I think she's been doing a lot of self-managing, making all the decisions mostly by herself, which is normal for someone who's been in the business for as long as her. Maybe his perspective will add some oomph. :) Though, I'm not sure. :P

Btw, does she have/still have an artistic director?

^ Well if he is taking more control maybe it was the duo that made her so big to begin with...
I wonder if the two of them sound like "old" ayumi in terms of her duty-Rainbow era...

i just hope Ayu appears in TV shows more often...missed her performance....:'(

If I'm not wrong, Ayu started getting artistic freedom since LOVEppears, and she can be considered the main producer for most stuff she did since that album or Duty. Considering her re-recordings during A Best and her last time concept changing on I am... (and composing most melodies on it), I believe we can safely say she is the main producer of most of her stuff since 2001.

But on the same way Namie avoids taking credit for her songwritting, I guess Ayu avoids taking production credits to her albums as a way of avoiding the criticism. Max still is her Executive Producer I believe, so, his credit is not fake...

Ayumi stated that she thought about making two albums out of Party Queen initially, so there's probably many leftover songs, maybe the PV was for a song cut from the album and will be released as summer single or on the next album.

POWDER SNOW is the first song Ayu had creative input in, it was her idea to have the bars of guitars at the end and the bells.

please let this song not suck.

It was a CM.

^ How do you know ?

Ugh. I hope not. I don't want any more "Party Queen" -type material... :/

Well it's not a PV because i really do think ayu would tweet something about it, post on teamayu about it, mention it in the vivi diary, etc..possibly a CM because Ayu never really mentions stuff about that as it's not really professional.

^ she already tweeted about it, back before the album came out.

I think it's BY FAR her best album so if she releases a part 2 I will be happy happy :3

I liked Party Queen, but I really dont want a part 2 of it...
if she is going to make a Part 2 anything, it has to be I am...

Besides i kind get Party Queen is part 2 of GUILTY. (just sayin lol)

I think GUILTY and Party Queen are vastly different albums from both sound and lyrics to be honest. GUILTY was still "oh, the world is so evil to me!!!!" Ayumi while Party Queen is "I ****ed up, gotta get over it" Ayu. And GUILTY was Ayu's "lots of Poprock with a bit of pop and ballads to balance it" album #3 million while Party Queen was "let's experiment with 10 genres I haven't used before but package it in an appealing way that flows as one"
Also, Party Queen is her first fully concepted album, more of that please xD

It's not that I don't have respect for Ayu and what she does. I love that about her actually. But I listened to PQ for one week and then I just don't want to listen to it anymore. I never feel in the mood for it so. I'm hoping her next album/single tickle my liking more. :yes

And please please please Ayu I want a summer single! *begging on knees* 2010 for a single is waaay to long now!

I want a summer single too!!
We know that Ayu is working on something, just hope it isn't a mini album, or a new album ( I think it's would be too soon)

it kills me to know that there are probably all these unreleased songs floating around. i want them!

Please...no more Party Queen. :no

She's going to repackage Party Queen with three new songs and a remix and you'd learn to love it.