you would have thought that 5 years ago , the way she celebrated her 10th anniversary was bad but fast forward 5 years now , it's no better if not for the worst =x

let alone the way fellow artistes celebrate their big milestone in the business as compared to her , embarrassing much ?

I feel that ayumi would have decided to leave avex a long time ago but seems to me that she sees avex as a security blanket . What if she just let go just like that , would she feel even more lost than ever before ?

^To be honest, I can't remember of any big celebration for 15th years on the business... Usually the big things starts while celebration 25, 30 years. For a pop singer, reminding the public that you are already old news tends to be far more problematic than helping.

I just can't...my stomach >_>

I don't mind Ayu being singed to avex. If she ever decided to part ways with them, that's oke as well.

Sure I did. The wonderful thing about the koda, is that we get good music that's fun to listen to, in spite of the fact that she isn't about that, if you want to go there.


Whatever. I was trying to say, what yumsushi and hseinko said. I do want good music from Ayu...but we get what we get from her, and you know what, that's okay because she's doing her thing and whatever. The physical productions though...meh. Her releases are just kinda boring.

I already said for myself, I don't care about her career, or her sales. I realise a lot of artists don't go "Koda" with their physical releases and bonus items...but Ayu used to. And considering that most of her sales are coming from the hardcore fans anyway, it would be really nice if they got a nice something extra once in a while...

and not just like, a digital earring or something.

I'd rather listen to JAPONESQUE than anything Ayu has released past Love songs.

omg preach it omg

I think ayu has a few gems on LOVE again, but I so agree with this.

Japonesque sounds pretty much like anything Koda already released.

BoA is at her best moment sound-wise (in Korea, she is sucking hard in Japan)

Utada didn't quit

That has nothing to do with the fact Koda's recent music slays ayu's.

According to the Koda stans, who are known to like listening to 500 versions of the same tired tracks and who judge the quality of the music based on how much crappy chroma key pvs the album came with.

They aren't very trustable taste-wise

JAPONESQUE had an amazing art direction - something Ayu hasn't had for quite some time. But get real, that album was like a compilation of everything Ku had already done in the past, and had done better. JAPONESQUE excelled nowhere besides the fact that Okay was a step up from No way and LOVE TECHNIQUE was fun as **** to listen to.

Honestly, I don't see any hope for Ayu anymore. The image people have come to accept from her is not a pleasant one. Her personal life is/was out of control, and she seems very gimmick-y now. That's what I'm getting from reading translated opinions. No matter how you try to spin Ayu now, she will always never be viewed as anything more than what she currently is viewed as.

DAMN! That's ****ed up. Lol. But I'm not offended. Your opinion is just as valid and I respect that you at least voice it. :)

Okay was in Dejavu, wasn't it?
Anyway, I don't think the problem is the music, because Ayu is still doing what she wants with that. We're discussing about the marketing she's offered, I suppose. And JAPONESQUE (apart from being amazing imo) was brilliant as a release.

I agree with everything you said.
And I don't know about the quality of her music anymore.. It has been going down since RnrC. I mean some of the arrangements and mixes on Lovesongs, LOVE again + Party Queen were just plain horrible just like her PVs. :/

I honestly wish people would stop comparing the two they are nothing alike. I'm also sick of Kuu fans using her as an example to put ayu down. If you have a problem with ayu's direction there is no need to drag Kuu or anyone else into it.

Yeah I kinda feel bad for bringing her up...she's was just kinda the most known example of someone who releases a lot of bonus crap with their albums and stuff. I didn't think people would start comparing their damn music. I mean **** my life.

Anyways, I guess most of the idol-y people do a lot of extra things, or have nice direction when it comes to booklets and stuff.

The truth in this breaks my heart.

Basically I just don't like the way avex planned the way ayumi celebrated her 10th anniversary 5 years ago & then right now , her 15th anniversary

Both aspects seemed very unfulfilling if not a joke . Like what hsienko pointed out , what kind of message avex is trying to send out to everyone ? Buy 5 releases within 5 months back to back & then get rewarded with a downloadable wallpaper from the net ?

This or more less devalued what could have been a happy if not rewarding 15th anniversary celebration of an artiste in the very 1st place

In fact , I can buy 2 copies of different editions of an album & I can do the exact same thing at 1/2 if not 3/4 of the total cost you pay for all 5 releases

Maybe avex should learn a two from Sony BMG since this year's SID's 10th anniversary & as part of their 10th anniversary , they have lined up 10 different projects that will all take place within this year which makes things more fun , exciting if not less insulting to fans who have supported SID from then til now

If not , do what ZAIN RECORDS does , tell their artistes under their care to celebrate their anniversary in the business on a yearly basis but in this case , most of which are done in the most wonderful if not satisfying manner

Don't worry, it wasn't your fault. You clearly were bringing up Koda in a relevant way. Her music started being brought up and I had to jump in. (That's my girl.) So it's my bad too.

But I agree that ayu's music really has little to do with her marketing strategies or wonky single releases. And even if ayu leaves avex her marketing may change a bit, but her music definitely won't.

:yes & when it's about music we are all different it's so subjective... someone who like r&b & electro/dance tunes will prefer singers like kumi and someone who prefer pop/rock/experimental tunes will prefer Ayu ...

People should cease to be obsessed about image & the material things ! Personally I don't care if she wears a pantie on her cover or if she wears a panther outfit I'm interested by music only. Nevertheless, I will not lie if the image is good it's even better but it's not essential ;)

I'm really hurried to see which approach her next album will have ! I've the feeling when I read the interviews for Love again that she only chooses the songs created for her since a long time there were no creation just a pawed of songs never released (good songs but nothing really new for her except a few songs)...

Oh yes you are right. I had been confused since lately I had been playing Dejavu and JAPONESQUE but only the songs from JAPONESQUE which I like and that is two of them... IN THE AIR and LOVE TECHNIQUE. No Man's Land is ok too but not ground-breaking.