I haven't talked that much about Namie, but when she came up people were like "she's popular!" and that's basically it, they weren't really interested in her, but I don't think they judge her at all. I mostly talk to Japanese people who are 20 to 30 years old, so maybe they're too old to be a typical Namie fan. Furthermore from the way they talked about her I had the feeling that Namie is just a popstar to them who had a few hits in the 90's and has a second peak right now. They may like a few songs but Namie isn't anything more than some kind of idol to them. Whereas Ayu was an artist to them, with the emphasis on was. And I think that's the point. There isn't much to judge about an idol who's whole image is supposed to be superficial and everyone knows that and therefore people do not expect Namie to do anything else than releasing catchy pop tunes, a kitschy ballad now and then and to look pretty. Ayu on the other hand was known for her deep lyrics and more mature style compared to other women her age in the music business back then. Her image change from the mature pop queen with deep lyrics to the more superficial pop diva and an exposed private life is what made her lose touche with the public imo.

I really hope M(A)DE IN JAPAN will perform well in Japan. At least to outsell A One and Colours by a few thousand copies.

But this covers are well executed like BLUE BIRD covers. Made In Japan covers are good but the CD Only cover could be better, with her eyes looking to the front, up or down.

I love alan ones.
looking at the industy as a whole, i don't know how many times i've said it but Japan is really not the country for concept album artworks. J-rock has some edgier stuff, but it's still just that.

I don't think there's anything wrong with beauty shots as long as they're well executed! I love GUILTY's covers for example despite them looking like a fashion ad. They look expensive and grandiose and the CD-only is just a cool photo by itself.

The problem with beauty shots is when you take away any elements that make them engaging (interesting set, makeup, clothes, pose, composition, whatever) and then you end up with something that looks like it could've been taken with a point-and-shoot in your bedroom and you repeat that same style of cover over and over for 3 years... :\

Personally, the thing that really kills these covers is she's just wearing a pretty face and a boring ass tank top and she's plastered against a bland backdrop. The whole setup looks like a Halloween costume she threw together at the very last second and then she stood against her bedroom wall for selfies. She has a really pretty face, but we've all seen it a million times before so a super generic mega closeup in clean makeup and looking expressionless like in the TA covers just... doesn't cut it at all. They just could've done so much more with the basic idea of being bound in rope and then being unbound but they didn't... They never really do anything more than the bare minimum for covers anymore imo. I think it's just something you have to learn to expect and accept with Ayu.

^ very well said :)

well the cover visualize the songs for the first time. youre absolutely right!

I think it's partially cause this is her at her most comfortable. She doesn't really want to do anything but make music, so pushing boundaries with album covers/PVs isn't really on her agenda anymore and it has been obvious since probably 2008 or 2009.

She COULD if she wanted to, but clearly, it looks as though she doesn't want to, so... yeah. The potential is always there, we just have to wait till she feels like it if ever again.

I fully agree with you. I knew many Ayu fans but almost all of them lost interest in her works during "Love Songs" / "Party Queen" era. They used to know her as mature artist with something interesting to say and than she started taking off her clothes and singing shallow songs about clubbing (like most of western stars do). Fans just lost respect to her.

@Tom Punks - You're right. There's nothing wrong with beauty shots as long as they stay various (but that need proper setup). TA covers look like bathroom selfies.

Making music is not just recording tracks and she should know it after being on music market for about 20 years. Nobody asking her to "pushing boundaries" and do something original but a bit of aestethics in photo shoots wouldn't hurt. Looking cute and miserable not expressing that she's pissed off because world is mad and we have to survive.

I think for her "making music" is recording and performing on stage. She is not really as involved in the visual side as before, IMO. And I think that has been clear for a while now.

I'm not blaming her. She don't have to be responsible for everything but she's hiring a team of people to taking care for her image. She may want something simple but that's their job to show it different ways.

Not portraying what you want her to doesn't mean she didn't portray what she felt like was the most apropriated.

But I should be used by now with people around here mistaking personal taste with technical aspect.

Personal taste would be if I'd like her to express something specific the way I'd like to see it. TA covers not express nothing for me and technically they look very amateurishly (not counting the fact that pose from CD+Blu-ray looks like "A BEST" / "A BEST 2" shoot).

As you yourself said. :P

I love the new covers :)