The Panasonic STEP you CM was terrible. I'm so happy that I never listened to the CM

...I liked that CM :<

Anthony, you're still to learn one thing about yourself.

You never disliked anything Ayu XD.

Actually, I slightly disliked her pregger period of wolfhair and pregnant-mom dresses during Moments.

Her style was overloaded due to Memorial address and she sort of 'failed' in most fashion attempts at the time. Thank goodness that by the end of the year, MY STORY had amazing photoshoots :)

i just gone for half day and it's 6 pages already... killing my eyes while reading all posts (esp at 4am).

Anywayz, I really hope this is just a rumour (regarding the release date). It's a very stupid move to release a single against NANA. Right, the first week of GLAMOROUS SKY was only around 110K copies, but in the end it's over 390K.. What if this time more people choose to buy Nana's 2nd single on the first week? And what if the new nana song is so freakin' good? The name NANA + a freakin' good song may help the single selling over 200K on the first week.

I really hope this is false.

Does it really?

ENDLESS STORY was good, as was GLAMOROUS SKY.. they were just VERY stable.

All that really matters is first week sales.. I don't think 200k is possible for female soloists, even for NANA. Maybe 100k for 2-3 weeks.. :D
There's a preview snippet out for the NANA2 song that's by Mika...
It's a sort of ballad.. thing.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=NQYXnJdVwzw

There are several reasons affecting/helping NANA's sales:
1) the hardcore NANA manga fans (trust me it's huge in Japan)
2) it's "NANA" singing it...
3) one member of GLAY composed the song
4) the author of NANA wrote the lyrics

If ayu can get 160K at least on the first week (like BLUE BIRD), then ayu will have more chance to get no. 1. If the sale sucks (like Startin'/BTB), I think NANA may get no. 1..

so why take the risk? I'm sure there should be other safer release dates other than NANA/REIRA weeks..

Btw... GLAMOROUS SKY's second week was like 90K.. so probly this time she may manage to get over 160K copies on the first week...:no

It's always like that isn't it.. My Story was bad because there were so many album tracks. (miss)understood was bad because there were so many single tracks. No one will ever be satisfied.

Although having too many single tracks makes the album not very listenable after some time.

While having too many album tracks will only raise the risk of encountering a bad track in the CD.


EDIT:

Since Glamorous Sky sold like crazy in the long run, expect Hitoiro to sell like crazy in the first week as everyone will think Nana singles are god now.

The "#1 single streaks" just feels more and more pointless as it's all more or less only about planning when to release a single, so that it won't have any competition.

^ Wow, you always say the correct things. :yes That's so true.

Wouldn't it be more of a feat to be able to plan and have ALL of your singles at #2 instead of #1? :D

NANA sold like crazy on the first few weeks and it's quite stable in long run.. REIRA was the one surprising me.. ENDLESS STORY sold ~90K on the first week I think (got no. 2, NANA got no. 1 on the second week)... then ended up over 340K. Also, REIRA stayed at top 5 for quite a long time (longer than GLAMOROUS SKY I think)..

so I really wish that ayu won't release anything during NANA/REIRA weeks... :cry


Edit: I do agree with you immel... Eventually ayu won't get no.1 and probly she will get lower and lower in terms of sales and ranking.. But it's just personal feeling.. I wanna see ayu to get more no. 1s... :P

Yeah, once Ayu's #1 streak is broken, I doubt it'll ever be the same again. *shudders*

At the same time, we won't really care about the no. 1 thingie anymore once ayu not getting no. 1 anymore.. We'll just love her songs no matter what.

That's what I went thru after hikki got no. 4 on Passion and no. 2 on Keep Tryin'. I felt really sad when Passion only got 40K copies and no. 4 on the first week... but after I just accepted the fact and move on... I just want my beloved artists release new materials so I can listen to them :P

Uhm, since when has Ayu NOT gotten no.1 on stuff o_o;

Honestly, Ayu has sales that would most likely beat MANY other weeks of artists' sales..
The artists that she needs to just look out for are drama/movie tie-ins, Johnny's bands, and random guy groups. :P
And there you have Ayu's competition LOL

Not since... but it has happened a lot... Daybreak?

He said 'once ayu not getting no. 1 anymore..'

I don't care if her stuff will start dropping in the charts... as long as I still like it.

What will make me sad is if she'll ever start making music or other things that I do not like.

no no no, I was just talking about how I would feel if ayu's not getting no.1 anymore... :P What I wanna say is that, the moment my beloved artists didn't get no. 1 was quite painful, but once I've gone thru that stage I dun care about the no. 1 idea anymore.

So.. right now ayu's still get no. 1, so I dun wanna get that painful feeling that early.. :D

I know, but what's happening now is that she's getting no.1 miraculously on like, everything even with margins of 800 or less copies on some instances! <3



IMHO; NANA doesn't help you too much.. :\ I think the anime can be an example of this.. kinda. But then again, it's a whole different ballgame there.

We'll see when NINKIs come out, I guess.

LOL Maybe she'll debut at Number #2 on the Daily Charts, like what happened to HEAVEN and then supposedly "all the avex staff went out and bought HEAVEN so that HEAVEN could get number 1"

@Anthony - That happened once... :P

The rest is miraculous ... planning O_o

Actually, she debuted at no.2 and DROPPED to no.3 and then was no.1 for the rest of the week with 160k :O (plus the overall sales for HEAVEN were higher than fairyland's which debuted higher as well at 176k)


[Remember when MC Tatsujin aka Mad Cactuar had the 'Heaven closer to HELL!!' threads? Oi.]


edit:
Twice. B&D AND HEAVEN both had close encounters with no.2 x.x~

Let us review the no. 1s so far of 2006 from Wiki:
29 07.19 KAT-TUN SIGNAL 450,752 MEGARYU Garyuu Senpuu 36,085
30 07.26 KinKi Kids Natsu Moyou 238,868 SMAP Pop Up! SMAP 320,912
31 08.02 ARASHI Aozora Pedal 154,832 V6 Very best II 108,631
32 08.09 Southern All Stars Dirty Old Man ~Saraba Natsu yo~ 132,796 Every Little Thing Crispy Park 93,189
33 08.16 Sukima Switch Guarana 40,523 Various Artists Beautiful Songs ~Kokoro de Kiku Uta~ 60,034
34 08.23 TOKIO Sorafune / do! do! do! 121,099 aiko Kanojo 250,059
35 08.30 GYM Fever to Future 226,459 Shonannokaze Shonannokaze ~Riders High~ 219,602
36 09.06 Amane Kaoru Taiyou no Uta 111,159 YUKI WAVE 221,811
37 09.13 Glay Natsuoto / Hen na Yume 101,028 Domoto Koichi mirror 121,384
38 09.20 Amane Kaoru Taiyou no Uta 47,119 SEAMO Live Goes On 100,401
39 09.27 ayaka Mikadzuki 40,091 Kobukuro ALL SINGLES BEST 556,988

Other than the OBVIOUS guy groups, Ayu beats out the rest, don't you think? :p

no.. HEAVEN debuted at no.3 @@.. and I thought the world was over :cry..

Edit: wait... didn't Kanji8 or whoever that was got no.1 on the first day... Gorie no.2, then ayu's HEAVEN no. 3..? I just can't remember... :P

Heaven closer to HELL ... that's just hilarious, lol.

Poor Ayu.

No. It was definitely no.2 and THEN no.3 because people got even MORE worried after that.. o-o

OMG NOSTALGIA.

Best Solution:
NANA 3
Starring: Ayumi Hamasaki, Mika Nakashima, Ai Yazawa

Best solution:
Have Ayu do a NANA/REIRA single where she represents both sides~ :D Costumes designed by Ai Yazawa<3

Throw Koda and Ai in also, and we're set.

hmmn.. probly I was wrong then.. :P I just had a piece of memory in my brain that my bro msned me and telling me that HEAVEN was no. 3 on the first day... Now I guess it was actually the second day then :P

HEAVEN sales

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Daily Rank

13 - 09 = 2
14 - 09 = 3
15 - 09 = 1
16 - 09 = 1
17 - 09 = 1
18 - 09 = 1
19 - 09 = 1
20 - 09 = 3
21 - 09 = 4
22 - 09 = 3
23 - 09 = 2
24 - 09 = 2
25 - 09 = 2
26 - 09 = 1
27 - 09 = 2
28 - 09 = 2
29 - 09 = 2
30 - 09 = 2
01 - 10 = 4
02 - 10 = 4
03 - 10 = 4
04 - 10 = 13
05 - 10 = 11
06 - 10 = 9
07 - 10 = 6
08 - 10 = 6
09 - 10 = 7
10 - 10 = 8
11 - 10 = 13
12 - 10 = 14
13 - 10 = 12
14 - 10 = 9
15 - 10 = 11
16 - 10 = 9
17 - 10 = 7
18 - 10 = 15
19 - 10 = 17
20 - 10 = 15
21 - 10 = 11
22 - 10 = 9
23 - 10 = 11
24 - 10 = 10
25 - 10 = ??
26 - 10 = ??
27 - 10 = ??
28 - 10 = 20
29 - 10 = 19
30 - 10 = 16
31 - 10 = 9
01 - 11 = ??
02 - 11 = ??

HEAVEN's daily chart record~ :D

All girls group: Ayumi Hamasaki, Koda Kumi, Utada Hikaru, Ai Otsuka

Something like The Pussycat Dolls, where only one person sings. You know who.

Yeah, i added the daily charts for Heaven in the english wikipedia too.

Eh.

Ayu + groups = No.

If there was going to be a group it'd be:
Ayu, CREA, Purin, and the friggin' shizzit, Banira.

The Barkin' Beauties <3

Throw in Qt Mashi's dog too, it's so fluffy.

That Pussycat dolls band..? I dunno what's for... only one girl singing while other girls are dancing.

If ayu/ai/kuu/hikki forming a group.. then ayu/hikki/ai can sing while kuu dances at that back (since she's the only person who are better at dancing..)

Don't forget Marron. :)

Oh. Can't believe I forgot the little bugger <3


Back to JEWEL. I really want this to be a single.

I don't want it to be shoved into a giant pile of album-looks. I want it to be unique.
This single will be AMAZING.
-shakes fist-

Just as long as it comes with a video, it should be awesome no matter what happens.

before that make sure it's a single A.. I dun want another double-A.. It's not that I dun want 1LOVE.. it's just I dun like avex makes almost every single ayu single as double-A (since INSPIRE c/w GAME --> STEP you/is this LOVE? --> fairyland c/w alterna --> HEAVEN c/w Will --> B&D/Pride --> Startin'/BTB... --> BB c/w BF).. It's just too much sometimes.

It's going to be a double A.

I don't think Ayu's going to do anything other than them.
It gives fans another song to choose from, and honestly, if we only had one song I think we'd all die from lack of variety or something.

oh well LOL we dun even know the release date yet so we can discuss about that late on..

before I sleep I just pray it won't be released on 11.29..

this is from someone's blog??????
yuck, c'mon people!

oh my...
being too much self-concentrated and selfish, I say:
"I want it to be in December!"
:P

Mika will release a new album called THE END in late coming december, and her single will be releasing in NOVEMBER (YI IRO *one colour*) which will be featured in NANA 2 as the official theme track.
What;s more YUNO ITO will be releasing her insp' REIRA single for NANA2 called TRUTH, which will be releasing in DECEMBER, it seems that ayu will be meeting strong opponents of the year, in terms of singles and albums -.-~~~~
Perhaps avex will release the album in JANUARY
currently known singles that will be featured in the album;
1. Startin;
2. Born to be
3. teens
3. BLUE BIRD
4. beautiful fighters
5. JEWEL
6. 1 LOVE
in a full album, ayu usually has 2-3 interludes and altogether there are 15songs(sometimes with hidden tracks eg: I am.....)

This means, she still need another 6-7 new songs in order to make a new album, i don't think she will have adequate time to record so many songs ...

I doubt teens will be on the Album, and Mika´s Album is not confirmed yet.

i dont think
teens will be included in the new album ..
BTW i cant wait for JEWEL !!!

^yar it is a B side :D i think a hidden track would be nice :yes the last one she did that was during RAINBOW ;)

I doubt "teens" will be in the album.

And hopefully, she won't include "Startin'", "Born to be...", "BLUE BIRD" and "Beautiful Fighters". :P These were horrible songs. If she does include these songs, I'm sure I'll already hate half of the album. Oh well, it's almost guarranted that she includes those songs anyway... It would be cool if she only took the main tracks (Startin' and BLUE BIRD)...

hrm...even if its a rumor, at least it gives us some hope. i'm getting a little tired of waiting for news on a new single. :shrug

yay! exciting! ^^

November 29/30? That isn't a long wait, but I do hope we get another single before the album. Actually, no.
If this double A-side is true, we've had 6 songs from the album which is plenty in my opinion.

Hmm, I want there to be a new single. Soon.

I would also bet my left hand on that it isn't on the album.

I'd be happy if they only included Startin', BLUE BIRD and one of 1LOVE/JEWEL, then we'd be able to look forward to up to 14 new songs, including interludes, for the upcoming album... which would be awesome.

I hope BF and Startin' will be on the album but she should leave teens&BB&Btb out. Those songs are not my favourites and..

Uh, everyone? She's going to include Startin', Born To Be..., BLUE BIRD, and Beautiful Fighters on the album. It's really pointless to speculate whether she will or won't or hope she won't - she always does.

Anyway, I'm glad. I'm not a huge fan of Startin (it's okay), but at least the people who like/love it a lot will get it (and I'll get the other three songs I love. And the new songs we've been wondering about).

Very true.

But speculation is where all the fun is, and we can't do anything else than speculate up until when the album is here.

It's always fun to think about all possible ways of making it, and in the end, avex surprises us by making it the traditional way they've always done it.

Ahhh... sweet bliss.

I suppose... I'm more about wondering the order the tracks will be in myself.

Like would it be odd of Ayu to place a track called Startin' anywhere other than on track 1?

Will she start going the traditional American route with the tracklisting starting out as follows?

1. Startin'
2. Born To Be...
3. BLUE BIRD
4. Beautiful Fighters
5. JEWEL
6. 1LOVE
7-?: new tracks

(It ticks me off when tracklistings have that type of order, by the way)

It's just odd. They've always done it the same way. Why would they stop now?

Because we say so!eleven

I think they'll mix it randomly as usual. The last three albums first had a rock/pop-ier part, followed by a chunk of ballads, and then going more up-beat again. The song placings are chosen by Ayu, most likely, knowing how much she likes to have control over those kinds of things, and she did at least do it for MY STORY.

Maybe they'll place Startin' after an instrumental towards the end of the album, such as in startin' a new part of the album? Heh.

I wouldn't mind seeing Startin' as the album's first song after an instrumental, she's done that before so I wouldn't be surprised if she returned to it (after MU started so aggressively with Bold & Delicious).

Bold & Delicious is pretty killing in combination with high volume and headphones, the volume level changes in that song is pretty much like the ones in Free & Easy. If I've listened to other music for a while and decide I want to listen to B&D I often lower the volume first.

I've recently warmed up to the fact that Bold&Delicious is a long loooooooong intro that was marketed as a song.

Think of it as... (m)u's Catcher in the Light ;D
And about not having Startin' / Born to Be.. / BLUE BIRD / Beautiful Fighters..
:wtf

I LOVE THOSE.
Startin' would be a good track to start out the album, plus a lot of people dread it like no other, so it'd be best to get it out of the way.. :|

^That's weird, I expected you to thoroughly hate all of them.

I think that Bold & Delicious is about an as powerful opening to the (m)u album as Born To Be... was to the tour.

Sorta goes together in one big ring and in the end we can all be happy and hug eachother.

Well, I mean.. when it was made, it wasn't really a SONG. Just more of an interlude that was made to be a song.. I mean, does Ayu really sing all that much in it? A lot of it is background from the choir, right?

That's true, yeah... although, I think she planned on having it as a song all from the start.

The only things I remember I read about the making of it is that she had a hard time finding something in Japanese to replace the booooold & deliciouuuuuuuus chants with, so she decided to keep them but rewrite the rest of the lyrics.

Oh and the yagadawo. :o

That would be weird if she changed THAT up.

I know that. But I don't want these songs. That's already 4 songs I don't like at all. I hope the rest of the album will be better!

Well, you can't do anything about it. If you don't like those, then skip them and listen to the new single and album tracks. :|

It's not like she's gonna do the same genre for 17 songs. >> Give Ayu a little credit. She's never just done one style before.

>__> Pssh. She'll include them all except maybe teens. So what if you don't like them, and Born To Be... is incredible. Besides. That's only 4 songs. There will be 10+ others, hopefully.

I'd honestly love to see Born To Be... as either an opener or closer for the album. I think it'd just feel wrong anywhere else other than as a bookend. It'd definitely end the album with a bang.

And I know it was only for one album so far, but bring back the opening interludes (maybe... two albusm so far since I am... started off with the title track before opening Run). It helps us gear up - I love Bold & Delicious like what, but it like just JUMPS at you out of nowhere - no preparation. No setup. Just an opening cry of "YAYAYAYA GAGAGAGA DADADADA WOWOWOWO!"

I'm also very sure BLUE BIRD will be track 10 or later as it's the designated uptempo happy song like July 1st, HONEY, and fairyland, all of which so far have had similar placings on their albums (I don't think we can count Greatful days, since that album got darker as it went along. Same for ANGEL'S SONG)

JEWEL will be somewhere in the middle unless she (please) breaks her habit of grouping like 9/10 of the damn ballads together.

Let's make sacrifices to some unholy god and hope for the best.

Although... the ballads section of MY STORY is... killing... ugh, it's so DAMN GOOD.

I like grouping the ballads together. It'd be odd if there was one randomly in the beginning, 3 in the middle, and another at the end.

Her ballads are great, but... I dunno. It feels weird when she does that. Like... you know, spread them out so maybe we get them spaced out. So we don't hear all of them back-to-back. (Kind of makes me glad she saved rainy day for the very end in this case) Her ballad sections are great.

Just she needs to try something a tad different.

At least it wasn't something just plain bizarre and random, like...

Bold & Delicious... now.... HEAVEN!

That or GAME followed by CAROLS.

^You remind me so much of myself bolding up all the song titles. I did the very same but it dropped off me after a while, heh.

B&D-HEAVEN ... what a combo.

I'm so quoting that somewhere. xD


But. As far as how the album's set up... I always liked how she did Memorial address, even though there weren't many songs on there. How it started off all happy and slowly got darker until it's just utter sadness. I love it. Wonder if she could do it with this one.

It's some weird habit I got from reviewing.

Could be worse. rainy day seguing into Ladies Night, everyone!

EDIT: Or Memorial address being followed by Greatful days. I'd die. Of laughter.

You know, you got me spretty pony~pretty pony~pretty pony~pretty pony~pretty pony~pretty pony~ing to myself only by mentioning it.

uhhhh...

Look, I know she'll include those songs no matter what. Why the attitude...

To me the transition from HEAVEN to Are You Wake Up? was really that bad. I think (m) u had some problems with the placing of the songs in general and it's probably her worst album when it comes to that. Even Memorial address which had almost just as much variety seemed more connected.

It could be because you were like:
But I don't want these songs. That's already 4 songs I don't like at all.


I think that it was a good transition. However, I did find that the lack of an 'upbeat' ending for (m)u was needed. They should've put rainy day in the ballad section with Beautiful Day at the end.. or something.
Memorial address seemed connected because of the fact that the songs contained within had a 'partner' song.. i.e Greatful days x ANGEL'S SONG and etc. :x

^ What's wrong with that?

I was stating my opinion. Saying that I didn't like the songs but I knew they were going to be in the album anyway. I don't get why some would reply with attitude. It's not like I wrote "Ew! But I don't want these songs in the new album!!! URGH! That's already 4 songs I hateee!!! :mad".

I guess what you typed sort of gave off that 'aura'?

:shrug

Even though a bit of attitude could be read out of the posts following yours, I noticed it too, I don't think it was anything very serious, and it can also be looked upon as their neutral opinion.

I don't think anyone would beat down on you for saying that you don't like 4 of the songs, it's your honest opinion in it's entirety, nothing wrong with it. If you feel attitude in the posts that followed maybe you should ask the members in question via PM if that was what was intended or not.

It was bad of them, but it's only really no good if you get angry back. I'm not saying you are, just mentioning it.

No, I'm not angry at all. I was just kinda confused. :shrug

But I guess you're right! Maybe I just interpreted their replies differently. :yes

Going back on the topic - I can't wait to hear "1LOVE" & "JEWEL" full versions. I don't know why, but I have a feeling that "1LOVE" will sound completly different from what I expect!

I think 1 LOVE will contain a lot of heavy guitars..

Judging from the HQ-CM anyway :p I really want these PVs to be outstanding <3 <3
Kouki! Tetsuo Inoue! COME BAACCK!

I'm looking forward to 1LOVE kinda much... hmm, heavy guitars? Another is this LOVE? I don't know, haven't even heard the previews... I'm very curious :).

Well, kinda heavyish guitars. But people don't like that it's the 'same beat' over and over again :|

Think of it like the guitar for the '1 2 3 4 hitotsuzutsu, 1 2 STEP you' in the Panasonic CM..

Didn't see that CM, hehe.

Same beat over and over again? I have a feeling that is because of it being the CM version.

By the way... most songs have a continuous beat all through the song, except some gold nuggets like alterna, and parts of is this LOVE? which have shuffled beats.

No.. it's something about the song that many commented on like..

"It sounds SO REPETITIVE~ eww"~

Well... we've heard that more than once about CM versions anyway... so...

.

I dun even know if 1LOVE is that repetitive or not since the melody is quite.. monotone, and the guy keeps talking loud in the cm.. :P.

JEWEL is the one I'm looking forward to.. I just love the chorus in the cm.. ugh ugh hopefully the verses will be good as well :D

I know. But it was especially a lot for the 1 LOVE CM x.x

A lot of: "I'm not loving it"-s. x.x

Really, I try not to judge ANY fast songs from ayu cm... They always end up differently in full versions.. so..

That's usually the case. ANGEL'S SONG was changed dramatically, as was everywhere nowhere, STEP you, and Beautiful Fighters x.x

Oh, I loooooved the preview of "1LOVE"! :D I, too, hope for some outstanding PVs.

It'd be more surprising if everyone here went around hoping for some really sucky PVs :yes.


I wonder if this album will provide the same greatness, visually, as (miss)understood did, PV wise.

The PVs from her last 3 albums has been outstanding, they are actually interesting too look at, all of them, which is RARE amond MVs in general. Especially in the US/Europe.

^^ That DOES sound kind of snotty.

Actually though, the PVs lately have all somewhat-sort-of-had-the-same-director. x.x

From singles.. counting from Bold&Delicious/Pride till BLUE BIRD..
Bold&Delicious - Luis Hernandez
Pride - Luis Hernandez
Startin' - Takahide Ishii
Born to Be.. - Takahide Ishii
BLUE BIRD - Takahide Ishii
Beautiful Fighters - Luis Hernandez [with Takahide Ishii assisting in direction]
x.x

So I'm gonna guess that many people perhaps.. might think that these guys will be back again..
PLEASE NO :< :< NO!!!!

Please no. I hope they get other guys for the actual album.

I have a feeling that these guys are what Ayu gets when they're really desperate and need directors, so they scrape from the bottom of the PV directors bucket.. :<

I think Ayu should be the directors of 1LOVE & JEWEL herself!!

...no.

That'd be too much work for our poor Ayu. I mean, usually she sort of sits there looking like she understands while nodding her head and pouting. :p

She's perfectly capable though.


But I think that despite having the capability to do so, Ayu probably does best just relaying ideas to directors so that they can visualize :D