Upcoming album discussion thread

[Coelacanth]

- STEP you
- is this LOVE?
- fairyland
- alterna
- HEAVEN
- Will
- Bold & Delicious
- Pride

Looking at all these songs..

Do you think with the release of B&D / Pride, she now has an overkill in variety?

Do you think she is maybe losing her identity as an artist?

Do you think the variety of composers this year was good or bad?

I'm just curious what everyone thinks about this. It seems like, to me, that all these songs will look weird being on the same album. I hope that most of the album tracks will be composed by CREA + DAI, because I think 'Will' was the best song this year musically and lyrically.

I noticed that a lot of people seem disappointed [so far] with the release of B&D / Pride. Has it lowered your hopes for good album tracks?

After my first impressions of this release, I have no clue what to expect with this album..

I bought the album no matter what. Why do people freak out like "OMGZ SHES GOING BANK RUPT CUZ SHES RELEASING SOME MANY SINGLEZ". People, she's a human, she's the number 1 artist in Japan, she wants money. Simple as that, no need to assume that the apolcalypse is among us just because she's realeasing a few more songs.

Anyone else preorder it? I did to get that photobook!

[minkAYuko]

Nope it has not lower my expectations about the album... this arebest singles and songs on her career... like i've seaid before.. she's getting better. I'm a bit dissapointed at B&D but I'm expecting it to be different!

So I looke forward to have this album! cause it's appears to be so good!

[SunshineSlayer]

Originally Posted by Phantoma

I'm just curious what everyone thinks about this. It seems like, to me, that all these songs will look weird being on the same album. I hope that most of the album tracks will be composed by CREA + DAI, because I think 'Will' was the best song this year musically and lyrically.

I agree. Everyone else has been saying that it is great for the album that all the singles sound so drastically different. I on the other hand don't necassarily think it is a good thing. I love it when albums have a styalistic theme that runs throughout the album and doesn't jump around to so many different styles all the time. Even though I really like a lot of the songs released so far, it doesn't necassarily mean that they are going to gel to make a great ALBUM.

As for B&D/Pride, it's not quite a sure thing yet that those will actually be on the album.

Originally Posted by j_nerd

I bought the album no matter what. Why do people freak out like "OMGZ SHES GOING BANK RUPT CUZ SHES RELEASING SOME MANY SINGLEZ". People, she's a human, she's the number 1 artist in Japan, she wants money. Simple as that, no need to assume that the apolcalypse is among us just because she's realeasing a few more songs.

Those are primarily record company decisions, not hers. I'm sure she has some input, but ultimately when and how many singles get released is up to Avex.

[Coelacanth]

Originally Posted by SunshineSlayer

As for B&D/Pride, it's not quite a sure thing yet that those will actually be on the album.

That's also very true.. There's a lot of options I suppose.

A: It's just a random themed experimental single that will never make it to an original album.
B: Both songs will make the album.
C: One song will make the album and not the other.
D: Both songs/one of the songs will be released on a BEST album instead of the upcoming album next year.

I'm going with either B or C, since they even bothered to make PV's for both. x_x

[SunshineSlayer]

Originally Posted by Phantoma

That's also very true.. There's a lot of options I suppose.

A: It's just a random themed experimental single that will never make it to an original album.
B: Both songs will make the album.
C: One song will make the album and not the other.
D: Both songs/one of the songs will be released on a BEST album instead of the upcoming album next year.

I'm going with either B or C, since they even bothered to make PV's for both. x_x

Yeah, I'm not sure. If they are not on the album then Avex would be smart to release the album tracklist around the time B&D comes out, that way more people will buy the single.

There's just a lot of weird things about this single - the rush to release and the closeness to the album as well as the completely different style.

[Mad_Cactuar]

Overkill in variety? Never happened, look at Gwen Stefani's album.. Ayu's latest is so good, variety abundance! Wonder what genre will the other 7 tracks be..

Adult Alternative
Heavy Metal
A Capella
Techno
Electronica
Baile Funk
Reggae

[jasjasss]

i think Will and alterna will not be in the album
i tot this year was better than last year =) only for fairyland though
coz i prefer Inspire / GAME more than fairyland single~
Bold & Delicious is very catchy and i like it =)

I STRONGLY DOUBT that Ayu would leave out this single from her album, when has she ever done that before??

[SunshineSlayer]

Originally Posted by j_nerd

I STRONGLY DOUBT that Ayu would leave out this single from her album, when has she ever done that before??

Yes, most likely it will be on the album, but as of right now none of the official sources say that it will be - they list every other single this year except that one. So we'll have to wait and see.

[Coelacanth]

It would be interesting to hear a ska inspired song from her, maybe as an ending track.

I would love a song like 'Naturally', techno but not too techno, if that makes any sense...

I would love a really non-noisy song, like an acoustic piece, with ALL real instruments.. Every song this year has some computerized feel to it, even 'Will' (not sure about 'Pride' yet).

If she decides to do any more hard rock influenced songs (which she most likely will), I'd like them to be not in the style of 'GAME' or 'is this LOVE?'.. or quite simply, HAL. 'alterna' is a style of rock that I really like, 'Memorial Address' and 'Humming 7/4' too.

[ImpactBreaker]

If just the last single before the album was the one I considered mediocre throughout the year, and if that were to change my views on the upcoming album, I would totally not have been excited about I am...'s release as at first I thought "a song is born" was one of the most boring ayu songs at that time. (Of course, that actually didn't change my expectations, I knew the album would rock and it did, and I learned to love "a song is born").

[PickleCookies]

I'm expecting as much out of this as I did out of MY STORY: nothing.

[Rebirthia]

Originally Posted by PickleCookies

I'm expecting as much out of this as I did out of MY STORY: nothing.

LOL

mmm, i had expectatives but when i heard Will and HEAVEN, but B&D , I don't have words.... I bought MY STORY, I had to sell it because i didn't really like it; , i won't buy her new album.

Pride sound a bit better than B&D, but the songs , how can they be in the same single?? one is cheer the other sad, really sad... so slow... (it reminds me to some european or american song, like sordid sceneries, sad, black, wet, i don't know how to explain it, but i have the feeling that i have heard songs like pride before... i do not mean it's copy, no no, i just mean it reminds me to something...) .

i know artists have to innovate, but , god, innovate inside your own style! don't get into gospel /R&B!!! because in that style, you have to own a powerful and moduilate voice, and yes, Ayu can scream well and has a "i" sound so powerful, but i don't think this will do in live... live versions for songs like that are really difficult... (althoug to be surprised will be good ^^)

[UvegotMail]

Originally Posted by PickleCookies

I'm expecting as much out of this as I did out of MY STORY: nothing.

I have to agree, heh. I just don't really get excited anymore If there's a good song, cool

[everlastingRAINBOW]

I think every one of her single this year has really devoloped a different identity in my brain. Each song has a different meaning and affects me in a different way. I know whatever song Ayumi writes is coming from a spot in her, and I love every moment of it.

[hamasaki_edwin]

i think there's two more new songs right? Startin' and Rainy day

[Raleigh]

Do you think with the release of B&D / Pride, she now has an overkill in variety?
No, variety is interesting. She's an artist and she should experiment and not get stuck in one single style or genre.

Do you think she is maybe losing her identity as an artist?
Why should she? She's always been changing her style in the past so I am not surprised to see another change of style again.

Do you think the variety of composers this year was good or bad?
Good. Else all the songs will sound the same in some way or another.

[SunshineSlayer]

Originally Posted by Demure_Dusk

No, variety is interesting. She's an artist and she should experiment and not get stuck in one single style or genre.

I agree, but I don't want the mood of the album to suffer because it jumps from Alterna to Bold and Delicious or something. Songs can be great individually but sometimes so many styles all put together can make an album sound very disjointed.

[Raleigh]

Originally Posted by SunshineSlayer

I agree, but I don't want the mood of the album to suffer because it jumps from Alterna to Bold and Delicious or something. Songs can be great individually but sometimes so many styles all put together can make an album sound very disjointed.

Nah let us hope not. Usually there's a sort of buffer track or some instrumental track which separates the genres. I do not think that she is so stupid to put for example HEAVEN just before STEP you or it would really sound awful. MY STORY had a "buffer" instrumental between the first set of tracks : between rock and rock ballads and ballads then another one to separate the upbeat tracks which eventually slowed down to winding road. Though I must say that in the end Humming 3/4 sounded weird placed after a ballad. But it seems a tradition to place the upbeat track after a ballad.. (Rainbow, I Am.., Duty) so that must be it.

Anyhow I do hope that the album will be carefully constructed in order to flow in a less disjointed manner.