[namiie]

Originally Posted by //hikari

Its really quite annoying to constantly see people say that every single release is better than the last. That's not possible. Eventually an artist, writer, dancer, singer, whatever will put out something not so great. Stop with the biases.

I TOTALLY AGREE WITH THIS. To love and support an artist is always fantastic, but a line needs to be drawn somewhere. After a while people just love blindly and fail to recognize the pros and cons (and there are some, believe me).

Anyway, my thoughts on Secret.... (copied and pasted from my last.fm journal because I am lazy

Not yet: This reminds me of "Catcher In The Light". Classic Ayu voice, and it sounds fresh and inviting--perfect for an album intro! I like the instrumental and nothing is overdone. No complaints here. I love how it blends the trademark ayu-mi-x trancey beats in which eccentric sounds.

until that Day...: A great rock song! I like how edgy it is but Ayu's voice still sounds good. Ayu was right in her interview; the guitar work is fantastic. I can really see this song in concert, with Yo-chan going at it during the instrumental break. Anyhow, I like the transition between the chorus, bridge and verses--smooth and yet still fitting for a rock song. It sounds a lot like "alterna", but still has its original flair.

Startin': Everybody knows that I love this song, but just not so crazy about the PV. Anyway, I like how this song is primarily rockish and yet there are still hip-hop elements to it--the disc scratching and some of the same beats. I like Ayu's voice and how it transitions--from deep in the verses to higher in the chorus. Definitely a good song and upbeat. The lyrics are very fitting with the "TAKE CHARGE!" music as well. Very good in terms of blending opposite elements.

[U1Love[/U]: Now here's where I start to have qualms. The instrumental for this song isn't bad really; it's rather original and I like the opening guitar riff. However, the chorus sends chills up my spine--and not in a good way! Ayu also spoke of this in her interview, and she's definitely right--too much yelling. Not much like Ayu at all. She has to try new things once in a while, but this change, I can do without. The way she sings the bridge and verses are fine though. It's the chorus that sounds very choppy. It's not a terrible song, but could be better. Who knows, this could grow on me like Bold & Delicious did...


It was: A great song! Has that signature alternative Ayu flair--blends pop and rock seamlessly. It's not one of those songs that absolutely must have with you on a desert island, but still great to listen to when studying or something. For some reason, it keeps reminding of her MY STORY days; the similar riffs and vocal style. This song is not mediocre by any means, but I see her maybe skipping over this song in next year's arena tour, like she did with Will and In The Corner.


LABYRINTH: I LOVE THIS OMG. It's so mysterious and ethereal--I like how the smooth piano meshes with the otherworldly instrumentals to create a cathedral-in-a-secret-garden kind of feel. I thought this would be all grungey and such, but it's the opposite. I imagine floaty bubbles and a fancy 18th-century palace masquerade ball in France. A song that gives you that kind of imagery is just hands down wonderful. One of her best interludes to date; right up there with "taskin'".


JEWEL: Again, another song I LOVE, but the PV is less than fantastic. Anyway, I love the straight forward meaning of the lyrics of this song. Usually Ayu is ambiguous about her lyrics, but I love the simple, profound elegance of this song: "I love you, and you've changed my life. I treasure you very dearly". These meanings, coupled with the gentle background beat and predominant poignant piano make for a very enjoyable winter ballad reminiscent of "HEAVEN". The latter, I like more, however. Regardless, this song is very powerful in that it's honest; Ayu's voice seems louder in this song too, but in a good way.

momentum: MY FAVORITE SONG ON THIS ALBUM! This song, to me, is the blending of all vocal styles Ayu: the high and in-charge Ayu for the chorus, the soft, girly Ayu for the bridges, and the subtle, low Ayu for the verses. And the orchestration! I love how the background strings don't detract from the song, and how the drums come in at JUST the right time. The flow and lyricism of the song are also very sweet, and the background vocals have never been implemented better. I get very brief images of her older songs when listening to this one, almost subliminally; I see hints of "SEASONS" and "Carols" and such in this song. Overall an almost perfect song--THIS, you need to have with you on a desert island XD

taskinst: Another Tasuku interlude! Man, I love that guy. Again, he's outdone himself: I like how this starts all innocent and then shifts to edgy and rocky. The creepy laugh leading into the guitars is also well done, and the resonating "oh oh" vocals are good too, they sound good with the feel of the music and not at all out of place. And then it goes back a lullaby-like melody; I get this feeling of having a good dream, then a crazy nightmare, then back to a good dream. Nice portrayal of emotions.

Born To Be...: Everybody hates this song. Why? Okay, maybe it's cause she could've turned down the lights a little in the PV. But other than that, the song has a very uplifting message coupled by dynamic instrumental. Ayu's voice sounds very strong and powerful too--she hits all the notes perfectly. It's definitely more exciting the second time you listen to it though; it takes a bit of time to adjust to the melody shifts. Regardless, it's a good song and not skip-worthy at all. ;D

Beautiful Fighters: Another song I love. I know a lot of fans think that her singles have sucked this year, but I can't help but adore this song. The lyrics are simple and yet very empowering, and the cutesy melody and vocals go with it. Ayu's voice isn't squeaky a la "Honey" either; it's mature and complements the beats, and just perfect, IMO. I like how Ayu's vibrato sounds in this song too; she's definitely getting better at it.

BLUE BIRD: So this song sounds like fairyland~episode II~. Hmm, not really. The message is similar, yes, but the vocal styles are different and if asked how Ayu's voice has changed and grew for the better, I'd point to this song. The highs are perfectly high; the lows perfectly low. The "la-la"'s are nice and soft as well and go with the synths. Ayu's voice is definitely top notch in this song, in addition to the fun and highly catchy beats. I can listen to this song for hours and never get bored of it. Plus, whenever Ayu sings this live, she does a phenomenal job.

kiss o' kill: Is that a chainsaw I hear in there? How about a church organ? Now how's that for "OUT THERE" XD It definitely is different, but it still echoes a lot of elements Ayu's used before--the beginning reminds me of "M", the leadup to the first verse of "Game", and the I like how the guitars blend with the soft synths in the background and that they both calm at the right moments to accent Ayu's voice. Ayu's voice, too, oh gosh. It builds up the crescendo just right, and then softens down to be low at the perfect pitches. It sounds different, and yet the same. This is the definitive Ayu rock song, with a touch of that famous Ayu flair for taking a cliche genre and making it her own. Hamasaki-ing it. XD Guh, so much love for this song. It's perfect.

Secret: The perfect ending. I loved how (miss)understood ended with the soft and tranquil rainy day, but goodness this song is utter perfection in terms of vocals. I like how it touches on some R&B with the beats at the beginning, but it's still got the Ayu ballad element to it. It reminds me a little of Voyage. I love how Ayu's voice is just so clear and poignant in this track, and how the strings and electric guitar (strange, huh? But ugh, done so well!) complement each other. This sounds like something BoA would sing, except BETTER >D 'Cause Ayu's high notes are better. The soft acoustic guitar is the perfect touch too.

Overall, this album has surpassed my expectations. I was thinking that it would be just good, due to the rush, but this is like...MINDNUMBINGLY GOOD. XD I still consider "Rainbow" and last year's "(miss)understood)" as the definitive Ayu album, with "My Story" and "LOVEppears" being the supplementary A- albums, but "Secret" falls just right in the middle of those. It's Ayu, but in largely different ways. The only complaint I would have is the pacing of the tracks o_O It seems like BOOM BOOM BOOM CRASH BANG at the beginning, and then starts to calm down all of a sudden. I would probably change the track orders just so it wouldn't seem so sudden. Other than that, everything is just Ayu-fantastic as usual. ;D