It's been so long since I've been excited for an ayu release... Mind you I've only been a fan since party queen so I haven't been able to be excited for lots of stuff but the wait for love and again were painful.
This release not so much but the hype train wants to depart soon...

I think party queen was the last time I was super excited?
Was five before or after? I cant seem to remember.

EDIT:
I take that back. i was really excited for her 15th anny... but after that mess of releases it was such a let down.

Kisumai...again
 

I don't think you guys are going to be happy again - Kisumai is going to mess up with Ayu again - first Colours, now this...

:no

Well a big FUCK YOU to whoever those nobodies are.

We already knew about the single. Someone mentioned before there is no way Ayu will get #1 because of a johnny's group single coming out same date.

The idol / johnny associates thing is so fucking old it faps to AKB48 covers and handshake events. That's how old and perverted and stinkin' has-been it all is. I wish we could get back to valuing soloists again.

Well, Ayu already broke her streak, so #1 really doesn't matter anymore

I am really happy with this release but I think it would be cool if they make a DVD version including some footages from a nation or a nation SG. I am going to buy it anyway but extra content is always good.
Regarding any PV...well, Namie released BBC/beautiful in CD only version and the song got a PV so maybe they can do the same with Ayu, I don't know.

I think its the trill she could have gotten a number 1... but with everyone else releasing singles on that day she would be lucky to be in the top 3.

well she does have Nomura Yoshio in her live band :D Without him her tours would feel different. I think its sort of a trademark in most of her songs to have awesome riffs before the final verse of her songs (made even better at her tours)
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Though with a rock ballad, if I ask my friends what ayu songs sounds like a rock ballad, they refer to Marionette as a true rock ballad. I would love a ballad that could be placed next to Marionette

But like every single, people will over hype it, then hate it when its released, than when something new comes put, act like they always loved the previous release (*´ο`*)=3

She might not get number 1 again this time but I have a feeling that this single's gonna sell well. The Japanese people love ballads and this single won't be exempted IMO. Let's just all wish for the best (regardless of the chart positions). At the first place, Ayu releasing a "single" (and a BALLAD SINGLE OMFG) is enough for me. <3

Now I'm curious about the cover and song previews. Is this the confirmed final tracklist?

i don't think we'll get the covers untill middle of the next month lol

Well, I totally wanted to think of this single as a comeback for Ayu, but when the no CD+DVD part, no PVs part, and what we already know will be true about this single because every other release of hers has had the same treatment for the last four-six years: No promotions or performances, was all announced... That really tanked my expectation that she wants to have her Namie Amuro moment.

I'm excited for new winter ballads, though I think sales will be significantly lower than Ftl/Mgr and may be only a bit higher than Terminal. I mentioned before that almost no one bounces back from a really low-selling single release in Japan unless they are completely reinventing their career (Namie) or they are part of an idol group. BoA, Otsuka Ai, Mika Nakashima, Kana Nishino... they are all big names that haven't recovered after a low-selling album or single. BoA dropped off the scene after IDENTITY, Otsuka's Love Letter ended her album streak, Mika had the same issue with YES, and Kana underwhelmed with Thank you, LOVE. I know Ayu is a little different, much more well-known, but she has been very experimental for J-Pop since 2008 when GUILTY was announced as her first rock album, so I think audiences are genuinely unsure what her next song or album will sound like... if they even know she is releasing something, which is where the lack of promotion makes things worse.

The whole industry has changed because of technology and the focus on idol groups now, so I think the only thing we can expect is that this will surely be a Top 20 single, but I won't bet on it being in the Top 5 and with no PV or CD+DVD, I am almost confident this will not be a Top 10.

I will actually kind of give my idea of what the figures will be just based off what we know right now. No promotion, no PV, no CD+DVD, the huge drop in single sales for Terminal, Colours' sales, etc... I think first week sales will be between 8-12k. Total sales may be close to 15k. If the previews sound very different from what she did on Colours and LOVE again, I think total sales will be closer to 10k.

At this point, I'm just glad she's releasing a new single before a new album comes out. But, at the same time, I am also kind of having my shock moments when things like Terminal come around. Ayu is having a lot of career firsts now... mostly things like "lowest selling single" and "lowest charting album"... which just aren't as exciting as saying "15th year in a row with a #1 album". But I'm still on board for right now.

I secretly hope though that she goes back to her old sound and only a few of us get to stick around to enjoy it. I always feel like I'm in a very special club listening to artists like KOKIA and RURUTIA because they aren't well-known but they are so amazing.

Wow I actually love all these titles this time. Been a while since an ayu song title didn't make me go "wtf?" lol

Interesting outlook and post. It's sad, but the honest truth.

Since the release is on christmas week,
it was kinda expected there would be competition... I don't care for the position, I just hope it sells better than Terminal, because this time it's new material. But the sales will probably be lower than Feel the love, specially because it has less versions.

You said Namie Amuro has regained popularity by reinventing her carrer (I think you're probably referring to the Best Fiction Era) but at the same time you said that Ayumi has been too experimental since 2008 (which is great for us, fans). My question is this : How can Ayu "reinvent" her carrer to be successful again? If we look at her albums, she's always coming with new sounds and visuals (if this is not reinvention, than what is it?), which is the main confusion of the jpop lover mass.
Look at Kana Nishino by the way : she has those big sales (not as big as before but still) because she keeps singing the same jpop styled love songs. Not that's a bad thing, but I feel that this is popular in Japan right now.

By the way, I love Kokia and Rurutia too :)

She like the change, the complaining fans like and want the same thing over and over. Its just the times and how the music industry is. Its outdated and they wont accept change. Look how long it took the industry to get with the online deal with the declining sales and blah. They're is such diversity with her songs (this is one of the reason I love ayu's music so much, something for every mood, I don't need much more in music). She just does what she loves and as long as people want to listen to her, she will keep on doing her own thing. Fans will influence her choice in some songs but the rest is what she wants, because ayu is reflecting herself in her songs, not us.

I don't think that Ayu changing her style has to do with low sales at all, her albums never sound like the previous ones, she's been always changing her style. The only experimental thing she did may be Party Queen, besides it there's nothing ground breaking...