Shake It also grew on me :laugh :laugh :laugh

oooh I can't wait to see her performing all these songs live oh my god I'm so excited!

I've been listening this album all day. And I can't get enough of it. Seriously! This is like for the first time since... I don't know... since MY STORY may be :thud

soooooo sad I can't order it.

My Opinions after three full listens, im 100% sure this will change A LOT

Love
Return Road
call
Party Queen

Like
NaNaNa
Shake It
Letter
reminds me
Tell Me Why

Need my time
Eyes, Smoke, Magic
the next LOVE

Don't like
how beautiful you are


The album is VERY different, I need my time to get used to it but i think i will like it

I am so busy with headbanging to the electrobeats of ayu-mi-x 4 *sighs* Still try to listen to "Party Queen" a lot.

"Return Road" is actually the heart of "Party Queen" for me.

I agree, but I think that those tracks would be even better if there had been more effort to kind of modernize them and have a bit more of a mix of genres. That probably would have made them a bit more catchy as well.

^
I agree. The only thing "fresh" about those tracks is ayu's voice. And it doesn't suit the genre that well I think, I keep thinking I want to hear (at least) aya matsuura's voice, and that' coming from someone who really likes ayu's voice in virtually everything else she's release (save perhaps B&D...)

these 2 can't be compared at all. but I'd prefer ASFXX, because lyrically it's something very important to me. and Ayu should have the oscar just for ASFXX song because of it's powerful lyrics
I can't believe I'm even seeing this:shakehead
yeah, like, forever!:(
totally:yes
many people seem to like reminds me, I like it musical-wise, but I can't listen to the voice...:dead2

I CAN NEVER GET OVER THE EPICNESS OF RETURN ROAD! I even forgot about unnecessary Timmy part here. but GOD, it feels like the old beloved Ayu:luv2 that is why DAI is my 2nd fav after CREA!

I now want an album full of Tell me Why & Return Road & DAI compositions!:cool and vocals like in these 2! they were amazing!:luv2

I've been reading this for so many times already, yeah yeah
and I completely disagree 100% of each album has horrible vocals. I luv her vocals in certain songs from every album

I will, thank you :lech

I'll do one of these too:

1: PQ: 6/10 Overall this song introduces the first part of the album well and serves its purpose. The arrangements are really good, but the melody especially in the beginning of the chorus falls flat and it doesn't really make me want to party with the party queen. Should've probably chosen a different composition for such a track.

2: Nanana: 8/10: I really like this track. It's catchy and reminds me of european dance music from the 90s while still preserving a dark atmosphere.

3: Shakeitup: 6.5/10: Like party queen, this song doesn't live up to its potential in a way, allthough not because of the melody in this case.

5: call: 7.5/10: This is such a typical piece coming from ayu and almost every single one of her albums has one or more of these rock/pop tracks. Fortunately this has a pretty wonderful melody that makes me smile for no reason. (Did anyone else notice the guitar solo 02:27 for a few seconds sounds like the one in heartplace (I think...?))

6: Letter: 7.5/10 Pretty similar to call. I wish that they could've perhaps changed the arrangements up a bit to make one of these songs more interesting. Nonetheless, these are really nice to listen to both with wonderful melodies.

7: reminds me: 8/10 Another track in the same vein as call and Letter, allbeit a bit more dramatic.

8: Return Road:10/10 Everything comes together beautifully in this track. Maybe not the track on the album that takes her the furthest away from what she already made in the past, but this is what she does best.

9: Tell me why : 7.5/10: Enjoyable song. More of the same as apart of the rock pop mid section comes to an end with a change of composer.

11: the next love: 6/10: Not technically bad song, it doesn't really surprise me in any way and at certain points her voice bothers me more than it usually would because of the genre and instrumentation.

12: ESM: 5.5/10 At times, I have the impression of listening to a H!P song. Now that's not necessarily bad thing, except that tsunku often sings in falsetto and the song is only catchy enough to end up on douyou pops. (I know there're lots of other things one could write about this song, but it's otherwise a rather typical broadway musical styled number)

14: how beautful you are:9/10 hbya sneaks up on you and gets more and more beautiful. Great way to end the album.

Overall I like the album and I appreciate the concept which is well executed. The ablum flows really well. Some songs aren't quite as enjoyable as I'd hope on an individual basis though.
Compared to her most recent releases I prefer these tracks to those on 5 but it doesn't live up to Love Songs in most ways.

final score: 7/10

Party queen - 8/10 (1 point deduction for the extreme similarity to the ***** Guy song, as pointed out by someone else)
NaNaNa - 8/10 (would be a 10/10 without Timmy)
Shake It♥ - 8/10
taskebab - 9/10 (for an instrumental)
call - 6/10 (could really do without the "whoa"s)
Letter - 8/10
reminds me - 9/10
Return Road - 8/10
Tell me why - 10/10
a cup of tea - 8/10 (pretty damn good for an Ayu interlude)
the next LOVE - 6/10 (it's like a tackier Pride)
Eyes, Smoke, Magic - wtf/10 (don't even know what to make of it)
Serenade in A minor - 7/10
how beautiful you are - 8/10 (certainly not one of her best ballads, but it's grown on me quite a lot in a short period of time)

Overall: 8/10
After two listens it's definitely better than Love songs and of course FIVE, most likely better than NEXT LEVEL and probably a bit above RnRC which had its great potential ruined by a few really **** songs. Not quite as good as GUILTY, but close. I may grow to like it even more than it with time. Not sure how I'd compare it with anything before that album though.

Now with points: JUST PROVISIONAL

Party Queen: 8,75/10
NaNaNa: 7/10
Shake It: 6/10
call: 8,5/10
Letter: 7/10
reminds me: 7,5/10
Return Road:9/10
Tell me why: 6,75/10
the next LOVE: 7/10
Eyes, Smoke, Magic: 7/10
how beautiful you are: 3/10

Overall: 7/10

^ That's eerily close to mine, except reduce call to like 6.5/7 and hbya to 6. :P

I've been listening to this album all day. Which is a first for me since the release of maybe NEXT LEVEL, and I loooove Love songs and FIVE so this says a lot. :yes

I'm in love with this album, but it's a very different love than I have for her other albums. the only song that's kinda making me go "eh what?" is Eyes, Smoke, Magic, but I think it's just cause it's so different and "show tuney" and I don't like those. :laugh I also usually don't like jazz at all but the Next Love is very good.

Right now my fave song is NaNaNa. I'm lollin' at people saying it's a ~timmy feat ayu~ song. Uh, how did those collab tracks on FIVE work for you then, cause they're on those tracks more than Timmy is on this one. :laugh And for people who really hate Timmy (wow that didn't take long), I'm sure he'll be gone by the next two albums if not this next one. Ayu tends to cling to one or two composers for every album. Last time was TK, and although his voice isn't on it, his SOUND is infused in every single song he composed on that album, lol.

Also, I remember when MY STORY came out. It was the first full length Ayu album that came out after I became a fan. And I remember how divisive it was. People either thought it was the best ever or the worst. Personally I've always thought it was meh. It's a bit too long for me, given such a cohesive sound. I have to be in a certain mood to sit and enjoy it.

And we can't compare any album (except maybe LOVEppears) to ASFXX. That album is in its own category of pretty much everything, especially its place in Ayu's life. Her vocals may be unbearable a couple times (and some comps and arrangements rather generic for the time) but those are some of the most beautiful songs emotionally and lyrically we will ever get.

I have to be honest. I haven't been this impressed with an ayu album in over 4 years and I haven't given her any praise since. Her vocals sounded maladroit in some of the more upbeat songs (ex. Shake it) but her vocals overall were not bad at all. I'm an avid fan of Jazz, Big Band, Bossa, etc. so I adore ayu's Jazz addition. But her voice does not suit the genre at all in my humble opinion.

~Love:~
NaNaNa (9/10)
the next LOVE (9/10)
taskebab (8/10)

~Like/Alright:~
call (8/10)
reminds me (7/10)
Return Road (6/10)
Tell Me Why (7/10)
Serenade in A Minor (7/10)
how beautiful you are (6/10)

~Dissappointed/Disliked:~
Party Queen (3/10)
Shake it♥ (4/10)
Letter (3/10)
a cup of tea (3/10)
Eyes, Smoke, Magic (2/10)

Being the very harsh ayu critic that I am, this album was a pretty damn good album. And I sincerely mean that and coming from me that says alot. lol! I have to give this album a total grade of (7.5-8.0 ouf of 10). Overall this album wasn't terrible nor was it groundbreaking. Good job Ayu. After a long time, ayu has finally impressed me again. :yes

I discovered jpop around the release of moments/ INSPIRE too. I find it really hard to rank / compare all her albums, some of them have equal proportions of songs I really like and replay, the moods are rather different and there are so many 2nd and 3rd chapter albums that don't have such a distinct personality compared to the 1st chapter ones.
When it comes to MY STORY, the entire album constisted of what would become her "core sound" ever since. Almost every album following MS has at least songs songs more or less in that style (PQs mid section wouldn't seem out of place on that album and even the non komura songs on LOVE SONS are reminiscent of MS) with some other songs in "new styles" (such as nanana, will, born to be... etc). In that way, MS should be one of her least controversial albums and also a bit "meh" or mellow if you like. ;-)

THis is how I would rank her albums according to how many songs I would still listen to on a regular basis or at least listened to so much in the past I could instantly recognise them and prob sing along still (lol):


I Am... - 12
Loveppears - 10
Love Songs - 9
Rainbow - 8 (9)
Duty - 7 (8) My Story - 7 (8)
(Miss)understood - 7
Rock 'n' Roll Circus - 6 (7)
Secret -6 Guilty - 6 Next Level - 6
A Song for ×× - 5

Prty Queen will probably end up like Secret quilty to me. It's sort of a weird case, cause this time around I like the songs on the album that sound the most like something she's released before, usually it would be the other way around. and I'll probably continue to listen a lot to crossroad, love song, november and moon. ;-P

so far so good, just skipped over call, letter, reminds me and the interludes.


lol at taskebab I immediately thought of daft punk.
reminds me and return road sound similar to other songs she has done but I can't place them.


wow next love has some jazz in it I LOVE IT!!!!


I don't like timmy rapping in the songs.

Party Queen: 7/10
NaNaNa: 3/10 (7 without Timmy's god damn awfull singing or rapping)
Shake It: 3/10
taskebab: 1/10
call: 7/10
Letter: 6/10
reminds me: 8/10
Return Road:9/10
Tell me why: 7/10
a cup of tea: 0/10 <- GET THIS OUT OF HERE
the next LOVE: 2/10
Eyes, Smoke, Magic: 1/10
Serenade in A minor: 2/10
how beautiful you are: 7/10

quick one:

Party queen 9/10
NaNaNa 9/10
Shake it :heart 9/10
taskebab 8/10
call 9.5/10
Letter 9/10
reminds me 10/10
Return Road 100000/10
Tell me why 10/10
a cup of tea 4/10
the next LOVE 6/10
Eyes, Smoke, Magic, 6.5/10
serenade in A minor 7/10
how beautiful you are 8.5/10

Electronic / Dance
Party Queen: 7/10
NaNaNa: 7.5/10
Shake It: 7.5/10

pop-rock
taskebab: 8/10
call: 8/10
Letter: 8.5/10 <--- in the chorus, ayu sings like aikawa nanase. And nanase had the songs with this similar style~
reminds me: 9/10 <--- same as "Letter", in the chorus, ayu sings like aikawa nanase but I love it~
Return Road: 9/10
Tell me why: 9/10

Electronic
a cup of tea: 5/10

jazz???
the next LOVE: 5/10
Eyes, Smoke, Magic: 5/10

classic
Serenade in A minor: 6/10

ballad
how beautiful you are: 9/10

I love pop-rock~ that's why I rate the pop-rock high score :)

Party Queen 9/10
NaNaNa 9/10
Shake It 7/10
taskebab 7/10
call 9/10
Letter 8/10
reminds me 8/10
Return Road 10/10
Tell me why 9/10
a cup of tea 5/10
the next LOVE 8/10
Eyes, Smoke, Magic 8/10
serenade in A minor 6/10
how beautiful you are 9/10

overall: 8/10

in my personal ayu's albums top it takes position n.6. not bad!

i notice this album is restoring faith in a lot of fans that lost it with ayu and i think that's pretty awesome. i actually wouldn't mind if ayu started releasing her albums like this from now on without any singles beforehand (just a digital single or smth at the most). it really makes the experience a lot more fun and exciting.

I like all songs,excet serenade in a minnor,way too classig.orinc and too b