TK is very formulaic and he's becoming such a trend for her. His music is, more or less, very distinct and recognizable. I'm surprised people are for him continuing to work with her as he's giving us more than enough material. At least the "traditional AYU" sound had more room for leverage, breakthrough, and wiggle room. The "TK AYU" sound is, more or less, all the same. And this is coming from someone who adores Love songs. However, I feel the highs were all hit in that album. TK doesn't really work well out of context. I don't foresee his work escalating or expanding beyond the work he did on Love songs, so therefore, I'm not too keen on him continuing to work with her. His vision was executed so well with Love songs and it should be contained there. Unless, he were to try and do a second conceptualized album that serves to follow or extend that image. But I seeing as LOVE again appeared to half-ass such an attempt, I'd rather her move away from him.

I'm just here, hopelessly waiting for Ayu's own sexy or how to be a girl. TK has to stop with the ballads and deliver with the 90s jams.

My beef with TK is his music sounds nothing like the rest of her discography. All of the TK material in her albums since Love songs has stuck out like a sore thumb and sounded painfully dated and out of place. Which means by default that's how his songs for this upcoming album will sound as well. RIP any hopes of true cohesion lulz

Also what Zeke said tbh. He did everything he could do for Ayu with Love songs. Since then he's just been repeating the same two/three songs, and they're getting less and less interesting every time :no

November is the definition of head-over-heels love, pure and innocent admiration; butterflies in your stomach and that feeling of being completely "smitten" by someone. The song excels at constructing an environment that successfully is able to capture and convey this type of emotion in a way that completely captivates and entices the listener, imo, and that is why I believe it to be TK's strongest compositional piece.

I CAN'T! :thud

Am I the only person who feels TOTALLY lukewarm about November? It seems like everyone loves it or hates it, but I feel like ANY strong opinion regarding that song is very undue lol.

For me, there's SO MUCH to dissect in November. That's why I adore it so much. You need to pick apart the layers and kind of deter your mind away from Ayu's voice for a bit. There's a lot there, but if you aren't actively trying to dig below her and focus on everything that's carrying her, you can really miss out on everything that makes that song so wonderful. Each time you listen to it, try to dig a little deeper; expand your senses. Then, after you have become familiar with the different layers and all the subtleties, listen to it as a "whole," actively guiding your attention between the different layers while allowing them all to culminate together into a whole.

November is amazing. Love Songs is amazing. Songs like Do It Again, November, Last Angel and Crossroad have such genuine epic atmosphere and grandiose that Ayu hasn't really been able to capture lately for me. I still get chills and can't help but sing along when the climax hits in November...it feels like free falling much like falling in love.

I don't know what happened after that but his songs for Ayu either boring dreary ballads or dated duds like Feel The Love IMO.

I guess I just don't feel like November is dynamic enough. I've truly listened to the song on a gazillion levels trying to figure out what's really grabbing people. do it again I understand, even crossroad I understand more than November, but November... November's pieces ARE very good but it lacks gestalt so I can't feel it really. I can acknowledge a bunch of what it does right, but it's like... you know when you have a joke explained to you it's not funny anymore? It's like that. I can't FEEL any excellence there. But I feel that way with a good deal of mid-tempo ballads to be honest so that may be personal bias on my part.

I also think it builds up to something it never reaches, and in some songs that's done to very good effect, but about 75% of the time it ends up just being unsatisfying, and that's the case for me with November.

I really liked Uemarasan's analysis of November back in an older thread which made me appreciate the song even more.

I love TK as a composer, but I agree that he would better work as the primary composer for concept albums rather than him composing a just few cuts for each subsequent album.

I've really been into Last angel lately. The composition itself is gorgeous.

I felt this way initially actually. You can FEEL it's heading somewhere and then it kind of gets stuck in this loop. Like it's as if it's on the brink of reaching a climax, but it never quite truly does. The chorus is essentially a really long "pre-chorus" and it can make the listener feel somewhat anxious and quite uneasy? So I understand where you are coming from.

But I think, maybe that's the feeling they/she was/were going for? Like that feeling right before you fall in love? You know it's coming, you can FEEL the emotions bubbling, you know SOMETHING is happening and you're afraid to 'dive in', to let yourself 'fall'. However, as ExodusUK mentioned, the final chorus truly is a freefall. I think, that's the point, where she moves from being on the verge of "falling in love" into head-over-heels love and admiration.

That video is astounding! It really makes me want to work harder in my piano class lessons. The November video is seriously beautiful as well. I'm jealous, lol.

Doing what's "in" doesn't necessarily mean it'll be good music. It'll just be on trend.

I'd rather her pick composers based on how they'll be able to express her vision as opposed to picking someone just because they're the current "it" person/sound.

Ideally, though, it would be a mix of both.

Damn all this Novemver love is on point. The song is flaw-free tbh. Ayu's voice, the xylophone, the piano, the atmosphere, etc... The lyrics are cliche but they're honest and work with the song. Tbh a real standout on love songs. If only TK would work his magic again. I know Ayu will NEVER get a DEPARTURES or many classic momentsz

Ayu has a rich creative team I'd say. I would welcome BOUNCEBACK though. TK can stay as he did some awesome stuff for her, though I am not sure I want a whole TK album.

I'll never get tired of TK + Ayu, it's a match made in heaven. I like "dated" music that is 80s and 90's-ish.

@Heavenly
Trends go in circles... Most of the 2010's pop music is heavily inspired by the 90's.

@Delicious n Bold
The only songs TK ever produced for Ayu are A Song is Stillborn and Crossroad, and he only composed the other ones... So, everything you pointed you like about November has nothing to do with him :P

oh that's me 😳😳

Oh man, now I wish November was on this new classic album. Such a shame she didn't perform it during Power of Music too, can't imagine what it would sound like with a real proper orchestra/band.

AYU IS RECORDING ANOTHER SONG BY TETSUYA YUKUMI!!!!!

loving how Zutto/LM/Walk seem to be the prelude for the new album in terms of composers..haha I hope it will be more fierce

thank god it wasn't :no i love November and PoM would have ruined it. i hated almost every new arrangement on PoM, wanna delete that concert from my mind forever :dead2