you're right. we should have had a gay club bathroom sex scene too. that would have made the pv 100% better. :)

i love all the things of this album.the sunrise/sunset maybe weak. but you were/ballad make it stronger.and now the 4 new PV is just simply amazing

well, I'm sure Kazu is a gay too~ :D

You know what... the thing's that bad about Lady Dynamite is just... her expression. Oh God I swear in the first couple of minutes when she was singing to the camera... WTF is with her exaggerated mouth and "I'M FIERCE YOU *****" face? :no

Hey, Microphone was an equally fierce song but she wasn't doing such a -WTF?- face, really. It seems like only Kazuyoshi Shimomura has the magical ability to make Ayu look like an idiot. Sorry Kazuyoshi Shimomura fans, but I HATE this "guy" who's obnoxious, disgusting and failure in terms of working with Ayu. EVERYTHING that he does with Ayu turns out disgusting. It's just so bad that I honestly WISH AND HOPE that Ayu just stops working with this person... ugh.

The only thing that saves me from her crappy expressions and faces was the actual concept - it may be a little ott for some of us, but I really like and appreciate the gay club scene location; at least for parts of the PV, I could see they're all really having fun but really... that's about the only good thing about the PV for me; rest was crap. But the song is awesome though; REALLY GOOD AND CATCHY; I'M IN LOVE WITH THE SONG

Don't look back's PV is honestly the best PV she has made since the GUILTY album, excluding Days. The concept, directing, execution.. everything was just flawless. She's gorgeous, and destroying herself part was so... impactful? It made me really shocked tbh, and it's just epic.

Sexy little things... I feel this is a PV that needs more watching to digest... basically it's the same as Microphone; there are a lot of things going on with all the symbolism that you can't understand or appreciate it in one watch. That's all I can say; it's quirky and attention-grabbing on first watch though, that's for sure. The song sounds a little fitting into the NEXT LEVEL album as well; with all the electro and 8-bit sounds going on; it's definitely interesting!

My ratings so far:

PVs:
1) Don't look back
2) BALLAD
3) Sexy little things
4) Microphone
5) Lady Dynamite
6) You were...
7) Sunrise ~LOVE is ALL~
8) Sunset ~LOVE is ALL~

Songs:
1) Don't look back
2) Lady Dynamite
3) BALLAD
4) Sexy little things
5) Sunrise ~LOVE is ALL~
6) Microphone
7) You were...
8) Sunset ~LOVE is ALL~

That would be TABOO Part II but performed by Ayumi Hamasaki but not Koda Kumi.

I have a new ranking for the songs on this album now :yes

Sexy little things
Microphone
Don't look back
count down (just from the LQ preview, may change once full HQ is out)
Last Links (just from the LQ preview, may change once full HQ is out)
You were...
BALLAD
Lady Dynamite
Sunrise 〜LOVE is ALL〜
RED LINE 〜for TA〜 (just from the single version, may change once album version is out)
meaning of Love (just from the LQ preview, may change once full HQ is out)
Sunset 〜LOVE is ALL〜

Lady Dynamite used to be my least favorite, but since hearing it in better quality and watching the awesome PV it grew on me a LOT. It was really hard to rank songs though because there are so many awesome ones on this album.

i'm not too impressed, but it's not like i was expecting to be. the songs are mediocre. the PVs are pretty good... but not my thing, but they're fresh in presentation, not anything i've seen before, so i guess that's a good thing.
but i'm drawing a lot of similarities here:
Don't look back -- VOGUE
Microphone -- RULE
sexy little things -- energize + rollin'
LD -- 1love + energize
Ballad -- a watered down HEAVEN

i'm not buying this album this time. i'm going to wait until later when i feel i can spare a few bucks for something extra, so this album isn't a must for me this time. i like the concept, but i don't like the british theme. i thought it was supposed to be circus-like... so i'm not feeling it. incorporating the two themes is genius, but i don't see the balance in it. and i'm not feeling it. but i'm still excited nonetheless b/c it's ayu after all. she still makes great tunes that are unparalleled. she still gets to me somehow, no matter how wack the PVs and songs are. i think i unconditionally listen and stay loyal to her :P

but honestly, after watching the LD PV, i was like --> O_O holy sh-- that was sooo unexpected. i'm not phobic to any kind of lifestyle or orientation, but i just think whoever was directing was high on something as well as everyone else on the set.

everything else was watchable b/c she has done weirder things... but LD was just--woo-hoo, quite a PV! i just blinked a few times after watching it.

may I say that this time i love every single PV? They're the best of her career to me.

and then, i have to say that Sexy Little Things is the very first cute-upbeat song I love in the whole discography. I cannot wait to receive my copy

I have learned not to dislike Kazu as a photographer, but no matter how much I try to think so he really can't direct a pv. I mean honestly, not because I'm anti-Kazu or something, does that dude even have the basics in control? I feel like I'm watching a video directed by a total noob when I watch PVs he directed. And (having not watched many Kazuyoshi pv making of-s other than Sparkle) after seeing that LD preview clip I can see from his personality why the stuff he does turns out to be like that, he seems really hasty and overpowering, kinda blinded by his own visions. Though I love Ayu I can't help but be really disappointed that she uses him as a director. Like I said before if the execution was better I'd probably love LD pv, but it has just too many flaws imo. Like others have said it did have some great parts too but I guess for me personally the bad parts ran over the good parts. And even if I also try and want to like the "fierce"-faces Ayu does in most of Kazu's pv's I honestly can't. But well, it's pretty fun and if I feel like I can let loose, I would watch it so I'm not like crying my eyes out in the corner because of it not being as good as it could have been. :laugh

EDIT:
But the majority seems to be pleased! I know I am, even if LD was a letdown. :D

Watching the LQ version of Don't look back, I think it's definitely up there with her Kouki Tange PV's. It's reaaaally good.

Too bad any hope I had for her future as a visual artist completely got squashed after seeing Lady Dynamite. She's always pretty consistent musically, but this fetish director guy is totally ruining her image. If you singled out LD, Sparkle, and MW from her videography, you'd think she's a joke. Total camp.

Microphone and Slt: they're visually pleasing I guess, but I think moreso than ever, there's no apparent meaning to any of it. It's just a bunch of random imagery a la GaGa. Masashi Muto isn't that great of a director, IMO. He's still not even close to Kouki Tange. At least Kouki Tange's PV's are so easy to follow. They flow so well. Masashi Muto obviously tries to be weird without any clear reason for it and I really can't stand that.

Well I haven't liked anything from the previews for this album but was waiting a while before I said anything...

Now that we've gotten it: I really don't understand how people can be excited for this. I do not like one song. Her voice in SLT is HORRIBLE and the videos are all just her re-done random BS (except maybe DLB, but it's not like that is horribly original either). Musically, I would call this one of her weakest works and visually, it falls straight to the bottom as her worst yet. I'm so sad, it's really inexplicable. Her Lady GaGa rip offs also make me really see the truth. Maybe she really was just purposely copying Madonna n Britney.

Since GUILTY, my interest in Ayu has decreased due to the decreasing quality of the product. I guess I am finally done looking forward to any of her music. I really just want to forget all of the crap she has put out since 2007-2010. :(

I notice the hate coming out too lol.. I think the post above mine is the worst it'll get though. But who knows, I could be wrong. :dead2

Yes you can in my thread, and nobody can complain your own opinion in here.
Everyone has their views to ayu PVs and songs, but everyone has no **** to complain other people's views in this thread.

Facebook group for asking him to stop making PVs may work.
LoL

Microphone is cool. Sexy little things is interesting but I think it will grow on me. Lady Dynamite was embarrassing to watch. Don't look back was amazing; it was so creepy and tragic that I cried. I will forgive her for Lady Dynamite because of this and bury the song and video in the deepest recesses of my mind.
I don't think there was ever a doubt about me buying this album. Heck Don't look back alone sold this album for me.

: ( lady dynamite is getting such a bad wrap. it's such a good song, and the pv is fun...

I think people just take things way too seriously with ayu sometimes.
The PV actually made me love the song when I wasn't feeling it much before, so yeah lol. It's really not bad for me at all.

i loved the song initially (pvs usually dont do anything for me really if i dislike a song)

but i thought the pv was great. fun fun fun baby! gotta have a cool pv like that on RnRC (for me at least)

i really think the album is cool so far

i definitely agree, the album is shaping up to be very interesting... lots of different styles all coming together!

I don't want to stray too far off topic, but this album is like a gift from heaven to me. I just had this thought, "What can Ayu do to top this?!" Even if everyone doesn't like everything from this album, it's still more universally loved this time around so I wonder what Ayu will do to top this?!

Oh my goodness, Don't Look Back PV's PURE WIN! I LOVE IT! Smart use of cinematography on that!

I'm glad she's singing songs that suit her voice A LOT better! I like the new styles she has, though Lady Dynamite's PV is seriously BLEARGH. Could have been a lot better. It seems like Kazu just threw in tons of weird random stuff and pieced them together without any coherency.

Oh, just to add on, I think the general theme of the PVs this time round are really non-Ayu centric (i.e. they just feature RANDOM people)

Sunrise, Sunset (TA members .... i.e. RANDOM)
You were ... (even more RANDOM people but they're in nice weirdsy clothes)
Microphone (RANDOM people in haute-couture)
Sexy Little Things (RANDOM people in british fashion)
Lady Dynamite (RANDOM weird people in a club)

Seriously, can't they produce more PVs like Don't Look Back? Even BALLAD was 'meh' because Ayu basically shared equal screentime with Shu-ya. Please, it's "Ayumi Hamasaki", NOT "Ayumi Hamasaki with DANCERS" or "Ayumi Hamasaki with RANDOM people".

My biggest complaint about the album.

Don't Look Back is pure WIN though. Both the song and PV! The other released album songs are good too (Microphone, Sexy Little Things, Lady Dynamite) but their PVs albeit need some polishing up.

^ i loved all the pvs haha

mostly because i love all the songs and u could give me a crap pv and i will not criticize it as long as she didnt make a crappy song to go with it. to me pvs are just extra ways to interpret the song and they dont have to be all ayu 24/7 shoved in my face. thats just my preference :)

ah i still love this album sooo much already

I am still thinking there are some non random thing in both Microphone and Sexy Little Things PV. Why ayu throw guitar is so important and repeat this act in both PVs? She can just simply stand-do-nothing and repeat it in both PVs.

Idk.. I hope whatever she releases after this doesn't seem like crap in comparison because this album is so good. I have to admit, my love for NEXT LEVEL and GUILTY has gone down a bit because of this new amazing album and noticing how much better it is.

Why would you assume that? I'm all for fun and nonsense like the Rollin' performance at NL tour and I really wanted to like this song, as I'm sure many others.

Kazuyoshi's problem is that he doesn't believe in editing or mixing up shots. Ayumi's performance saved Sparkle, but this time, he just made her look silly (and slightly deranged)

Ironically I was watching the new Lee Hyori video, Swing, just before watching Dont look back, and I was thinking "Wow, why doesn't Ayumi do anything like this?"...then Ayumi topped it a million times. with Dont look back.

Oh I mostly meant the video, not really the song. It seemed like some people were taking it too seriously.

That's super true. And he likes to overemphasize certain shots. It's amateurish, because the only rule he seems to abide to is the "I need to change views every 3 seconds to sustain interest" and have some variation of settings. I thought Mirrorcle World was still ok, but Lady Dynamite takes the cake.

I have to agree that Ayumi's performance saved Sparkle. This album has great songs, but some of the PVs don't match up. I still like PVs that placed more focus on Ayu (alterna, ourselves, Don't Look Back) with her in different settings. Dancers are fine, as long as they don't take up too much of screen time (which they sadly ALWAYS do, just look at BLUE BIRD. Pfft.)

I don't think Ayumi's to be blamed for any of it, but the directors seriously need to rethink about the way they shoot PVs, especially Kazuyoshi. That man seriously needs to get out of Ayu's creative team.

Eh, because it seems like it's a cool thing to do? Seriously, I think we're reading too much at times.

THOUGH I like random stuff! There doesn't need to be a meaning, sometimes aesthetic appeal is the most important and certain things, being random, are GOOD! I like how random the Sexy Little Things PV is! But if anything, both Microphone and the Sexy Little Things PV had TOO MUCH other people. And I thought it took away too much attention from Ayu. Not saying that the camera should stay on her 24/7, but it needed better cinematography.

talking about the PVs,anyone remembered they actually hired students/some people as passerby?its for which PV?lady dynamite?

Sorry, but Ayu is the only one to blame

http://img444.imageshack.us/img444/169/xgk779.gif

<3

i mainly agree with what you posted. the pvs are... well, i won't give my opinion because i will undoubtedly be called a troll.

the music (for the most part) is a big step up from next level and a bigger step up from the disaster known as guilty. microphone and sexy little things both are pretty good having grown on me, and i looove sunset. not too excited about the other songs.

this album will be decent, which is all i'm expecting of it.

I totally do not like the new songs. and I can't force myself to like them. that's really sad, but I'm hoping that if I listen to the album in full I will change my mind ;)

as for PVs...

Lady Dynamite is a very cheap looking thing. badly directed, and Ayu with bad faces again...I can't understand why she makes him do so many PVs, I like none of his stuff, both photography (except 1 Days & 2 MW covers) and the PVs are truly horrible to me, too much sparkle, glam, but overall a bit trashy-looking for me, sorry

I love Sexy little things and I don't think she copied Gaga and also the opening with this "waaa" scream and blood from the switch just made my day! I liked it very very very much :)

Don't look back is rather good. I can't say I love it, because it's a bit blank/boring for me. I liked the theme & idea too. stroken A BEST 2 cover in the background smells ourselves. but ourselves is one of her best PVs, so it's of course much better :) but let's not compare the old stuff anymore, because we saw the lyrics of Don't look back actually :) she will never get back to the past, I'm glad she's honest. by reading the lyrics I think she expressed what she felt at those ppl who blame her nowadays and constantly remind of the declining sales...maybe, I'm not sure. so, I really like Don't look back :)

I liked all new PVs except Lady Dynamite. superglad with this fact :P

as for music, I still like none. I mean, I don't even really feel "like this!" =/

I completely agree with you. some ppl will place me to the "haters" club, since I've been constantly honestly saying for a while, from the release of (m)u, actually, well, anyone has it's taste, that she has started to lack the quality. I think she might not be interested anymore, that's what it is, and I understand that.
I felt like MY STORY was the last straw. everything went wrong after Moments relase for me, hmm. Moments was the last amazing single

everyone love "his" Ayuperiod. I loved absolutely everything 1998-2005 :)

I keep repeating the Lady Dynamite PV while I do other things like MSN. I'm not too favorable of the PV BUT OH MY GOD I LOVE THE SONG SO FREAKING MUCH :heart

After listening to Sexy little things over and over...I'm happy to say...I have a ton of faith in the album (even if the title is stupid). Good job Ayu (: Off to watch Don't look back now~

It makes me sick to my stomach to watch Lady Dynamite PV. The song is awesome, but the PV is just horrendous. Why is Ayu flaunting the celebrity lifestyle so vehemently? Ugh. I can't even stand to think about it. She's not the same. Watching interviews from 1998 is just shocking now. She's not the same person...I feel like she's lost her essence.

Also, it could be all Kazuyoshi's fault. Why don't Ayu's bosses realize that Kazu can't direct worth crap. His pictures are okay, and at least the worst there is that he's making Ayu do those stupid "fierce" faces. The videos are always choppy, incongruent and utterly embarrassing to watch. It's like he's never heard of editing or is complete **** at it, but he thinks he's the best. Ughhhhhhhhhhhhhh. Ayu doesn't deserve to be brought down by Kazuyoshi.

Alternatively, it could be Ayu's fault, depending on whether or not it's her making the decisions. She never mentions anything about actual decision making, so for all we know avex execs could be forcing him upon her. But if she's the one hiring him over and over again (which I doubt considering what she's said about him) then Ayu really needs to wake up.

It's Ayu's fault.

Lady Dynamite is definitely a love or hate video.

QFT, the one n only PV that I don't like about this album is Lady Dynamite, Ayu was so Paris Hilton-ish in that PV, something like drinkin', get drunk then sexy dancin' in club all night etc... I mean that kind of image is just meaningless/trivial =-=

yes, Ayu has changed. A LOT. I think we should accept it or diss her as an artist and
listen to something else.

I love how she turned out in a fierce woman who is not scared to tell 'tell it to your mama' LOL. It's a pleasant surprise. I was kinda sick with love theme and Shuya and her crying Lol.

Yeah definitely! :laugh

I wonder if it's the most controversial PV in her career? Seems to generate such disgust around here lol.

I'm sick of this image too lol I always skip the part when she 'tried' to cry on Shuya's shoulder everytime I watch her tour xD
But anyways she really shouldn't have used the 'clubbin' girl' image like she did in LD, it's so... cheap imo

Maybe it is cheap in some way, but I think it's a surprise. I would never expected this.

I thought Sparkle was a suprise last year, wasn't it?... (Honestly I don't like Sparkle PV as well xD)

Yes, it was. But this is whole another level LOL.

I agree 100%. The editing in his videos is what makes them so bad. Well, that and Ayu's total over-exaggeration of facial expressions... but those are forgivable compared to the editing, I think.

Does that mean she had to stoop to this level to surprise you? It's not cheap in some way, it's cheap in every way. The entire lifestyle she's portraying is just...:shakehead

By the way, I'm only talking about the PV. The song I really like.

No, she didn't have to do that to surprise me, I think there's more options, but obviously Ayu wanted that kind of video and that kind of 'lifestyle' to potray for who knows what reason.

Mmm ... female empowerment? Hahaha! Lady Dynamite belongs in the same vein with songs like my name's WOMEN and Ladies' Night, doesn't it?

I feel like it was about having a good time without those stupid men trying to sell their shallow stories.

Yeah so that Girls shouldn't believe it in the first place, rite?
I wonder why she decided to incorporated that Clubbin Girl style in this PV and with those FIERCE facial emotions (which I don't really like...)

But I hope with these variety of songs...she doesn't have to perform that silly same Ayu-Shuya stage on AT...It gets me boring and cheesy...sorry

I just watched the HQ version of don't look back, it was my first time watching the clip. Those last scenes are so powerful. That has to be one of the best videos she's ever done, without a doubt. Microphone/sexy little things will look crap next to this video.

What's everyone's interpretation of it?

Pretty sure that was the director. He made her do it in Sparkle too.

Everytime people loves something by Ayu it's "so, she is a genius"
and when they dislike, they blame shuiya, peco, kazu, Avex, max, maron, God...

Really, this is tiring... the girl is not a puppet

yeah i'm soooo loving this song but not really the PV :tipsy the only thing i love just because Ayu is gorgeous there :yes

i thought from the pics preview it'd be fighting scene among the boys or anything else interesting in that club but yeah,they're just walking in the club and Ayu dancing with the boys,then wth with the lollypop scene,i mean that scene should have been done better,the editing is just bleh :irked they just show Ayu standing with the red background,even i can do that scene in my school project -sigh-

ayu why kazu??? :weep

Same here. Okay Kazuyoshi should probably be fired and never ever shoot another video in his life cause whenever I see him on the offshot I get the urge to slap him silly cause he acts like a total diva and looks like a huge pain. However LD seems to be just a fun video and shouldn't be taken too seriously.

lol it is a lifestyle... never go to a club?

I agree, those are exactly the two reasons why I really hate the PV of LD.
But for me Ayu's overexaggerated face expressions are even worse than the bad editing. Seriously, I hate it when Ayu does that, cause she fails with it most of the time. Especially the first half of the PV, where she is waiting outside the club - damn, that's so horrible! :(
It's a bit better after that. I know it's on purpose, but it looks so ridiculously on her.
Sometimes it's nice when she overexaggerate - like in the rollin' performance in AT'09. But in Lady Dynamite, that's just too much.

On the other hand, I truly love Don't look back. It's strong overall and more natural, even if she tends to overdo the acting in Dlb at the end as well. But it's so well executed! :heart

something is trivial when is the only thing in your life...
have fun sometimes not make your life trivial...just make your life different. :P

if ayu have 9 PVs that talk about deep things, she have 1 PVs talking about light things. :S
....nobody can talk about "veeery deep things" all the time, that's so boring...ayu is a woman not a child or a saint...and a woman need love, trust fun and sex, like any other adult.

I just thought Lady Dynamite was boring and unoriginal. Lord knows how many stupid pop videos have been made featuring the female lead bouncing around in a club or something. I also think Ayu needs to take Tyra Banks's advice about practicing "model faces" in the mirror. Sometimes I think she's just oblivious to how bizarre she looks.

Sexy Little Things is weird. I felt like it was just trying to cram as much weird into 3-4 minutes as possible. I laughed when the girl busted through the wall and Ayu made a face like, "well how about that!" Ayu's never done a song like this before, so I'm no sure how to digest it.

Don't Look Back was pretty intense. Ayu looks beautiful when she's smiling in the cute short hair and white dress. I feel like I understand what she's trying to say in the PV, and yet I can't describe it in words. Hmmm....

Sorry to bring back talk about not-so-new songs but I have recently developed a HUGE loving for BALLAD... xD I mean seriously, the "Koyoi no tsuki no akari wa" in the final chorus gives me chills. I did like BALLAD before too, but now I'm just crazy for it. :laugh Same for Sunrise/Sunset. Funny, since I'm usually not really into the single songs so much anymore at the time the album comes out. Now that I'm crazy about both single and album tracks, this album's going to be so epic for me personally. :tired

Don't look back (song and PV)

are FREAKING AWESOME!!! :D

love it. makes up for lady dynamite being so meh

I kno rite? Not like we've seen MV's/PV's in America/Japan where they're just dancing and having a good time. Not everything in the world has to have symbolism lol. Why can't a singer just go out and have fun XD

i love mostly all the new songs, can't wait for count down and meaning of love..
it's the acoustic feel which i really really love :)

All the songs are so different from each other. Nice to hear different styles. I can see why the album is called (R´n R)circus. Although I expected more rockish songs. But can´t wait to hear rest of the new songs. At the moment sexy little things keeps playing in my head non stop.

This is what I posted about the Lady Dynamite PV in the "Ayu as a Gay Icon" thread before it got thrashed:

I never thought the concept for the PV was bad... in fact everything was good imo, except for the horrible editing and Ayu's REALLY fugly facial expressions in most scenes... I had such a hard time choosing good screen caps for my set cos she's so ugly in most of them : /

I feel the same except for "You were..." I just love it so much now. I loved it before, but now it's in my top 5 ayu ballads. Sunset grew on me a lot too. I love the variety this album has.

She's looked the hottest she's ever looked in a PV in those lollipop scenes imo. Some facial expressions I guess were ugly, but since she's so gorgeous it didn't really ruin anything lol

^ that's why I had to make a set :laugh the lollipop scenes were so hot even though selecting pictures were tough!

yes, me too :D I desperately needed a lollipop set after seeing Lady Dynamite <3

@ waterballoon: thank you. with everyone saying how lackluster and "meaningless" it is i completely missed these points in the video. :yes


anywayz i love all the songs so far. LD is awesome song to me (Really i dont think a not so well edited video is the end of the world. sadly people judge ayus career on pv quality). DLB is just amazing. i adore the style of the song a lot. and the lyrics are my fav. some people really need to get the message shes sending. Microphone is still fantastic to me and my fav song from RnRC. SLT is just :heart. its catchy and meaningful at the same time (and the pv is now one of my ayu favs ^___^) countdown is great. and Last Links and Meaning of Love arent bad at all, especially MoL. i already lvoe the singles ( i like Sunrise, Yw, and BALLAD a lot) so im sure ill enjoy this album quite a bit.

the overall concept works perfectly

I never go to a club which i can see whole bunch of leather dressing gay men with ayu dance crazily.

DLB PV is wonderful she looks pretty even when she goes crazy :heart

i agree that Ayu on the Lollipop scene is just HOT..
i love it..
i love the color of her lips..
it's kind of sexy!

I was FINALLY able to watch DLB!

...:thud :thud :thud

That's literally what I was thinking... Just WOW.

A~M~A~Z~I~N~G~ :heart

I think it's an awesomely awesome PV; maybe the best on the album, IMO!

I don't see what's so wrong with Lady Dynamite... (-_-) it was a good PV to me! And the lollipop scenes were :heart

Sexy little things was weird, sure, but it was still awesome! Ayu looked best in the big black dress, IMO :D

Microphone was amazing as well; fierce Ayu returns! Lol.

Overall, the PVs for this album are phenominal and I can't wait to see them on my TV in HD! :heart

The songs are also fabulous and amazing~

This album is just.............:thud :luv2

Don't look back was a boring PV :| It's "ourselves" PART II. Couldn't really get into it. Meh

The songs sound awesome :) I'm not too keen on a couple of the PVs but the rest are good so far

EVERYTHING SO FAR IS AMAZING. PERFECT. :yes

So far, I'm really excited about this album! I think the cover art could have been better, and maybe a little more thought could have gone into the PVs, but all of the music that we've gotten to hear so far is very strong. And the PVs definitely aren't terrible by any means - I'm a sucker for high fashion, so SLT is visually my cup of tea. I just think she could have gone a little bit farther with them. Don't Look Back is probably the most striking of the four.

But I can't get Microphone out of my head, Lady Dynamite is a very strong song, Sexy Little Things is very original and is definitely growing on me, and Don't Look Back is one of the best ballads she's released in years. And that's what really matters; the music.

I was really, really worried with such lackluster singles starting off the new album, but I'm becoming more confident in this album. I can't wait to hear the rest of it!

So just now I looked at my daily shoe calendar, where RnRC's release date is written in. And I realize that the shoe for April 14th is called "Rock 'n' Roll". I shouldn't be this excited.

I hope there's a hidden track!! We haven't had one of those in a looooong while

RnRC is a PERFECT album all I can say

RED LINE (album version) is nice. The ending is pure love. A perfect way to end the album. :yes Though I hoped they would have changed the arrangement a bit more, it's good like this too.

It's too early to give an actual point rating out of 10 for any of the songs on the album, but here were my initial thoughts:

THE introduction: I like it a lot! But probably because I like creepy sounding things, haha. Very reminiscent of late 70s/early 80s synth. I can picture it in A Clockwork Orange or something - which is a good thing for me, but probably a bad thing for some people.

Microphone: I like this song, but I don't love this as much as some people seem too; I think she definitely has better rock songs but it definitely has some nice parts. I like the Kiss o' Kill vibe.

Countdown: Really like the way that it starts. Overall though it ends up just sounding very middle of the road. But it also sounds like it will really benefit from having it in higher quality.

Sunset/Ballad: Doesn't really fit well after the songs that preceded. Never was a huge fan of either of these songs. To me they just kind of bog the album down (and pretty early on too). I wish at least one of them had been left off.

Last Links: Acoustic guitars and violins? Yay! Seems like it'll sound great in high quality. Love the instrumental section. I think the flow would be better though if this were placed between Countdown and Sunset.

Montage: Another great interlude! The interludes on this album really kick Next Level's ass...

Don't Look Back: Perfection? My favorite.

Jump: Least favorite of the interludes, but not bad. Probably good in concert.

Lady Dynamite: This is slowly growing on me. Not a fan of the PV but the song is alright.

Sexy Little Things: I was wondering if the scream from the PV was actually in the song or not - I was a bit disappointed that it wasn't, haha. An interesting song to say the least. I wish the chorus was a bit more stand outish but overall I like this song.

Sunrise: I'm one of the minority on this board that really likes this song; especially live.

Meaning of Love: Maybe the most normal sounding track on the album. Pretty typical j-pop. Pretty melody; not a fan of the breathy vocals that she does though. I need to listen to this one more.

You We're: In the grand scheme of Ayu ballads its not one of her absolute best, but better than some at least. Pretty solid.

Red Line: Loved the original version of this song. Not really much difference in the album version. I was thinking it might be something totally different like Endless Sorrow. Still a great song though. The accapella at the end is a nice touch.

I don't know where this will land overall in her album rankings for me, but at this point I at least know I like it a lot better than Next Level. I'm not sure if the album comes together as a cohesive unit (the interludes don't really seem to necessarily match the songs, haha) but as individual units they are great.

yea, i like album ver. of RED LINE, it's quite good arrangement to hear the only vocal at the end. I love count down & meaning of Love so much!!:luv2

wow THE introduction reminds "the opening" in DOME TOUR 2001. Powerful.

Don't look back seems like very special in this album because it is placed between two music-only track

LOVE RED LINE [album version] at the end.. It reminds me ayu says "thank you" at the end of every tour!

LOVE - Last Links - the guitar opening is what I have been looking for!


However, this album is Rock 'n' Pop Circusto me.

Yeah seriously! This might be my favorite album ending. The ending she added is so perfect to me.

Seriously, I can now officially say her last 3 albums pale in comparison to this one (not dissing them at all as I really enjoyed them) but to me this album is just on another level. I'm so happy with it! It has that classic ayu sound mixed with something new.

THE introduction : ehh... I really was bored and disappointed by this track. I think it is definitely THE (worst) introduction she's had in years. It actually kind of sounds fan made to me too. I really don't like it.

Microphone : I LOVE this track. I didn't think I'd love it as much as I do when we first got the preview in the Honda commercial, but as soon as the full track leaked I fell in love. This song really made me think, "Hamasaki Ayumi has returned!" It's not her absolute BEST rock track, but it's definitely up there in my opinion. This is definitely one of the album's standout tracks and it's got a wonderful video!

count down : When I first found out this was a full track and not an interlude, I was shocked; especially when it was revealed to be a ballad following Microphone. I thought, "There is no way a song can link Microphone and Sunset properly" and although the transition to Sunset is still a bit odd, I really like this song a lot and it follows Microphone really well. It's a really, really great track with powerful lyrics. It's just great!

Sunset : I don't hate this song nearly as much as I used too, but I still think it's one of Ayu's worst ballads ever. It feels so forced. The melody definitely doesn't work for a ballad at all. It's just such a boring song, but there's something about it's spot on the album that makes me not want to skip it.

BALLAD : I absolutely love this song. I loved it when it first came out back in December and I still love it now. It's definitely going to be a classic. It's so powerful and the lyrics are absolutely wonderful. I've heard this song so many times, but there last chorus still gives me shivers. I can't wait to see this live (hoping it's on the setlist for the tour!)

Last Links : This song is another one of the stand out tracks of the album! It absolutely blew me away. I love the raw sound of it so much and I can feel that classic raw Ayu emotion! I love the beat of this song too. It's one of the best new songs, I think!

montage : I'm really not sure how I feel about this interlude. I either love it or I think it's complete ****. I haven't decided yet. It's so weird and different, but if you ask me, it's definitely a suitable lead-in for Don't look back.

Don't look back : Agghhh! This is a really amazing song too. I love it so much. It's something new and different Ayu, soundwise and the lyrics are so empowering and in your face, I think. It's really quite addicting, and the music video is by far her best video ever ever ever, but all of the new music videos this time around were great!

Jump! : ehh... I can't think of much to say about this interlude. The first half is nice, but typical. It's actually a pretty tolerable interlude and I like her vocals on it, but I do find the part where the people are yelling "Jump!" kind of annoying. I was glad that this was the final interlude.

Lady Dynamite : This song is really not what I thought it'd be like, but it's a really catchy little tune that makes me just wanna dance! At first listen, I was somewhat indifferent to it, but I've grown to like it quite a bit now! The video is hot as hell too!

Sexy little things : Okay, so if Lady Dynamite wasn't what I expected it to be then I might as well not have made any preconceptions about Sexy little things. I was really expecting something like Sparkle, but this is so totally different from anything she's done before. At first listen, I wasn't really sure how I felt about it and I'm still kind of unsure. All I know is when I hear it I want to dance and that the chorus is very catchy. Another good, new video, but nowhere close to Microphone or Don't look back!

Sunrise : While being fairly different from past summer singles musically, melodically this song really isn't anything different so I never really loved it, but I do enjoy it. It's a really fun song and watching it live is so fun. I still wish that either it or Sunset (or both) had been excluded from the album. They feel so old now. I think the more summery it gets outside, the more I'll appreciate both songs being included on the album.

meaning of Love : As soon as the song started I was reminded of Secret and rainy day. It definitely sounds similar to both of those, but ends up a lot more upbeat than those two songs. It's one of the weaker new songs, I think, but it's still pretty nice. It just feels like I've heard songs like this a million times. Not bad though.

You were... : I kind of feel the same way about this song as I feel about meaning of Love. I feel like I've heard it done by Ayu so many times before. Another thing, this album has a lot of ballads and You were... is the only one that has a strictly wintery/Chirstmasy feel, I think, so I'll probably be skipping this the most of any of the tracks on the album. It's not a bad track, though.

RED LINE ~for TA~ [album version] : I was excited when I found out we'd get a new version of RED LINE cause I didn't really like the original that much. This one sounds like it has new vocals and a new arrangement? While it's still not my favorite, it's MUCH better than it was on the single-- and the new ending to the song with the acapella is a perfect ending for the album. I really liked that new addition!

Overall, this album is very good! Much better than NEXT LEVEL was, for sure! :) There is a little something I can't put my finger on that feels wrong with it, but compared to all the things right with it, it's nothing! I'd give this album something like an 8/10... It's really very good! :) Heck, maybe I'd even give it a 9!

Best tracks:
Microphone, Don't look back, BALLAD, Last Links, Lady Dynamite


[edit]
I think the reason it feels a bit weird, is because this really feels like a new beginning for Ayu, to me. It's almost like I just can't compare it with her older albums at all. It's just a very different feeling from her this time around, even if some of the sounds are the same. Don't look back conveys that feeling the best, for me, and I think that's why it's stand alone in the middle of the album. :yes She seems to definitely not be "looking back" on this one.

I really don't like the intro/interludes. They're kind of... Well. They're not nearly as good as any of her past interludes and they don't really fit the songs they're supposed to be connecting together. NEXT LEVEL's interludes did a much better job... Even Pieces of SEVEN worked better. THE introduction is okay by itself, though it's not as good as anything since probably introduction on LOVEppears, and it doesn't really work as an intro OR flow well into Microphone. montage is fine too but it just doesn't work for me as an AYU interlude on an AYU album, and ESPECIALLY not on this one. Jump! is really wtf... That's all I can say about that. I'm not gonna listen to the other three songs until they leak in HQ.

IMO this really is one of Ayu's most generic albuns to date... Everything sounds recyclied... that being said, I don't find it bad, actually, I don't have problem with recycling now and then if it's well done... and the recycling here was very well done^^

THE introduction : The evil circus of death! Loved it!

Microphone : T2M with organs... But I like how fierce it sounds

count down : IMO it really sounds like a My Story album track... and I'm not really that found of MS album tracks... But I like how emotional she sounds^^

Sunset : Hello Disney! :P

BALLAD : Hello alan! :PP

Last Links : Goes to the list of Ayu songs I never remember how sound, together with It was... and Life...

montage : Horror movie time! Dark and creepy! Loved it! XD The ending makes the horror movie feeling sounds sarcastic, what makes it even better IMO xD

Don't look back : the first big surprise on this album! Interesting arrangment, nice lyrics! Maybe one of Ayu's best songs^^

Jump! : A dark and messy club song? <3

Lady Dynamite : Angry girl electro-rock... Nothing new, but really catchy^^ The "hey" on the background reminds me of seiyuu live concerts xD

Sexy little things : The 2nd and last big surprise on this album! It's cute, it's catchy, it's electro and it's kinda dark^^ Even if Ayu has some songs like this, it doesn't sound like the past ones! <3

Sunrise : Ayu best summer single for live performances ever, period.

meaning of Love : It's nice, and sweet, and anyone on jpop could release it... Points for being a happy ballad, cuz she has only a few of those, and again, very catchy^^

You were... : I hate how much they made me love this generic song only by having a catchy chorus and nice guitars xD It doesn't matter when I'm listening to it, I'm always singing the chorus with Ayu without even noticing it xD

RED LINE ~for TA~ [album version] : Her generic "concert ending track" with a VERY raw and emotional acapella totally made of love and win in the end <3

Nice album, catchy tunes... not memorable or original, but still, very entertaining^^

im lovin the intro (A LOT!!!) and interludes. montage sounds so cool. phantom of the operaish. or something a band like Malice Mizer or Versailles would use. its love. one of my fav nows. its lieka beautifully composed piece of classical music. a sound that i adore. its like an dark overture (ish) squeezed into that little time frame. i wish it was a whole song

count down is a beautiful and depressing song.
jump! is really cool and fun sounding. very clubby and fun

havent listened to last links and meaning of love. so busy this day. anyhow. . .i love the new step ayu has taken with this album. i think amorphose was right in not really being able to compare it with others in the past ^___^

edit: okay i dont feel like explaining how much i love the tracks of this album

THIS THIS THIS.
THIS.
HOLY **** THIS.


I'M REALLY EXCITED AND MY THOUGHTS WILL BE COHERENT SOON, I PROMISE BUT HOLY ****, YOU GUYS, I HAVEN'T BEEN THIS PROUD OF AN AYU ALBUM SINCE (miss)understood. FJDSLKFDS.

count down is just... ;_____;

i don't like the title of the album. dislike the over-photoshopping on the covers but i like the look she was going for. hate the pvs, though adore most of the songs i've heard (haven't heard any of the leaks yet)

don't care for interludes on any cd so i will probably delete them. i think this will be a good album!

So far i am listening to lg of LastLinks/count down... i can say...

I didn't expect that good album after GUILTY/NEXT LEVEL.

I got faith in Ayu again. :) This album isn't perfect - but i got a feeling that in complete - it's a very good album!

I completely agree. Neither of these songs, imo, fit in with the album and especially after Microphone and count down.

After hearing the songs, my opinion so far is that; I think Rock 'n' Roll Circus is a great album (though, there are some songs I know will sound like perfection with HQ). The interludes really surprised me, aswell.

Last Links and Don't look back are absolutely the best things on the album so far and maybe count down after I hear it in HQ :P

Still, loving what I'm hearing :)

Now that we've seen the videos and heard the songs all we have to do is wait until it's released and hope it's as much a success on the charts as it was to our hearts. I have a feeling it won't sell more than NEXT LEVEL though. I hope I'm wrong!

I love meaning of Love and Last Links and the interludes and everything!!!
Great album! Luckily that I ordered both versions at the first time, now i'll just wait for my CD to come to enjoy the HQ songs, haha!

This album apparently demonstrates that ayu notices that her voice is changed, and she knows that she cannot do anything like her past songs anymore (e.g SEASONS), so this album she changes and finds a "new" (you can argue not new) style and fits for her voice.

don't like red line, don't look back, sunrise, sunset, sexy little things. you were and ballad are just ok. not really liking this album so far.

Man, are you people serious when you say the interludes suck?

I loveeee The introduction and montage. SO refreshing to hear ... no longer Labyrinth ver. 3.0

THE introduction is amazing, reminds me of something out of A Clockwork Orange (very late 60s, early 70s synth)

And montage? Whoa.. this is definitely a malice mizer piece, hahaha. Do any of you think this is an original song, though?... It sounds so familiar. Is it a montage of maybe famous classical music pieces? x.x I love it, though.

THE introduction and montage sound like watching a vampire movie haha XD
as for Jump! it's energetic..
but i'm glad that we only have 1 opening and 2 interludes..
i want to hear more songs from ayu not interludes or preludes ~
and i love this album so much!
i love the acoustic rock feel on this album alot!
i kinda feel that this album is like going back to the old Ayu era but with a new touch~