That's what more people should have been saying when Fukuyama announced his single for Dec. 16th. That getting number 2 would not be the end of the world. I don't know about everyone else, but I'd rather lose the streak with dignity. And anyways, it was not set in stone that she would lose either. But whatever. It seems all many people care about is having a record to brag about, no matter how its achieved.

I wish no artist would avoid any release dates. I want it to be a war every week. :)

Noo that's popcorn! :P

But she did use them in WHATEVER in 1999.

http://i45.tinypic.com/23mlmk2.jpg

On a side note, these single covers are beautiful! Welcome back. :love

Edit: seems Deli beat me to it since I was searching for the pic too!!

Edit 2: I was ready to bring out the nukes for this release date!! Time to scale back...

honestly I would rather ayu lose to fukuyama than a johnny's group. Now that the release date's moved, her ranking will be anywhere from #1 to #4...whereas before #1 or #2. I know she'll lose her streak sooner or later and its not the end of the world...but its gonna suck if she lost to a johnny's group.

it will be funny if Kanjani∞ got their revenge against her with their 3 GIFT single releases from 23rd - Christmas Day

after all HEAVEN did put a stop to them getting #1 with regards to Kanfuu Fighting

but somehow I doubt it because all the 3 GIFT singles are limited releases so that could be a good or bad thing :shrug

I love you *-*;.

You act like she's been doing this her entire career. There have been plenty of times she's gone up against competition and she won some and she lost some. Just because AVEX is being cautions because she's so close to beating the record doesn't mean her streak has no validity. I'm sure Seiko isn't completely innocent of moving a few dates around either. And even if she didn't, she was in a completely different era. I understand you have the right to feel disappointed but I think you're being a little harsh.

WOAH!!!

Kazuhiro and DAI????
IM dying to hear the songs now!!!!

Well I sort of expected this... avex always tries to manipulate the charts I am pretty sure they've been planning a release date which will probably get a #1. I'm afraid they won't let go of her streak anytime soon. On the other hand though... I don't want Ayu to lose her streak either.

Yea because Namie is the only one allowed to use feathers in a picture...:rolleyes
And to the point I was making...
They moved the release date so they would be closer to the time of the tie-in's release dates. So I guess if she gets #1 again it's being handed to her, and Ayu doesn't deserve it? Like she doesn't work her butt off to make music and keep people happy? Seriously.

Right now it is unclear whether she will actually be in direct competition with Kanjani8 or not. I'm highly doubtful though because if Avex has the choice between Fukuyama or Kanjani, Fukuyama is the better choice to try and have Ayu win against. I can't imagine them moving her single to be in direct competition with Kanjani for any reason, so most likely they will not be counted in the same week.

I don't act like she's been doing it her entire career. I have clearly stated that it has been the last few years. (which is true) But Avex hasn't gone so far as to move a release date for it until now, which yes I think does call validity into question for sure. As others have mentioned, Avex's biggest mistake was releasing Daybreak as a single and then she would have broken the record long ago when there actually was more validity to it. If she would have been able to break the record then, that would have been great. Now, I'm not sure how anyone could actually take the title of "Female artist with the most consecutive #1s" seriously, knowing what measures had to be taken to make sure that it happened. And btw, in case anyone is wondering - I have very little interest in Matsuda Seiko; I like some of her songs, but am not really a fan so I honestly don't care about her streak; it could be anyones streak and I would still have a problem with how Avex is trying to go about breaking it. :)

just because the promo pic is similar to one of Namie's covers doesn't mean it isn't gorgeous. i like both of theirs, and i think without the floating feathers the pictures would be kind of boring. i also think that the promo pic will be one of the changeable jacket covers and we'll get 2 more versions of it! and i would love if that was the poster..but i hope there will be different versions of the poster and not just 1. but whatever, we're already VERY spoiled with this single so it doesn't matter. :P

omggg i can't wait for the songs!!

I go away for a couple of hours and came back to find the covers after obsessively refreshing this page for the past week! But I'm so happy the covers are finally out and they are BEAUTIFUL!!! I can't wait to hear these songs! I'm kind of loving the ashy dark brown hair. : )

Yeah but since Daybreak she's been able to pick the streak back up and now has a chance to break it. I don't see how avoiding male artists which are notoriously difficult to beat makes it any less valid. What would make it invalid in my eyes is if they cheated the numbers. Don't most record companies in Japan generally avoid sabataging each others' streaks?

Tinkerbell? Aren't Ayu's lyrics a bit heavy (interpret as you see fit) for Disney?

I think Disney chose Ayu for her -image- as a talent/singer rather than the song, which is probably why the song is very loosely associated with the movie, haha. That's what I got from their reasoning anyway...

On a random note, how interesting that those two songs' teams for Curtain call and NEXT LEVEL just flip-flopped arrangers.

NEXT LEVEL - DAI composed and HAL arranged
BALLAD - DAI composed and Yuta Nakano arranged

Curtain call - Kazuhiro Hara composed and Yuta Nakano arranged
You were... - Kazuhiro Hara composed and HAL arranged

Maybe these combinations will work out better.

^ I didn't even think about Namie's picture until someone posted it. They do indeed look similar, but feathers is a very common theme.

Ah sigh... As I said in previous threat, the validity of each artist's no. 1 streak is barely a joke. People can question how B'z gets the "artist with most consecutive 31s" as well. Do you really think they dun avoid competitors at all? If ayu has done that for the past few years, B'z must have done that for at least 10 yrs. I'm not trying to defend ayu or what... But why dun you think in a positive way that those who have no. 1 streaks are actually honored by the music industry? They have the priority to choose weeks w/ no major competitions because their statues allow them to do so. I'm so sure that if exile has a streak, avex would not put them against Arashi at all. Also, yes ayu skips away from fukuyama, but at the same time fukuyama escapes from Kanjani8 as well. Everyone is doing their tricks to get the no. 1 trophy. That's how Japanese music industry goes.

I'm so sure that B'z will maintain most no. 1 (collectively and consecutively) until someday an unknown artist beats them up. This fate will be applying to ayu, Mr. Children, KinKi Kids, and NewS as well.

^ I believe I already answered those points in the last thread about this about why I believe some (if not all) of those artists streaks to have more validity to them. :) But yeah, you are right that Fukuyama got scared of Kanjani8 as well and changed his release. (which I also wish he hadn't done) Basically, I just want this whole system to change, lol.

So, if she were avoiding say, an Utada release date you'd be against the release date change then? :) As for the cheating of numbers, there are actually several people that think that has already happened last year. ;) Ayu will have the two CDLs to boost sales now. But now though it seems that Oricon will not count concert sales because the propensity of record companies to cheat is too large. Or is it just sales from handshake events and the like that have been banned? I'm not clear on that.

Honestly, avoiding other competition is a cop-out imo.

It would be great if there was more variety in who gets number one.

The position now, to me anyway, is kind of a joke, based mostly on promotion and obvious strategy from the labels.

But whatever. Honestly lol Ayu could hold the record now, and it really wouldn't change anything at all with her status or her popularity.

That's what I thought! It's not like Ayu is the only one. To get to such a status means they worked damn hard to get there. They don't really need to prove themselves anymore. Now they just stay out of each other's way.

I wouldn't make a big deal of it one way or the other actually. If she went up against Utada and lost, of course I would be sad because her streak that she worked hard for is gone. If she won, I wouldn't find her streak more valid. I'd just be happy she got another #1 (and whooped some Utada ass :innocent). If she avoided Utada all together, I wouldn't find it less valid. The way I see it, she and everyone else with their streaks have already worked hard for it and proven they could at some point beat out the competition (whether it be marketing tactics or popularity). Just because they're not battling to the death of who gets number one doesn't mean they don't deserve their #1s.