New Album; Tour: ayumi hamasaki PREMIUM SHOWCASE ~Feel the love~
 

Team Ayu just announced that Ayu will be releasing her 15th original album as well having a tour!

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Tour Dates:
5/30, 5/31 6/1 - Nippon Gaishi Hall
6/12, 6/13, 6/14, 6/15 - Osaka-Jo Hall
7/3, 7/4, 7/5, 7/6 - Yoyogi Stadium

Ticket Price: 9,300 yen

- At each venue, there will be a special free cd release featuring 2 new songs from the upcoming album. For each ticket you can receive one CD.

- Nippon Gaishi Hall has Song A and Song B
- Osaka-Jo Hall has Song C and Song D
- Yoyogi Stadium has Song E and Song F
*Titles yet to be released


- Since 2000, Ayu has had a Japan tour each year for 14 years

Link to official site's tour info: http://avex.jp/ayu/live/tour.php?id=1000145



Album Release Date: July 2nd, 2014.
- Title yet to be released
- Album features RedOne, Rodney Jerkins (aka Darkchild), Armin van Buuren, Fedde Le Grand, and DAISHI DANCE.

RedOne? Armin van Buuren? And best of all, DAISHI DANCE?? YEESSSSS! Exciting times, can't wait to hear this. :D

OMG!!! Yes!
*Mark my calendar*

This sounds cool and exciting and yessss to who she's working with lol

Cool.

RedOne and Ayu? Omg this is too much X.X

Mother of God about who she's working with.

At the same time I'm very excited and afraid hahaha

At least we know that we will dance with this! Yey! Bring Ayu style to the dance music! hahaha

i'm sorry to ask this, but i really don't know who is RedOne..

^http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RedOne - he worked with Lady Gaga, J-Lo, Britney, etc

This is exciting, this time she work with super different composer...

He's produced Gaga's most iconic hits like Just Dance, Poker Face, Bad Romance, Alejandro, Judas, etc etc...

^ wow lady gaga awesome..
thanks for the info guys..
im sure it's gonna be awesomeeeee
is ayu going international with all those international names..OMG..exciteddddddd

mWAHAHAHA HA HA HA HAHAAHAHA WHOOHAHAHA HIEHIEHEHEHE I was just on twitter wandering around while the PREMIUM SHOWCASE FEEL THE LOVE was like retweeted and I'm just like what is happening, this is why I need to learn Japanese. Guys you don't know how happy I am right now I can't control myself. I MEAN JUST LOOK AT THE PEOPLE SHE'S WORKING WITH HOW CAN YOU NOT BE EXCITED! And yay for Premium and NEW ALBUM!! AHS really guessed it right lol she is going to tour after all. And now everything made much more sense because she's been waiting for her 16th Anniversary to announce this wow what was the point of all that discussion about "Is ayu going to announce anything or what."

And that logo! *gasps* Thank God this logo is so freaking cool. seems like her team aren't being lazy right now.

Premium sounds nice!!!

July 2?
Whoa, I'll be in Japan for then!
So besides the shibuya tsutaya or whatever, any other ordinary tsutaya will have the album right?

Holy hell, that's one hell of a list of collaborators. Looking forward to it, of course!

So excited to hear from those international composers! Really expecting big things from this album.

OMGGGGG Can't believe she is working with RedOne!!!! Made so many good stuff!!!! =DDDD The others are awesome too!!!! ayu great job!!! =DD

SUPER EXCITED!!

I have no words OMG I'M FANGIRLING SO HARD RIGHT NOW I MEAN REDONE, ARMIN VAN BUUREN, DAISHI DANCE KYA. AND THE TITLE OF THE TOUR AND THE ALBUM AND KYA!!!!!!!! AYU YOU TROLL

I'm so excited for this!! I love the logo and the fact that the tour is premium!

I am excited we have a release date, but really afraid how will this turn out...Don't like most of the people she is working with. Even though RedOne has done nice things for GaGa~

What does the premium actually mean? Like, more songs or something?

^ Well, if PREMIUM CDL is any indication, this tour will be the one A BEST LIVE should've been. (Of course, that's just my opinion.)

Oh, and not to mention ARMIN VAN FUCKING BUUREN.

Yeah, I think Ayu finally realized her 15th kinda sucked (also my opinion lol)

I'm afraid that her album turn into something really generic and too much american. I hope she really put her soul in the songs.
Wait & see.

edit: I wonder how the showcase'll be. Big concert or simple (as Pom tour or limited TA concert tour)?

It's going to be big.

Holy. Crap.

Each venue has a CD with 2 new songs. Means 6 new songs in total.
Plus Pray, Feel the love, Merry go round and Hello new me... so with interludes probably a 12 track album?

I am excited that she`s doing something different!
Those producers are great, though that doesn`t automatically mean the songs will be good.
Let`s wait and see, this is nice to wait for at least! :)

I don't want to held my expectation too high, yes it sound like a promising album, but with all that DJ and producers, this might end up into an EDM album. And Pray would be like a bonus song. Hmmm....

oh i thought the CD with 2 new tracks will be the same tracks in every venue?
so it'll be 6 new songs? we might get to listen to the previews or recorded versions then? i hope. lol

Pray and Hello new me will probably be close to each other on the album.

This is pretty exciting... I don't think she's ever had such a different take on her albums. Usually it was just 'her old team' with maybe one or two new collaborators but most of this album is like m-flo and other EDM-producers.

Oh and as for the new album, will all of the tracks be revealed beforehand due to the free CDs? So 6 tracks plus Hello new me plus Pray plus Feel the love/Merry-go-round? Then some interludes? I'd hope that they'll keep some songs a secret.

The description for the show seems to indicate that this is probably her most innovative tour ever. It's why they are only holding it in three cities, I think. Also the price is a bit higher than normal but the CD might be included in that price. (8600yen vs. 9300yen now)

im stoked *.* OMG I WANNA HEAR IT ALREADY!!!!!! Pray is gonna feel so weird now HAHA

I actually get the vibe with that "Premium Tour" that they want to do something special for the 15th album and to be able to tour at all this year.
The tour will be held in just three big cities.
A marketing decision for the album probably.

It could be the stage is an issue so they cannot have the tour in some smaller venues... we'll see when the tour starts what... next month!?

Seems like the album will still be going in a very House/Trance route?

I hope it will be a good mix though..House->Rock->Ballad->Pop/Trance

are Pray and Hello new me included in the 6 new songs to be distributed?

I'm happy that a tour is coming our way, but only three cities? Hopefully this means a special stage or something new entirely!

No, all of the songs that are distributed have yet to be titled.

Also it would be nice if she did a July 2nd for the album since the release date kind of fits.

ohh haha ok i see. I hope it wont be just 6 new songs
(+ Tell All, Feel the love, MGR, Pray, Hello new me)

Yea! or she should just make it July 1st hahaha

Honestly praying that with a scaled down tour this year, next year's tour is gonna be BIGGER and *coughasiatourcough*

OMGGGG this is awesome news!!!! a premium limited tour to showcase her new album!! i love the new approach to promote the album even before it is release :) anticipating!!

FMLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL ILL BE IN JAPAN 6/2-6/11 -_-

like ho shes working with....
and talk about a small tour... wow.
just wow.

I am officially excited for this album now! RedOne, Darkchild, Armin, AND DAISHI DANCE?! Please don't mess this up Ayu!

AYU!!!!!!!!!! I'm so excited for this!! I bet the tour is going to be amazing !! And a july album!!!!!!!! Hoping for some experiments on the album.

The same here...i'm really afraid! But on the other hand....i can't wait and i'm very excited.

I don't give two craps about who these people she is working with are as I don't listen to that kinda stuff most the time but mega yay for new album!! I'm excited :D

She's working with DAISHI DANCE I literally don't need anything else in my life right now what is air

I love the logo! It looks like it's the first time she's using a logo without the iconic 'A' in it

AYU AND ARMIN DREAMS COME TRUE MY GOD!!!

Yay for news! Excited for this tour and album! I want to get my hands on those 2 song limited edition CDs!

I look forward for everything!!! her 16th anniversary is more interesting than her 15th XD

The announcement didn't have "15th anniversary song Tell All" so it probably won't be there.

1.Feel the love
2.Merry-go-round
3.Pray
4.Hello new me
5.RedOne song
6.Armin Van Buren song
7.Darkchild song
8.Fedde Le Grand song
9.DAISHI DANCE song
10. New song
11. New song
12. New song
13 New song/Interlude
14. Interlude
15. Interlude/Introduction?

In case the album would have 14-16 tracks. Hopefully minimum of 12 with just 1 interlude lol.

Just guessing, but it would be great if it would be more than 6 new songs. The DJs cover 5 songs. Unless if they will play Hello new me there but hopefully not (for the sake of more new songs).

I'm happy that ayu finally works with new people as well, at least she tries and some of them are huge, that no other in jpop worked with.
They are probably new made for ayu and not demo taken as well.

I kinda smelled that they might release new album info on the anniversary day lol.
I'm glad ayu changing things up with the album/tour.

8 days before my birthday, yay!!!! :luv2

Great news, 6 new songs and those producers she is working with, very interesting. Hope they don't westernise her sound *too* much.

I'm pretty sure Tsutaya is rental-only. Try Tower Records in Shibuya or Shinjuku Station for better luck.

Also, YAY SHE'S RELEASING AN ALBUM WHILE I'M HERE! I really need to go to this tour. Like, this might be my one chance. :weep

You can buy stuff at Tsutaya as well.

^ yeah, bought most of my stuff from Tsutaya last year as it was 5min away from my flat.

I feel it's gonna be a pain in the ass to get tickets.. Better try with TA ASAP.
I'm a little bit skeptical, I can't picture ayu with these producers for some reason... Hopefully I'll like it :)

Hopefully, it won't.

awwwwwwwwww not July 1st? Dang lol

Well I'm super stoked.......this is one of the most advanced notices we've had for her album before, right?

I'm excited for something new and fresh, yet in the meantime, to quote Yoake :I hope she won't do the same lame sounds every popstar is doing right now... Wait and see...

I wonder will we get more Sparkle-sounding songs if she's working with DJs :p I'm pretty excited to hear what she does with RedOne :) I tend to like his stuff :) U wonder will they do the whole "Ayu. RedOne." at the start of the song like he normally does haha

Bitch is gonna serve Namie her hot shit on a silver platter with this release...

Excited to see armin and red one. It's a weird emotion cause this sounds exciting but has the potential for an album that is only fresh upon release. Longevity may be drowned out by Americanized sound. Really missing her jpop sound and ROCK tracks at the moment. But this should be a fun release. And way better than LOVE again.

Don't know if new album will be good or not upon reading the producers worked with some western big names...
Anyway I regret not sticking to my initial plan of vacationing in Japan else I can catch the concert in May!

OH MY GOD
GUESS WHAT?

Itano Tomomi's debut album is also scheduled to be released on July 2nd!

Excited!! Armin!!!!

I APPROVE.

Those Western producers make so much awesome music that I can't help but get excited as hell. Hell, RedOne? Armin van Buuren? Darkchild? I feel like I've died and gone to heaven. 8D

I hope she can fill the stadium for those dates for her tour too. ST02 was so awesome that I'm curious to know what this new concert will be like. :3

You're not serious... I love tomomi but I prefer ayu to get #1. UGH! No #1 for ayu then =P

I'm super excited to see who will get number 1 spot!!! I'm really curious! I think I support them both but omg I'm so excited about it!

RedOne, Armin van Buuren and Daishi Dance? Wow that's an impressive list.

I don't think ayu has a chance. All of tomomi's singles sold more than ayu's Feel the love/Merry-go-round (the recent one not by tones but still...) and she's relatively new and she was at AKB48, her album should sell at least around 100,000 while ayu's... hopefully 50,000-60,000 =P

Jeez... it will be strange to see how Tomochin wins over ayu :/

Tomomi's songs never really made an impact... But hey at least Ayu's album looks promising~ :)

Those complaining about Americanization do realise that Darkchild is the only American producer on that list? The rest (apart from the Japanese Daishi Dance) are European dance producers..

Sometime AKB48 act not doing really good in term of album sales...but we will see...
in fact...i don't think Ayu can get number one against her...

Tomoni's physical sales aren't really that impressive..her flop attempt at being Ayu (her last single 'little') pretty much sold the same amount as Feel The Love.

Am I the only one excited for Darkchild??? I love his work!

Yeah, I really wish she would not buy into the whole producer craze that's been so at the forefront of pop the past couple of years. Nowadays, it's basically become a game of "who has the most relevant producers" etc. and her music has always been great because SHE basically produced it, so I'm really worried that the album is going to not sound like her sound at all. 'Cause I listen to her for that sound that's really unique to her, and tbh if I wanted to hear super sparkly production I'd go listen to ZEDD or Namie :<

And honestly, it's one of those things where I feel like, if you TRY to make the production the focal point of your music, which is what she's apparently doing here, then it REALLY has to be tight, really current production... And she hasn't shown me personally that she even understands what that sounds like yet lol. So I'm wary for now and really wish she'd just go back to what she does well...

At least, the plus side for me is that if she's working with these people, hopefully it'll be well produced and not terribly mixed/mastered like much of Party Queen, R'n'RC etc. were. And the RedOne, Armin van Buuren and Daishi Dance songs will likely be bops lol

This album features lots of International elements.

Feel the Love <- DJ Hello Kitty
Merry-go-around <- m-flo

Pray <--?
Hello new me <-- ?

But they don't sound like

RedOne
Rodney Jerkins (aka Darkchild)
Armin van Bururen
Fedde Le Grand
DAISHI DANCE


SO, WE SHOULD HAVE SOME AWESOME DANCE SONGS UNRELEASED!

THIS ALBUM SHOULD ROCK!

I wonder if when she mentioned that rock was coming up, that was the one track aside from Hello new me that wasn't going to be produced by a new face.

Also I am curious if Hello new me was a result of the 'new direction' she wanted to talk after the Pray release and reception. The rest of the album seems pretty 'new' like that she was originally going for IMO.

RedOne's tracks for Mylene Farmer don't have those, and both sound pretty mylene-ish:

Keep her comments in mind from her ViVi interview (translated by chocopockymaster)~

Thank you tokyoxjapanxfan for posting information about the upcoming album release and tour! I'm so excited that we're getting a new album soon and from what everyone has been saying, the songs should be quite diverse due to the different producers working on them. Also, I love the fact that her tour is a "Premium Showcase." Between her latest song "Hello, new me" and her tour being called a showcase, it seems like we're going to see a new side of Ayu! Although I would like to wait until I have the album in hand to listen to the rest of the album tracks, I really hope the attendees of the tour share the songs on the CDs that are being given out.

I'm really excited for the music, but she NEEDS to comeback with a nice and different concept! If the album cover is anything like we've got since LOVE again, this is gonna be just another disappointment. I want artistic ayu back, with all her ideas and extravagance!

RedOne, Fede, Armin, DAISHI DANCE... Wow! That are great artists. The right combination AYU needed to top the charts once and better than LOVE again did?

I'm not sure if these producers will give the album a new sound at all, but at least it'll be something different for ayu, and for that I'm glad.

Curious about this Premium Showcase, hope it'll have a 25-song setlist at least, and sicne she seems to be going for a more electronic sound, I hope she includes lots of some remixes :heart The Wake me up remix on CDL was amazing, and she has lots of amazing remixes, she could BLAST performing them.

Just hope this album won't be named:
- A ALBUM
- AYUMI
- XV
- FIFTEEN
- NEXT LEVEL again

Will the tracks be composed and arranged by the producers? A song composed by Yuta Nakano and arranged by RedOne, for instance, might help to retain the "Ayu" sound more.

Any Tsutaya will carry new stuff, right?

YES!

I'm so happy with this news! I think its really time for Ayu to branch out a little and update her sound.

Just please for the love of everything holy, don't give us a pastel pinkish cover with a close-up of Ayu's face!!

I'm so super excited, but the DJs thing scares me since that kind of music is not really to my taste..

Okay, really not to my taste~ :laugh

Im super happy about this release so far.... just the producers is something to be excited for.
I just hope they arent trying something new, lol. Slow songs anyone? lol
I hope tickets will be easy to get!

so this year we'll have a SHOWCASE instead of an ARENA TOUR?

i'm pretty excited about this album =))

I love news about this!!

I basically want a PREMIUM COUNTDOWN LIVE 08-09 PART II VERSION -ELECTRONIC/ROCK SIDE-
and yes for 25+ songs + remixes.

NEXT LEVEL again <<<<<< I CAN'T *LAUGH*
it might be named

LOVE found
cry no more

or simply
Hello new me, with the title track being that.
Feel the love <<< this is HIGH CHANCE

Since the Showcase logo features "Feel the love" the chance of getting it as album title is TOO DAMN HIGH !

I'd cry/punch something if she named the album Feel the love.

I JUST WANT THE LOVE THEME TO DIE OFF ALREADY :(

omg I hadnt thought of Feel the love as the album title PLEASE DONT DO THIS AYU

New Album [Feel the love ~again~]

Lol jk :laugh.
I'm so happy for the new album, though. And really excited since she's working with different people.
Pray, Feel the love/Merry-go-round are great so I can't wait!

um.. lets say i am not gonna expect anything good, i don't like any of the artists some of those people worked with, it all just sounds the same borring to me. UNLESS Ayu does it smartly. But i am not expecting anything. I'd rather be prepared to be dissapointed and then she surprises me. Can that happen? lol I guess if she gives me at least 2 powerful, good, rock inspired tracks, i'll forgive her anything lol

I am glad she's is doing something different in general with this new era, what comes to the producers? I have Namie for all that stuff...But we'll see.. i just wish she would get creative with the rest of the things regardless the music material.

AHHHHHH, WHAT IS THIS AMAZINGNESS OUT OF NOWHERE, AYU?!!!
Everything is new and the collaboration list killed me, and yes, Pray is probably gonna stick out like a sore thumb, but WHO CARES. I CAN'T WAIT.
Althought, I'm seriously scared about the title too, lol! Please, Ayu, I already have too many favourite artists with a fixation of putting "love" in every, single title.
The tour logo is intriguing, and A SUMMER ALBUM, OMG, I'M SO FUCKING HAPPY!!!

This album is sounding interesting! I'm glad we have standard Ayumi songs like Pray and Hello New Me alongside the Armin Van Buuren and Fedde Le Grande tracks. Sort of like my fave album (miss)understood! I like how she has a track from a Japanese DJ on there too! Looking forward to pre-ordering my copy!

I really hope the album isn't self titled. It's really annoying me when singers do that recently (unless it's their debut album) e.g. Britney Jean, Shakira, Beyoncé. Also hope it's not called Feel The Love either!

♬ Feel the love, Feel the love, we can dance all night ♬

It's a possibility.

guys the title will be feel the love 99% so brace yourselves and be prepared cause no one wants a breakdown after lol