I guess they could split a disc with just remasters and the other one featuring rearrangements, it could be a nice touch. It'll be either that or happy vs. sad ballads lol

It's been 18 years, ayu has so many ballads, that even 2 discs not enough to pack them

But this isn’t supposed to be a compilation of all the ballads she has released since 2003, as neither the previous album was. It was neither a best off, but more of a concept album.

I wouldn’t mind a well selected 12-15 tracks on a single cd featuring 3-4 re-arrangements/re-recordings, a new track and a cover.

My expectations are now at 0 and I am looking forward to the new song.

Remember Mirrorcle World album release was A COMPLETE -ALL SINGLES-

But "Mirrorcle World" was kinda a new version of an album track already, "Mirror".

A BEST had new vocals and iirc she didn't re-record any song for A BEST 2, so I'm not too hopeful about A BALLAD 2 having rearrangements to stay true to its predecessor

^

I actually didn’t know how the songs for the first a ballads were chosen.

It’s the fan selection but reversed, and it just happened to be a really good flow.

because her voice changed and she did not like the original take. Same what Namie did for Love Enhanced (urgh, such a cheesy album title for her).

I'm still confident there will be something new and cool - not to mention that Ayumis Remasters are really good on the last two releases (imagine a better mixing for Love again songs).

+ I think Ohia no Ki (or what ever it is called) will be on it, same for Pray for you, as she probably already wanted to announce it alongside the song in the show (why else would she be like "oh hey, new song was about to debut, but no more infos for you atm.")

Kinda excited for this release, A Ballads is one of my favorite albums. I wonder how covers will look like :)

Very excited for this release and the new song!

Nice!! I was just listening to A BALLADS the other day.

I hope not another close-up face shot with pink/beige background.
We need something creative.

Original A Ballads has nice package, secret covers was really cool. Was it made for boosting sales? Now expensive edition replaced idea of hunting for collectible items

I can hear how ayu laughing at this

I believe so, the same thing was done for A BEST. I personally have two versions of each to have my favorite covers. :P

I will kill her if Jewel is not gonna be inside A Ballads 2

I know you're joking but maybe rephrase this

I'm calling the police

^call A POLICE.

I'm calling the FBI

No doubt 'Pray for you' will be in this album.

I can see Pray for you having a PV on A BALLADS 2.

I know this is a stretch but if she could somehow put in ever free on the tracklist.
That song needs to be saved from oblivion.
It doesn't deserve the b-side treatment that it got.
I will forever be in awe how did she got such a melody in the beginning of her career.

Did you notice there is a version of A BALLADS 2 with a single Blu-ray on it? Guess we will have some concert release indeed.

someone give Ayu a WARNING

^:D

This would be the perfect album to release AT18 with! :heart

The only reason I pre-ordered the double Bluray is for the potential extra concert. If I am wrong I'll eat my hat. :grumpy

Don’t get my hopes up. I’ll be saving some cash, just in case your words reach God’s ear or something.

I wonder how the covers look like because A BALLADS covers are pure legend.

YAS!!!

It's hard to beat A Best and A Ballads because they are iconic.

I am for sure in the minority but I started to follow Ayu in 2005 so when A Ballad was released I wasn't following her and to me, I always saw that compilation as a filler for hungry fans waiting for new material. I eventually bought it to complete my collection, but I don't think I listen to it fully more than once, I only kept Rainbow and A song for XX on my iPod. Aside from A Song for XX, I don't really like any of the new arrangements (especially if I have to compare them with their original versions). I love Hanabi, Dolls, and Voyage, but I would rather enjoy them on the Rainbow album. I am suprised to see that people seems to praise it so much.

I did enjoyed A best and A Best 2 both versions though and I still listen to them often.

^I much prefer the versions of YOU and TO BE on A BALLADS - especially the former! :-)

I prefer the A BALLADS version of SEASONS as well. The difference is subtle, but feels better for that reason.

I prefer TO BE and SEASONS from A BALLADS too

I always listen to the A BALLADS version of SEASONS instead of single or album mix

Yes, I agree the Seasons version is better on A Ballads. Maybe I was a bit harsh towards A Ballads, I just feel the same way towards is as I feel toward Koda Kumi and Best: Bounce & Lovers, Those compilation always made me feel like, they don't have enough new material for an album yet, and not enough hits since the last greatest hits, so we have a peculiar in-between.

I feel the next A Ballads will only be a classic greatest hits formula with maybe 1 or 2 new songs (Pray for you and Ohia no ki are my guesses)

the A BALLADS versions of these songs are so much better. with YOU it's obvious because she re-recorded it with a new arrangement, whereas TO BE and SEASONS have stronger percussions(?) and I love the mix better :luv2

I'm pretty excited for ayu to release something again! I can't believe there are "fans" on here that state that there's no reason to release this or that she shouldn't do it...

Are you ayumi? Do you run her life? Do you know what is best for her? Are you her manager? No to all the following...There's a massive difference between being a supportive fan and knit picking at everything she does...Get off the entitled pedestal and show some respect.

I'm looking forward to this! (^.^)

Wonder if Life will make the cut? I came back across that song today and I keep forgetting it exists since it never made it to an official album.

Due to the impact the song had after 2011, I guess it's very much possible.

And I wouldn't be surprised if they put "a song is born" MY STORY CLASSICAL version on it for the same reason.

this is one of those songs that she would find lyrically meaningful and is technically a ballad, so I think it's possible. (definitely not a favourite of mine by any stretch so I would not be excited for this in the track list.)

Do we know who else is releasing on March 12?

Maybe no one. It's Friday, regular release day is Wednesday

the de facto release date of A BALLADS 2 will be on the Wednesday of that week (10 March) though, right? she's just putting 12 March as the official release date for commemorative reason because that's the release date of the first A BALLADS.

Or maybe they are adopting Friday as release day because of the streaming services.

It doesn't matter if it's not the first day of the week for Oricon. A BEST ~15th Anniversary~ was released on 03.28, a Monday, so it's not even a new thing for her to release outside Wednesday.

"Fly get" is usually 1 day prior to the release date, so I think it'll be available on Thursday? Or is there some other piece of info I haven't seen?

They're releasing it on March 12 because the first one came out on March 12 I believe. The release date doesn't really matter for the streaming services. A lot of Western acts release on Fridays because that's when the tracking for U.S. Billboard charts starts

I see. I'm not familiar with how soon flying-gets usually are so you're probably correct; my assumption was solely based on my understanding of Wednesdays as the customary release days.

I read this twice and you and you brought an argument at the end that basically nullified what you said. If any, A BEST 2 was a boring, typical best-of album.
I started to listen to Ayumi after STEP you and had a hard time getting into anything prior. That aside, I think both A BEST (as it captured a special feeling in its complete package, circumstances, etc.) and A BALLADS are her strongest compilation albums. A BALLADS is no best of album, its a collection and they made sure it has a remarkable flow and feeling in how they put the songs and rearrangements. Again, the full package (cover, RAINBOW, etc.) made it complete.

You are right tho, it was her starting to go down in sales, but the songs included were all know and loved by the public. I highly disagree with it being a "milking"-release, cause a lot of thought and work went into it (which songs go on it, which songs a remade and even two new songs on it - A song for XX even feels like a new song here too).

I personally like these kind of releases - especially when they offer something new. If they don't, there is no need for a physical release at all in tis digital age.

I know for Wednesdays the flying get is on tuesday, I'm not 100% sure if albums that are released on other days also go on sale one day early though

I pre-ordered the box with 2 BR hoping that one of them is an unrealeased concert like, for example, POWER OF MUSIC 2018 ?

Fingers crossed...

I wonder if the aesthetic of this release, such as the cover and booklet, will have the same color scheme as the release banner thing used when announcing this release. The soft, golden champagne color with black font is very elegant and yet has a nostalgic feeling.

The first one had golds, champagne, and white instead of the black font but it is similar, even ever so slightly.

...I'm feeling very eager to know what the tracklist will be!!

Yes, some of the outer boxes of her releases have been bland (ie AT 2016, CDL 2020) but I think the design on the Best Live Box was a step up design-wise.

I'm hoping for a callback to the colours and themes of the original A BALLADS for the covers and outer boxes though, maybe 2 Ayu's again.

yeah A BEST 2 could be boring cause there was almost no new material, but they are a must-have in a collection they contain all the big songs. As greatest hits, I find both A BEST 2 quite solid. After 15 years, I think the 2 Ayu CD that I put the most often in my CD player are A Best 2 Black and Summer Best... I feel pretty confident that Ballads 2 will be on that list.

***That is said, I understand I can be in the minority of people who still use CD player :p

I really hope fated makes it on a disc. It's such an understated ballad in Ayu's discography and has always given me those ethereal A BALLADS vibes. :heart

Let's just be happy that A BALLADS 2 is not going to be 5 CDs, considering how many songs she produced since the last A BALLADS

I can't stop speculating wildly about this album's tracklist (and I may very well end up disappointed, no surprises) because I really can't pin down her definition of "ballad". A BALLADS has slow- and mid-tempo songs throughout, but it also has a rearrangement of A Song for ×× that I consider to be firmly "rock". I'm guessing the lyrics play a role into this consideration?

that said, I wonder if she considers the likes of is this LOVE?, Because of You, or decision part of her "ballad" demographic. GAME turns out as a fantastic full-orchestra song in MY STORY Classical, so we know rearrangements into "softer" songs work well.

I think that version of A song for XX is considered a rock-ballad. I don't think is this LOVE? or Because of You are in the ballad basket (my personal opinion), but I do see Memorial address, Last Minute or Sorrows there. I think it's about the message of the lyrics, but I did notice that her ballads tend to have a straightforward message most of the times.

At this point I stopped speculating, the only thing I still hope for is a majestic orchestra version for Marionette...

The amount of ballads released since 2003 is so massive that we don’t have a clue how the track list will look like. The only one I’m sure it’ll be included is Heaven. If promoted correctly, this can assure Avex great sales, so I hope they just don’t make a playlist on a CD and instead put some effort on it, like new arrangements and such. It would be even cheaper and nice to have Ayu recording new vocals, but we know that ain’t happening.

The good thing about this release is that Ayu will be performing old ballads on TV shows ^_^ nice

ˆ Not sure about it... there are only a few music tv shows left in Japan right now. I wish she would do variety shows more often like she did during 2017.

I miss Hey!Hey!Hey! so much, it was always so funny (even if you don´t understand japanese)

Well... When she supposed to give birth?

If we get a single Pray for you performance that will already be something.

I think it's time for another Music Fair special, like the one last A BALLADS promotion did have. And perhaps she could perform in some Music Station Spring Special with some grand old ballad.

It'd be kind of dumb if this album was released without the song "Ballad" on it, that's all I'm saying. :roflmao

The one that will most likely be included on the compilation is JEWEL, given its popularity and timeless sound. I would love for "BALLAD" to be on the album as well, such a highlight in her career (ballad wise).

JEWEL is a very strong contender, yes, but the one song that I have one billion percent certainty would be in this album is fucking Days.

I would argue its popularity among the Japanese fans exceeds JEWEL's by light years—and I find that really unfortunate because to me it's an overly sappy, OK-at-best song.

Yeah, but no one in their right mind listened to Days as much as we obsessed over SHUYA looking all adorable and cuddle-snuffly in the PV... Ayu was kinda OK in it. But by the end I was like, "Well, yeah, duh you were daydreaming he could be yours..." And then I was like, "Oh wait, at least she knows him. And they work together. And she can have him play her love interest like 50 times. And he'll do it. And he'll even do it wearing little to nothing. And he'll do it again on stage..." And then I just felt like the song, "life," you know? It's like that one song in Ayu's discography that tried to be something and never really got any attention because it was so outrageously outshined by the A-side on that single, which was only released because fans were so voracious about getting a full version of the interlude.

I agree though. GREEN was the track I wanted, but I mostly loved the promo CM of Ayu spinning in that cup and smiling. It was one in a series of CMs she'd done in 2008-2009, where she kind of recaptured that magic she had from years prior. Nothing beats that Honda Spark CM featuring Sparkle though. All of those are etched in my memory pretty hard.

there's a lot to unpack here! :laugh

I agree with both points here. I'm a GREEN supremacist because that song improved by a lot from the demo we heard in that commercial (which is cute! I remember this). the recorded version just exudes dignity, for lack of a better term.

also—Sparkle! I was obsessed with this song since that Honda commercial. it was such a banger. Rule/Sparkle was such a powerful combo.

I will NOT tolerate this Days slander going on in this thread :shakehead It's one of her best ballads and that's that on that. And the music video is also stellar. That pink outfit? Adorable. And the setting of the PV looking like she lives in the slums of FFVII. ICONIC.

Realized I posted my reply in the wrong thread lol woops

I for one loved and continue to love Days and I don’t care if someone doesn’t like that opinion lol. I still after all these years catch myself humming it out of nowhere. (That and No way to say.)

Green is largely forgettable to me. It exists. I didn’t enjoy the over acting in the video, and so that was lost on me too. While I enjoyed it during MIJ Tour, in terms of her “Asian” sounding songs, it’s still nowhere close to vogue for me.

Days/GREEN is easily one of her best singles ever. BOTH should be on A Ballads 2. Is Green a ballad tho? Lol The orchestra version on Rule/sparkle is awesome as well.

I hate everything about Days.

omg the TASTE! Not everyone here has that <3

I love Days, it is one of her modern signature songs, it is the most basic/cliche ayu sound (and I mean it in a good way). The mere fact that it, through the years, outshined GREEN despised Avex putting all the money on GREEN when it was released (the Cm + one of her most expensive PV) speaks for itself. Days was successful because the fans loved it and earned its success.

I can see Days ending up on A BALLADS 2, but probably not GREEN. I don't mind either track, but they're not my favourites (I do recognize that the emotion Ayu conveys vocally in both of them is great, however).

I wonder how much of MY STORY she will include. That album is a heavy-weight when it comes to ballads, but also songs that aren't quite ballads but definitely have an A BALLADS vibe (I mean, given the two albums were released what, a year or two apart...so it makes sense that there's a similar flavour between them).

HOPE or PAIN, HAPPY ENDING, Moments, walking proud, and CAROLS. lol.

Really interested to see the tracklist. I hope it's released soon.

Days was her largest ballad hit post-Jewel, so I don't see any way that it's not on here.

i never like 'Days' until she perform that at AT2016,
i LOVE all abt her dress and her smile,
and most important is...
no dancer/dancers dance around her!!!

I like Days, not my favourite song/ballad but that FNS TV performance in 2008 was just so beautiful...

My ultimate holy trinity of Ayu's ballads haha xD
CAROLS will definitely make it on the tracklist, crossing fingers now for Moments & walking proud (but this being a 2 CDs release, chances are kinda high hopefully)
I will love MY STORY for ever just because of these 3 gems.

Couldn’t agree more!
walking proud and Moments were performed few times in the last decade, I believe it’s safe to consider they will be included.

I hope she will put Together When... and fated as well. Love GUILTY ballads

I've been a fan for so many years but I still struggle af to remember her songs even though there's only a handful of her releases that I dislike or skip. I've tried for years to train myself to remember them with little success.

Days is one of the songs I know from the instrumental :roflmao

Yeah, sadly Together When... didn't come even close. The Japanese fan base does love Days, there is a huge commotion every time she sing days live during the concerts.

I could never appreciate the song on the same level I could appreciate You were..., CAROLS or No Way To Say if we are talking about the winter ballads. I guess it was a lot different because it was sappier and somehow positive and that's what set it apart + the somewhat cheesy lyrics.

I really hope fucking Pray gets in this album, but chances are slim, if any.

I love this grand orchestral ballad but the single (it was a single!) did not get an ounce of promotion. apart from it being a soundtrack for Buddha 2, I doubt it ever gained any popularity among her Japanese fans to warrant inclusion for this compilation. I feel about Pray the way some of y'all zealots feel about Days! :laugh

#JusticeForPray #JudgementDayForPray

Amen to that! :luv2 I love Days, it's easily my favourite ballad of hers, apart from HEAVEN which holds a special place in my heart.

Days isn't my favorite ballad of hers but it's not bad. The acoustic orchestra version is a lot more interesting and beautiful in my opinion.

I really hope she will do some new recordings on this album like she did with the first a ballads. YOU "Northern Breeze" is my favorite version of the song. I know that not many ballads from A song for XX were that popular but I'd love to hear new vocals/arrangements of any of them that she hasn't re recorded yet.

ASFXX has some of my favorite songs of hers. A new version of Present would be wonderful.

I wish she hasn`t announced it so early. i hate that and yes, i'm spoiled by korean music where it is mostly just two or three weeks apart.

I love the divide on Days, really illustrates what we were saying in the Pray for you thread!!

I personally cannot stand Days, I don't mind it in her tours because she really sells it well but boy the studio version is not for me. I can't see it not being on A BALLADS though, it's a classic now!

Really interested to see the tracklist, the only locks I can think of are No Way to Say, HEAVEN, Jewel and Days, but I might be completely wrong!

If she is going to re-arrange some of them I would love love love something acoustic, like the beginning of Mr. Darling, or a complete curveball, like a really dynamic song turned into a ballad (like she did with GAME on the first A CLASSICAL, what a tune!!)

I don't expect more than one new song (Pray for You) but I'm fine with it, if she has anything else in stock I guess I'd prefer if she kept it for a future mini/full album!

EDIT: found the curveball I didn’t know I wanted: criminal -orchestra ver., which would get rid of whatever that sound is on the bridge.

I’ve advocated for Days so much on this forum that people started mocking me for it, lol. I could go all “thesis” on why it’s amazing but I’ve done it so many times already, I’d rather just look up my old posts and bring them back into the mix here.

^I didn't like Days when I first heard it. But, very quickly it became one of my favorites of hers and I find it to be one of her most listenable.

I think what won me over really were the lyrics because of my ten years of unrequited feelings in RL. That song hit me harddd when I took the time to listen. I guess it was a quick reminder of how relatable some of her lyrics can be. It has a very good build up, and has an innately nostalgic feeling when I hear it. It really lingers with me, and even before I enjoyed it so well, I found myself singing the melody to it more than just about any other song of hers. I had a similar experience with Who..., which I never gave much consideration to until I couldn't get the words or melody out of my head and I had to go back and listen to it to discover I really enjoyed it.

I've always felt that she sings Days very well live, too, which I think is great.

Please post your "thesis" sometime because I wanna read it. I love digging in deep about music but I don't always have the words for it XD

I'm part of the "I don't like Days" team.
I felt it was generic when it came out, and it didn't grow on me at all. This is really the kind of sound I don't find interesting at all. I don't want to listen to.
On the contrary I absolutely loved GREEN when it came out and it's still one of her best ballads for me. The arrangements are creative and stand out from her discography. This song is quite unique. That is what I'm looking for the most. Creativity, passion, commitment. GREEN checks all.
The PV has some really cringe acting moments but didn't ruin the song at all (and compared to Days... haha). The "backstage" scenes with the dancers resting and smoking are really well done.

Actually, Green has probably my favorite Ayu PV ever. The opening when the men wearing suits outside start dancing to the song just gets me everytime!

I think GREEN was the reason I didn't like Days at first because I was on "team GREEN." I thought one was 100% more interesting than the other. But, at the time I also couldn't fathom why anyone bothered listening to her ballads. I don't even kind of feel that way now, it's funny to me when I realize this too.

GREEN is majestic, and I remember when I went on gaia online back when and met a stranger who was really into music and we talked about Ayu, who he didn't really listen to much and he told me he liked her song GREEN because of it's more traditional sound. I pointed him to Theme of A Nation '03 and he was sold.

I think the thing I've learned to like about Days is that it has a lot of motion to it, like I feel as though I could be walking through memory-filled streets thinking about days that have passed by.

I LOVE this post. :roflmao don't know why but the "I mostly loved the promo CM of Ayu spinning in that cup and smiling" sends me! lmaoooo

I stand by the fact that everytime Days comes on I roll my eyes. The song is a staple for her and a hit and I will never doubt that. But to me it has no ballad quality at all - it’s a flat emotion that is neither warm nor cold nor anything. It’s just annoyingly cutesy and GREEN was more the sound I expected from her age (as an artist). I left out the PV so far because it does not ruin a song for me, but it also is just a cutesy Kana Nishino cringefest. What makes me dislike Days even more is the fact, that a song like that gets to be a hit while 10 other songs that surround it deserved it much more.

In the end, it boils down to what you look for in music. But to deny Days is probably one of the most uninspired tracks in her later discography is a flat out lie. It’s Jpop that a lot of other artist could have done and that’s clearly what they went for - and it being a hit reflects how generic japanese music taste is.

That said , as stated above, I don’t mind it in concerts and maybe compilations- but I do on mind it on Next Level.

first of all, your entire post is like music to my ears :roflmao

there's so much I agree strongly with but I want to highlight that last part. I don't hate Days but so many of her other ballads sound much better to me, and I'm so sad/pissed that they get overshadowed by other songs. I mentioned Pray a few posts before and that is just one example out of many.

my problem with Days in NEXT LEVEL is its placement after Pieces of SEVEN. so jarring. after a very heavy and upbeat interlude (which I love), then suddenly ...Days? :laugh I never got used to this, and since ARENA TOUR 2009 I became convinced that Rule is the one that should have followed this interlude. sadly this isn't the only time I find the listing of her songs weird.

Absolutely agreed and the Nishino comparison is so on-point. The song was too much of a cute-desperate fest for me. It will for sure be included even though she probably had enough awesome ballads to fill 3-4 cds and not include it still! I’ve learned to tolerate it, I don’t hate it, but it’s out of my top 150 for sure!

Days isn't my favourite either, but I can totally understand why people like it - I freaking love LOVE ~Destiny~, which is also one of Ayu's most 'generic' ballads. Sometimes a message and melody just resonates. ^_^

Yes! It's one of my favourites too, they flow so well from one another. I think CAROLS and walking proud will make it, Moments less so (though I hope it does).

I hope Story from A ONE makes it also. It's such an underappreciated little gem that has always given me MY STORY vibes.

All these debates on Days made me go back to watch the PV again

OMG when at the end Maro shows up in the group of friends that cheer her up, hahahaha so ironic