Originally Posted by truehappiness (Post 3192161)

I don't think Japan had those criticisms as much as Western fans did.

Main thing hurting Ayu is a lack of promotion. Like, most of Japan probably has no idea she even has a new release coming unless they're actively looking or in the shops when it's promoted after the fact.

Originally Posted by orbitalaspect (Post 3192156)

I think Ayumi's had consistent criticism over the last five years that has contributed a lot to her sharp fall in sales:

* Working with producers who don't understand her sound very well.
* Writing songs that don't build on her talent as a songwriter (i.e., low effort songs compared to her work from as recent as NEXT LEVEL or RnRC)
* Under-promoting or not promoting her work
* Not building on her prior work in a meaningful way (i.e., doing what she wants vs. at least taking into consideration what fans want to hear and see)

Until 2010-2011, there were occasional criticisms of her actual work, but now it's an every-release bit. With Ls, people criticized the lackluster album tracks. With PQ, people criticized the amateur sound. With La, people criticized how boring the album was, and why she couldn't at least pick an original title. With Colours, it sounded like a blob of songs put together like a mix CD, no cohesion. With AO, people criticized the staleness of almost every track. Ayumi has also been highly criticized for low effort PVs since 2010. The last PVs she invested any significant work in were the PVs from Love songs and FIVE.

So, I criticize because Ayumi is still not the norm, and she will never be "the norm" of Japanese Pop. She's just not giving it her best these days. And we all know she could do a little more to promote her releases, or maybe take an extra month to work on the next album, or maybe work a little harder to make her tours and CDLs different from each other. But she's been cutting corners for the last several years, and it's had an effect. Just like Koda has cut corners and been hurt by it as well.

Originally Posted by truehappiness (Post 3192161)

I don't think Japan had those criticisms as much as Western fans did.

I'd say Japan really enjoyed sixxxxxx, A ONE, LOVE again, and Love songs, but were extremely confused by Colours.

Main thing hurting Ayu is a lack of promotion. Like, most of Japan probably has no idea she even has a new release coming unless they're actively looking or in the shops when it's promoted after the fact.

Originally Posted by truehappiness (Post 3192161)

I don't think Japan had those criticisms as much as Western fans did.

I'd say Japan really enjoyed sixxxxxx, A ONE, LOVE again, and Love songs, but were extremely confused by Colours.

Main thing hurting Ayu is a lack of promotion. Like, most of Japan probably has no idea she even has a new release coming unless they're actively looking or in the shops when it's promoted after the fact.

Originally Posted by js_surrealism (Post 3192359)

Actually, is there any proof of this? Like album reviews, Japanese forum posts, that kind of thing. I know a lot of people seem to take this for granted but it's always felt like a bit of an assumption here that people make...

Originally Posted by Andrenekoi (Post 3192392)

I believe she reduced her exposure as a way to rest her image (she had almost a whole decade of hyper exposition after all), but as she still sparkes interest on the general public her personal life, that always was on a way or another fuel to tabloids didn't had her music to make a counter point.

Originally Posted by tokyoxjapanxfan (Post 3192383)

No one knows she's actually still releasing things. Like, at all. She has no presence in the media sphere. One performance isn't enough, either. Music Station's target is teenagers, tbh. Most young adults aren't home at 8 pm on Friday night lol.

Also my most common experience with Ayu is I always hear "Aww I used to love her. Is she still releasing stuff? Aoi sora o tomo ni ikou yo~ that was such a good song!"

Ayu's always in past tense lol