ayumi hamasaki COUNTDOWN LIVE 2021-2022 A ～23rd Monster～
 

https://i.imgur.com/rY2T4D9m.jpg

[ Date ]
• 2021.12.31 - Tokyo: Yoyogi 1st Gymnasium

[ dTV Viewing ticket ] https://bit.ly/3GF5IjA
■ General sales ticket
Ticket type: Live delivery + missed delivery viewing
Member-only price: 4,000 yen (tax included)
General price: 4,500 yen (tax included)
Sale period: December 16, 2021 to December 31, 2021
* A separate system usage fee of 220 yen (tax included) is required.

■ Missed delivery ticket
Ticket type: Missed delivery viewing
Member-only price: 3,000 yen (tax included)
General price: 3,500 yen (tax included)
Sale period: December 31, 2021 to January 31, 2022
* A separate system usage fee of 220 yen (tax included) is required.

[ Goods ]
http://ahsforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=125428

Awesome news! Sadly, I think the dtv stream is for Japan only if I read correctly the precautions :( but that's fine. It's great there will be a stream so we get to see the concert sooner or later :)

They will broadcast both days??

The second day :)

With her current health status I wish she had just one show at 31st so she doesn't push herself too much but I hope everything goes well, I'm really excited for the setlist!

Ayu wrote at TA that stage will be completely different for both days

I wonder if it has something to do with her not wanting to "give away" the show before the DVD/Blu-ray release of the Asia Tour (of either the final show in Japan or elsewhere) or because she wants to do something special for the CDL.
I definitely expect her to cut the rare songs but I'm curious to see the show :)

i wonder does she mean completely different from each other (two different set lists) or just completely different from ASIA TOUR

I think on the 30th we'll get the same concert as the previous 3 and then on the 31st it's going to be a CDL set list. It also makes sense why they are broadcasting the CDL only as that won't spoil the whole tour.

I find that unlikely. Would be unfair to the audience to sell tickets under CDL title and provide 2 completely different experiences. Also you know well enough that broadcasting the final day only is a standard procedure.

I guess it will be different from the rest of the Asia Tour itself, both to celebrate the New Year and optimize some stuff cause of ayu's condition. I can see them using a round stage for that, so she can sit for a while and it slowly rotates so she can see the whole audience more easily.

I don't think so, she always uses the first one/two dates to see what works and what doesn't, going straight into different show would be risky. Besides, installing all different decorations seems hasty as well.

Kinda sad to see that the 30 Dec show is not really selling well. Still many seats available.
At least the 31st Dec show is sold out

I really wonder how is she gonna fill up the venues.

I agree, but hasn’t she done that for the trouble cdl - she’s just exchanged a few songs which she then mostly kept for the rest of the tour?

I'm excited, what time does it start?

I think it's 22h30.

this does sound like something she would do. it would be insane if the whole thing is different from the ASIA TOUR stage+set list thus far, but knowing how insane ayu can get, it's not unlikely. plus I know that Japanese audiences are precious about not spoiling the set list, so the prospect of the CDL being broadcast would likely spoil the tour if they have the same songs, so it makes 'sense' if she wanted a different set altogether. crazy, but not unthinkable :laugh

in the end, I hope you're right because I do want an altogether distinct show from ASIA TOUR, but more than that, I hope ayu doesn't strain herself too much. she is still recovering.

have great fun to everyone who is attending the show!

Looking forward to the setlist, enjoy the show everyone!

Tracklist

00. Taiko intro
01. Rule
02. Dreamed a Dream
03. Startin'
--Interlude - Dancer Intro--
04. Depend on you
05. Beautiful Fighters
--Interlude - Song remixes with dancers-

good to hear this! can't wait to hear full set list and review. enjoy the show :)

I’m cooking for New Years Eve… any chance you may please upload if after so I could download it?

I am just going home from the show! Wow it was really good! Probably her best in a long time. At least this is a show I will definitely want to rewatch! Her vocals were pretty good too!
She was obviously a bit careful with her feet, was holding dancers hand when walking on the catwalk, but really it was an amazing show! Such a great way to start 2022!

PS. And I am a guy who was disappointed with the show part of 23rd Mosnter Asia Tour that I have seen in Makuhari Messe… lol

Love the setlist. She really made the countdown its own show :) Wish I could've seen it live. The opening with the globe looks SO cool. Curious to see the tour trailer.

There is nothing to see really, it’s a 10 second thing with a bit of graphics in the beginning and basically just date and location on a black background.

^^I meant her standing on the globe. Opening = opening number/song in this case. :'D

I see. I meant tour trailer for 24th anniversary show 😅

Oh god, you're completely right. Sorry for the confusion 😅 Well, in that case - thank you! I thought it was them showing excerpt from the Asia Tour. Thanks for clearing that up. :)

They showed some scenes (and from TA Summer Party) before RAINBOW, but just a little.

a-nation theme 03 was on setlist, also RAINBOW, wow this concert is amazing. :)

I’m stoked with Love Destiny, this song is a gem and the last time she sang was in CDL 05-06?

Surprised to see DoY and Secret there, specially Beautiful Fighters and LOVE ~Destiny~, and yay for PS, WE WISH, SIGNAL and JEWEL

Strong playlist, obviously disappointed I won't get to see Like a doll, NO FUTURE and Last links, but she did say she'd change things around.

Right, now that another CDL has gone by, is it safe to assume that Pray for you was just a collective dream?

Can't wait to see this in better quality! Excellent CDL! Love the setlist and the not moving much seemed to help her vocals. Was so surprised to hear Love Destiny.

I love that interlude after Startin‘

Anyone noticed that Ayu kept singing different chorus than the background singers during Beautiful Fighters? :D

I was in love with this new arrengement of RAINBOW!!! I hope one day i had a studio version of it!!

Nice setlist, some of my favourite all-time songs!!! (Startin', Love Destiny, RAINBOW, JEWEL, Rule, We wish, Beautiful Fighters, POWDER SNOW....)

Yeah, I think she lacks practice for Beautiful Fighters, she made mistakes on many parts of the dance as well.

The qualitiy is such horrible I can't watch it but thanks to the person who share the video !!

I just finished watching the screen-recording (thanks to koumori!) and overall it's a good show. her foot seems to have mostly recovered, as she was very mobile throughout the concert. I'm also happy with the stage, the costumes, and, most importantly, the set list. so stoked that she managed to make the CDL its own show from the ASIA TOUR thus far.

that said, her voice sounded tired from the beginning. she was very composed and controlled in MUSIC for LIFE, while she seemed to resort back to semi-screaming in this CDL and this was why it was difficult for her to reach the higher notes. the screaming also affected stability so her voice became shakier during the ballads that required a softer delivery.

I guess it's understandable that she was screaming; she was probably excited to see people in person in a large arena setting. But I hope she can somehow assert more self-control so she can sing more comfortably in the rest of the ASIA TOUR.

I just finished watching this new CDL and It was a good show. Setlist is good but very Trouble Final from 2020 with SIGNAL, POWDER SNOW, WE WISH… Anyway very happy to see some songs from A Song for XX like Depend on you :) Her voice was a little bit tired for me but we can see she try her best and control her voice. Baby voice is also hear in some songs and sometimes it doesn’t matter sometimes it’s weird. This show has some highlights too like Secret, last minute, haru yo koi, RAINBOW, theme of a nation. Really happy to hear again LOVE ~Destiny~ after all these years even if the key is now really hight for her. Anyway good concert can’t wait to see it again edited !!

thanks a lot! for sharing but the quality is like this(original resolution of STADIUM TOUR DVD)
:D i think it's VCD quality

It was a screen recording of a stream of a stream over a VPN, y'all—a better-quality version won’t be available until dtv make the video available for playback at the end of January, by which point it will probably be edited to hell and back.

Thank god Secret isn't sung in a baby voice. Hearing almost natural voice makes all the difference.

I really hope she'll release this CDL! The show is definitely different enough to warrant it being released in some way, especially since she also put out CDL14-15 when there was AT15. I can't wait for the playback!
What I saw looked great, e.g. RAINBOW with lights or the opening. The petals coming down in Haru Yo, Koi was fantastic, too! It really took the performance to another level in comparison to MfL (which was also good).

I'm also pretty pleased with the vocals. I think she sounded really solid for most of it, Secret was a good surprise IMO. Ayu did well! :heart

Oh my gosh, she did such a great job during this CDL! I am so pleased that she has cut down on the baby voice. I also loved how pleasant she sounded in POWDER SNOW and how she replaced the part where she previously would scream with just soft vocals. Secret, RAINBOW, Haru Yo koi, and theme of a-nation '03 were just so beautifully sung and performed. She could have easily gone over the top with a baby voice but didn't and it made such a huge difference. Amazing job ayu! I can't wait to see all of these performances in higher quality.

Thanks so much for the download! I just finished watching it and man. I seriously loved "RAINBOW" so much! It was my first Ayu song that I ever heard, so it holds a special place in my heart and I just loved this rendition so much, I even teared up a bit! But when "How Beautiful You Are" came on, I don't know if it's because I'm just extra emotional right now or what, but I freakin' bawled. My husband saw me and was like "OMG are you OK?!" :laugh I really just loved the countdown segment so much! The taiko were an awesome addition!

^Same. HBYA gave me major goosebumps & got me all emotional, especially the way she ended it with saying "be who you are no matter what people say" :cry :heart

Another interesting thought that I have not about this particular show but something I was thinking about when waiting for it to start so I wonder what are your opinions on this topic.
When going to Yoyogi, near the entrance there were these creepy guys selling pictures from her current tour for 1000 yen a piece. There were also creepy ojisans asking "who doesn't have ticket?". Obviously they were selling tickets to the show, I remember almost buying ticket from a guy like this in 2014.
Now, when I think more about this - reselling tickets like this is really frowned upon in Japan and in the past 3-4 years there has been a major crackdown on resellers(shutting down reselling sites, etc). Taking pictures is not allowed during the show and audience are encouraged to tell staff when they see somebody taking pics or recording the show - I heard the announcement in Yoyogi before the show several times.
I don't have experience going to other female singers or idol bands, but I have been to many rock shows in Japan of several artists and I have never seen this kind of ticket resellers or photos sold outside. Maximum one can usually hope right before the show is to find somebody who have one extra ticket because their friend cancelled last minute and so they can sell it for the original price to somebody who wants to go with them.

This all made me think that people reselling concert tickets, taking pictures during the tour and selling them outside the venue might be related to (or actually even be) avex staff. If it is an insider job then it seems more plausible that all of this is tolerated and avex does nothing, while for other artists other labels are very strict and this is surely unheard of.

Pictures:

Here are two more photos + the ones posted above but in higher quality:

The performance for "How Beautiful You Are" was amazing and beautiful. I love that she's so dedicated to her LGBT fans and supporters. Her latest instagram post said that the main gay couple in the video both passed away?!! so sad.

Yes I had no idea TenTen passed away as well. Koh passed away around 9 years ago I think? Time went by so fast…


I had a great time at this CDL. I was in a bit of a fog (a mix of allergies, lack of sleep, and a bit of a hangover…) so it was a very odd experience for me lol, but I enjoyed the set list a lot! Theme of a nation got me teary, the lyrics really hit me in the moment haha.

It’s definitely kind of empty without fans being able to sing and shout, but everyone looked like they were all so happy to be there. It was very nice.

This CDL is soo good. Her voice was well-controlled most of the time. And even if she used mainly her cute voice, that wonderful. I cried during How Beautiful You are. Ayu is fabulous! I can't wait to have a good quality of images and the release of the blu-ray. Oh and it seems a bit odd and unusual that she wasn't all sweaty before the end of the concert.

New download link with the file in the better quality in the CDL 2021-2022 thread.

I just realized that the gown Ayu is wearing during RAINBOW (and so on) is the one she wore for the covers of A BALLADS 2! :)

Once again, thank you!! :heart

OMG OMG OMG this CDL is a MUST SEE for RAINBOW!

oh my god I think you're right. glad to see that gown in its entirety!

Great CDL!
She indeed put an amazing show.

I would just have liked to see the band for once :o

Some gems here and there in the setlist (theme of a-nation '03, Secret...), beautifully sang with the same natural tone.
Still lot of off-key notes throughout the show but she really quit with the shouting and everything is more pleasant. Ever since Promised Land she's been quite ok and some parts are a throwback in time vocally-wise. Very impressed with some notes she hit flawlessly.

Hope she didn't suffer post live with her ankle... She was moving damn too much haha!

What a great CDL she delivered!! Voice was controlled, costumes were beautiful, and that setlist reaaally served!!
Got emotional when Secret started, and of course during HBYR... So nice to hear LOVE ~ destiny ~ and JEWEL as well!
It's been a while since I've truly enjoyed a CDL, so well done Ayu! Hope she gets some rest now and heal that ankle properly before the rest of the Tour kicks off..

What a great CDL! At the start I was getting Power of A3 vibes (just with some songs I feel have been performed recently like Startin') which isn't a bad thing but the Rainbow, Haru yo Koi and Theme of A Nation 03 really elevated the whole concert! It was nice to hear Powder Snow again although I would like to see Depend On You done in a non-cutesy way at some point. The cute section was the only part I could have done without as I feel I've seen it enough times before.

I used to not really be a fan of taiko drums when she had used them in the past but they sounded amazing 23rd Monster - added a lot of bass!

I'm not a fan of HBYA but this was by far the best performance for me - it was touching.

Looking forward to buying the blu-ray!

I'm generally a big fan of the cutesy sections! :love
Beautiful Fighters from CDL12-13 has always been a favourite of mine, so I was happy to see her bring it back. Sure, Ayu made some mistakes but it was super fun.
One of my favourite things, however, is how they made so much use of the stage during that section. I'm always glad to see Ayu use the catwalk a lot. :)

I usually don't like her cute sections and this was not an exception lol but she looked really happy so I'll let it slide this time.

I wouldn't mind cute sections if she didn't do that chipmunk voice. I missed Depend on you so much that it's first time in 10+ years that I actually didn't skip it (I think the only one I liked was AT2006 and Just the beginning 3 but it was more on the sexy side). When ballad section came after that I was horrified she will keep the overcute voice but that was a nice surprise, the ballads part was really good.

I'm so disappointed with the setlist that still can't force myself to watch this live

But there is a massive market for idols on these paparazzi concert photos. I don't know how is it possible to them to take photos and that many without being noticed.

She sounded bad but the arrangement with taiko drums were amazing. I always love when she infused Japanese sounds into her songs. But she still sounds bad.

That moment when everyone from the "how beautiful you are" music video appeared on stage... My mouth just dropped and then started crying. I just know Kou and TenTen were smiling from above... And that message at the end of the song! I saw it on Twitter, but I wasn't prepared for the rest of it... I'm so proud, she did amazing.

What’s wrong with the setlist? It was a really good show you are missing out!!

watched this ver, the quality not bad:
>> https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1JZ4y1Q7yo/

i love the show, but seriously, i skip the whole cute sections, she now a mature woman and she need to stop perform like that anymore, i hope she handle those song in more mature way.

The “cute” section is only 2 songs long. As Max said she still needs to maintain an image her fans want to see. I think this time around the cute section was very well done, nothing extreme about it. It was also super short…

I use to skip the cute section, but this year's one was specially unbearable for me. I hate Beautiful fighters.
Either way, this Countdown turned out better than expected, HBYA was definitely the highlight of the night. Also I noticed a lot of old school vibrato on different songs, which I loved.:luv2

I used to like her cute sections but they seem to get more cringe throughout the years. The acting and expressions just feel off lol.

I was overall very pleased with the countdown live.
Cute section thankfully was very short this time around , and songs such as Secret , HBYA , and theme of A-nation (song I tend to overlook and disregard) were noteworthy and of course Haru yo , koi which was stellar. She did deliver it , and if she can maintain this level of singing that would be great.

The countdown was spectacular and I enjoyed it a lot. So many highlights for me in this show. The opening, secret, Haru yo, HBYA and great interludes. I'm happy to see ayu singing comfortably and in control most of the time. I hope she keeps cute sections in the future. Maybe not in every concert but once in a while I'll be happy to enjoy them, they really make me smile :D

Now if she performs Beautiful day on some future cute section that would be cool.

I don't mind the cute section at all but I do wish she could pick different songs at this point :( I know her amount of cute songs is quite limited, so it would be amazing if she could rearrange some "obscure" ones like girlish, fairyland, Party queen and so on...

OMG yes Beautiful Day is a great pick for the cute section!

Watched it. Show was cool - except for her vocals. Always here to defend her and its not like "omg she needs to stop" - I rather feel bad for her. It was all over the place. The cute voice and the over pronunciation made it even worse. I dunno. i rather listen to the setlist. Appreciate the effort tho.

Considering everything I think it was a really good show, an HD version with the usual edition work would be really fun to watch again but I agree her cute sections are getting cringe, never liked them tbh also the "cute sexy lolita" look + baby voice feels just... weird lol wish she sang Depend on You in a normal section again :'D

Hi guys I made this RAINBOW video with the vocal from 2003 and the music from the CDL.

https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1uP...om=333.999.0.0

Enjoy :p

I will rewatch the show in very good quality because I didn't enjoy it... Setlist was cool but am I the only one who think her vocals were not very good ? She did shout every now and then and when she didn't do that, she was using her baby voice, which I don't like at all !
What I loved the most were the songs with japanese sounds in it, it was very refreshing !

Yeah they were questionable but I mean she has no hearing in one of her ears so... I'm not here to judge.

I just don't agree at all. I was expecting a LOT more "baby voice", especially after the FNS performances, but I felt like she kept that to the cute section where it belonged and sounded much more natural for the rest of it. There were a few parts where she got shouty, some parts where she went a bit off-key, parts where she sounded a bit tired, but to me the good moments far outshone all that, like the way she mostly nailed all the ballads. My expectations were pretty low tbh, but she cleared them pretty well.

No I said the same above but didn‘t want to say anything more since everyone loved it. But those vocals were so bad, she was off tune, off pitch and even off best. Even polishing can’t do magic. I feel sorry for her because she is so passionate.

Edit: the start of secret was so bad for example. I only really liked the opening.

Edit: the baby voice was in more than just the cute section (and it was even more horrendous there) and I still dislike the overpronounciation of the „u“ sound she does for the last couple of years.

In such situations, I wonder if we all watch the same show. No irony here. I can only say that when there is a live broadcast and she goes way off I have no problem admitting it. Then I wait for the edited version before I show the concert to anyone else. This time around I have no such problem so I'll just repeat my opinion that she sounded good to me and I had a lot of fun watching it on tv (and with headphones later too).

I was really worried about the baby voice but I can only remember her doing it in the cute section and a little during some ballads but in those the tone and vocals were pretty much controlled so it didn't bother me, I was actually surprised to hear her in such a natural tone in some parts like the opening and RAINBOW/How Beautiful You Are. We know how her live vocals can be a hit or miss, specially during long shows but imo this was better than Made in Tokyo and Just the Beginning lol still I really want a full HD and edited version to enjoy it even more :yes

Ha ha I often wonder about this as well when some people are insistent she’s sounded bad. I think the last couple of years and to be more precise, from Promised Land onwards, she’s been fairly consistent vocal wise and has largely stopped shouting. I like that she’s trying to get better and that the improvements are more than audible.

I believe that she tried her best and we can't even expect her more because of her age, health condition.
BTW, I really enjoy her CDL, her vocal is touching in the ballads.

Maybe if it's something with the live stream because I think she sounded fine there. In my opinion even better than 30th when she struggled in NO FUTURE for example

Nobody said it is something she should feel bad about or something like „how can she expect people to pay for this“. But on the other hand, lowering expectations and saying stuff like „it was not as bad as I thought it would be“ isn‘t exactly good either.

I still stand by my point that I liked the show, but disliked most of her singing (depend on you, secret) comes to mind. I still kept watching, but I would never say „it was such an incredible and enjoyable experience.“
Yes, she is still going despite of her condition, which is nice, but her singing just isn’t good anymore.

Edit: I also don’t want a show to be edited to death to be enjoyable.

It hasn't been good since like late 2007 and even before that it was hit or miss. She's a bad and inconsistent live vocalist, singing in unnatural way and often out of her range, who's able to make decent prerecorded TV performances, I'll give her that. Sorry, not sorry. I mean if the first question you ask about her shows how the vocals were it means the person isn't known for good ones in the first place. Fortunately for her fans seem to be very forgiving and not demanding when it comes to her singing.

I think she did improve vocally since 2018, but she always misses few songs in a show, I still wonder why she isn't using pre-recorded audio for hard parts she can't hit, there is no shame, so many singers does and it isn't like she was ever considered a supreme vocalist.

i thought there was this period of time in 2011 she attended some vocal trainings again and then we got the awesome vocals from Power of Music 2011 onwards..

for me, her vocals truly deteriorated when she embarked on her endless tours during the 2017 - 2018 period and never recovered.

I haven't watched the CDL yet, but I wanted to throw in my two cents about her vocals. As Chris85 comments above, I too think that her vocals have been hit or miss throughout her career. I remember becoming a fan around late 2006/2007, and being shocked at the difference between the vocals of studio versions of GUILTY vs. how she sang those songs live (to be fair, there are a few tracks on GUILTY that aren't "easy" to sing either). However, I think why this shocked me so significantly also was due to having watched live performances from late 2002 to early 2006, where her vocals were far, far better - it was clear that her loss of hearing had had a substantial impact on her ability to sing.

Now it's 2022, and I think it's fair to say that Ayu has now been touring for nearly two decades consistently. Considering the impact that this has had on her voice (alongside aging, as well as the harmful initial 90s jpop vocal approach that she would only adjust some years into her career, and having previously performed while being genuinely sick - 2002-03 CDL is one instance, if I remember correctly), and the further injury to her hearing that she has endured, I think that it's fair to say that her current vocal ability is likely the best that she can provide if she continues to tour. What she really needs is a break away from touring, perhaps music altogether for a while so she can rest her voice. Even then, I think that without some kind of hearing-based medical miracle and proper vocal rehabilitation, this is Ayu's voice now. I would say I think that this is "okay," but I really wish Ayu would take care of herself better! I understand her desire to keep touring as long as she can given the circumstances with her hearing, though.

I mean on the discussion of her vocals I can admit and agree that ayu isn't known for her technically amazing live vocals or anything and I didn't get into her music or performances because of mind blowing vocals, it was always about her passion, emotion and stage presence. I would never label her as an overall bad vocalist though because she has given very beautiful vocal performances even recently. She is definitely the most inconsistent vocalist I can think of though. Usually with singers I know what to expect during a live performance vocal wise but with her it has been hit or miss the majority of her career. I think she has also just tried out different techniques over the years that really didn't work for her voice (extremely dramatic vibrato, baby voice, screaming in songs that didn't call for it).

Amazing edit. Thank you.

^^ it’s all very subjective. Vocals sounded very good to me, some parts weren’t that great but over all pretty good. I don’t know how to explain it but something about this show was lacking. How beautiful you are was everything though.

Really, I still enjoy Concert Tour 2000 and those are some awful ones. And as many people commented, I rarely watch it for her vocals ( i think most of J-Pop is the wrong place for that), but this CDL made me awfully aware of how much she missed - and with that I mean noticeably missed.

Of course, most of the show is fine or say her usually standards, but Ii feel she showcased new struggles here. I can't remember her having that much problems to hit a high note in a ballad as in secret. I will, as probably all fans, still continue to watch her concerts - but newer shows probably not as much as older ones.


That said, i love the Taiko drums (one of my fav. shows by her has them too) and I also really enjoyed the show, as it somehow did not feel as crowded as hose past few years.