From the bottom of my heart...Yes!!! I Wish Ayu Never Stop to RELEASE NEW MUSIC, SINGLE AND ALBUM. I will support her. And if she stop touring, it's ok.

I hope she's not going to retire. She's only 44 years old. Even Madonna is still working. Western artists never retire. They take long breaks and they release an album when they feel like it.

Some American artists still tour when they are 70.

I guess I'm being selfish here but I really want to attend a concert of hers. It's on my bucket list. If she retires this year, I will never experience it in person.

I also get big retirement vibes with this post.... I do hope it's not that, but if it is, that she will announce a last tour to allow fans to go see her one last (or first, as in my case) time...

Can't even imagine not having Ayu in my life, this is quite an upsetting start to 2023!!:weep

After this post I got the feeling that she is just announcing (through this post) that noone can silence her and she is stubborn to protect herself. I think this post is not related to 25th Anniversary bomb that she is going to drop. For my eyes this is just an motivational post for (NOT) Remember you performance on CDL.

well, i really wish she would "take a break",
her health is not going well from what i noticed watching the CDL (in several songs, we see loss of rhythm, breath and out of tune).
BUT I also wish that she continues with her dreams and that she gives us away when she can, just like western singers do...
I don't want to think that "this is the end of an era"(duty)!

45 is definitely not an age where it's "time to retire". Look at Seiko or Yuming. However, even if she doesn't retire this year/next year, I unfortunately doubt that we're going to see Ayu perform at 60. As much as it hurts to think about it, I don't think her ear will last this long.
In a sense, her career is like a bomb that could go off any time.. It's been 6 years since she announced that her right ear is deteriorating, so who knows how many years she has left. :(

It's heartbreaking but Ayu's career was always going to be 'cut short' probably. I know there are deaf singers but I don't think Ayu could perform at her current level with no hearing at all. I just hope her right ear works for as long as it possibly can.

I actually think her energy level at the latest CDL was much better than it has been in other shows since 2020 (though those were still great imo). She seemed happy, moved a lot more again & just gave me less restrained vibe, which is probably related to her not having to deal with a broken ankle or having given birth less than a year ago, as it was the case in both 2020 and 2021.
Vocally it was less controlled than CDL21-22 but most of the performances were solid, especially considering the song choices and her having some issues with her in-ear monitor.

Nontheless, I'm really glad when we finally know what this is all about.

I don't think it's a matter of age in Japan, AFAIR when Namie retired there was this talk about her being not a public person anymore thanks to the retirement. Something between the line of more privacy and paparazzi not being allowed to post pics of you(?). Maybe Ayu also wants that now that her kids are growing up and she will want to enjoy time with them.

But in all honesty I don't think it's about retirement, she loves performing way too much.

I really doubt she would stop performing and keep releasing music. If anything, she seems more passionate about performing her music than actually creating it (I really hope she hasn't completely lost her passion for the latter, or will at least regain it in the future though).

I do fear that the news might be about her retirement, but it could also be other things. I've been through some really rough times lately, so retirement news would be an especially hard blow at this time, since her music helps me cope and I also have this hope of seeing her live again someday, which won't be feasible within the next few years So although I would understand if she decided to retire, I just hope she doesn't want to do that and the big news is about something else. Besides, ayu has always been quite a troll, so her announcements are often not what everyone expects.

Basically, I'm preparing for the worst but hoping for the best I guess

Same

She was ominous and vague with those announcements since Just a beginning tour. Maybe this is just a PR stunt, who knows? She was never as direct as she is now. Let's hope this is just a false alarm. :(

my thoughts are the same :yes

What if she focused her energies exclusively on countdown lives? I actually think that would be pretty cool, and badass. She records leisurely and every year she takes the stage for a single (our double) night only. Or, maybe it’s not once a year New Year’s Eve, but once a year on her anniversary date, of which this year would be the first.

I mean, the thought got me shocked. A world without Au. On the other hand, She released barely anything in the last years. This year was a lot more than usual. I am not the biggest fan of her recent music. Some are better than others. I knew that she kept going and i was happy for her (and for myself) but just the fact, that she will announce her retirement and i will not hear news about her makes me sad. A part of my jouth will disappear thats so sad.

I also expect the retirement news and, although it pains me. I am for it. Her health is decreasing and she cannot performs well on stage, live anymore. I still enjoy her show as i have a connection with her, but from an objective point of you, she is struggling more and more every year. Artistically, she also is uninspired and struggles to create content. ''(NOT) Remember you'' is a great suprise, but most of her songs from the past 6 years have been quite average to her standards and she publicly shares her struggles about it.

Her sales have also decreased a lot, both in releases and concert tickets.

Maybe she doesn't want to tarnish her legacy further more and leave while she is still somewhat respected. I doubt she doesn't care about that as this is one of the reasons we don't get physical singles anymore.

Of course she and Yocchan were close but he is the most expensive member of her band so :rolleyes just have to replace him with another non-celebrity guitarist

That guy is also pretty famous! He's KENTARO formerly from a metal band, Gargoyle.

The time between now and the impending announcement on the 08/04 will be the slowest

If it's what we fear/suspect, I'll be organising a trip to Japan to see Ayu live for my first and only time (how I'll gather the money for that I don't know)

Sounds ominous like a retirement.........but she doesn't control any of her social media herself these days does she? Watch it be something like "the first and last official autobiography" or she's launching a limited run pop-up shop for the 25th anni goods.

If she is retiring, I don't know how I'll get there this year, hopefully we get a livestream opportunity!

watch it being "latest" instead of "last"

What if the big announcement is a World Tour?

I mean, she could easily perform in a small venue, like she already does. Doesn’t need to be an arena.
She can do 1 or 2 concert in Europe (Paris and London), North America (New York and Los Angeles) and maybe South America and Australia.

I’m just forcing myself to think positively about that announcement. I strongly fear that she will retire. I’m just hoping I’m wrong and that she’ll finally rewards her oversea fans for our loyalty.