BRILLIANTE was a masterpiece though

International composers will generally try to create western-sounding pop songs. There's a whole host of Japanese artists who are making western-sounding songs, it won't work well for Ayu who has mostly avoided that trap her entire career. International compositions worked very well for tell me why but Wake me up tends to sound too western.

Yuta Nakano's compositions are fantastic if Ayu wants one of her (now) generic pop-rock songs. Seems Ayu seems to want to go for that familiar sound for her 15th anniversary. And that's the compositions she has selected - there's a reason he appears so much here.

hmm..............................

maybe not a masterpiece but an excellent piece of work =)

I couldn't disagree more about Wake me up. That song is the first song in a long time that actually showed that Hamasaki Ayumi "attitude". It was classic Ayumi.

Yuta only really arranged for the most part on this album, but he's been doing that since GUILTY/NEXT LEVEL. I am guessing Ayu uses him because he's extremely versatile, knows exactly what Ayu wants, and can execute it.

He actually disappeared for a loooonng time before he came back for MOON/blossom.

^^ maybe you're talking about "Love songs"?

no hidden track.. but still looking forward to those new songs!!

This album will be one of her best imo!!!

me too...

Although I think I will enjoy this release a lot, I can't help but wonder and think about how some international influence would help her out a bit. I think keeping her Japanese composers will keep that distinctive "Ayu" sound. Moreover, they know how she likes to stress the "iii" which is something very un-western. But having some other people arrange the music and instrumentals would be nice to kick her out of a rut. Yes, Party queen delved into musicals, but we could use some more upbeat music every now and then :).

On the other hand, as a 15th anniversary, I think she is looking to bring back classic Ayu :)

^ she is deffinitelly bringing stuff back to basics, since all of the songs pretty much make me think "i did hear that before, somewhere..."

it turned out well, for me xD I liked everything except PQ and The next LOVE. i think he was good xD *shrugs* wasn't too impressed with BRILLANTE tho, but it wasn't bad either.

thanks for info!

I wouldn't mind Ayu working with GEO again and Timmy has done quite well so far. Though GEO's compositions aren't really that western sounding...

what's the differences between music & arrangement?

a lot of Japanese ayu fans i know they said they tired with TK,he's old-fashioned according to them...

In my opinion it was a masterpiece. It was so different from anything she had ever done, ever. The song meaning is great, the music is great, the PV is amazing, her voice sounds great. I love that song a lot. :love


@chu-lips;
Easily explained:
Arrangement-> the structure of the song. What comes where and how and how to place the instruments together without it sounding cluttered.
Music->composing. The ones who made the music/melody (and in some cases, wrote the lyrics, but Ayu writes it herself)

It's like back to basic again..
And I just knew that Sweet scar was composed by DAI...
No doubt it's really a masterpiece

I'm really getting an "old school" vibe from this album so far, reminiscent of "RAINBOW", actually. She may not have songs that are funky like Real me, July 1st, and everywhere nowhere on it, but there's something about the overall structure -- the softness, the theme, the lyrics, the songs -- that just make me think of that record. Truth be told, I really do prefer her having songs that all link together thematically and musically. When she has songs that stand out like sore thumbs thrown into the mix of really pretty ones, I get a little bummed. It just feels like she did them to placate the expectation of creating super pop songs (I don't think she's done a sugary pop song since, what, Sunrise?). I guess if you're in the mood for it, it's perfect to hear her take on it. And it did kind of help establish her early on, but it never felt like something Ayu really had her heart in. This darker but also more melodic, midtempo stuff seems to be her speed, and there's definitely a lot more of those songs in her discog than anything else.

However! I look forward to see what she'll be doing AFTER this 15th anniversary business is complete. It's like "NEXT LEVEL" all over again: the idea that she's going to take a different approach to her career and her albums, her style, her shows, etc. Some changes may have been subtle or just plain small (the set up of her shows, for instance, going from a flat stage to a round one on all sides) but I think that "NEXT LEVEL" to "LOVE again" is kind of like her 'softer' years. She's older, she's reached several mile stones in her career; she's no longer one of the only massive solo female artists out there, so she doesn't have to constantly worry about hits, sales, image, etc. That's not to say she's taking it easy, but simply that Kuu and Namie are also reigning queens who do their own thing, and it's therefore easier for Ayu to do her own approach, too.

Am I explaining myself properly? lol I just think if you take a step back and look at the progression of Ayu's albums through the years you can definitely see an evolution of them, all kind of building up to her sound and style in this current post-NL era. I hope "LOVE again" is sort of like the 'finale' to that approach, though, and she'll be trying for some different stuff in the next batch of releases. Personally, I'm jonesing for a concept album.

There's really no denying the western electropop influence that song has to the point where it comes off as somewhat generic. It's a great song, don't get me wrong, but it's not the kind of music I'd want Ayu to produce on a large scale. I prefer NEXT LEVEL album or Last Angel-type compositions if she was going to continue producing electronic-influenced songs.

It's like Sparkle which was from NEXT LEVEL, lol. I think it's totally Ayu, straight from the opening.

Party Queen on the other hand, that one doesn't sound anything like Ayu...

But I get I am...-ish vibes from Wake me up mixed with her classic power-house tracks.

I agree with Zeke here, and don't think Wake me up has a generic western sound. It sounds MODERN to me, which had been missing from alot of Ayu songs recently (IMO). Sparkle actually sounds alot more like a western dance track to me but Ayu played both styles well with both lyrics and the strenght of her voice in them. Last Angel is nice but sounds like 2 songs melded together; the chorus is fun but the verses bog it down so much...

I welcome any song that has a Sparkle/Wake me up modern and fun sound with open arms. All in all, LOVE again is such a step up from FIVE-Party Queen and even Rock'n' Roll Circus (which i LOVE).