So... after almost three entire threads, I finally had the opportunity to give TROUBLE a careful listen and I thought I'd share my opinion here.
I have to admit that this is, in my opinion, one of her most disappointing releases ever. I haven't been expecting much from Ayu since 2010-11, but she always manages to surprise me once in a while—with Last minute, FLOWER, Mad World, and all songs from sixxxxxx, for example.
With TROUBLE, I just don't feel... anything.
I'm not mad because the EP doesn't sound terrible, but I'm also not excited because there isn't anything groundbreaking or remotely interesting about it. Sonically speaking, the songs are bad but æternal and The way I am sound like leftovers from A ONE, while W is a bit too cluttered. I still bought the EP on iTunes because I enjoy Ayu's voice and I think I'll be listening to TROUBLE in between her old albums. In the end, I just wish I even had more to write about it, but with only three new songs, no clear concept, and no videos... I can barely have a long conversation about this release.
Anyway, I'm definitely interested in seeing how TROUBLE performs on the charts, especially now that Oricon counts digital sales!