Basically, they need to get the right tie-up with the right song that might get people interested in her again.

Sunrise with a more popular drama could've resulted in way more than the stellar digital sales it got~

^Yeah, basically what I was trying to say.

adding... it was many times proved that tv performances helps sales increase too....

I agree with this completely. In terms of CD singles, Namie's "Baby Don't Cry" had a mediocre drama tie-in which began her revival of physical copy sales. Utada's last major selling single was tied with Hana Yori Dango. Even Ayu's first #1 single was popular because of drama tie-in as well! Although Ayu may have to limit extremes in creativity, I think the only way for her (if she truly wants to) to be on top again is if she produces some song that everyone would want to keep as a memento, like in memory of a good drama that's been watched.

2nd Day
Position: #16

from 2ch

FIVE #16

Quite a drop =p

it will rise back to top 10 for sure. the competition is quite tight and but low for album this week
here's top 3 daily's number
8,674　Kalafina
*8,327　BREAKERZ
*7,990　Every Little Thing

^ this.

Wish people would stop bickering about her sales. For someone at her stage of their career, they are fantastic. This is pretty clearly what how she likes it. If its about sales, she'd do a whole lot more TV lives, magazine shoots and public apperances. Remember that she has a lot of control over her career? She's a true artist - its about writing music and doing concerts for her fans. I'm sure money is not issue for her anymore.

Ayu having another 'peak', what difference is that going to make to how much you like or hate her? To get another peak she'd have to start releasing boring generic songs that appeal to the wider Japanese audience. I don't know about you but I'll take songs like BRILLANTE over Days or Sunrise anyday.

^I don't think the thing about having a peak is about money, but about her music reaching and touching people... She is an artist, as u said, and artists like to see their work being enjoyed by the public... Like Utada saying she wouldn't mind people doing ilegal downloads of her music, cuz that would mean more people were listening to her.

About the tie-in... People needs to be interested enough on her for some big movie/drama/game invite her to write a song for them or she (or Avex on her name) needs to offer it and the production's managers and producers needs to accept it, what also means they need to think she is relevant enough... It's not like Avex could force any major production to use Ayu's music...

You can draw as much strategies u want to put an already old artist on top again, but u can't really control the public reaction^^ So, lots of times, even the best planned comeback falls flat.

OMG big drop :(

^There were new releases... her sales may be somewhere between 1,2k and 1,8k...

so there's no news about her sales?

^only top3 sales are showed...

About the tie ins... i think its safe to say that Tales of Xillia is a monster of a success at the moment (Over 500K sold in the first week.)
It doesn't seem to have bumped Ayumi's sales much..
I agree with some of the people here that I think most people are just tired of her and want her to go away...
Maybe not forever, but I mean think about it. The girl has been on top ever since her career started. Every album (not including remixes) has gone to the number 1.
Maybe if she took a break and came back?

^ See, I think a break would just hurl her further into oblivion unfortunately.

^Well, to a good part of japanese people, she is on a hiatus since Voyage :P

omg what happened to the sales, i'm so upset..how can such a big drop happen?!

lol. Im really torn between the break or not a break... because it can go wither or... She might never be able to bounce back, but at the same time, just be reading stuff here and there it seems a lot of people hate the girl.
She has her fan base, but beyond that people just don't like her..
Its sad really... who knows? I hope she gets a second comeback, it would be nice, but if it will happen? Who knows?
I know a lot of people dislikeed namie after all her drama, but three or four years later she hit it big and now she just seems to be getting bigger and bigger

There was a poll not some time ago asking people what are their favorite Namie songs from 3 different parts of her career... begining to 2000, 2001 to 2005 and 2006 to now, or something like that...

The first part, Can you celebrate (obviously) got the majority of the votes
The 2nd and 3rd part: Never heard any of those songs :P

Even if Ayu have a new comeback, she hardly ever will beat her first peak... Even Madonna who had a few comebacks already is mostly remembered by Like a virgin... Still, she had the biggest tour ever by a solo artist... twice!

Ayu will have her hits from time to time... and even if she doesn't sell how she did once, and if she never sell like that, this doesn't mean she won't give the new singers from today and the ones that will already debut a run for their money...


Even Seiko Matsuda and Matsutoya Yumi still oversell newer acts concerts and albums from time to time... Ayu already is overselling Koda, Otsuka, Mika Nakashima...