I still believe it's rather majestic. Her voice is soothing, the music constructed softly that slowly but ever so smoothly builds and really makes me feel the meaning of the lyrics as the emotions behind them at every given point in the song. It's like she's calmly and softly singing her thoughts, and her voice continues to grow little by little, teasing us before the chorus comes in, when her voice goes up and then down again before rolling into the ascent before the chorus. Then when the chorus rolls in, her voice is still so smooth and beautiful, and the arrangement behind it just propels it forward. She's singing about such simple things - the snow falling, and just being in the presence of her love, it's truly as if she's narrating her inner thoughts for the first time, regarding her love for this person in the song.

^ stan alert :P

Maybe its because I overplayed it when I was discovering Ayu's music that its alot less impressive. My songs were mislabeled, so for the longest time I thought that Carols was SEASONS... which would've been better IMO. Aside from the lyrics, I find SEASONS far too cheesy for my taste (just like Voyage).

^ CAROLS was okay, I really enjoyed the chorus (yes it was majestic), but the verses bored me out. They could have made the PV more interesting imo. I guess I just don't enjoy songs that have cheesy lyrics that much, specifically SEASONS and Voyage.

^ Me either. NWTS, fated and forgiveness (its a bit cheesy, but the music is the best) are my type of ballads. Hell, I think beloved surpasses Carlos lol.

And Carols was supposed to have a scene in a swing, but it didn't end up working out due to wind or something.

Yeah, the wind was too strong.

I think my favorite ballad from Ayu is either JEWEL, no more words, or rainy day. I also love me some Who... too. Most of the bigger ballads are good too but I feel like some of them are way too overdone, haha. Looking at you, Dearest and Voyage.... walking proud too.

^ walking proud is beautiful, how dare you?! :P
JEWEL is one of Ayu's best as well, everything about it is perfect (even though i liked the cm version a bit more).

I waqs thinking, I really am indifferent to Ayu's career prior to RAINBOW.
It was so idol-y and cheesy (save for NEVER EVER/A BEST era)...

I'm starting to enjoy beloved more and more... Sometimes I just played the song and listen to it while browsing other stuff, and it sounded good. Even though I constantly forget that Ayu has a song called beloved :laugh

On another hand, I just re-watched Premium CDL 08-09 and really miss how Ayu usually say "Countdown live -something something-, Welcome" at the beginning of every cdl.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1tkGefRp9D4

interesting.

also her lives from the earlier days kinda sound better than now

She looks icky... her hair and skin are the same color.
She sounded better, but her incorrect singing in those days, plus drinking and smoking are probably what deteriorated her voice to the point where its is now.

This. I know that shes been drinking and she admitted in Hey" having a pink fridge for beers but how far is it true or just a rumors that she smokes?

ok :shakehead what interview? any link? oh finally someone can confirm this

^ the beer fridge interview was in 2005... i think. She's been photographed with a cigarette in her hand, I think it was on the shoot for I am...'s remix albums.

I thought her 2002 - 2003 days were her ugliest... especially in 2002.. all the bad hair choices and color. that flat-iron blonde with the flat fringe was so gross lol.

really taken aback by that Boys and Girls live on the video...surprisingly well-sung for her standards.

oh yeah 2002 was the worst :thud

she was caught holding a cigarette and smoking in a club (or izakaya?) in 2004 during CAROLS era.

Walking proud is stunning. I love how so in depth it is. Ayus ballads, actually most of Her music, has been lacking that these days.

And don't even get me started on beloved. I can't believe you even went there. Lol. Talk about the epitome of boring.

I swear the song bored the crap out of me but it's really nice if it's just played as background music lol!

"beloved" certainly is just one of a few newer ballads that could be as well frankly denominated as "bland and lacking musical value", whereas especially beloved was a mere filler considering its nonexisting importance on an overall mediocre so called mini-album.

I watched that interview was during Hey3 show, shes promoting her A Best 2 album during 2007

interesting and I managed to find this pic in a thread here lol

http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n...nowaytosay.jpg

that was during her golden days,she looked so hot though, a real hot stuff diva there, lol at the pic that shes drunk and walked with the 2 guys

Look at her! Doing her badass drunken walk, looking hot and not giving two fucks. Queen.

I think she looked the ugliest during her hippie phase at the end of 2001 until 2003.

I also think she looker gross in 2004 with the soccer mom cuts (i'm surprised there were no minivan and Sunny D tie-ins, tbh).

When do you guys think she looked best?