Thanks for the info! I was hoping for a ViVi appearance (I love those photoshoots), but perhaps there'll be one after the album's released.

Oh, there is no question that lives help sell singles. All I'm saying is that Ayu is already performing on every major music show and appearing on several magazine covers. Anymore and I think it would be overexposure - there is a very good chunk of the Japanese public that are sick of seeing Ayu so much.

Trust me, everyone in Japan knows when Ayu has a new single coming out. :) From my experience being there, you would have to be deaf and blind not to know. The song is going to be used in two commericials that will run like twice an hour on just about ever station. Posters, banners, etc are literally in every train car, CD store, billboard etc. In addition to all the tv shows and magazines she will be doing.

As much as the Ayu fan in me wants to see her perform live on TV as much as possible, I think this is enough. :) I'd rather her have just an ounce of free time here and there. :yes

Yeah I know I was just mentioning how I wanted her to perform more lives. She has more competition thus it would be reasonable to work harder. Also I mentioned the magazines part :) you should scroll back and see. I don't know about overexposure though, this year Ayu hasn't done any major activities apart A-Nation, her usual concerts and the Shinobi theme song. If you are talking about the account over the years it would make sense, I suppose.

I just want her to be successful more than last year. Her releases this year though they were of very good quality did not sell as much as I would have imagined. Anyhow this argument has gone for too long so better stop it :P It's just what I think. I might be wrong of course and you might be right but anyhow it's just how I think it is. It's just that everybody thinks differently and has different perceptions.

hard working AYU!
thanks for the information!

Oh no, I don't see this as an arguement or anything. :) I just want to give my opinion now on why I think she hasn't sold as well as she deserves this year and this isn't really directed at you either, it's just my little rant. :)

Not very many artists sell over 300,000 anymore and usually the songs that do, were simply the right songs, at the right time. Even if you look at the most famous artists in Japan like Southern All-Stars and Mr. Children, their sales are terrible compared to what they used to do. Ayumi may not be selling much more than 300,000 but that is still more than other female artists with the exception of 1 or 2 songs that came along. But she is the only female artist that is consistently selling high numbers. I really would be suprised if Ayumi sold more than 300,000 in the foreseable future or even ever again - no matter how much added promotion she does. She has been promoted non-stop since her debut and the Japanese media has definitely been oversaturated with her - especially in 01-02. At the time, it was a good thing to help raise her popularity, but in the long run I think that and the state of the music industry in general, harmed her sales.

Living overseas we only see her TV appearances so it might not seem like too much. But if you go to Japan you also see all of the non-TV promotion as well and I can definitely see where non-fans and casual fans probably became tired of her and just moved on to the next thing, leaving only her big fans to keep buying her singles - thus her being stuck in a holding pattern of selling 300,000 copies.

Whew - hopefully I explained myself well enough. :)

ouuuu! i can't wait for those magazine scans!! :]

thx for the schedule

I think I should have explained myself better ^^; argument in the sense of a debate.

Yeah it's true that few artists sell that well consistently especially female artists. I just do not hope that they replace her with some new artist simply because she's some new face and all. Yet I've seen endless artists trying to replace her only to end up getting to a peak and slowly going down again. Maybe it's because they are not able to reinvent themselves as efficiently as Ayu.

But about selling more.. I do think I have hopes for it. Maybe not in the next single or the following one.. but I do think that she can manage to reinvent herself all over and gain new fans. She has done it in the past so I do think she might in the future. And this release does have a fresh feel added to it.

Especially since she has released way too many rock, bubblegum pop and ballad releases in both singles and albums since Rainbow. And I do think this has really gotten her stuck.. It's just what I think, mind you but her fans ended up being bored hearing the same genres. The last three albums were basically all with rock and pop and ballad genres which really wasn't a wise choice in my opinion. MY STORY was full of rock and ballads. Rainbow was full of bubblegum pop and ballads again. Most of them anyhow. The singles were brilliant but the album disappointed the fans. Memorial Address was at least varied and generated some interest apart from forgiveness. The only drawback was it being a mini-album, though it ended up selling pretty well nonetheless for a mini album.

That's why I do think that this new genre might end up being a sort of revival in interest in her again.

Her promotion is quite a double-edged sword. It has raised her to a diva status yet it has made the audience probably pretty sick of seeing her over and over.
I don't know much about her Japan promotion so I can't comment much on it though apart from what I've heard.

Anyhow interesting take about it though. I liked hearing what you think about it.

Yeah, I worry about that too but eventually it will be inevitable. :( I just don't think BoA, Mika, or Ai will be the artists to do it. Ayu's style certainly helps, but I think what keeps her around so long ultimately is her lyrics and emotion she puts into her performances. Like durring her A Song For Xx days, she had little going for her in terms of style, but her lyrics kept her on the radar. I haven't seen any artist come along that can express themselves lyrically and emotionally to an audience like Ayu can. I think that is her biggest advantage against the competition.

I'm also hoping for it, but I'm not going to hold my breath. :)

Do you have any suggestions for what genre's she should try? I can't really think of any that I would like to hear that she hasn't already done before. Obviously with B&D she is trying some kinda funk/gospel thing. But as a pop artist, rock, pop, and ballads really are the main things for her to do. I also like the fact that there has been a lot of rock. It's Ayu's favorite genre of music and I'd rather her be doing music she is passionate about rather than different music that really isn't her.

Thanks for the information. Hope Ayu can take good care of her body.

all u worry about is her body? :backhand it's Ayu's health u should be worried about :yes hehe

Yeah I imagine so. I don't think it will be any of the present artists. Yes her lyrics and expression are important but I think the ability to change style is very much so too because it has made her a cultural item and has gotten the interest of many people and raised her to a diva. Her lyrics alone do not stand up themselves. It's more like the whole package. Plus now many artists write the lyrics of their own songs.

As a first I think she's obviously on the right track with gospel. Also she could go back to doing some techno and dance single. I think it would be rather appreciated by fans. Or try some jazzy styled song or something totally foreign like middle-eastern inspired music. Or something totally with it's own style of it's own like Duty. I know it's her favourite genre and all but I fear that if she continues onto the same path she'll get stuck and eventually many will lose interest. They'll be like "Oh another rock song again" I was pleased to see her do a huge variety this year. And honestly she should have promoted Will more. I bet it would have attracted more attention if she did since it's got such an unusual style (for Ayu).

LOL It still bugs me how much people were saying how the performance helped her sell so much more... but I think it's the fact that the MOVIE it was actually sung for finally OPENED.

:) And my has this debate gone on.

I read your request, I immediately called Max and they arranged a photoshoot for Vivi. The site is updated:
11/22 - ViVi - http://www.avexnet.or.jp/ayu/schedule/index.html

The first time she performed it live I remember her moving up the charts the next day. The movie helped of course but I think the lives helped. Especially Bokura no Ongaku which sounded brilliant with orchestral backing. Also it's still unknown to me why she has started performing live like so much after the release. Maybe because she realised that it alone could not sell that well. I don't know the release of the movie so I can't comment on that one.

And yes this debate has gone on and on XD

I'm tired. :thud hahaha

^ XD Yep. And thanks for the update Rody. Her Vivi photoshoots are always striking.

I can't wait to see Bold & Delicious live... but as I see first live performance will be released only few days before single releasing :(

12/12 is my birthday! Woohoo. Though I don't live in Japan. :/

lol~ you and Demure Dusk has been posting looong posts with relli good points and negotiated in a well mannered way, :shake it seems like no one is right or wrong!

good job girls :cigsmile