[attractive nausea]

I agree with you Zeke., less sales = low budget, and low budget = cheap af PVs, cheap af production and mixing etc etc which can lead to people losing even more interest in her. It's a vicious circle.
However, how do you explain the cheap af PVs we got when FIVE came out even though she was still selling 200 000+ copies at the time?

I think low budget isn't the only problem, for instance _genic PVs are kinda low budget, aren't they? Yet _genic is selling tons of copies. And Namie's PVs are always the same, i don't think they play a big role in her popularity. (even though i really liked Golden Touch PV, so much fun)

I think with the general public Namie has more appeal because like people already said she doesn't have her "sound", no song that will make you say "this is def a Namie song" and she knows how to follow the trend + and she doesn't have any scandal, her life is 100% private, her public image is 100% clean and well managed. To me she's the perfect "product" : a good performer with good songs and she doesn't get involved in scandals or anything because she keeps her mouth shut and stay professional, she's not seen too much in the magazines or on tv like Ayu used to during her peak so that people can't really get tired of her too. I really wonder how this will end for her though and when, because like Ayu, everything comes into a end someday.