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I've been a fan since 2005, so eleven years this year. Crazy how time has passed by... Ayu has seen me through high school, early college, moving out, moving around the country, and then moving internationally... her albums, her concepts, and her general legacy has been the soundtrack to so many important times in my life. It is rare that I can listen to an Ayu song without it bringing back some memory from over the years.
What I'd like to see from Ayu personally is a bit of a rebrand... I feel she's constantly caught between 'finding her roots' (like in A ONE) and then being very inspired by youthful Western trends (COLORS) and whilst the most important thing is for her to be happy with what shes's putting out, I would like her to be confident enough to explore new sounds again. I am... was unique to me because I had genuinely never heard anything like that before, and there was nothing else like that around, and the same goes for Duty and RAINBOW. Ayu was strong in her message and had a clear idea of what she wanted to put out, and I feel like that is missing in her career today. Whether she generally feels disconnected because of the way her life has changed or she simply doesn't feel the passion for music in the same way, I don't know... but there was an eagerness and rawness in her style back then that I would want to see again. I do know people have enjoyed her recent work and that's nothing against that at all - I've just turned into the stereotype of an older fan, wanting what first made me catch onto her music! Perhaps it's just not possible, and that's why I give her new stuff a try with an open mind each time.
Otherwise, simply her being happy and active. I love that she's still doing her traditional tours and CDL and that she seems so happy when off the stage as well. I'm always surprised when I remember she's literally gone her whole career without an extended break and every year I expect one, and she announces something new each time. I feel lucky to have followed an artist so dedicated to her work, my opinion on individual releases aside. It's never boring to be a fan of Ayu.
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