WHAT! the best song... lol... no.
I guess i shouldnt say that it was a bad song, but she has a TON of other better songs.

Poor End of the World. It's not a half bad song at all.
As for the best Duty song... I kinda wanna say Key ～eternal tie ver.～ but I kinda don't. I think all songs are equal, save teddy bear and girlish.

If it's a rock ballad, something like GAME would be good.
If it's a more... traditional ballad, then it's gotta be the love child between BALLAD, M, CAROLS, HEAVEN and forgiveness.

GAME, a rock ballad? Where? Only because of the intro?

^ Did you not listen to the entire song... it is rockish!

^Ehum yes. Don't mention the obvious. But it's not a ballad. That's what I'm getting at.

Well Ayumi did include it on Ayu black.... which is ballad heavy... I would put it in the power ballad which was big in the 80's (for america) which was rock, but ballad...

A BEST 2 black is filled with ballad songs and rock songs and dark songs (lyrics) in generall. GAME is the same type of ayu-upbeat-rock-song as BoY, About You or any other rock song you can find on that same album. A rock ballad sounds like a regular ballad but with rock elements, like aerosmith classic rock ballad song "I don't wanna close my eyes" or whatever.

yes and GAME would be in that category.

Lol "ok". Funny thing then that ayu performed GAME in concerts upbeat sections instead of the ballad sections.

Because its an upbeat ballad... hence the power ballad...

I don't think GAME is a ballad...no matter how you look at it.

I dont get where people think it has to sound like BALLAD in order to be a ballad...
whatever. :shrug

I think it's just the lyrics, if anything...

What about Liar? Is that closer to a rock-ballad?

For some reason, "upbeat ballad" sounds kinda strange to me :P

Traditionally, ballad is a song that tells a story, but on the past 5 or 6 decades people understand ballads as slow sentimental songs... And Power Ballads as slow sentimental songs that keep building to a heavy sounding rock chorus... I don't think GAME fits any of thise at all o.O

"appears" would be the closest she ever had of a traditional ballad (considering I'm ignoring the song structure as I don't know enough music theory to talk about it :B)

Almost half of her discography are normal pop/pop-rock ballads... Songs like You, Seasons, Dearest, Voyage, Heaven...

But she doesn't have as much power ballads... I guess Free & Easy fits... You were too... and M!

If anything Return Road would be an upbeat ballad. That's why I can't stand the song it's too slow for my tastes and GAME is much more badass than that.

^ return road is a very good upbeat ballad!

Return Road is her best song in a while and best thing 2012 has given

reminds me is much better. I don't feel the emotion in Return Road; her voice is too "sweet" - and it really reminds me of Virgin Road which I never liked either. It has that same feeling in those ballad-y parts. And saying something is the best of 2012 for Ayu really isn't saying much. Lol, sorry had to go there.

upbeat ballad ??
really ??

When i say bedt song of 2012 im saying that it is better than every song every artist has released in Japan and in the world