|
I have no issue with pointed criticism that is thoughtful and self-aware. The problem on these forums (and pretty much everywhere on the internet, social media, comment sections, etc.) is that we all think of ourselves as arbiters of good taste. I will state my bias and why it's difficult for me to lend credence to the opinions expressed by most on this forum. When I see the same people always pooh-poohing Ayu's work posting in other threads praising third-rate J-pop and K-pop groups, their credibility is already vastly undermined. js_surrealism, for instance, has praised You & Me in several threads for being a fantastic song. That's nothing against him—but if you were to say "terrible Ayu song," that one would be the first to pop into my head (and I believe many others share a similar sentiment).
I think Delirium-Zero has said before "Ayu means something different to everyone," or something along those lines. It's very true. Ayumi Hamasaki has a very diverse fanbase, and our personal tastes often do not align. We're all approaching her work from vastly different perspectives.
It's also quite difficult (and perhaps somewhat dodgy and irresponsible) to attempt to objectively measure and critique substance (which could qualify as any one 'piece,' whether that be a song, an album, an 'era,' a music video, an album cover) isolated entirely from its form (that is, Hamasaki Ayumi—her original nature, her various complexities/idiosyncrasies, her artistic boundaries/limitations, public image, the cultural zeitgeist, etc.) Ayu is one of the most prolific living artists in popular music. She is creating a tapestry at lightning speed. Sometimes you don't even have time to reflect on a piece of it, because there's already a new piece of the tapestry being added. Context is incredibly important in assessing an artist's work, and even contemporary music critics have problems addressing this component with tact and fairness. Visceral, knee-jerk reactions to specific facets of her work are entirely understandable, but is that fair? I'm more interested in what I deem to be the "whole."
|