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Thanks to everybody who shared the NEXT LEVEL sales figures! I didn't know JBOOK had such a nifty real-time ranking system. I've also read the many comments in this thread, many of which got me thinking.
It seems Ayu is still in good standing! I'm satisfied with how NEXT LEVEL is selling but admit I was hoping for more. I think sales are as they are not mainly because of the recession but rather older factors, such as the saturation of the music industry and the trend towards digital downloads. I doubt Ayu now commands the same share of the market she did eight years ago, but I too would like NEXT LEVEL to be the top-selling album of the week because I like it very much. It's a cohesive, stylistically different and well-presented album with Ayu's trademark straight-to-the-heart lyrics. It can hit #1 on pure merit, and I hope it tops the weekly chart!
However, I'm not sure if a #1 will mean much to me, considering the sales strategy, which might have been anyone's idea—Matsuura, another senior member of avex or even Ayu herself. Multiple-edition releases mean big bucks for the record company and nice numbers on paper, but frustration and disappointment to fans who have come to expect quality and variety for what they're paying. When Ayu was informally labelled the Empress of J-Pop years ago, she was crowned for her staggering unit and dollar sales as well as the huge amount of unique content regularly released. With new and original material less forthcoming despite the rising number of collectibles, I'm afraid all but the most devoted of her fan base may eventually be eroded. It's nearly impossible to find out, but I'm curious to know how many unique individuals bought NEXT LEVEL in any form, for that sounds like a more accurate measure of success and popularity.
I don't feel the quality of Ayu's music has dropped—quite the contrary! To me, her music and star are still going strong after eleven years, which is highly commendable. It's also understandable why Ayu would like to celebrate her success with the fans who've made it possible. In fact, I'm grateful and happy she's doing so. It's just heavy touring keeps Ayu away from the studio and the television, which means she has less time to focus on and publicly promote her music, to say nothing of the immense stress on her mind and body. Ayu rose to fame with her music and I believe it should be the primary ingredient in her recipe for success. Quality over quantity, yes; but quantity matters, too! I hope Ayu will continue to release good music for years to come.
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