You mean you guys don't like it when all of her songs sound the same as one another?! Holy smoke!

lmao.

I guess the best way for me to describe it is with Ayu's rock songs. They all have VERY distinct personalities, all of which are able to convey who Ayu is as an artist, without sounding "the same" and without going too far over the edge to the point that it loses the "Ayu" flavor.

^Exactly.
Rock Ayu is what caught me.
Rock Ayu is what's keeping me at her sides.

If she ever stop doing rock songs, I think I quit.

I don't think she'll ever quit with the rock just as she will never quit with the ballads. She may outgrow the EDM though.

See, I totally and completely understand everyone's concerns/complaints. I think what you just said and what others are saying is totally legit.

BUT...For me, I am just a sucker for her music. Even if I know that technically it's not up to the same par as some of her greater music, I typically can still listen to it. Granted, there are still some songs of hers that I do not care for. But, her "generic" ballads work just fine on me since I think they're pretty. XD

There is pretty much only one song of hers that I absolutely refuse to listen to...Teens...I cannot STAND that song. There are a few others of hers that I can't stand listening to but I think that's the ONLY one that I refuse to give my time.

Just hearing the previews. I do like what i've heard.
Album sounds more J-pop than COLOURS and i appreciate that (i love that later as well).
I adore Zutto/Last Minute/Walk so i will probably appreciate A ONE.
From the previews i like all the songs (except maybe The GIFT). most momerable songs are The Show Must Go On, WARNING, NO FUTURE.

By songs

WARNING : Her voice is a bit weird but i like the song. The chorus is cool.

The GIFT : A bit boring to be honest. I adore most of Ayu ballads but this one is typically like the ballads of her that i don't really care... Hope the PV will make me appreciate the song better.

NO FUTURE : Instrumental is cool and i love the chorus. I like what i heard but preview quality is awful. Anyway it's my fav preview for the moment.

Out of control : Okay song. It will probably grow on me.

The Show Must Go On : The beginning does sounds like snowy kiss. I appreciate the "show must go on" parts. Some parts reminds me also "sending mail".
I think i will love the song.

Story : i like it. So far the best new ballad out of the 3 songs. Chorus is cute.

I'm the 1% that REALLY LOVE The GIFT.

I think the instrumental is sweet.

She really just needs to stop whoring out Yuta Nakano as an arranger, and she'll be on the fast track to songs that are at least somewhat more distinctive again. He is a literal one trick pony when it comes to ballads. She does this all the time, she finds an arranger that she likes and she sticks with them FOREVER until the fanbase gets fed up, and she moves onto another one. Sure, she'll have other arrangers do a few tracks on each album, but there's usually one predominant one. It used to be CMJK and now it's Yuta.

As for the previews, I loved all of them except for TSMGO. If she's going to rehash her own sound, I'd prefer they sound like this than the forced trite that was LOVE again.

I think the real problem is that, for the longest time, I loved her music for it's music. I mean, sure I loved Ayu, but I loved her BECAUSE of the music she made. Say if someone else had been making that music, I would have loved it just as much. It was the MUSIC that was so damn good - Ayu just happened to be the one who made something of such substantial quality!

Now, I pretty much just listen to her because I've already established my connection with her as a fan. I listen to the songs because of her. She is the main attraction and her music is just kind of there for me to consume. If anyone else were to release half the shit she's put out, I wouldn't even give it a second thought.

I think, ask yourself that question. Are you truly listening to her for the music, or are you listening to it for the simple fact that she's the one who is making it? The fact that her name is tacked onto it. I think really that's what it's all about. If you have not asked yourself that question, then you really need to, and I think you'll finally understand the divide between AHS'ers.

^Listen to her because of her music. That's why I don't listen to MY STORY for example.

Well I don't necessarily think there is anything wrong with the later reason, as there are plenty of songs by Ayu that didn't initially grab me, many of which I have grown to love over time; but I do believe it helps to shed some light onto various issues. My absolute favorite tracks, my all-time number ones, the songs I consider "the best of the best," are all considered as such because of the appeal they have, with or without Ayu (although her deliverance on the vocal is unique to her and therefore does factor into things somewhat) and the majority, if not all of these songs, are at least 5-10 years old.

but there are only 4 PVs in this album and 3 have been confirmed to be Zutto..., Last minute and The GIFT. I really hope the last one (the SM-isque pic she posted on Twitter) will be WARNING or NO FUTURE. but some said it's most probably The Show Must Go On... >_<

I listen to her and pay attention to her because of everything she stands for.

I've come to terms with the fact that her albums are likely only to have one brilliant song. I still love her anyway..just wish she would have stricter and tighter quality level when it comes to picking songs.

Sure Ayu's older albums weren't full of brilliant songs but they weren't littered with such offensively bland filler level songs such as The Gift, Hello New Me, Beloved, and I can't even remember the others as they aren't as recent but are oh so dull.

^Hello new me and Beloved were both minnor hits and among her recent strong sellers and The Gift is most like taking the same road.

Most of her public, most people people from her core market are into this kind of music, and there's no way she will stop pleasing her to start pleasing the 15, 20 western people that buy everything she releases after finding her by chance on the internet.

Most of the people on this forum is not part the group who buys most of her stuff, and going after us would most likely destroy her career for good.

totally!

Same here. And it doesn't hurt that she makes music I enjoy!

its usually her lyrics that attract me, and the tunes of her songs and after being robbed a few years ago (just moved and it was all in a few big boxes) and losing all my collection of hers (i buy most of her stuff too, not things like nail books, but I had the huge ViVi book) I started from scratch and I would start all over again, though now I back up everything now of hers. Her songs just have a way with me that can help me cheer up or help when times are bad

I think people who are in her core market are gonna buy whatever the fuck she puts out. This is the shit she releases that has potential for mass appeal, whether you're a "fan" of her or not. It's a given that her "fans" will listen.
That's a really nice thing to say, because she does stand for great things, but it's the fact that she was able to spark such a fire within me, the fact that she was able to make such a huge impact and impression on me BEFORE I became more aware about who she was and what she stands for, that made/makes her great. The moment someone makes such a huge impression on you, when you have absolutely no obligation to them, have no knowledge of them, or any other pre-determined factors affecting the effect you're experiencing - that speaks volumes.

It's like if you're child does something. Paints something, gives you something, etc. You love it - you have a genuine love for the subject matter and its a genuine emotion - but it stems from the relationship more so than the subject matter itself.

I still love Ayu, but damn it was really a trip when I loved her for what she stood for AND for the material itself. When she appeals to both of those aspects within my mind, that truly is a marvel.

I sometimes have a biased towards her music simply due to the fact that her name is tacked onto the song. It totally makes her seem like a product, when you think about it.

But, my reasons for listening to what I listen to differs depending on my mood. For the most part, I like to play her music because I like to have it in the background while I draw. That's the main reason why I listen to music in the first place.

Recently, though, I've learned to constructively listen to music. I know this is the case because of my undying biased towards Girugamesh. I may seem like a devoted fan to Ayu, but Girugamesh is the one I throw my money at whenever possible. AND YET, I can't bring myself to buy their latest music because I don't care for it. I learned then that my ears are starting to hear more than just the name of the artist.

I love music. Simply put, you know? I like to find people I can stand to listen to. I honestly do love most of Ayu's music and it's not just because it's her writing it. I am just that much of a fan of what she sings. I'll even think I hate one of her songs, but it'll grow on me.

The main case of something not growing on me is Party Queen, though. It's the odd ball in her discography that I could never quite come to love. I don't hate it but it's not really my thing.