What is the cure?

[BlackSilence]

Originally Posted by ccsharumun

Let AHS be her management & creative team at Avex.

lol no please xD not a good idea xD

i think she's just been boiling in old juice for too long she needs some new fresh breaze, maybe new experiences or something inspiring. A new point of view?

[channy]

Originally Posted by kinix

I think most of ayu's song are over 4-5mins. I think it might be a bit too long. I cant really tell why, but I think 3-4mins song will have a deeper impact to people.

The typical Western radio runtime of songs is 03:30 minutes per song. If you look close you will notice that japanese pop music often is noticeably longer, 4 to 6 minutes are the standard for most songs in the Japanese music market.

This is by the way the reason I usually don't listen to non-asian pop music; the songs are just too short to build up properly and therefore get old easily because you repeat them almost twice as fast as japanese ones.

[primavera♥]

@kinix: I really don't think you need dance to have an interesting pv. Ayu doesn't need to be like Namie. And I'd rather her not shorten her songs...

[kinix]

Originally Posted by primavera♥

@kinix: I really don't think you need dance to have an interesting pv. Ayu doesn't need to be like Namie. And I'd rather her not shorten her songs...

I don't know for gals... but as a guy, I'm sure most would prefer a dance or beautiful appearance as compared to a generic love storyline PV
Try comparing You & Me and any of namie's uncontrolled PVs.
For me, if I were to repeat watching a PV, it'll definitely be namie's

I'm not saying that ayu must dance. But if she really wana stay top in this current era where it's all dance song which will attract more attention, this is what she has to do. Or she could wait until (who knows when...) the Kpop/dance wave passes

And shorter songs being played on radio and TV will get more attention and ppl will get sicked of the song lesser as compared to a longer version. (It's not the same when you've already downloaded/bought it. I'm talking about attracting the attention for ppl to notice the song and get them to download/buy the product.)

[primavera♥]

^well personally prefer a beautiful pv like JEWEL or an interesting pv without serious or sexy choreo like alterna. And I understand how many straight males are so okay. Though there's other people that appreaciate dance in videos because dance is entertaining. But ayu's not an amazing dancer lol. It's not what she does. She does her little non-seriou choreo in some videos but they're amazing without all the dance choreo. Like ourselves.

But I guess you want a my name's WOMEN type deal.

Ayu is not a dancer. Ayu is not Namie. And if no one likes the song, the length won't matter. Same if they like it.

[kinix]

Originally Posted by primavera♥

^well personally prefer a beautiful pv like JEWEL or an interesting pv without serious or sexy choreo like alterna. And I understand how many straight males are so okay. Though there's other people that appreaciate dance in videos because dance is entertaining. But ayu's not an amazing dancer lol. It's not what she does. She does her little non-seriou choreo in some videos but they're amazing without all the dance choreo. Like ourselves.

But I guess you want a my name's WOMEN type deal.

Ayu is not a dancer. Ayu is not Namie.

well... this thread is about 'cure' so there has to have changes rite...
I would seriously love to see ayu dance more.
Like in real me and Rule. Who's not disappointed when she only dance a portion in Rule =.=
Even namie made changes to her career from pop to now a more hip hop genre. It's those little things that you had to make. If you're not happy with the current situation.

And if no one likes the song, the length won't matter. Same if they like it.

Yes if the song suck, longer version also doesn't matter.
But if a same song were given a longer and shorter version. The play count would definitely be different. A longer song u might only hit 50 before you get sick of it. Where as a shorter song, it might hit a higher play count.

[channy]

Originally Posted by kinix

I don't know for gals... but as a guy, I'm sure most would prefer a dance or beautiful appearance as compared to a generic love storyline PV
Try comparing You & Me and any of namie's uncontrolled PVs.
For me, if I were to repeat watching a PV, it'll definitely be namie's

I'm not saying that ayu must dance. But if she really wana stay top in this current era where it's all dance song which will attract more attention, this is what she has to do. Or she could wait until (who knows when...) the Kpop/dance wave passes

And shorter songs being played on radio and TV will get more attention and ppl will get sicked of the song lesser as compared to a longer version. (It's not the same when you've already downloaded/bought it. I'm talking about attracting the attention for ppl to notice the song and get them to download/buy the product.)

The cure can't be losing your identity by jumping on current trends to please shallow listeners that have a new "favourite singer" every few months.

No offense, but unlike several other J-Pop "artists", Ayu is a trend herself. Literally. So I don't see her turning into a dance/electro clone anytime soon nor do I see the need for it. "Party Queen" is a perfect statement: "Here you get two or three songs with an electro vibe but don't expect the rest to be anything like that". It makes me appreciate this album even though it's far from being stunning.

Ayu will (hopefully) keep her very own mainstream pop-sound. Losing listeners in the pop business may also mean you are improving because you don't meet the low expectations of some customers anymore

[isthisLOL?]

It's extremely simple really. She just has to release more generic music. She has moved away far more from the mainstream than say Namie or Koda. Even Utada plays it more "safe" with her choice of singles and promotional songs. The decline in Ayumi's sales happened as she was moving away from J-Pop mainstream. Some of her albums, like MY STORY, seem mainstream to westerners, but are really not in Japan. All she had on that side lately were summer and winter singles(basically nonexistent now) and the typical "concert ender songs" hdiden away on albums, while songs like Microphone, Last Angel and Shake It were used as promotional songs.
Ayu will never reach another 2000-esque peak, but a truly generic(yet good) release with much promotion would probably enable her to sell quite a bit more, maybe even break 400 or 500k again.
There's also the generational/zeitgeist factor. Throughout history almost every generation has rebelled against the ideals and art of the generation before. It can be seen in every form of art and every generation(just look at the eras of art(visual, musical and writing) in the 18th and 19th century, every one was rebellion against the one before) Ayumi is from another generation than the teenagers in Japan today, she is not just outdated, but teenagers somehow rebell against her entire artistry. But that is always a generalizing factor, EVERY style remains popular to a minority and Ayumi can use that minority. When Naturalism was huge, some people, even of that generation, still loved Baroque in the arts for example.

That said, I hope she never releases another really generic album, even if her sales suffer from that. Ayumi has a much smaller audience she can cater to now, so why try and appeal to them if it makes her music elss interesting? Ayumi should create the music she feels like creating, no matter if that sells 3 million or 150k copies.

[kinix]

Originally Posted by channy

The cure can't be losing your identity by jumping on current trends to please shallow listeners that have a new "favourite singer" every few months.

No offense, but unlike several other J-Pop "artists", Ayu is a trend herself. Literally. So I don't see her turning into a dance/electro clone anytime soon nor do I see the need for it. "Party Queen" is a perfect statement: "Here you get two or three songs with an electro vibe but don't expect the rest to be anything like that". It makes me appreciate this album even though it's far from being stunning.

Ayu will (hopefully) keep her very own mainstream pop-sound. Losing listeners in the pop business may also mean you are improving because you don't meet the low expectations of some customers anymore

A bit of conflict here... ayu as the trend and not in the Kpop/dance wave trend...
And ayu do have remix/trance/eurobeat which are more of the dancing songs. The only thing she haven't been constantly doing is dancing.
I always regard Party Queen as an album to test the market to see which songs are more popular with her fans. That's why she even separate the songs accordingly.
However, I still hope to see ayu as a Rock star =D her rockish songs are just so gd!

[Andrenekoi]

Not to bash Namie or anything, but I don't find most of her PVs to be memorable at all... usually it's just her wearing a variation of her iconic outfit dancing in front of a car or something like that... And the most I like Namie's music, I don't find it to be specially creative or different for the most of her career... I would say most of her releases are entirelly on the safe side.

@isthisLOL The good thing about the generation rebeling, is that the next will will rediscover everything the past one ignored... And there's a chance Ayu is among the rediscovered stuff.

[Rocky Raven]

Originally Posted by Andrenekoi

Not to bash Namie or anything, but I don't find most of her PVs to be memorable at all... usually it's just her wearing a variation of her iconic outfit dancing in front of a car or something like that... And the most I like Namie's music, I don't find it to be specially creative or different for the most of her career... I would say most of her releases are entirelly on the safe side.

@isthisLOL The good thing about the generation rebeling, is that the next will will rediscover everything the past one ignored... And there's a chance Ayu is among the rediscovered stuff.

^ For me that's certainly why Namie is getting herself back again.
She has an IMAGE that ppl can always rememeber when they talk about.
Who's Namie? "The singer who has never put off her boots and danced all the time since 1992. Oh she's still around? That's cool lemme check her out!"

I was a big big big Ayumi fan when I first started listening to Jpop, not gonna lie, I came to Jpop kingdom thanks to CONAN OSTs & Ayumi's music.
Songs like Depend on You & Carols are and will forever be masterpieces.

Then one day I started listening to Namie just because I find my personal style are changing more into Urban/R&B Influenced Pop sound and MOSTLY, less dramatic PV style (a girl loves a boy, the boy lefts, the girl cries, everything goes on.)

I hope Ayu will realize just one simple thing, LESS is MORE.
She changed so much, so so much from a unique Jpop trump card to become someone who i can never identify.
Who's Ayumi? What should I tell to a friend when they ask me that? =)

Also, I miss her soft beautiful voice on WILL or Secret, those 2 songs beat the whole horrible Party Queen imo. I really miss those sound from her.

[isthisLOL?]

Originally Posted by Andrenekoi

@isthisLOL The good thing about the generation rebeling, is that the next will will rediscover everything the past one ignored... And there's a chance Ayu is among the rediscovered stuff.

True, but it's probably at least 5 years til then.

Still, I hope for her to just continue the route she is taking right now, that is: "**** sales, I'll do what I want to do" instead of going back to ASfXX - I am... days just because it sold well - and that would probably be the type of Ayu rediscovered, not the one she is now. More Party Queen(as in experimentation and diversity -> artistic evolution), less I am...(as in generic J-Pop -> staying in the same place or even going back) please!

Artists evolve, fans are left behind, it's natural.

[SURREAL__RAINBOW]

Originally Posted by Rocky Raven

I hope Ayu will realize just one simple thing, LESS is MORE.
She changed so much, so so much from a unique Jpop trump card to become someone who i can never identify.
Who's Ayumi? What should I tell to a friend when they ask me that?

She's always been changing and that's one of the reasons why I love her. Who's ayumi? A very versatile Japanese artist who is always trying new things and taking risks, following her heart and doing what makes her happy.

She's unique and she's always been unique, and she will always be. Even if you look back, she turned into a complete different person if we compare her in evolution and then her looks and music in (miss)understood. Both albums are totally opposites but it's still the same artist, and that's incredible and amazing.

If people can't identify with her anymore, fine, I really don't mind. But at the same time, people love ayu. I've met so many Japanese people and they all know who she is and can name many of her songs.

I'm happy for namie and her second peak but it isn't going to last, sadly. Same goes for all the very popular singers and groups out there. Although it seems to be that the solo female singers are the ones suffering the most nowadays. Hopefully we'll get another wave of solo artists and people can forget about the groups for a bit


EDIT: Also, namie's peak is been quite long, but ayu's been topping the charts ever since she started This year and last year have been lacking of something, and that is SINGLES. I guess we just wait until she releases a new single and tops the charts again, hopefully

[lumieregrl]

I don't know myself. I haven't been crazy about her releases since Love Songs (which was gorgeous and still my favorite). I like maybe a couple songs from each of the releases since then...Maybe she needs a break to refresh and come up with something new.

[Andrenekoi]

Originally Posted by isthisLOL?

True, but it's probably at least 5 years til then.

Well... smart popstars take this time to experiement with their work... Actually, I would like to see Ayu trying some stuff out of the music market just for fun.

And if people rediscover Ayu, they will start from her peak, but they will go after whatever she did between the peak and the rediscover... ^^

[lumieregrl]

Originally Posted by sugarbasil

I personally (most people probably don't agree with me) think that a lot of it has to do with her CD covers, posters, PVs, magazine shoots, etc. I'm not saying that's all of it, but seriously, compared to Kuu, Namie, and other artists, Ayu's covers etc. are so...blah.

I mean, I look at JAPONESQUE and I'm blown away. The PVs, the covers, the photoshoots...EVERYTHING is artistically AMAZING. Then you have things like the 'You were...,' 'L,' and 'A SUMMER BEST' covers and I wonder WTF is Ayu thinking?? Almost all of the PVs from Love Songs were boring as all ****. She has been consistently boring in all of her non-music related media since GUILTY, in my personal opinion. Meanwhile, Namie and Kuu are off making gorgeous things!

IDK that's just how I feel. One of the reasons I got into Ayu in the first place was because I loved her PVs, covers, and photoshoots. It's also the biggest reason why I don't follow her much anymore. Constant disappointments in that area.

This so much! One of the things that drew me to Ayu were her PVs. They were so interesting and meaningful. Some songs I didn't get into until I saw the PV for them (Rainbow, for one). The last few years however...

[ExodusUK]

Be more visible, present and active. If she's not touring, she's half way across the world. I wish she would take a year out from touring and concentrate on her career as a recording artist like four or five singles in a year properly promoted or something.

[Bigtop]

Originally Posted by isthisLOL?

It's extremely simple really. She just has to release more generic music. She has moved away far more from the mainstream than say Namie or Koda. Even Utada plays it more "safe" with her choice of singles and promotional songs. The decline in Ayumi's sales happened as she was moving away from J-Pop mainstream. Some of her albums, like MY STORY, seem mainstream to westerners, but are really not in Japan. All she had on that side lately were summer and winter singles(basically nonexistent now) and the typical "concert ender songs" hdiden away on albums, while songs like Microphone, Last Angel and Shake It were used as promotional songs.
Ayu will never reach another 2000-esque peak, but a truly generic(yet good) release with much promotion would probably enable her to sell quite a bit more, maybe even break 400 or 500k again.
There's also the generational/zeitgeist factor. Throughout history almost every generation has rebelled against the ideals and art of the generation before. It can be seen in every form of art and every generation(just look at the eras of art(visual, musical and writing) in the 18th and 19th century, every one was rebellion against the one before) Ayumi is from another generation than the teenagers in Japan today, she is not just outdated, but teenagers somehow rebell against her entire artistry. But that is always a generalizing factor, EVERY style remains popular to a minority and Ayumi can use that minority. When Naturalism was huge, some people, even of that generation, still loved Baroque in the arts for example.

That said, I hope she never releases another really generic album, even if her sales suffer from that. Ayumi has a much smaller audience she can cater to now, so why try and appeal to them if it makes her music elss interesting? Ayumi should create the music she feels like creating, no matter if that sells 3 million or 150k copies.

Agreed with that.

I kind of agree in some way as "Ayu is to luxury as AKB48 is to mainstream", etc. But I don't know why teenagers today somehow don't show in favor to Ayu as to, say, the teenagers of when Ayu was in the early/mid-20s (early 2000)...

[ayu_ready?]

I want her to get conceptual. if you know what I mean. be the class, cool, artsy, minimalistic at visuals and really deep-into making absolutely new music

[Andrenekoi]

Originally Posted by Bigtop

Agreed with that.

I kind of agree in some way as "Ayu is to luxury as AKB48 is to mainstream", etc. But I don't know why teenagers today somehow don't show in favor to Ayu as to, say, the teenagers of when Ayu was in the early/mid-20s (early 2000)...

Because Ayu, as a singer, is old. People who followed her during her peak when they were teenagers are married with children now. Teenagers don't like to be linked with anything "old" and tend to go against what the past generation of teenagers enjoyed.