Like Duty...
 

I think this may be my first thread here. o.o But anyway, as much as I love certain Ayu songs (fated, HEAVEN, Memorial address, etc.), I just realized that I think Duty is my favorite by her. Not the most listened. Not the one I've acknowledged most by any means. But the one that I can relate to most deep in my heart, without even knowing the lyrics. The song just.. fits me.

So my question to you all is: does Ayu have any other songs similar to Duty? I own and have heard in whole (m)u, Secret and GUILTY. I have heard most if not all of MY STORY at some point. I've definitely heard all of Memorial address. And only bits here and there from before then.

So yeah, shoot.

Hrm. You know, I've been an Ayu fan since 2002, know her discography extensively... yet there really isn't any song that's quite like Duty.

However, you may like I am... from her I am... album, along with Naturally and still alone. And have you heard the songs from the Duty album other than Duty? End of the world, Scar, and Surreal (<--- a classic assuming you haven't heard it) are really great songs.

They aren't really like Duty per se, but stylistically, have similar hints here and there.

I must say Duty is like a song of Ayu's that's like no other... that and like LoveAppears said, SURREAL.

Those two are really good and very unique.

I think Duty just has this thing about it where you can feel all of her emotions. To me, it's almost like anger... and when I saw her Dome Tour 2001 performance of it, I could really see that anger.

It really does stand on its own... you can also try I am... as well.

Yes, I have heard and love I am... I remember first hearing that song and cringing at the end of the first verse verse. I continued to do so for the next couple listens and then after that, I just got it. It's weird, that's another song I didn't need to know the lyrics to. Strangely enough, when I tried to put into words what I thought it was about, someone told me I was pretty damn close, one of the things I said was even in the lyrics. So yeah, good call there.

As for those others, I haven't heard yet so you know what that means... Time to go listen. :D

And in a way I'm glad that Duty is one of a kind...

Yes, it is like anger... but not the shouting type. More like feelings repressed and let out in a very refined way.

Hey, why aren't you on AIM?

Wow.. heh. :) That's something that yeah, I've experienced solely with Ayu. People always ask me, "How can you listen to music in another language! You can't understand it!" But in many instances, her voice says it all. Even if translations and such could never become available, I'd very much still listen to Ayu's music.

BTW I'd be happy to upload any songs you don't have. Just let me know! Or feel free to request stuff in the downloads section.

I think that's what makes Ayu a true artist no matter how much a 'pop creation' some people see her as. The fact that she can touch other people's souls across any distance says a lot.

And thanks, if I can't find any on my PC, I'll let you know. I think I have most of them though thanks to this huge torrent I downloaded a year ago. I'm just lazy and never got around to listening. ^^;

That is definitely true... she is one of those very artists.

For me too Duty is a really special song in all Ayu's discography, can't explain why but it makes me really sad and i never skipped that song. Although i don't understand it when i don't have the translation under my eyes, i really listen to it carefully.

And oh yeah, the Dome Tour 2001 Perf of it is really awesome, one of her best perf ever for me... I want to see it now lol.

Yeah, as eveyone's already said above, it's really hard to find another song like Duty. But if you haven't really listened to her earlier albums, I think you'll find more songs that are similar to it in those albums than say, Secret. :/

LOVEppears isn't really anything like Duty...hm...I might suggest just going through the Duty, I am..., and RAINBOW albums (not so much RAINBOW, but there's a little bit of her Duty era still in there) just to see what you might find. :P

BTW, Duty's one of my favorite songs, too. :D I tend to always listen to Duty and then follow it up with Heartplace and/or Over from RAINBOW and Scar (I*think* from A song for XX) and End of the World (not sure which album it's from...:/). I always associate certain songs with others of the same sort, so maybe you might like those songs too. :shrug

Good luck, though! You have good tastes! :D

Oh, also!! I think that (now that I think about it) Hanabi might be the closest song that I can think of. It's also on my list of things to place with Duty everytime :P Can't believe I forgot that. XD

It's kind of funny because those two songs are from Duty too. LOL. So it's really Duty-style. These songs are probably the closest one to Duty.

Thanks for all the suggestions. I can see you put a lot of thought into it and I appreciate that. :) I just might stalk you as your signature suggests. ;)

Wow. O_O I don't think I've ever gotten a compliment like that before. :embarrassed And I don't think I ever got to welcome you to AHS, so WELCOME! :sheyhey And of course you can stalk me! :D I put that down in my sig for a reason. XD Let's be friends! :D I'm not the most famous person here on AHS, but I'm nice! :lech

And not as scary as that smilie makes me seem. XD

LOL. i still remembered that in 2000 when Duty was released, my friends used to tell me that there are ppl listened to Duty and were hypnotised and jumped off the building.

But Duty is a wonderful song. jus wondering why they wanna made it sound so solemn.

Duty was my 1st fav and all time fav song 4ever
I LOVE IT. number 1 song for me :yes

Hehe, yay, I got a new friend! :D And my first welcome too (at least the first one I've read), so thank you. ^_^ I've been lurking around here for a long time just reading through the many threads and people's posts but not posting all that much. I'm starting to come out of my shell a bit though, mostly 'cause I am more familiar with Ayu's older songs now so I don't feel like a total newbie. ^^;

Anyway, I'm still working my way through the suggestions. Actually the only ones I've listened to so far are I am... and Naturally. I get distracted way too easy. :o

Wow.. I hope that's not true about people jumping off a building. I really really doubt it. People make up some crazy stuff sometimes (especially Chinese tabloids). As for why it's so solemn, I think probably to reflect the responsibility and burden she feels she must bare.

I think Duty reflects lots of things actually...

and you know why its more great? it's the best sold Album of her so far from all the original albums she has released!

sales were better at that time, weren't they? i dont think sales are a fair way to compare :/

Yes, they were, plus SEASONS sold, like, 1,300,000 copies. :O

"Duty" was the first Ayu album I ever had, but I don't think I ever gave the song the same attention and appreciation it deserves... I always recognized how different it was from her other songs. There's the religious-sounding choir in the background, the beat that is a bit down-tempo, the guitar which reminds me of Spanish flamenco... It really is a fascinating song. Very different from anything she's ever done before or since.

I think that's really why I loved "Duty," because the sound was so... different. There were several songs on there that sounded nothing like anything else I'd heard from her, songs I really wouldn't mind hearing her perform again now that her voice has changed (and isn't so squeaky :P).

>and you know why its more great? it's the best sold Album of her so far from all the original albums she has released!

I didn't know how much an artist sells is more important than what an artist creates D: