nonfiction
4. mask
5. 23rd monster
6. ohia no ki

[Irish_Ayu_Fan]

After 5/6 listens I’m fully on the Mask train now, love it

[Chris85]

I like the instrumental intro and chorus. I do understand the criticism though.

[natalaxie]

I really like the melody of the vocals but the arrangement underneath sounds cheap... Perfectodub's remix might be better! I like the tinny vocals on top of the real dance beat!

[andycruize]

I love Mask so much.

[//ABEST]

I was so excited about this but it fell kinda flat for me? I can not remember how it sounds even tho I just listened to it. Cover is one of her best in recent years, as someone said it reminds me of that picture of Finnish primeminister Sanna Marin. ayu's being better tho

Spoiler:

Originally Posted by LOONAppears

ayu18 singles ranking as of right now:
1. summer again
2. dreamed a dream
3. nonfiction
4. mask
5. 23rd monster
6. ohia no ki

Good taste! I'd rank them like this as well

[tokyoxjapanxfan]

Okay so I’ve listened to it more; I’m into it now.

In my head, I feel like a dark (a la Daybreak and Depend on You) atmosphere with like, a blizzard (a la the Balenciaga FW22 show) would be really amazing. Considering we’ve seen her in a cream latex costume I have a feeling it’ll be very different than my vision lol, but Ayu keeps putting snow on the MASK story updates so… maybe it’s possible? Lol

This is a winter song in the same way DoY is to me, in that it’s released in winter, and could potentially visually be wintry and “cold”—but doesn’t necessarily sound wintry. Or, the video could completely mess it up for me lol.

[tenshi no hane]

I want to like it, but I don't like the stale TK vibe nor her voice in this one, unfortunately. Hopefully the album will be different.

Japanese lyrics:

Spoiler:

夜が深まって窓ガラスに映った自分が
疲れ果てた顔で今日の終わりに大きな溜息
ホントを口にする価値も見失って
誰かのさめた瞳を見ても驚かない

あれから僕らはいくつもの痛み乗り越えた
フリをして、ただ傷跡を新しい傷で寒いだ
時代のせいにして手放した感情たち

それでも進む意味が未来にあるからと
言ってくれたあの人を想いまた立ち上がる

出来なくなったことばかり並べて理由つけて
とりあえずの笑顔作るようになったのはいつから

泣きながらでも伝えた伝たわるまで叫んでた
そんな風に誰かと向き合えたのは一体いつまで

風が冷たくなってきたね
もう冬がそこまで近づいてきたね

優しい歌だけが聴きたくなっている
想像してまた傷を傷で隠すの？

source:
https://lyricskpop.net/lyrics/ayumi-...k-kashi-kanji/
https://kgasa.com/jp/ayumi-hamasaki-mask/

I'll make a translation later if no one beats me to it.

[CeReSu]

After a few listening, I unfortunately don't really like it... The arrangments are pretty generic, this synthetic melody gives me headache xD
I never was a fan of TK and this song confirms it. We are in 2022 not in 1992 !
I love all the others songs so much, this one is my first disappointment since dreamed a dream.

Hope TK will not work on the album !!!

Plus, I don't understand how she can make this kind of song while she can clearly make something more refreshing like this wonderful song "Trickstar" she used for her tour !