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Originally Posted by andre2907
It's not true Utada Hikaru didn't eclipse Ayu. Both have very different carreers so it makes no sense to say she isn't bigger than Ayu because of lack of releases and tours since, in the end, Utada sales are higher to this days, she has three CDs in the Top 5 best-selling ever albums, "Prisioner of Love" and "Flavor of Life" were bigger than any Ayu single since 2002 and she is much more well regarded by the Japanese public (since she is not as active as Ayu and she still ranks very high on this list). So I think it's really unfair to say Hikki never reached Ayu since that's obviously not true and her popularity is higher.
Although I think Ayu deserves to be the "Queen of Jpop" since "pop" is very connected to the image, flashy outfits, impressive concerts and PVs and Ayu played that part, while Hikki didn't. But, in the end, I think Utada Hikaru is and was bigger in the Japanese music scene than Ayu. Even in Ayu peak, in 2001, Utada Hikaru outsold her.
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I think that's fair to say, but in terms of hold on the public, Ayu had it at one time. She continued Amuro's reign on the public, starting and continuing trends that the public embraced. I think that's one major factor that Ayu lost: her fashion. Hey, it's still amazing, but if she wears a Valentino or Louis Vuitton dress, what teenager has the money or access to something like that? IMO, her fashion got a little too fantasy, and is great for the fashion scene, but not for the public to embrace.
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I think the power marriage of Ayaka and Mizushima Hiro will put Ayaka on the map again. OR it could be catastrophic and end her career since all his fangirls will hate on her forever.
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I think what everyone should realize is that this list is a HUGE sample of the population. All, if not most, of the list is full of people who have appealed to almost every generation.
Ayu is a relatively youthful artist who appeals mostly to the younger generation and those around her age. Think about Amuro Namie, who's been around for over ten years, or Utada Hikaru with an unchanging style and famous parents. Then there's SMAP who's been around for 20 years (holy jesus, I saw a book with "20th anniversary" on the cover and freaked out).