[Raiu-Ayu]

I don't think ayu can really do anything. She's had her time. It sounds cruel but it is true. ayu basically went as high as really was possible. In the early 00s she was a social phenomenon. She was basically one huge trend. And like all trends it came to an end.

Part of the problem with ayu now is, in my opinion, how successful she was. Right now ayu is selling well for a solo female singer in Japan. Her sales are what you would expect of someone in her category. The issue is whatever ayu does is instantly compared to the days when her sales were off-the-chart ridiculous. She'll never get back to that again. Even Namie now, who you're comparing her to, is no where near that level; she's just a popular female soloist.

The big trend in Japan now (and god only knows why because I find it awful) is huge, female idol groups. Give it a few years and people will be asking why AKB48 aren't selling like they used to. People will just move on to the next trend.

What Namie, or her production team, are doing cleverly are giving her no signature sound. She's basically had none her whole career. Where most other artists have a sound that makes you go "oh thats an ayu song" or "thats such a Koda Kumi style song" or "wow thats really Hikki/idol/kpop/etc sounding", there's nothing in Namie's discography like that. She has signature songs but no signature sound. Even in the beginning Namie style was Tetsuya Komuro musical signature. When she parted ways with him she slipped into an off-pop meets hip-hop sound, then on to American/Latino style R'n'B, and now on to the modern EDM music that's trendy. The fact her musical style is so changeable is keeping her listenable to newer generations, which is keeping her relevant, which is keeping her popular.