Do you think Ayu must take a long rest ?

[Ayu_Ready]

Ok, I don't know if this question has been asked but do you think that Ayu must take a long rest ?

I think yes, her sales go down and I think after this Arena tour she will very tired and to take a rest of one year by exemple would be a good idea. I think she will have the time to make an A-MA-ZING album lol

I think no, because I can survive without new songs of Ayu () and because she loves her job and she loves to work so can she really have a rest ?
She is not married and just have her dogs without her fans so I don't know if she can ^^

and you?

[micster]

Yes she needs to take a break so she can stop overworking herself. And then maybe she'll have time out to write decent material and come back with good songs, unlike the festering pile of awfulness NEXT LEVEL is.

[Ayumi27]

I guess that's up to her... If she wants enjoy a relationship, shop, sleep, travel or do whatever she wants, she's free to do it.... But we would miss her a lot

[elepop]

Yes, because she has really lost her touch... IMO. Her last 3 albums were pretty bad. They all seemed rushed. The quality isn't there. Or maybe I just don't like the musical direction she's taking. Also, her voice is getting worse and worse.

[micster]

Originally Posted by elepop

Yes, because she has really lost her touch... IMO. Her last 3 albums were pretty bad. They all seemed rushed. The quality isn't there. Or maybe I just don't like the musical direction she's taking. Also, her voice is getting worse and worse.

No your completely right in all regards. Secret was alright, it was at least listenable and somewhat enjoyable. GUILTY was awful and NEXT LEVEL somehow managed to push it to new levels of crap by being some of the worst material shes done in years.

[truehappiness]

Originally Posted by elepop

Yes, because she has really lost her touch... IMO. Her last 3 albums were pretty bad. They all seemed rushed. The quality isn't there. Or maybe I just don't like the musical direction she's taking. Also, her voice is getting worse and worse.

I loved the last three albums, and her voice is getting better imo. It was its worst at the end of 2007 with the ear problem taking its toll, but.. mmm! Love her.

I don't think she needs a break at all. Personally, I don't think a break would do anything but make fans irritable. It's not like the time she spends on a record actually factors into the quality.. for all we know some of her better albums might've been made in the same time frame.

I think people tend to blame Ayu when they personally don't like the albums or anything.. the albums are still high quality, just not to your tastes, you know? I don't get it. If you're growing away from Ayu, it's not because she's changing.. if anything it's because you as a listener are because she's still making the same quality music as before.. hm.. haha. Not really pointing fingers here, just saying in general.

ALSO: I don't understand why people seem to have this weird ficticious past of her vocal.. it's ALWAYS been unstable. God, her vocal is the best it has been since 2002/2003 aka the year of the AMAZING VOCALS and people are like: "It's terrible!" when they hear her at a live.. I swear, it has always been like that and people have past Ayu on some pedestal like she never did wrong vocally/musically.. oi.

[nemesisyume]

I love GUILTY but NEXT LEVEL is just... well it's getting worse
she should take a break or at least slow down a bit!!

[kirei_ayumi]

Originally Posted by truehappiness

I loved the last three albums, and her voice is getting better imo. It was its worst at the end of 2007 with the ear problem taking its toll, but.. mmm! Love her.

I don't think she needs a break at all. Personally, I don't think a break would do anything but make fans irritable. It's not like the time she spends on a record actually factors into the quality.. for all we know some of her better albums might've been made in the same time frame.

I think people tend to blame Ayu when they personally don't like the albums or anything.. the albums are still high quality, just not to your tastes, you know? I don't get it. If you're growing away from Ayu, it's not because she's changing.. if anything it's because you as a listener are because she's still making the same quality music as before.. hm.. haha. Not really pointing fingers here, just saying in general.

i agree

I wouldn't mind if she took a long rest..
not in terms of her music, but to give herself time to think and relax.

[truehappiness]

As a workaholic, I don't think 'rest' is even in Ayu's head.. EVER. Even when she has no voice left, a broken finger or a deaf ear, she still works! Crazy woman, haha.

[noidea]

Originally Posted by truehappiness

I loved the last three albums, and her voice is getting better imo. It was its worst at the end of 2007 with the ear problem taking its toll, but.. mmm! Love her.

I don't think she needs a break at all. Personally, I don't think a break would do anything but make fans irritable. It's not like the time she spends on a record actually factors into the quality.. for all we know some of her better albums might've been made in the same time frame.

I think people tend to blame Ayu when they personally don't like the albums or anything.. the albums are still high quality, just not to your tastes, you know? I don't get it. If you're growing away from Ayu, it's not because she's changing.. if anything it's because you as a listener are because she's still making the same quality music as before.. hm.. haha. Not really pointing fingers here, just saying in general.

ALSO: I don't understand why people seem to have this weird ficticious past of her vocal.. it's ALWAYS been unstable. God, her vocal is the best it has been since 2002/2003 aka the year of the AMAZING VOCALS and people are like: "It's terrible!" when they hear her at a live.. I swear, it has always been like that and people have past Ayu on some pedestal like she never did wrong vocally/musically.. oi.

this
GUILTY is by far my favourite album of hers and NEXT LEVEL is floating around somewhere in the middle(and will prtobably climb when we get the tour DVD, a-nation and the next CDL)
People like to call evrything she does crap when its only their opinion, if you dont like poprock, you will hate most Secret and GUILTY tracks, if you dont like songs with many synths you will hate NEXT LEVEL...If you dislike both and only like pop you will hate everything after (miss)understood
I would have never become a fan of hers without the amazing GUILTY album, its the only album that didnt need to grow on me first

[zyoeru]

She probably should rest...but her contract isn't up yet, plus Ayu would never rest. She'd refuse it with vehemence.

[noidea]

^ How could you know that her contract isnt up yet? Contracts with music labels usually are up all 2 or 3 years and then lenghtened + max is a good friend of ayus, if ayu needs a rest and she tells max about it, he will let her have a rest, he surely doesnt want her to have a britney-spearsesque fall

[elepop]

Originally Posted by truehappiness

I loved the last three albums, and her voice is getting better imo. It was its worst at the end of 2007 with the ear problem taking its toll, but.. mmm! Love her.

I don't think she needs a break at all. Personally, I don't think a break would do anything but make fans irritable. It's not like the time she spends on a record actually factors into the quality.. for all we know some of her better albums might've been made in the same time frame.

I think people tend to blame Ayu when they personally don't like the albums or anything.. the albums are still high quality, just not to your tastes, you know? I don't get it. If you're growing away from Ayu, it's not because she's changing.. if anything it's because you as a listener are because she's still making the same quality music as before.. hm.. haha. Not really pointing fingers here, just saying in general.

ALSO: I don't understand why people seem to have this weird ficticious past of her vocal.. it's ALWAYS been unstable. God, her vocal is the best it has been since 2002/2003 aka the year of the AMAZING VOCALS and people are like: "It's terrible!" when they hear her at a live.. I swear, it has always been like that and people have past Ayu on some pedestal like she never did wrong vocally/musically.. oi.

Personal opinion here, but I don't think her voice has been getting better. I used to listen to her concerts and live performances and thought "Wow, she sounds really good live!" and it amazed me. She could hit the high notes and sounded terrific. Now, when I watch her newer concerts and performances I have trouble continuing to watch because her voice sounds most of the time terrible. It's like her singing technique changed and it got worst. Yeck, she can't even hit the high notes now (for example, B&D, near the end of the song - sounds perfectly good in the CD version but she has never until this day hit that note correctly in her performances).

It would be crazy to say that Ayu is not changing. Because there's a clear difference in her music style from ASFXX to I am... to RAINBOW to MY STORY to NEXT LEVEL. Because of course, Ayu is always reinventing herself. This is just me, but I think the materials Ayu has been releasing just isn't up to the level. I've always loved her ballads, now her ballads don't grab my attention anymore. I've definitely been a huge fan of her rock songs since she started releasing them, but somehow the ones in GUILTY, NEXT LEVEL don't sound that special at all. So to me, Ayu has lost her touch.

Of course taking a long break and taking her time to make an album don't necessarily mean that the result will be wonderful. But she could also have some benefits from it. I would love it if Ayu decided to sit down, take her time and compose again.

[truehappiness]

She is changing musically, but in terms of overall quality, it has always been up there.

I've definitely been a huge fan of her rock songs since she started releasing them, but somehow the ones in GUILTY, NEXT LEVEL don't sound that special at all. So to me, Ayu has lost her touch.

Really? I really seem to love the rock songs like identity, haha. Looovee theeem. Ayu's got the midas touch~ touch~ touch~

As a quick FYI: She did compose a song that went up against Rule/Sparkle for single selection.. sadly, it did not make it past the final cut.

[dreamland2.0]

If she feels it would help her, then I say go for it!
However I would miss her dreadfully!

[NintendoHTF1242]

She needs one. She's just overworking herself. Even if she doesn't pop out a groundbreaking album, she just needs to rest to be more healthy. Because this overworking will get her one day, in which I hope it doesn't ;-;

[SunshineSlayer]

Originally Posted by truehappiness

ALSO: I don't understand why people seem to have this weird ficticious past of her vocal.. it's ALWAYS been unstable. God, her vocal is the best it has been since 2002/2003 aka the year of the AMAZING VOCALS

Not even close.

I love Secret, but I do think that both Guilty and Next Level are disappointing. (Next Level more so) Also I think its pretty clear that her vocals are not that great right now, nor have they been for the last couple of years. I don't know if a long break will help any of these things or not. Maybe, maybe not. Maybe its worth a try.

[noidea]

actually, i dont know why people say she had amazing vocals in 2002/2003, AT02 and ST02 has some VERY weak songs, shes able to sing WAY better now(Naturally AT02 for example, PCDl was just SO much better), CDL0203---well, she was ill, A Museum wasnt really impressive IMO, havent really watched TA limited live, but theres nothing amazing i remember about that one either, were her TV performances in 2002/2003 outstanding or something? I dont say shes at her best now, but i havent seen much id call great from the era everybody calls her best, maybe I Am..., but the biggest parts of it is quite easy and she only sang part of it in AT02(the first lines from videoayu and the last lines from cd track) and maybe some dearest lives, but werent they late 2001? or am i messing her discography up? xD

[fantasma3c]

And she deserves it

[SunshineSlayer]

Originally Posted by noidea

actually, i dont know why people say she had amazing vocals in 2002/2003, AT02 and ST02 has some VERY weak songs, shes able to sing WAY better now(Naturally AT02 for example, PCDl was just SO much better)

When people say 02/03, they are referring to the last few months of 02 - early 02 wasn't that great - arena tour 02 has some of her worst vocals but I read that she was sick then. 2003 was pretty much perfect - the vocals for TA Live and A-Museum were all very consistent and stable and I don't remember having any tv performance that was very off - she also was performing on tv every week with Ayu Ready. 2004 wasn't bad and most of 2005 was great as well. It was from Jewel on that I started noticing a bit of a downward slope.