[truehappiness]

Keep her comments in mind from her ViVi interview (translated by chocopockymaster)~

I: Hearing a ballad like this really ups the stakes for your next album, doesn't it?
A: To tell you the truth, I was making an album with a completely different direction up until I came to Paris. But "Pray" was released, and after hearing everyone's impressions and reactions like, "This is what we've been waiting for!" I started to have second thoughts, you know? Things like starting a project over from the beginning in favor of something completely different, or taking on new challenges are what I'm good at…but at the same time, I can stay incredibly consistent, like the group of people I always perform with. That sort of consistency, these things about me that don't change, bring a certain depth, and ballads convey a very similar feeling. I didn't have that mindset when I started making this album; I used my 15th Anniversary as an opportunity to try something new, and go in a completely new direction. But now I'm changing that point of view and realize there's something to be said for having a mix of new and old, and for having a nice variety. There are ballads, rock numbers, and some new ideas, but in the end each and every one of them is Ayumi Hamasaki. I think that's how it will turn out.