I love you right now for writing this LLLLOOOLLLL

Lol, to be fair, we'll take what we can get!

If only they (finally) released A BEST 3 (and throw a never released song or two on it) and she had another two-year tour around this theme, making the most of her 20th Anniversary for the third consecutive year. I guess touring with TROUBLE again is what makes it difficult to digest and it sounds like it could be quite easily to solve by simply getting a new name or reusing another concept.

Updated:

https://i.imgur.com/o7zigRp.jpg

^ EGG IN TROUBLE is an epic win! Hardcore electro-rock opera

:roflmao I am dying, but TROUBLE LOVER.....I will not survive that one.:D:D

Ayu sure spoiled her fans a lot during her peak :laugh Like some people said, it's not that unusual for artists to release new music once every few years (especially when they're not at their peak anymore).

One of the posts here made me think though... It could be a budget issue too. I mean avex wouldn't be the first company to not allow their artist to release music. And from business perspective, reinvesting profit (earned from concerts, in ayu's case) into something unprofitable (new music in ayu's case) is not very wise, basically just a waste of money, which most companies would like to do

Agreed. I hate being disappointed about her recent decisions to keep touring the way she is without releasing new music because I do love her so much that I want to HEAR from her more, you know? Her lyrics in her songs give us an insight into who Ayu really is. I get that you could argue that you still get to see into some of what makes her who she is during her concerts, but at the same time, I feel like with her most recent tours, it's more about just "entertaining" and I question whether or not we're really seeing what Ayu really wants to put out there or if she's just going through the motions because she's not feeling inspired anymore.

EXACTLY. I feel like she hasn't "spoken" to her fans in a long time about her true feelings because she's to the point where she was just tired of getting hate all the time. I can't blame her for feeling that way. It does seem like she's the Internet's new punching bag just for existing and still trying to do what she loves. I just feel so disconnected from her these past couple of years and it makes me so sad because I still have this glimmer of hope in my heart that she'll pique my interest again by concentrating on her creative muses with making new songs/albums/PV's. But I just can't help but feel like she's not interested or inspired to do that at this point in her life right now. And if that's true, so be it, but I would love to hear it from the woman herself so I understand what's really going on. :( I guess for now, I'll just have to be happy with the fact that she's still around doing SOMETHING and hasn't just disappeared. She must still care obviously, but I can't help but feel like she's kind of at a loss as to what she wants her next direction to be.

People just can’t accept the fact that she’s doing whatever she likes, she doesn’t owe us anything.

I was actually thinking lately that ever since Made In Japan Ayu has been into the whole secretive mysterious approach. Made In Japan was a surprise album release and the tour had a surprise appearance from Gackt. Then she called her tour Just the beginning, a vague title for sure. Just the beginning of what we wondered? WORDS was also a bit of a surprise no? Then TROUBLE had all those mysterious tracks uploaded to Spotify and the previews uploaded on social media. She has been taking this secretive approach since 2016 and I think it's not a good long term strategy. I think fans would be a lot more understanding if she just came out and said at some point, "I will only be focusing on the stage for the time being. I currently have no plans for an upcoming album."
I would also like to add that yes it is true that many artists take years between albums, that's normal. But it is not normal for Ayu, not at all. I felt that way years ago but now that it's 2019 it's concerning. I think as fans we deserve some answers.:shrug

I always think there's a lot of entitlement going around...

This type of comment doesn’t help dispel the negativity either, just saying.

Actually that is not entirely true, the fact that she can keep doing what she likes (being on stage) is because she has got supportive fans who go to her tours and buy her merch. If there was no Ayu there would be no fans but the other way round applies too, if there were no fans left Ayu would be forced to stop her carreer, the general public has stopped caring about her a long time ago so she entirely relies on her fanbase. If she doesn't want her fanbase to shrink she has to please her fans.

I wonder what the japanese fans reaction was regarding this tour announcement.

I've only looked at the comments on the Twitter announcement, but pretty much like here.
Some are simply happy she's (still) touring, but others just don't understand her.
The leading comment with most likes is something like " again another tour without an album. I'd prefer new music compared to a tour".
Some are also asking what the misunderstood part is supposed to mean and are confused.
And none of those comments sound bad, just concerned and disappointed.

^ Thank you! :) So even the people (at least those who expressed their opinion on twitter) who get to go to her tours are disappointed.

Agree and need to add. Being a musician or performer as ayu is also a job. More creative and free than regular manager for example, but still job that need to be done until she stop this part of her career.

Perfect explanation for the tour name. Some people don't understand or misunderstand her.

The thing is maybe she currently has nothing to say. Maybe she doesn’t have a vision and has no idea what awaits nor what she would like to do or how to handle her career in the future. She had a mini album released less than a year ago. Let’s give her some time and see what happens. It’s not like she hasn’t released anything in 5 years.

There also might be things she doesn’t feel comfortable sharing with everyone that she might be going through. So I think the entitlement does happen to an extent.

Yup, I’m getting that sense too. Ayu’s Losing her hearing completely and while some might think this isn’t a big deal it is. Hearing loss signifies the end of her career.. She’s going through hell right now, there’s no way with the way ayu loves music that this isn’t hitting her hard. :(