So she is gonna start recording soon!! YAY! hopefully ill be in japan when she releases her next album!

Given the positive vibes coming from her and her songs lately, I wouldn't expect a sad/dark ballad :P

I hope the video has a good production value *fingers crossed*

I have no expectations so I'm never disappointed, only surprised at whatever the outcome is.

I wasnt really impressed with the whole colours era. It wasn't bad... but I wasnt jumping up and down in my seat like with Party Queen-Love Again

I'm in total agreement with you. The melody to Sweet Scar sounds cold and a little... lonely. I would love it if they made a ballad like this for winter.

I like the idea of a winter ballad that has a very unique feeling to it, that doesn't fit in the same shoe as all the others. (this is in no way dissing her other winter ballads though, cause they're gorgeous... and yes, I used the word shoe to fit into this analogy thing because I literally could not come up with anything better... XD)

A new single would be wonderful! I'm excited!

I don't want anything off-kilter for this winter ballad. It's been SOOOOO LOOONG since the last grand winter ballad. Give me sleigh bells, HAL synths - make it the most cliche fucking winter ballad out there and I will die happily. I want to indulge in something No way to say/momentum/Days esque. She can release dark ballads any other time of year but when it aligns perfectly with the holiday season, I need it to sound specific to that season.

For example, together when.. Was disappointing to me cause it was released in winter and it feels more like a autumn evening song. I enjoy it now, but particularly in Autumn.

Oh my goooooooooood YASSSSSS! HAL where art thou!

I definitely want this :yes *Prays to the jpop gods for this to happen*

I have to say though I'm quite surprised that a new single is coming along fairly quickly. She just doesn't stop at all, does she? (not that I'm complaining lol)

I dunno why but I just have this feeling she WON'T revert back to the winter ballad cliche for this single. Colours was too... out there. idk. Or maybe she'll chase sales and go for it anyway since her sales have dropped so much...

I just want it to be well made. Colours was well made. If it's produced like You were... I'll cry.

Guys, she didn't say "winter" ballad in any point iirc. I know it's very likely, but still...

In the most recent TA update, she says "winter ballad" specifically. In English too, haha.

I wonder why they stopped working together? I mean they made some of her best music?!

So there's hope :D I don't want to get my hopes up, but I do feel it is likely for her to do something more "ayu-ish". In that one interview pre-Colours, the interviewer expressed how Pray was what he was waiting for and Ayu said for the album she was originally going in a different direction but after she saw/heard the reaction to Pray she felt the desire to make tracks that were more akin to the style people have come to expect from her.

I do remember when everyone was complaining about HAL though. I think many expressed that they were happy when she stopped working with HAL.

me neither. and my last excitement for a new release is back to the RnRC + Love songs era...

Love songs is soooo good for this time of year. It's like prime time to listen to Love songs right now with this weather.

Because HAL no longer exists in the form that it once did. And HAL never composed any of the actual songs, only introductions and interludes. They arranged a lot of stuff though.

ALL HAIL THE QUEEN OF BALLADS

I wonder if this one will get me over "You were..." - Still as beautiful now.

I hope this ballad will be epic. I don't want another Pray :no