Oooh cool project! Haha this is an assignment I wouldn't mind doing!
1.) How long have you been a fan of Ayu? In how many ways has this musician/artist changed your life?
- I've been an Ayu fan for just over 9 years. Right now, I'm a junior in college and basically owe my current life path to Ayu! After growing up listening to her songs, I became so deeply interested in the Japanese language so I could understand her lyrics. So I'm a Japanese major and plan on moving to Japan after I graduate! No other part of Japanese culture interested me growing up (I dislike anime, video games, etc) so this really is all because of Ayu!
2.) Do you find yourself inspired/influenced by her? If so, can you name some instances?
- Her lyrics always inspire me. And I draw her a lot, so I guess she's a kind of muse lol
3.) What can you say about her fashion tastes and music style(s)?
- Only that they are ever-changing
4.) What do you love the most about Ayu?
- her lyrics and her devotion (to her fans, music, career). You can tell she puts her heart into everything!
5.) How do you think Ayu presents herself to the world? Do you think she has an "edge" over others (who are in the same industry as hers)?
- I think she will always have an edge because no one really does what she does in terms of the meaning of her songs. If you listen to the lyrics of Kuu or Namie or Hikaru or any other mainstream artist, no one else is singing about what Ayu sings about. And I think that will always make her music distinct and special <3
6.) Have you ever talked with Ayu? How was she like?
- no
7.) Can you describe what her music is like?
- It's gone through so many stages... pop, techno, rock, trance...
8.) What kind of personality do you think she has? (Is she warm, friendly, etc.)
- I think the Ayu we hear in her music is Ayu herself
9.) What can you say about the people she works with? (The photographer, director, etc.)
- I don't really know all that much about her staff..
1
0.) If you've been a fan of hers for more than two years now, do you believe that there has been a change in her personality in some ways over the past years of her career?
- No. When I was younger, I wrestled with a lot of the "changes" Ayu went through. Back then, I had an immature attitude to her music (as I was very immature). In my mind change=bad so I saw her progression of style as her "going downhill" or "betraying" her fans. I thought these things when albums like "I am..." and "RAINBOW" came out! Now I'm able to appreciate Ayu as a person who grows and whose tastes change, and I accept whatever she produces (whether I like it or not) as an honest representation of herself.
11.) Lastly, can you name some of your favorite songs by Ayu?
- PSII, ever free, SEASONS, Daybreak, Heartplace, too late