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Originally Posted by *Petit*
I can't see what Avex did wrong with Ayu...? She's the top selling female solo artist of Japan of all time and she's still selling quite a lot. obiously they did something RIGHT.
Ayu's sales dropped (and chart positions) mostly after she got a lot more freedom from AVEX, and started doing her "own-thing". I know she's not her own marketing director, but f.ex releasing B&D/Pride seemed to be her own idea. And, like most idols, she's still choosing which songs to sing herself, she decides who she works with, what she wears, so If anyone is to blame for less people enjoying her music and fashion, it's Ayumi Hamasaki herself.
She also declined a lot of awards (which isen't so strange cause she won them all before), which are important tools to gain recognition and attention.
Also it seems that Ayu lost some of her "wow" factor, because she's been around for so long. She's done everything; Changing her music style in almost every direction possible, she's done every fashion, been on every show, gotten every award. No matter how many times she "reinvents" herself, she'll still be Ayumi Hamasaki kind of.
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I don't know what will happen to Koda, she's kind of an outsider. I doubt that her regular sales after the BEST era is over will be better than her pre-best era though.
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Well I personally didn't think it would have been wise to put out a "best" album that early in her career (remember she was at her peak then, and looked like getting bigger still) and the release date was even more appalling. It seemed as though they were more concerned about taking away some of Hikki's sales. Even though it sold well, still it doesn't sit right with me.
But I agree with you on the point that she's lost some of her "wow" factor. I think people often ask "What's next for her? She's done everything I can think of!". Maybe she'll have to come out with a very good song to have more of the spotlight on her again.
And finally, yes I think Koda will encounter some difficulty in trying to sell as much as her pre-Best era. It's quite a miracle that Best~first things~ managed to sell as much as it did already, and I don't expect it to happen again in the near future.