Yup, I've known about Ayumi from the very beginning of her career, started being a huge fan around 2001, and then she became one of my favourite artists around 2003. But I joined AHS in 2009. :yes

Even though that's easily one of my favourite shoots, I can see why somebody would call it lazy. They are very simple, when you take away all the glamour from them, hah. But she looks so gorgeous and everything, I don't mind at all. XP

I don't understand, either! D: I actually think it looks cute. I still don't see a thing wrong with it, and I've really been trying, lol. :shrug

I like the haircut... but she has too much hair, it so voluminous and doesn't suit her. To some extent it make me think of this awful french singer :

^Whaa, it looks nothing like that! :roflmao If it did, then it would be bad. But I think her hair looks really cute and silky. I love the cut and colour. :yes Maybe it's a little unflattering on the CD only cover from the front, but slighty from the side on the CD+DVD it looks so beautiful.

lol Mireille Mathieu

i love Ayu's hairstyle on the cover album :)
it looks fresh and so cute on Ayu :)
she looks younger :)

Ayumi's new cover already impressed me..I don't know why everyone have to argue about the cover..and try to compare it with her old album cover..:no..
I think, the "Rock n' Roll Circus" cover was perfect...and so was "NEXT LEVEL".

Come on guys...whatever happened to "THE WORLD IS ONE"? I'm not taking sides..but I prefer we respect each other opinion..They can say whatever they want about the cover..but in the end, we all will love it anyway..

The most important thing is the content inside the album..:luv2which will end up loving it~~Hehehehe:love

So guys...we should make, "WORLD, UNITED, RESPECT"...sounds better?:luv2:luv2:innocent

Exactly. It looks soft and not as if there is too much hair. I don't get it at all. Fortunately some of you agree and like that haircut. Sometimes when I read these posts I think there is something wrong with my eyesight/fashionsense. :)

Yes, I keep trying, too. I'm not someone who loves everything but with this I just don't get it. But in the end I decide for myself that I'm right, nothing is wrong with me and Ayu's cute. :)

It's just a matter of taste/point of view, nobody is wrong! :yes
I'm still in absolute love with the cv+dvd cover.

I really don't see how you could think it looks like that :shakehead It's got little to do with it.

Please... not another drama lol :no
Chill out I was only being funny!
And I said "to some extent" not "omg it's exatcly the same!".

My bad, I guess I don't find it funny. Not trying to start a drama.

Don't worry, that's fine : )

her hair is kinda... lol though. it looks very kiddy and cutie yeah, but I don't know... not feeling it on her, but meh probably just me :shrug

Seriously, I'm hoping the songs are really good. That's the only thing this album's got going for me.

I'm still keeping my fingers crossed for 16 or 17 tracks.

^
me too D: it would be awesome! But even there are 14 tracks only I will be happy enough :yes because she seems have worked hard on this album.
Maybe more than NL I though.

~!!! finally!! i`m liking the covers. not gonna lie though, i`m a little disappointed. liking the cd+dvd one more. was hoping one of them would be farther away showing more of her outfit and the environment. either way, nice photos, sanks very much for postin~

The only thing that bothers me is the lighting (or the photoshopped lighting) in the CD+DVD cover. And the text placement (cheeks, srsly?).

But I like them. I think her expression on CD is a bit doll-like, but IMO it works with the cover, especially with the top hat (although I wish we would have gotten a more full-body pic for the CD, the "doll" expression would work even better IMO).

^ agreed heavily about the full-body pic thing.

If it's 14 excellent songs then I'll be extremely happy, it's just 16 or 17 will be a welcome treat. She really worked hard on this album didn't she?

Recently I was looking back on some performances. Assuming you scrapped NL (which I wouldn't dare, since it's part of Ayu's history now) I think Ayu has been wanting to go in the direction of rock for a bit. A lot of the singles leading up to, and GUILTY itself, have a rock sort of feel to them. Mirrorcle World also had a hint of it I think, what with the guitar solo standing out so much. Also, there was A Song for XX that became performed even more like a rock song, starting from a-nation to Asia Tour. She looked really really into her rocker-ish performances like End of the World and Heartplace in PCDL.

I'm not trying to say she's not into all her performances, and projects. Just that, I was thinking, that maybe she's wanted to go for a more rock feel for a while now. These thoughts, I couldn't help them when watching some clips recently...