Ayu: Anything Goes [XXVII]
 

Starting a new one!

Seems Pei is back in discussion but the photo is one I've seen on Twitter. With the post they made last year after a hike or w/e together but Ayu was slightly obscured in it, it does seem likely Pei is the dad.

It really makes sense being Pei since Ayu really stuck up for him in the Troupe with the smoking "scandal". Maybe one day we can hear about how they got together as I assume it was after he auditioned. If it was before I wonder how he got on her radar?

Ayu knows what she wants and when she wants it, so I'm glad she appears to be living without regrets.

I hope we don't find out about the father and other details, because her private life has always been a mess and nothing positive came out of it, only damage to her image.

Yeah I’m cool with never knowing who the dad is. I do not want to see another s-storm

It'll become clear anyway if it is him whenever they hang out or something and tabloids or accounts pop up.

I think the storm already happened when she was very close to Pei in the short time after he was recruited.

This whole situation along with a few others makes a fan a bit sad since rather than talk about her music it's all stuff about her personal life in recent years.

Ayu never acknowledged the situation when the photos came up last year and well...people moved on for the most part I guess

I thought that was great. I think fans are going to do and say what they want - same for the public. Her taking the time to share her thoughts or provide insight never really matters imo - it just fuels the drama. Like there are people who are going to be rude, upset, and not show empathy to her regardless, so what's the point??

I can see why she thought about keeping her child a secret forever. I'd totally understand. And although she didn't have to, just seeing some the comments that came up after her child announcement, it was probably for the best she didn't say anything while pregnant.

I too hope we don't find out the father. Or anything else tbh. It's still her choice to share the details of her life and speak her truth, and I'd love to listen. But at the end of the day, I just hope for her happiness :)

Wouldn't mind some expression through music though...

I found out today that Ayaka Sasaki from Momoiro Clover Z covered Ayu's Honey and A song for xx during her arena concert in 2016. I think most, if not all, songs she performed were covers.
HONEY https://vimeo.com/385661013
A song for xx https://www.bilibili.com/video/av12799980

I had a dream last night that Ayu released a new full album on Spotify as a surprise.
We also had one or two new DVDs, supposedly from TROUBLE tour except that she was singing new songs lol

It wasn't very satisfying though because in my dream I never had the time to listen to the album and it seemed that people didn't care about this release so it was a real bummer

The trouble era is not over, so new music is unlikely.
Maybe her child will inspire her though.

^ This is how I'd love things to go and I think that these are pretty realistic/reasonable expectations :

- Ayu finishes TROUBLE tour in August 2020, a couple of months later she releases a big 3-DVD box consisting of 1 DVD from each TROUBLE chapter
- She offers us a great 2020-2021 CDL
- She doesn't tour at all during 2021, rather focusing on her personal life and writing down lyrics.
- Then either at the very end of 2021 (november/december) or January 1st 2022 she releases a full album

I'm very curious to see what path she will choose after August 2020...

that has to be the most annoying voice I ever heard

Of course I want a new album too but I'd be very happy already if we simply get a DVD of Promised Land.

Wow this is really bad

Should be summer 2018 when he (and two others) joined

I want to know if the father will have to pay child support.

This.
The only thing I rly wann know/see is a babybelly photo (I imagine it whould look so sweet) and the name of the child. I don´t care for a photo, the father or other private stuff to be honest

I would actually like to see the room of the baby. Like I bet the interior is amazingly beautiful or maybe just a few of the clothing items the baby is wearing too

her songs just don't sound right if it's not her :no:no:no

I'm sorry but I have to disagree. This is the best cover of an ayu song ever. I love how he kept the drama of the song but with his own style, which is fantastic.

https://youtu.be/t53g5VDScFA

A super rare exception. I also loved Scott Murphy's cover of Voyage, but that's about it. All the female renditions I've heard were awful.

I also don't like female covers, but Gackt's was very pleasant


How you guys display key holders? Mine just laying in the box, that's not very interesting

I don't think the issue her is that it is not ayu that is singing but the girl who covered it - she obviously can't sing or was so nervous that she totally forgot how to sing.

As we had some „what do you hear here and there“ discussions lately... I re-watched the latest CDL today and was wondering about WARNING. During the instrumental parts I hear something like „here’s the WARNING“ or „hear the WARNING“. What did you guys hear?

The girl has an unpleasant tone. But as far as I noticed she hitted every note (or at least, the editing did) and she did convey the songs feelings.

What bothers me the most is that japanese people tend to use the same arragment of the songs they cover. What gives everything a karaoke-ey vibe.

can you give a timestamp? I'm curious

I hear “this is warning”

Yes sure and sorry for the late reply... :tipsy

On THIS Stream it's 1:42:51-1:43:04 (directly after lalalalalai part...)

The part that gets ignored is all her public sightings seem to come from the tabloid FRIDAY which is owned by AVEX. So I think what gets seen is under control not a random happening. There's too much that gets ignored and too much read into every detail. I'd have to go with those who say she has adopted, it's not a big deal, but Max wants headlines.

It sounds like a drawn out "this is the warning". Could also be "this is a warning" too maybe?

I just did Ayu's version of the Dolly Parton Challenge lol

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

^That's so cute.:luv2

thank you! you're right, I hear something like this too.

this is so cute—and excellent choices of photos :luv2

hear, hear!! I did not know that!
isn't Friday the most gossipy tabloid of all as well?

It's definitely got a reputation for something. Googling Friday Magazine often brings up a website to download adult magazines in pdf format.

We already know she had a pregnant belly from Mikajohn though. They had not been in contact for a while since Mikajohn retired/moved away so there's no reason for her to lie.

All in all I'm just happy for ayu, and I hope she gets inspired for a new chapter in her life. I've been listening to ayu again lately, and honestly ayu has a song for almost every emotion/instance of life. I feel like I could grow with her. That's why I can't wait for new music.

Also, I think the best ayu cover, aside from Gackt's seasons, must be M where that little kid was singing on karaoke show. his technique was superb I got chillsss.

But anyways, I'm here to say, this youtuber has been slowly but steadily uploading full ayu concerts. Come watch before they get taken down for the millionth time!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8OFEhw3X4CU

↑ they posted the uraayu making! I love that. but I had a channel like that last year and they took it down :P

I'm trying to figure out how, but I had a plan on making all of her concerts available for streaming, but I can't think of anywhere to upload all of them.

splendid! thanks for the tip!

Google Drive could be an option. It’s streaming + download. :D

a song is born has reached 1 008 347 plays on Spotify. So ayu's whole top 10 is > 1 mil plays.

^nice! How can you see the streams of her other songs? my phone will only show me her top 5 haha

^ On the laptop version you can choose to view the top 10 songs. :)

yeah, but they only allow 15GB per account, so I would have to make more than 10 to upload all of her concerts lmao

^ ahhh... you’re right! I didn’t had that fact on my mind...

I rewatched her live of Kanriya just now...

That mix is so haunting and so beautiful. I really wish we got a high quality recording of it for an album or single.

I found this wonderful saxophone cover of beloved.:heart

^ Wonderful! Thanks for sharing.

Here's Princess (ayu's back singer) covering CAROLS :

it's already gone T___T before I could watch anything ~~~
you did warn us, but only now I would have had time to indulge...

The account is still there! Just not the video linked

it was the 20th anniversary of evolution's release this past friday....what an iconic release, song, video, entity, etc

I thought it was next year? Jan 31 2001 > Jan 31 2021
The next 20th anniversary commemoration is the vogue~Far away~SEASONS trilogy April 26, May 17, June 7 2000 > 2020

whoops!!

Still an iconic release lol :yes

It's crazy how much she put out in such a short time.

agreed!
the only thing not iconic is the pv imo.
i remember this being among the first songs hearing from ayu back in the day and immediately LOVING it. then i watched the video and was so let down; i was expecting something more epic than that... T____T and she looks so sad in it.

also, evolution is the one song I desperately want more remixes of~~~ (still salty it has been so long without a new remix album)

It was ABSOLUTELY iconic back in the day! I loved how she was portrayed like the megastar she was, and I really liked the editing of the video. Also, I remember the "shippo" (fox tail) being in every Japanese fashion magazine, and girls would also copy the same pixie cut she uses in the video. She was nothing but a trendsetter. :)

The video is pretty iconic on her discography. It's also one of those aimed to solidify her image as the person behind her career and public image.

evolution is the first ayu's song I heard back in June 2002. and yeah, it's 19th anniversary, not 20th. SEASONS and M will have 20th anniversary this year!

let's face facts the evolution pv is iconic, she truly snapped with the look

I was expecting something else and then BAM, GACKT! LOL I love that cover of SEASONS he did. IT's amazing.

And i also love the live versions, he's still performing the song...



I was praying he would release a studio version and he sort of did.

^he did, just not physical

Two interesting things I bumped into yesterday.
Armin van Buuren played M remix during his recent livestream as the answer to sb's request. Timestamp 1:50:11


And the 2nd video is Arena 09 interlude that originally used "Load of the shugyo" but here it was made to fit "Love'n'hate"
https://www.bilibili.com/video/av487...48826547913188

Armin van Buuren is always playing Ayu songs (M and Terminal) on his "State of Trance" episodes! he seems to genuinely like her.

I saw that too! He plays her songs every once and a while. He seems to know them by heart whenever he plays them. Armin van Buuren is the best.:heart

omg I love the PV. it has a simple premise but executed very well. it's just her doing a faux-making-of video but I like everything about it: the non-sloppy camera movements, slo-mos (I'm a sucker for super dramatisch slo-mos), and the VFX don't look dated at all, even now.

also, instead of looking sad, I see ayu as looking somewhat dignified(?) here. there's no overacting and she looks to me just the way she would when actually performing the song live in concert.

tl;dr I guess iconic is in the eyes of the beholder but gotdamn I love evolution

This year anniversary of releases

5 A ONE
5 Step by step
5 sixxxxxx
10 Rock'n'Roll Circus
10 MOON/blossom
10 crossroad
10 L
10 Love songs
15 Step you/is this Love?
15 fairyland
15 Heaven
15 Bold & Delicious / Pride
20 Fly High
20 vogue
20 Far Away
20 SEASONS
20 Surreal
20 Duty
20 Audience
20 M

it's going to be ten whole years after Rock'n'Roll Circus and Love songs. holy fuck I feel old.

^ I felt the same for 15 years of (miss)understood‘s Singles haha :D

I know I'm weird on this forum because I love Audience and the GIFT. I loooove Audience , mostly because it's very nostalgic for me. I really want to see more live performances of it.

^I don't like the GIFT but AUDIENCE is great. Since I listened to it for the first time, it makes me smile and happy.

^ I really hate the GIFT, but AUDIENCE (especially the Dave Ford Mix) is great! I‘m a huuuge fan of UNITE! which also seems to get more hate than love...

I really love The GIFT. The video is gorgeous too.

9/10 years from now "it's the 10 year anniversary of nothing"

^ lmao stop, this is so sad :dead2

Gotta say, jpop as a whole DELIVERED in 2010. ayu gave us two fuckintastic full albums and videos like Microphone, Sexy little things, Don't look back, Virgin Road... AND ROCKNROLL CIRCUS TOUR!! Up to date it's still on my top 3 fav tours of hers.
Hikki released her second best and the new tracks imo were all great, Kuu held her 10th anniversary with amazing concerts, namie was holding P<F Tour, and so many more stuff from other soloists... Gosh, I know the scene in the Japanese market has changed a lot, and to each one their taste, but the difference in the amount of activity that the female soloists were involved in back then versus now is just sad.

Lmao

Let me hug you. It's great to have compny!!

I like The GIFT but I do think it is one of the safest songs she ever released. It's a nice pleasant ballad but it felt a bit bland for Ayu. But AUDIENCE I simply love. I never get tired of it. It's so fun and full of energy.;)
As for the 10 year anniversary of Ayu's 2010 activities, I also feel so old. The whole 2020 new year, new decade has me feeling mind blown about how much time has gone by.

I again had a dream of ayu releasing new songs lol
As part of her tour she sang a new song as a surprise called "you", it was also confirmed that there was a new song called "me" that would be released after "you" lol Dream me forgot there was already a song called YOU in her discography

Well she has had "Hana" then "FLOWER" way later so... anything is possible. I could see her doing a song called Me & You one day, lol.

And with the 'anniversary of nothing', that is a lot of people's careers in general, it's sort of insane that Ayu kept going as long as she did with new releases.

Congrats. You just made me feel way old too :tired

I was in my final year of high school and starting my first year of university during RnRC / LS era. I also feel old

I was also nearly at the end of my high schooling in 2010. It's amazing to think it has been a decade. :S

On another note, the glitter/fated covers are so pretty. I'm not sure why I didn't appreciate them at the time, but they're so glitzy and vibrant.

If it weren't for YOU this would be great.

I love that Armin seems to like Ayu so much! His and Above & Beyond's remixes of her songs are some of my favorites. God, that remix of M is still so f'n stellar and takes me right back...

Okay, cool, 15 years since I was half-way through college?! *sobs*

We need Ayu Trance 5 that will include Armin van Buuren remixes.

^ Yes! I mean Ayu with trance sound are everything

Armins sound is terrible these days. We need Giuseppe Ottaviani, Arctic Moon, Allen Watts, Craig Connelly, Sean Tyas, Standerwick, Simon O’Shine, Solarstone, Factor B, Cold Blue.

You‘re right! Even if I love Terminal...
I don’t get the extremely love for his appears remix.
This mix and Ferry Corsten‘s kanariya Remix are the most boring ones on ayu trance for me.
I prefer Kyau & Albert‘s appears Remix a hundred times over Armins.

YEESSSSSS!!! :luv2:luv2:luv2 That mix is sublime!

Remo-con also did great job on Wake me up

Every track on ayutrance 3 was a winner for me
Real Me being one of her best.

honest to gods, trance is my very first introduction to ayu—the Above and Beyond Remix of M. life was never the same ever since :laugh

^
^ The Real me Remix is everything! It’s among my favorite remixes of her. I enjoy that Mix much more than the original version. :D
And as you said, ayu trance 3 is amazing. The only mix I dislike on it is NEVER EVER.

^ M (Above & Beyond Remix) is a Legend! It’s nearly 20 years old and never lost it’s magic.

perhaps the only thing I dislike about ayu-trance 3 and the rest of the remix albums in the same batch is the fact that they're all in the non-stop mega mix style. the remixes are generally enjoyable, but I would have preferred the songs with actual starts and ends.

thanks to this, I ended up checking the Kyau & Albert's remix and you're right! I love this!

ayu trance and ayu trance 3 are including just standalone tracks.
The same for the first three ayu-ro mix albums.
But for ayu-mi-x III, ayu-mi-x IV and ayu-mi-x 5 and ayu-mi-x 7 you’re right.
The last one have standalone club mixes as a download album.

Do any of you ever think Ayu's style shares similarities with Jlo, namely in the earlier 00's?

^ I remember how I found Jlo looking like ayu in 'All I have' PV.

I thought so too!!!!

Definitely :)

Jlo in early 2000s, and Paris Hilton in mid 2000s. With hints of Britney here and there lol.

Have you tried uploading on nico douga? I know it’s a niche site for vocaloid mostly but occasionally I see some obscure globe videos that aren’t available on youtube. Or try dailymotion, or bilibili. Man I wish ayu contents were’t so heavily copyrighted. She shines the brightest in her epic concerts, if only people could be exposed to those. I was re-watching her performance of Memorial address during ABL, and I have to say anyone who watches it can tell she’s a great performer, fan or not.