good choice for choosing ayu again!! good news for us definitely!! :)

Can someone cut the Ayu part out of the long vid and up it here maybe? :3

Great, hoping for a good song! :)

I am excited to hear a new song, but just amazed at how many people think progress is really that epic. It is like at the bottom of the totem pole as far as her "epic" rock songs go. Just saying.

yay! hopefully it's gonna be something powerful like progress

THIS IS FRIGGING EPIC! CAN WE PLEASE GET SOMETHING UP-BEAT LIKE Rule? THANK YOU

"progress" felt old after a few plays. I only listened to it during "FIVE" era then never really gave it a place on my MP3-Player again ._.

I'm just excited about the slight possibility of a new single. It's about time. (two years, ayu. Your last single was two years ago)

That's exactly how I feel about progress... at times. Sometimes I love it, sometimes it's just so boring. I think it contains both old and new qualities.

this is freaking good news

I would just like more news on the single front...
I hope she winds up releasing another album this year... that would be amazing!

^ maybe she'll pull a 2010 in 2012. I wouldn't mind. An album from BOTH ayu and angela aki in the same year would be like finding the fountain of youth AND winning the lottery.

curious... this might mean the album could be like Love songs with its wintery ballads. OOOOH I NEED THIS.

^ Well, not like 2010, since Love songs didn't appear on the charts till 2011 (although I think it was that 2 week rule maybe? i forget) But Love Songs was technically the first album of 2011 to reach number 1.
I would like her to release something to keep her number 1 album streak going.

Wasn't love songs released in 2010? wikipedia said it was December 22, 2010. It could have, at worst, pulled a GUILTY and release early.
CDJapan also lists its release date as Dec 22, 2010. Regardless, I go by the date it is first available. The month or year it charts in Oricon doesn't matter. If it's released Dec 29 and doesn't chart until January, it's still a Dec release to me.

Also, I have a question: when was progress first made available to listen? A few months before Tales of Xillia came out? I have no idea since I got into the ayu loop in Jan 2012.

Love songs was release on the 22, but didn't chart till the first.
I'm just going by charts and everything.
So although it was released in Dec, it didn't appear until January.

As for progress, I think we got a preview somethjing like a month in advance?

We are really talking about album releases already? Lol.

Hmm.. a month in advance? Then I guess, at worst, we won't get any new material until the month before the game releases later this year.
Maybe we'll get lucky with a surprise single...

I'm really hoping for an August release (something around the time of a-nation)
and then a Oct single, then a Dec single

An end of summer single would tide any August-blues, I believe. Oh, I'd love that.
Even if there's no album, at least some singles would do, you know. I would LOVE something like "the next LOVE" in late october as it starts to get colder. That'd be nostalgic bliss.

NO! no more of that stuff... those were the worse part of Party Queen.
is this LOVE, now that something that needs a part 2 if you ask me.

LOL you didn't like it?
I could go any way with any song she releases, though... I just liked the jazziness of the next LOVE and I wanted moar.

:yes:yes

Structurally and musically, I'd like something like SURREAL. Add some bell like noises in there and it could easily pass for wintry without going overboard, a la momentum.

^ I love that, but at the same time I think Ayumi over uses the bells...
it seems like every time one of her songs come on there are bells somewhere... lol

I love the bells! I thought they were too subtle in Together When... I want a full-forced synthesized piece of wintery goodness (No way to say, momentum, Days) or even Close to you gives off that feeling I love so much during that time of year.

LOL... instead of christmas music last year I had ayumi winter ballads... lol

『Tales of Xillia 2』 Product Launch, All New Information Report!

【Theme Song to be by Hamasaki Ayumi once again】

“The game this time will still have the name “Xillia”, therefore we tried our best to push this through with avex.” With that, Producer Baba revealed that the theme song for this game would be produced by Hamasaki Ayumi once more. At that point in time, the song had already been created, and is currently being incorporated into the game’s animation scenes by ufotable.

Accompanying this announcement was a message from Hamasaki. Similar to the previous theme song “progress”, she did a background check on this game’s storyline before writing the song. “I had the story for “2″ explained to me. Then I wrote the song, incorporating my own feelings within as well,” Hamasaki commented. As with the previous game, this song would surely be a perfect fit to the game’s worldview.

source : http://misachanjpop.wordpress.com/20...n-famitsu-com/

ahhh,,, soooo happy!

yaaay hopefully a new upcoming single!!

YAYYY!!! but it seems a bit too early...i think she''ll coincide the release with the game release. but still, i just want new material

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3367O...ature=g-user-u

this video was posted exactly 1 year ago, which was like 3 months before FIVE release.

every time i see these kinds of announcements, i can't help but to spazz. :laugh

but yay! i bet my life for a july/august SINGLE release!

Nice. Progress really surprised me by being so epic. I wonder what this is gonna sound like. ^_^

I'm pretty sure it would be a second progress or HBYA. eww

another how beautiful you are...
Epic...
progress part 2, even better!

since Tales of Xillia2 doesn't really interest me much, I wouldn't expect anything, just please, release single, I want it since I'm broke too much buying mini-album and album in a row xDD

I wonder if they will add some goodies like the special costume in FIVE limited ed. and the alternate cover.

Something useless for me since it's for japanese only lol but my collector's soul is demanding stuff like that :laugh.

Oh Godddd cannot wait to hear the song.
*spazzes because ayumi hamasaki still makes music, ladies and gentlemen*

Talking of boring ballads, I was trying to remember the melody of "meaning of Love". I had to play it first to actually recall it.

^What on earth does that have to do with this?

I really dont think it will be a progress part 2 (although im hoping) because from the looks of the story and stuff it looks like a completely different game, they just slapped Xillia in the title because it did so well.

This is a dream come true. Thanks for the update.

i'm so happy ayu will sing for this game again! i'm still not tired of listening to "progress", lol. i'd prefer for this new song to be upbeat, but it doesn't matter if this song is upbeat or a ballad. just hearing about a new song is amazing news already. :D can't wait!

Hope it's just as good as progress!

lol absolutely nothing. It's just not a memorable ballad... I can only remember the chorus if anything.

This is awesome. I hope she brought Nobita-kun to co-produce! I absolutely adore that man's work.

probably because its not a ballad?
just because part of the song is slow does not make it a ballad...
and the song is epic. period. lol.

if she does smth like HEAVEN, I'm in

July 1st
Boys and Girls
:new single:
some stuff off Party Queen

lol well I'm the same guy who considers Daybreak a rock ballad.
meaning of Love is cute, but Tetsuya Yukumi has composed better (read: INSPIRE, GREEN).

Back on track... EDIT: i was thinking of the wrong thread lol. I just wanna hear a new ayu song as soon as possible.

:thud Daybreak is a ballad. I don't think I'd call progress a ballad though. It's too fast-paced. I'd say it's a Free&Easy, which is basically like if a ballad got knocked up by a rock song but thinks the baby's daddy is an electronic orchestra.

I agree about meaning of Love. I think Tetsuya has done MUCH, MUCH better. Anyway, back on topic!

Definitely still excited about this, but this little teaser is a little annoying. Lol where is my news of a new single?! Or something bigger?!

^in your dreams :)

^^^nahhhhh, something HAS to happen sooner or later! :P

My birthday is coming up. She's gonna release a single just for me on my birthday. Isn't Ayu so nice? :P

^^good luck! She released CAROLS and L on my birthday! :)

^ TWO!! you lucky dog.

I have a good feeling this year will be THE year lol. Angela Aki was close too.... And Koda Kumi's baby might be born on my birthday. I feel so loved. If ayu's song is released on my birthday, it'll basically be my no. 1 song for ever, even if it sounds like crap and it has covers that look like those lovely sunset/sunrise covers.

^^THIS will be the year? It's already June and all we have gotten is an under-performing album :/

I don't know. Maybe 2013 will be huge.

^ her 15th ANNIVERSARY!!

^That's what I'm thinking. We'll see.

AYU-MI-X 8 PLEASEEEEEE (at least ayu trance 5)

I want a ballads, BEST, remix albums, album, and 3 singles.

^^OVERLOAD lol

to be honest, I'm not holding my breath...
You know, at least angela's new album comes out 2 days after my b-day. So I'm content with an amazing birthday.
But hasn't Ayu surprised us before? Maybe she'll drop something just in time for school again. Oh that'll make linguistics SO much more bearable.

^I Know right haha, I'll keep hoping!

You know, I kinda sympathize with Ayu for creating these albums. Writing lyrics is hard work, and making it flow is even harder. It's worse when you have no inspiration. I kinda want her to take her time and make something amazing than rush and put out god-awful stuff.

Yeah, while I don't think PQ was awful, just Love songs from last year is much better. But I'm not sure why...the lyrics are great, the concept is great, her voice is great...maybe it's the producers and arrangers.

Love songs stunk of delicious 90s nostalgia, that's why it was so good lol

oh my god...ok it's not just me!! I wouldn't say mosnter but I think she looks weird.

Hmm...well I hope it's something new & not just another one of those rock/power ballads :/..

But I think cause it's going to be Xillia 2, it'll have the same sound as progress, not identical, but same themes.

Although I'd like something new as well. :(

I kinda doubt she'll release another mini-album so I'm sure we'll be hearing the song on a single since an album seems very unlikely...

Yeah I think there is a good chance it will be like progress part 2.

I think it could be progress -Episode II-, a rock song or a ballad.

I agreed with maikkun~~should be same themes:yes

I want the song to be about the male protagonists perspective throughout the game. Like, I'm sure there will be a fricking epic ending to end the "Xillia" series (not sure if it ends with this part) the song should hint the ending (just hint the ending), and then when we play the game (won't happen) and come to that part, we go all "OMG this is what she's singing about!". I'm not good at explaining myself, but it needs to be epic again, and no more ballads! (rock ballads are welcome but ballads x rock like progress not!) and maybe the B-side about the girl? Whatever the case, DAI and H/\L must team up for this. Maybe it's time for CREA to make a comeback too. :D

(I hope it's like Videogame music just as epic as Utada Hikaru's Simple and Clean, Shoko Nakagawa's RAY OF LIGHT and FLAIR's (Namco Sound Team) Subarashiki Shin Sekai or at least a song which would fit an anime opening or ending).

I'm a sucker for videogame music. :D

BEST album isn't on my WANT list, cause we'll eventually get one. Having A BALLADS ~episode II~ would have been GREAT.

oh god no more ballads. give me a rockish song like 'End of The World'

^ no no no no... thats such a bad song!

^I beg to differ.. It's the best song on Duty (other than Duty)! :heart

blas.phe.my


but oh god, please no ballads. If we have to have one...please stick to the usual generic rock ballads. At least they're a little more interesting.

WHAT! the best song... lol... no.
I guess i shouldnt say that it was a bad song, but she has a TON of other better songs.

Poor End of the World. It's not a half bad song at all.
As for the best Duty song... I kinda wanna say Key ～eternal tie ver.～ but I kinda don't. I think all songs are equal, save teddy bear and girlish.

If it's a rock ballad, something like GAME would be good.
If it's a more... traditional ballad, then it's gotta be the love child between BALLAD, M, CAROLS, HEAVEN and forgiveness.

GAME, a rock ballad? Where? Only because of the intro?

^ Did you not listen to the entire song... it is rockish!

^Ehum yes. Don't mention the obvious. But it's not a ballad. That's what I'm getting at.

Well Ayumi did include it on Ayu black.... which is ballad heavy... I would put it in the power ballad which was big in the 80's (for america) which was rock, but ballad...

A BEST 2 black is filled with ballad songs and rock songs and dark songs (lyrics) in generall. GAME is the same type of ayu-upbeat-rock-song as BoY, About You or any other rock song you can find on that same album. A rock ballad sounds like a regular ballad but with rock elements, like aerosmith classic rock ballad song "I don't wanna close my eyes" or whatever.

yes and GAME would be in that category.

Lol "ok". Funny thing then that ayu performed GAME in concerts upbeat sections instead of the ballad sections.

Because its an upbeat ballad... hence the power ballad...

I don't think GAME is a ballad...no matter how you look at it.

I dont get where people think it has to sound like BALLAD in order to be a ballad...
whatever. :shrug

I think it's just the lyrics, if anything...

What about Liar? Is that closer to a rock-ballad?

For some reason, "upbeat ballad" sounds kinda strange to me :P

Traditionally, ballad is a song that tells a story, but on the past 5 or 6 decades people understand ballads as slow sentimental songs... And Power Ballads as slow sentimental songs that keep building to a heavy sounding rock chorus... I don't think GAME fits any of thise at all o.O

"appears" would be the closest she ever had of a traditional ballad (considering I'm ignoring the song structure as I don't know enough music theory to talk about it :B)

Almost half of her discography are normal pop/pop-rock ballads... Songs like You, Seasons, Dearest, Voyage, Heaven...

But she doesn't have as much power ballads... I guess Free & Easy fits... You were too... and M!

If anything Return Road would be an upbeat ballad. That's why I can't stand the song it's too slow for my tastes and GAME is much more badass than that.

^ return road is a very good upbeat ballad!

Return Road is her best song in a while and best thing 2012 has given

reminds me is much better. I don't feel the emotion in Return Road; her voice is too "sweet" - and it really reminds me of Virgin Road which I never liked either. It has that same feeling in those ballad-y parts. And saying something is the best of 2012 for Ayu really isn't saying much. Lol, sorry had to go there.

upbeat ballad ??
really ??

When i say bedt song of 2012 im saying that it is better than every song every artist has released in Japan and in the world