New producer, new composer.
 

Am i the only one here that thinks Ayumi's sound is getting a bit stale? I mean she uses composers that compose music for other Avex artists and she doesn't even need Mr. Matsuura anymore. There have been some Ayu songs that i really liked from her recently like About You, Game and Humming 7/4 but still it doesnt sound fresh.

My Story wasn't a big comeback for her, it was more of the same material. Seriously, does anyone feel this way cuz the whole forum just seems to love this album entirely. I haven't been able to appreciate an Ayu album fully since I am.

She could use some new things, but she already has that.. Ayu has done it all. Pop, rock, ballad, sweet, trance, house, mix..... And My Story contains all of them.. Some styles remind us of the old times with Fly High (the style that honey/replace have) and some of today (game, about you).. They're all in My Story.. So it's a great comeback to me..

Stale? :\ I've yet to find something from Ayu that doesn't make me go "Wow" :D

Zeoh

She's definately getting a bit stale with only a very nice song once in an odd while, instead of regularly like it used to be.

She definately needs to ditch H/\L's recent arrangements in my opinion.

ayu can try some new composer,but Mr. Matsuura is the best people that avex have, also,he is the best producer in the music industry, if ayu don't use him, i think the music quality will move backward.
Mr. Matsuura is the one who make ayu popular, i think ayu will never leave Mr. Matsuura as she said that she will leave avex if Mr. Matsuura is not there anymore in last summer.

I don't think Ayu is getting stale at all. She's probably one of the very few pop artists out there who actually has alot of variety, imo.

i think ayu is still fresh to me, everytime she try new style,she maybe the only one in japan who try so many music style and keep freshness to her fans.(try to look at BoA ,Mika, B'z ,they are always keepping the same style)

ayu make me to expect everytime, its really a good thing

Not if Ayumi chooses a good producer. Say Zentaro Watanabe (hitomi's producer).

Maybe Ayu should take a cue from up and coming singers like Hitoto You, Asuka Hayashi and Ayaka Hirihara who have had a great year and have an older target audience (ie more mature sound). I think she should stop doing pop songs like Honey, Liar, Greatful Days, etc.

i prefer Ayu's past work. like Dearest, Boys n Girls, Trauma, Surreal, Duty, Key and etc. her new songs aren't such a big hit. i can't even keep repeating the cd. i skip to Moments and Walking Proud.

i love many bits and pieces from all her album!

Read back on the discussions on the album, there's a boatload of folk that don't like the new album.

I, for one, was very disappointed. I found the new material weak - stale's a good word for it, as well - and fail to see how it's satisfying serious musical needs. Ayu's basically doing the same old trick, and gets worse at it every time she does. I mean, she could at least aim for some consistency, but it seems like we're in a downward spiral.

the producer of those old singer not suit the style of ayu(most importantly, they are not avex staff),as for the producer of hikiki, the style is completely not matching, hikiki is R&B but ayu is J-pop.

Mr.MAX is well known as a "GOLDEN" producer in japan, he is great in promoting a singer,so, I don't ayu should leave him.Actually producer don't take much part in music aspect(not mean that he don't care the music, just is that he aren't too concern in how the melody,arrangment or lyricis. Actually, the arrangement or the melody is GREATLY related to the artist. How the artist(ayu) want the melody or arrangement to be, Mr.MAX is only there to ensure the music quality or which directer to be used in the PV(these concern is mainly related to MONEY),but the content in it(PV or song)
is not the one really related to him.

Mr.MAX is mainly for money and promoting or what should the artist do in future(future plan), the one who really releated in music is the composer or arranger.

First off, just because Matsuura is a big arse producer doesn't mean Ayu should not leave him. Furthermore, do not underestimate the influence a producer has on the sound of an artist.

If you said ayu's music is "STALE", then you try to listen BoA or Mika, then you will find out what STALE is truly mean.

actually, there are only little variety music in the world, what ayu can try is very
limited, she have try almost everyone(except R&B), if you find that ayu is stale, then listen to other artists who mostly have NO variety in there music. such as i find that mika's music is absolutely boring, all the songs are the same(IMO). that kind of music will let their fans gone away because songs are always the SAME.

hikiki is also(imo), her deep river album's song is absolutely repeated, i find that the arrangement of the whole ablum is almost the same(esp. tokyo night,***i love you). that kind of songs are called stale.(BoA ,mika and some bands (not to name it)are truly stale , their music lacks variety.

but i agree ayu's song is going popish,the main reason is due to the arrager H^L, one of the member of H^L(the best one) had left the team, since then, their music quality have move A LOT backward :no poor ayu :no :no

yeah i agree that its kinda stale... and even silly sometimes(HONEY!!!!!!!)
i can't not listen to my story at all, i made myself listen trough the whole album from the beginnig til the end and i still think it's very weak

i also find it very starnge that so many ppl love it so much. and i can't believe how they post stuff like "well, maybe wonderland(or a different song) isn't so great but c'mon ayu's trying, let's appreciate it" God, she isn't retarded, so what she's trying, if she failed u don't have to like it.

and there is always something new to discover in music, so we cannot say that she "tried it all"

first,it is not the problem of ayu should or shouldn't leave Matsuura, it is the problem of ayu will or will not leave him. the PERSONAL importantance of Matsuura to ayu seems very huge(don't know the reasons), it is somehow beyone only a colleague relation, it seems that ayu put a lot of personal believing and confidence at him.

I don;t underestimate the influence of the producer, but just said the composer and arranger have the greatest responsibility in the music quality, so i suggest ayu may try some new composer or arranger

the most important reason that i don't want ayu to leave Matsuura is nothing related to whether he is big or not ,it is all because leaving Matsuura === leaving leaving avex( the greatest record company in jp) ,only avex can promote an artist so crazy like ayu(in jp), which Matsuura is the person responsible in that aspect. personally, i will not sacrifice the singing business to gain some maybe(gd music quality). if you want to use ayu's popularity to change "MAYBE", then, leave Matsuura, leave avex.(if you guys want ayu's popularity to have further more dropping) :yes

When you are someone who have don it all, it's hard to come up with new things. SO anyone has ideas for new thing?

it would be nice for fresh composers to compose for ayu, just for some change

sorry, but isn't music more important than popularity? i'd rather her do better music and be less popular than make silly pop and be on the top

The album is not "WOW" and it's not her best neither but i still like it.

I want more Naturally and evolution type of song but i guess she's over that.