[Zeke.]

Here we go.

I can understand the frustration behind stating your opinion but not providing the thought process that got you to that point. I'm the same way when it comes to praise; it's not enough for me to hear someone say they like something - Hell it's not enough for me to even accept that fact that I myself like something, I always run somewhat of an analysis on every aspect of a track when it makes a positive impact on me, and reference those details when marveling over it in public forum or real-life discussion.

However, I don't derive as much satisfaction over detailing everything about a track that I dislike, because it's usually for rather simple reasons (whereas my reasons for liking something I feel are often-times complex). Diving into the reasons why a track is good is much more fun because I always feel like I am trying to point out the things that I've discovered in a piece, helping to give recognition to what might otherwise go unnoticed. In that sense, I feel you can ease someone into liking a track, almost like opening the veil hanging over their eyes that prevents them from "seeing" the song clearly (I'm especially pushy in this way when it comes to tracks i used to hate, because there have been tracks I have despised in the past, or felt had little to offer, but upon "seeing" portions of the track I never saw before, I come to enjoy it, and often feel if I can reveal those portions to others, they will come to like it too.) On the flip side, no matter what I "point out" about a track someone else likes that I despise, they will never come to suddenly dislike it for the very same reasons. So I tend to compress all my hate for it into a short and decisive statement.

Originally Posted by Corvina

I'd have liked to hear from Zeke, why he thinks that.

As for my reasons why I feel so disappointed in her music since ages, ahtka-chan pretty much said it all:

Originally Posted by ahtka-chan

She had different songs from what we used to listen back then in the radio . . .

Now, the impression I have is that she buys demos in a bulk from whatever western producer . . .

If I want to listen to the types of songs she releases now, I can turn on my radio and hear any Calvin Harris, Rihanna or Ariana Grande track . . .

I'll go one step further and add that the type of music Kumi seemed to excel at in the past (R&B, urban, etc.) was the type of music I completely loathed in America. Despite it being all over the airwaves at the time, I could stomach the stuff Kumi released; it was different - not merely a copycat of what I was being bombarded with over my home-country's radiowaves, so in that sense it felt very fresh to me. Then she started releasing energetic-dance songs, which I have had a love for since early childhood, and of course I felt drawn to those tracks as well. On top of that, I love her cutesy songs - for me, these "happy-go-lucky" tracks, when released by Kumi, were better than any other J-pop artist's attempts at tackling similar songs. She really had it all for me.

Now, as mentioned, her tracks are just very poor renditions of what's heard on American mainstream radio, which I really have a strong disliking for. So really, her stuff is worse than the stuff I already hate.