Nah, Ayu doesn't want anything, but the stage. Ayu will go on no matter what. I wonder if even her hearing will stand in her way, she is very resourceful. Therefore I expect her to be still around her 25th anniversairy. Well, let's hope so.

Maybe she will go on releasing EPs, having an 'excuse' to keep on touring.

She probably has a bunch of songs that have never been released. She can release albums even when she becomes deaf.

yeah, not a big problem. Hide release songs even after the death

Yeah seems like it is kinda baseless. Knowing Ayu, I don't know if retirement is in the cards really for a while unless something took a huge turn.

The day of her 40th anniversary? What does that mean? Like, in 20 years?? She just had her 20th, her 40th is long off lol.

40th birthday is what they meant to say.

Now that Namie's retired, hopefully Avex are more invested in Ayu's 20th. I'm sure we'll end up seeing a BEST of some sort, given it's evident that Ayu doesn't want to release an original full-length album at the moment.

It'a about damn time for a new best album.

It is! I feel like it's also time for Ayu to take back her legacy - I imagine a lot of her fellow artists would contribute to a tribute/cover album, and I think if she were to put on hits such as M and SEASONS it would sell like hot cakes.

A COVER (2 disc) / A BEST 3 (2 disc)
Hamasaki Ayumi celebrates her 20th anniversary with two new releases!

A COVER

(DISC 1)
M
SEASONS
Love ~Destiny~
BOYS & GIRLS
evolution
STEP you
Love song
Days
Voyage
Dearest
Memorial Address
BLUE BIRD
You & Me
Who...

----

(DISC 2) - All tracks remixed with new vocals provided by Hamasaki Ayumi.

M -A COVER mix-
SEASONS -A COVER mix-
Love ~Destiny~ -A COVER mix-
BOYS & GIRLS -A COVER mix-
evolution -A COVER mix-
STEP you -A COVER mix-
Days -A COVER mix-
Voyage -A COVER mix-
Dearest -A COVER mix-
Memorial Address -A COVER mix-
BLUE BIRD -A COVER mix-
You & Me -A COVER mix-
Who... -A COVER mix-
Secret song: A song for xx -A COVER mix-

-----

A BEST 3 (2 disc)
Upbeat (DISC 1) / Ballads (DISC 2).

I mean, I would buy it!

Honestly, yes. I need A Song for XX with her current voice so bad. She could also do studio versions of Duty, immature and GREEN, from the last tours.
As for the best I really want a BIG FAT album with at least 4 cds, full of remastered tracks and maybe 3 new songs.

I still want an A BALLADS 2.0 :grumpy

^ +1

I wish she had more live albums. We only have PCDL08-09, POM 2011 and A BEST LIVE. She could release live albums along with studio albums, as she did on the NEXT LEVEL.

TA Limited Live Tour 2016 was SO good, girl was on fire! can't wait to watch PoM 18, just got to see the first act but she sounded amazing :luv2

Also, Miccie randomly liked a post I made a few weeks ago with some old Ayu albums I got :laugh

TA 2016 was so good, and I feel like it was what JtB Chapter 3 should've been in terms of theatrics and, well, I guess the choreographed crying lol.

It should be an album with well known by ordinary auduence songs.
So if to think about it... she doesn't have enough songs for this kind of album.

From last best - A Summer Best - ayu released LOVE again, Colours, A ONE, sixxxxxx, M(A)DE IN JAPAN and TROUBLE. That's a lot of songs, but how many of them are really "BEST" and can be sold once again?
LOVE again - Song 4 u, because it was a song for the game and You & Me again because it's still everywhere.
Colours - Feel the love was big. I believe everyone already forgot that Pray used for the movie, but still.
A ONE - Last minute was really appreciated by old fans, The GIFT maybe, because it had big promo.
sixxxxxx - Step by step also was big. Maybe Sayonara feat.SpeXial because it's feat. SpeXial
M(A)DE IN JAPAN - if I remember right, TODAY was most loved song by japanese fans.
And the last, We are the QUEENS from TROUBLE.

What a weird compilation

^ I'm sure they could get creative to solve that problem and just call it A Best 3 + Selection. For example start with the 10 tracks you've mentioned followed by a couple of remixes/re-sung classics from A Song for XX to celebrate her 20th Anniversary etc. The Selection thingy also worked with Ayu-mi-X IV.

i dont get why everyone wants a best of album? What is so special about that? Not a criticism, i just want to understand cause for me, i would rather have new material than old stuf repackaged

For me, as I already mentioned, it's the remastering factor.

Well I think an album compilating tracks from her 20 years career is more attractive than an "A BEST 3" or something like that.

An A Best 3 would start from the Bold & Delicious single. At least BLUE BIRD and Days would be on it and those are two pretty popular songs. BLUE BIRD aged VERY well on the public's memory.

Compilations are an effective way of reintroducing her to newer audiences.

I'm still sticking with A Ballads 2. I have been wanting that for sooo long. Also would like a new Cyber Trance.:luv2

A ballads 2 sounds nice, she has many amazing ballads :yes also if they make another compilation I'd like something like with two versions/CDs, one for the compilation and the other with same tracks but remixes, so we could get both a new compilation AND remix album in one :D

I kinda view LOVE CLASSICS as an A Ballads 2, but of course its quality doesn't meet the standards of A Ballads 1. All of her latest ballady or orchestry albums sound off in my head
It will be very hard to have such an amazing compilation album like AB1. Seriously... that album is perfect. I recognize the A Song For Xx and TO BE version as the originals. They are that good to me!

Oh and ofc there is RAINBOW. That song... Oh my god!

Totally agree! A Ballads is perfect, no need to have another which would never match the perfection of this one.

So true, it could never be replicated but I would be so up for an A Ballads 2!

A BEST was rerecorded, A BALLADS was rearranged and that's why they are perfect. Just compilation is boring

It is too fun making up albums for Ayu. Though it makes me wonder why.

XD

"A BALLADS" is and always will be the eternal proof that a best of album doesn't necessarily has to be a lazy job!

A BALLADS is amazing, I like that she included a cover song in it too. I wish she would release a cover album with older songs she's done plus some new ones. That would be pretty different from what she's done before.

Yes! I love Bests like this e.g. Namie's Ballada and Love Enhanced. They're as good as any studio album!

I kinda have a hate/love relationship with A BALLADS tbh. I mean, I really like some of those rearrangements (M, YOU, A Song for xx) on the album but there's also ones that I just can't like at all because I love the original way too much (appears, Who...). I really love RAINBOW and Sotsugyou Shashin though.

I've also noticed that my feelings towards Ayu's ballads as a whole has changed in the past year and half. I've suddenly begun to appreciate them a lot more than I used to. I used to think her ballads were boring as hell but now I have no idea of why I thought so in the first place. XD

Me: *waits for Ayu to announce her supposed retirement on her bday

Ayu: *doesn't announce shit

Me: *pretends to be shocked

https://media1.tenor.com/images/69c0...9775/tenor.gif

literally

For My Dear... single was released 20 years ago! i never liked this song, but PCDL performance was so amazing

I find myself constantly checking back for an announcement of any sorts.

Daybreak's single version and the album version are both so good that I can never choose a favorite between the two. The album version with the solemn verses breaking into high energy highlight the optimistic air of the song, but the subdued, dreamy version from the single/video serves the sorrowful parts of the lyrics. So atmospheric.

Lastly, I think that this lyric is one of her greatest.

Light and shadow are
really the same thing.
If you close your eyes,
you can see them on your own.

Both the sadness in happiness,
and the hope at the end of pain


I don't agree with it, but when fans are nostalgic for "this" Ayu I have learned to completely understand who they're referring to and why they miss her. There was this rough quality about Ayumi, wether it was her voice or her rock sound. I did always wonder why it was that Ayumi never branched off into a band/rock side project because she was so in her element.

I always preferred Daybreak's single version, but after listening to I am... earlier this year, now I feel similar. Both are good in their own way.

Talking about lyrics, the lyrics for "I Am..." are just incredible. I relate so much to the feelings she's expressing there.

I want you to stare into my eyes and say my name.
I want you to hold my hand and tell me it'll be ok.
Help me; if you don't, I don't think I can make it.
If this is a lie, then at least keep the lie going to the end.

I'll be forever in tears everytime I watch her performance on CDL!

I can never choose between which Daybreak version either! They're both masterpieces. I guess it depends on my mood, and most of the time I have the single version in my head. But usually if I listen to one version I'll have to listen to the other right after. I love the song so much.

Daybreak will always be beautiful to me. It's one of her most unique songs. Sometimes I feel like I love that song more than all the other songs.:heart

Seems like there is a chance Ayu will participate on this year's Kouhaku?

https://www.nikkan-gendai.com/articl...geino/239028/2

Would be great! It's her 20th anniversary after all and the last one was during her 15th.

It’s the last Kouhaku for the Heisei era, and as Ayu is one of the biggest faces of the era, it says they’re considering her? She’s considering it?

Well, if she would be in the Kouhaku, I'd bet she would be back in the late timeslot since that's the timeslot that attracts more viewers, but most importantly, she doesn't have a CDL this year!

Would attract viewers much more than just being the 'opening act' (because of the CDLs in the past).

Didn't ayu mention that lately she refuse to attend because she was busy with CDL and didn't have enough time? This year she will be free at 31st Dec

I don’t think it was a refusal, she just decided to stop due to CDL.
She increased the amount of CDL during the last few years, so she was very busy with rehearsals and then the actual shows.

However the way that article is worded makes it seem like Kouhaku is considering her, as opposed to her considering it. Though this could mean they just haven’t invited her since she announced she was “graduating” from it.

https://okmusic.jp/news/297626?f=tw

A good insightful article on Ayu and the album loveppears :)

^ aw, its in Japanese :(

Um, I'm reading the lyrics to FLOWER and Ayu seems full of rage ...against us when we're annoying about her career and life choices? Honestly, AHS and her fandom probably deserve the harshness of those lyrics.

^ I thought she already gave us the middle finger with WARNING.

When I read FLOWER I read desperation and self-pity. But that could be because of the video. There is nothing wrong with that though. I listen to Lana Del Rey all the time, whose self-pity, desperation and sadness is her trademark. I would love to see Ayu continue that road. But with TROUBLE she seems to show more tolerance and acceptance and that is a beautiful way to view things too.

Wait how come there’s no CDL this year??

There wasn't last year either, although she did have a concert on the 31st, iirc. However it started earlier and there was no actual CDL.

Perhaps she's adamant about having CDLs at Yoyogi National Gymnasium.

CDLs are pretty common I think i Japan so maybe there's no arena left in the Tokyo area for her??

At the picture of t-shirt from tour good there is a name of venue where live was not announced yet - Tokyo International Forum. Show supposed to happen somewhere between 24 and 31 December this year. Even if it will be 31st, I think it will not be actual countdown live until midnight and will not be broadcasted. Anyway some lucky people may see ayu live at the new year eve. Will not be surprised if it will be "TeamAyu only" show. Will not be surprised if this venue was mentioned by mistake either

:roflmao

Would be a nice surprise and she has been more on TV this year than usual, I think there could be a real chance for this... although she seems so tour-tour-tour now so maybe the schedule won't allow it...

Countdown Live is official!
Tokyo International Forum!

Countdown Live is back??? Seriously???

Only one date in hall venue, tickets will be very hard to get this time xD

It's a big hall with 5k seats though.
For comparison - two of the arena venues from her 20th anniversary tour earlier this year had a capacity of 4k and 6k respectively.

Tickets for the 31st at yoyogi were hard enough as it x_x I never had a problem with the 29th and 30th dates, but in the 3 years of CDLs I attended not once did I win for the 31st. I had to buy resell from ticket.co.jp each time. I wonder if it was just as hard for Overseas TA, because my experience has only been with Japan registered TA

Saw a short clip on twitter, it was a japanese singing competition (?) and there was this french contestant and she sang Voyage, she did good imo but I wonder what show it is.

I've seen soooo many people sing Voyage as a joke (the vibration part) so it's nice someone does it seriously :D

^Yeah! found a longer clip I don't know the show's name but seems her name is noemie beaujean and as you said she wasn't fooling around, she sang it seriously and did good imo, here's the clip if someone wants to watch :D

https://twitter.com/papi100217/statu...10984080723973

^ Wow, she is good. :)

The show is called Nodojiman The World on Nihon TV and it's a singing competition :)
They have many non-Japanese singers on it!

http://www.ntv.co.jp/nodo/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NHK_Nodo_Jiman

I don't like this period of time when ayu touring =( Where is nothing to expect, she will not release any new music, no new magazines, no interviews. Looks like this schedule will lasts forever - tour, rehearsal, tour, rehearsal

I agree, it's been a pretty stale two years overall. It's strange that she's so keen to tour, yet seemingly hesitant to release a new LP. Her discography is huge, yeah, but releasing quality music every few years (i.e. Namie, Hikki) is the next step she can take to keeping herself 'relevant' and having people want to pay money to attend her tours.

Even if she just released singles (and committed to media interviews alongside single releases) over a year or two, and then added them into her usual touring setlist without the promise of an immediate album would be great, as it would hype people about the tour, an *eventual* album, etc.

I never thought I'd get to the point of wishing that she'd release a random single with a PV. Even TROUBLE didn't have a single PV. Strange.

Yeah, I don't know what she and her team are thinking at the moment. Do they really think that her fanbase is okay with the lack of new music/PVs? Cause if they do, then we got a big problem here, eventually her fans will get tired and leave the fandom.

I wonder what the japanese fans think of this situation, because they're the ones who get to see her multiple times a year thanks to all those tours. I'm wondering if they're upset with the lack of new music or if the fact that they get to see her more than before makes up for it.

I think if live shows will be as grand as AT2010 for example, people will go no matter that setlist is and how many new songs in it

I had a feeling for a long time that Ayu('s team) feels that more is better though especially Hikki is a wonderful example of how less can be more when done correctly.

Here we go again at people complaining Ayu is not releasing enough while comparing her to people who are around for as long or more and didn't release half as she did...

I certainly don't want her to go back to releasing full length albums every year (it was amazing that she was able to commit to that for so long), but I think releasing an album every few years like the artists mentioned above, or random singles is a good idea? Just to maintain her fanbase's interest? I will always be a fan of Ayu, even if she releases nothing ever again, but certainly my interest in her current projects has waned significantly due to the lack of excitement her marketing team have generated. I feel I may have responded to TROUBLE more positively if it had received the attention it deserved from its developers.

I still can't believe that avex has not released any compilations or remix albums. And where is the Ayu tribute album??:irked

I just said that it's boring time, you can see in this as much drama as you want's too

I think this describes very well what I'm feeling and a good solution to it. Being an ayu has been nice in the sense of how transparent she can be about some things with her fans. It would be nice to understand what direction she is wanting to take better because for once, I feel like I am not getting it.

Ayu released an album a bit more than 2 years ago and a mini 2 months ago. If I'm not mistaken, Hikkie didn't release anything for 4 years between Sakura Nagashi and Fantome's singles. Releasing an album every few years is exactly what ayu is doing right now

Hikki was on a hiatus though

^ Yeah, Hikki was on a totally different situation, it's not a good comparison...

For those of us don't live in Japan or can't travel easily there for her concerts, it is indeed a boring time to be a fan, I felt the same when Kuu had that long ass tour in 2016, but I guess what makes it "worst" when it comes to ayu is that she's been mostly touring for more than two years with very few new material besides the concerts. I mean, of course it is a lot of work to put out different tours one after the other, it's totally ok and understandable if she can't be releasing music so often in this pacing. And even if she wasn't touring it'd be okay for her to not release new stuff she didn't want to. But also we can't deny for us it feels boring for some of us during this time. And that's okay lol

This aside, I wonder if they still plan on releasing JTB Chapter 2 :(

I relate to this also. I feel very disconnected from Ayu beginning in 2017. I don't know what is going on anymore.:laugh
I don't understand what Ayu is thinking with the schedule change, all the tours, TROUBLE. I have been wanting some kind of interview to happen where she explains where she is at and explain her choices over the last two years.

Couldn’t agree more. I’m completely confused about what she’s doing.
She seems kind of lost. She might not be, but again, she’s barely communicates with us anymore.

Even TA.

In 10 years, I have always been supportive and hopeful and today, well I think I am still supporting but I have very little hope. She had missteps before but always bounced back with a suprise, in 2015 she came back in strenght, we had 2 albums(and A One is still one of my favourite today), one single, one of her most elaborated tour (Cirque de minuit). She felt on a good track, but then it all stopped the year after. We didn't get a proper release since then (MIJ had some good songs but the release was very sketchy and this album really lacked of iddentity) then we had a major decrease in the quality of tours (POM was and ok entertaining and nostalgic tour, but the production was way below her previous arena tours, and with the limited dates number it was more like a bonus tour). I don't like the hall tours, they look cheap and have no iddentity. Timmy is completly useless, Trouble was the laziest album she made. In my thoughts, I think she is either lost or disinterested because I don't feel a lot of passion in her recent work. She is still a good showgirl and songwriter, but she seems to be out of juice lately.

I know what you guys mean.
There were even so many Japanese fans being unhappy when her 20th Anniversary tour happened and one of those complaints were that she's constantly touring without releasing something.
Then she rushes an (mini-)album, so that people won't complain about another tour without a new release.
Is this the truth?
No idea, but because Ayu doesn't talk about it, it feels like that.

I do like how much energy she's showing in recent tours though (if it is not done with overacting and flailing), it's exactly what I like about artists.

2015 was really good year, after that everything went below her usual standards. I still think that her budget was cut so badly. :(

I feel like all her budget was put in the CdM tour. The sheer amount of songs & production... that show even looked very expensive. Maybe avex didn’t feel comfortable allocating such a high budget to her after that.

I think we can definitely infer a decrease in budget based on some of the projects done in the last few years. And a focus on money going to things like tours but still not with as high of a budget as in the past.

There is a way to do amazing things with a simple budget and sometimes ayu does that and other times, it looks like something that could be good with more money put into it

But it's always just inferring and assuming things. Never have any concrete information.

Regardless, I would just like to know where she is at mentally. And not just the usual "I will keep moving forward..."

Bit that year her physical sales were doing ok, it was the first time since duty that her album sales didn't drop. she sold overs 100 000 units of albums and singles I have no information about ticket sales but since they added additionnal dates the ticket sales must have be good enough for it.she was also topping digital sales with a best. she was gaining a bit of fame back in china with her collaboration. So I don't see why they would have cut her budget dramatically.

Yes, I feel the same.

I know we've had it good for 18 years and obviously she can't keep up this release schedule forever but some acknowledgement would be nice. I liked knowing when to expect an album release. I also wish they would sort out her tour releases as they have been a bit inconsistent recently with some not being released and then being released through sites like Mu-mo and not CDJ and YA.

It does seem since the diagnosis of her hearing problems she's gone head first into touring and not thinking about the future and whilst it isn't always the most exciting time to be a fan (apart from the setlists and reviews of course!) with the way concerts are being released nowadays you can't always enjoy a Blu-ray release.

On another note, I've gotten a chance to listen to more of Trouble (there's been so much music to listen to recently!) and am listening to it right now. The cosy/familiar, slightly nostalgic and melancholic feels of aeternal, Words and The Way I Am are really doing it for me right now. I know these songs are quite basic and generic and I don't know how much I will think of them in years to come but right now they are just sounding perfect.

I doubt they have any intentions to ever release that; it is so similar to Chapter 3 that it would be almost redundant (the songs were mostly different, but the sketches and instrumentals/dance breaks were all the same). And even then, they didn't seem that interested in releasing Chapter 3 outside of the super expensive Mu-Mo editions.

I think standard concert releases are a thing of the past now. She probably doesn't sell enough for them to warrant it anymore.

But she recorded the chapter 2 and did the edit, It can be seen in 7 days war.

I just have to ask, how do you know that they are that similar? Every time I'm in this forum, I feel like everyone in here has been at every single ayu concert :laugh:

Completely off-topic, I'm listening to the Party Queen album again and I'm wondering exactly how that turned me off from being such a fan back then? Party Queen was about the time where I fell off from listening to her music, and OMG - it's such a beautiful album! Tell me why is possibly one of the most beautiful ballads she's ever made.

Just shows how much an album cover can do. Thinking back on it, I only associate Party Queen with "weird" songs like Party Queen and Eyes, smoke, magic. Listening to it again, I was honestly surprised that half of the songs are beautiful ballads lol.

Still hate.hate.hate the cover, though. I'm not scared of her sexuality, but putting her butt right up the camera is too much lol, and even those editions that are not that sexual are not very pretty imo :/

I honestly feel stupid for not ever thinking about the budget :shakehead
Back in the day, whenever I read "produced by Ayumi Hamasaki" I always thought it meant she paid for everything herself :D :D Somehow I keep forgetting that's not how it is.

Like many have pointed out, I also feel disconnected from the current her but I feel disconnected from a lot of people since I don't have social media accounts other than facebook so I can play some games :P I feel she's going 200km/hour and I can't make sense where her head or heart is. I don't mind Ayu releasing something I might not like because her happiness is the most important thing for me. So I really hope she's happy doing what she's doing now.

I love Tell me why. It's such an underrated song! I didn't pay much attention to it during Party Queen's release but I relistened to it a few years ago and I was blown away.

Tell me why and reminds me are two songs I came to love some time after Party Queen came out. I still have mixed feelings on the album but these two grew so much in me :yes

I think Party Queen got too much flack back when it came out, it was just after her very public divorce from Manny and she brought in Timmy to be more prominent in her work and some people freaked out about it. She got a lot of shit on twitter around that time, I remember when she was active and happy to message fans and it was huge deal when one of us got a reply from her. Then she basically had to leave because she got so badly harassed by the Japanese media and "fans".

I was a fan of the album at release, I still don't like Eyes Smoke Magic but I can appreciate that its something pretty different from her norm. How Beautiful You Are is really amazing live, even with all the crying. :laugh

I'm guessing this was an attempt at a dig or saying I don't know?

I know because I went to both chapters.

Did I enjoy Chapter 2? Absolutely. But so much of it was repeated in Chapter 3, it could be that they edited them together and decided Chapter 3 was the stronger one to release.

So I just found this

I'm working on some Ayu related stuff and suddenly found this. The song is called A ～La French mix～ feat. Hamasaki Ayumi from m.c.A・T, album called m.c.A・T - Returns!. I can't really find any information in English, can anyone let me in on what this is? This sounds like something from NOTHING FROM NOTHING -era yet this was released April 2nd 2004. So confused right now :D :D

"A" was a song ayu recorded with m.c.a.T that appeared on an avex compilation album in 1998 called "avex 10th Anniversary Presents avex THE ALBUM". So it was recorded and released super early in her formal career, but not during her "NOTHING FROM NOTHING" days.

That track you've linked is a remix of the song that appeared on an m.c.a.T. album later on.

I just had a mind-blown-moment! I remember that song now, oh my god :cool
Thank you <3