Secret ALBUM: Discussion

[explodingbird]

Originally Posted by //hikari

Its really quite annoying to constantly see people say that every single release is better than the last. That's not possible. Eventually an artist, writer, dancer, singer, whatever will put out something not so great. Stop with the biases.

Don't tell people what their opinions should be. I know you think you're superior to everyone else, but goddamn, this is big-headed even for YOU.

[moombasista]

So far its not bad

It sounds a bit rushed though...

I think I need to listen to it a bit more LOL

[Ayumiko]

After listening to the whole album, I like it alot...but I wouldnt say its her best album.

Pro:
1. I love all the album tracks. This must be the only album that I love all the album tracks. All the album tracks sounds refreshing to me. I hope she will head towards this direction in 2007. If she does, I think her sales will be better than 2006. I wouldnt say this is her best album but it would be her album with the best album tracks.
2. I love the 2 pvs so far...these are the pvs Ive been waiting for ayu to make for so long!! Definitely better than the single pvs.
3. Songs like momentum, JEWEL, it was, and Secret made me feel the old ayu is back...especially momentum. This album makes me feel there is a mix of old ayu and new ayu...I like it!
4. This is definitely a step up from m(u) from cover, booklets to the songs in the album. Im really glad she changed this to a full length. Even though I dont like the single tracks but if I take them away, I still have 7 tracks, 1 intro and 2 interludes to form my perfect Ayu Secret mini album.
5. I really like her voice in this album....from songs like until that day....to Secret! I really love the song Secret. I wish it had a pv. Hope she will perform it in the future

Con:
1. I really dont think the single tracks fit in the album...especially beautiful fighters...kinda ruined it for me. It would be nice if she put the cm version instead and take out the annoying sound effect thing.
2. I wish the album was longer....the only track that was over 5mins long was beautiful fighters...it would be nice if there are 1 or 2 more songs in the album to make up for the not so long tracks
3. I like how the music sounds and the way ayu sang the songs but the arrangement is nothing different. How should I say it...like there is no bridge thingy...it would be nice if some of the songs have some sort of climax

I will rate this album 8 out of 10...I didnt like the single tracks in the album. For me there wasnt a perfect ayu album that had nothing wrong with it. (ex. I am... with a different version of endless sorrow, my story with a bunch of ballads in the middle, (m)u with the ugly covers, lots of cover songs, etc.) but this album is a big improvement from the mistakes she made this year by releasing the single tracks. This album also gave me faith in ayu again as she is still capable of making good music and pvs. I hope this will also gain her more fans back that was lost earlier this year.

[ruixiong89]

^ Yup, I agree with you that the album did seem kind of short. I think it's Ayu's shortest full album (hence effectively excluding Memorial Address). Coming at only 55 mins, I think it's really rather short. But this album really made me regain confidence in Ayu! I think it's really good. I don't know why, but I like the single tracks more now that they're on the album. They seem to suck on their own but are fine when placed in an album.

Somehow I don't seem to find the problem with the 3 Bs anymore. Guess I've listened to the album so much that I've gotten used to it. Mwhahaha! I'm glad she has regained her musical touch.

[~X2RADialbomber~]

Now lets see in a week if you've all gotten sick of it!!!! xD


(Sorry, I'm just remembering when (m)u was released... xD) ahh that was funny.

Secret, is an okay album... It's taking me a long time to like it.

[truehappiness]

The shortness might also be attributed to the fact that there are barely any tracks over five minutes..

She used to have a TON of five minute+ tracks.. now, I guess that's a bit too long?

[jeffycue]

it F-ing ROCKSSS!!!

[oro77]

In fact I was really surprised by this album, I was expecting an album like (m)u (the worst according to me) I felt like it is a very commercial album to change it from mini to full, few months before.
(I had little hope to get a good album after hearing JEWEL)

It may not be the best album she has done but I really like the new sound, style that Ayu sings in this album.
It may also be the first time that so many album track are so good compared to the single ones.

[happytoadstool]

LOVE the album. I like all the tracks, i can listen to it without skipping any tracks.
LOVE: momentum (favorite album track here), Blue Bird (faveorite track overall), secret, kiss o' kill (very unexpected!), the interludes (very different from the m(u) ones, but really sets the mood for the album. good transitions between songs too), not yet (i miss these kinds of songs from ayu), order of tracks (very good flow)

LIKE: Jewel, 1Love, Born to be (very uplifting song), until that day (very different from the sample clips, but still good)

OK: it was (a bit disappointed by this after hearing the good sample track. i guess i had a bit higher expectations for this song), Beautiful Fighter (have to agree with what someone said in the forums. the melody actually has potential but the arrangement and the computer-y sounds pulled this song down for me)

Overall, Love it! a little better than (m)u (which has single tracks to die for), a lot better than My Story (had boring album tracks). Still must withstand the test of time for me before i would compare it to the older albums though (especially Duty and I Am...)

[Halla]

I was really surprised how good this new album is, my expectations weren't that high after the dissapointing m(u). the singles except JEWEL are the weakest songs on the album, all the new album tracks are really good

I'd personally would have rather had left 'Born to Be' & 'Beautiful Fighters' off the album only to remain as b-sides. it would have added some more collector value to the singles & improved the album since they really don't fit in with the rest of the tracks. but still , Secret is definitely a great album & an improvement over m(u)

Originally Posted by explodingbird

Don't tell people what their opinions should be. I know you think you're superior to everyone else, but goddamn, this is big-headed even for YOU.

It's a fact. Literally. Not everything can be perfect, and you're bias for believing so.

[adpoyao]

This album is defitnetly better than her last two album release, perhaps on par with rainbow. I wouldn't say its the greatest thing shes ever released, because the composition on some of the songs are really bland, but just produced really well to make it sound good.

One thing that is lacking in this album as well as the previous two is the lack of variance in composition. Sure, she's got the verse, and the chorus, but the pattern of her songs continues to be repetitive. What happened to the shift in notes in her songs such as UNITE? and the ending climax that is in Free & Easy and M? As far as bridge goes, theres not enough either to give her songs enough flavors.

Shutting a blind eye to the minor flaws of her compositions, I really do enjoy the album. Her vocal chord is great, and I could see shes taking a new turn in her genre.

[ced69]

ayu is back! >_<
i love the album, its great, n yeah i liked m(u) too so screw u all =P
really... after a not so great arenatour 06 (imho) + the fact that shes makin a full album in that short peroid of time~ i didnt expect such a good album =3
(dont like jewel that much xD) but ya...its at my car@yesasia so...waitin til payday...

69

[realize_!]

I must say, I'm shocked that //hikari is giving (somewhat) of positive feedback^^ I was just thinking to myself " I wonder what he'll be saying this time" i agree with you though, that if she's looking to take this direction in the future, I don't have a doubt in my mind that it will put her back on the map (not that she was ever off - just went missing for a while)

[Diana]

I... LOVE IT!! It is so..rockish. And I love rock Hahah.. My friend says it`s weird, I don`t see what is weird here. Heh. Anyway, I like it the best. All songs are nice and not too long. I hate it when she makes long songs >.< They lose their charm (or whatever..). I thought JEWEL is going to last longer, but I`m glad that it didin`t

[makie_7]

here is my review of the album:

Not yet: good intro! fits really good with the next song. I like Ayu's trance too 9/10

until that day: I love it! the chorus is soooo good! one of my favourite in the album10/10

Startin': it's also one of my favourites. I love this song since the first time I listened to it. 10/10

1 LOVE: imo the verses are better than the chorus but I also love it. 10/10

it was: it's ok, I need to listen more to it. maybe it's one of that songs I love not with the first impressions 9/10

LABYRINTH: it's good! though I don't listen to interludes very often. very similar to kaleidoskope imo 8/10

JEWEL: I love it, and the pv is very beautiful! one of my favourites too 10/10

momentum: I love this song, one of my favourites! though it's very sad and I don't like the pv (I know is a good pv but not my style) 10/10

taskinst : very good! It would be a very good long song! I love the rock part 9.5/10

Born To Be: it's ok, the chorus is good but I don't listen to it very often 7.8/10

Beautiful Fighters: it's ok too but I don't like the synthesized voice 7.5/10

BLUE BIRD: I love this song! it's a summer song, but I still listen a lot to it!10/10

kiss o' kill: it's very good!! I love the last chorus!! 9.8/10

Secret : it's a nice ballad, but JEWEL is better imo. 9/10

The album (songs): 9.5
the covers and the book: 9.8
the pvs:
Startin': 7 (she looks very sexy but the pv is not very creative)
Born to be...: 6 (too much light)
BLUE BIRD: 8 (I love the color of this pv. Not very creative but I like the scenes)
Beautiful Fighters: 5 (I don't like the colors, the cars, the dance, and the girl's stories).
JEWEL: 10 (I love it! I think is very creative and beautiful. Ayu looks very pretty too).
momentum: 8 (it's a good pv, not very creative though, and I don't like it)
1 LOVE: I need to watch it !!! hehe

this is just my opinion. I'm very happy Ayu decided to make it a full album and I hope everyone enjoy it!

[oro77]

I listen to the album every night and morning since it has been available. I should stop listening with half volume (not too loud), it is bad, this album need to be listened in full power volume (with subwoofer or headphones)

Until now I could hold myself and not watch the momentum PV, can I resist until my Ayu's package arrive?

[orochicloud]

I think this album is awesome!, its has such a variety of genres, I think this is about on par with RAINBOW (one of my fav. albums).
My favorite tracks are: until that Day..., 1LOVE, Not yet, JEWEL, momentum (such a sad song ;_, kiss o' kill and Secret. And I'm startin' to like startin' lol, thanks to the way until that Day... ends.
Overall a really nice album, though that dreaded Beautiful Fighters song kinda ruins the mood.

[oro77]

So many people seem to hate so much Beautiful Fighters, I am a bit surprised.
Maybe it was expected to be a very good song from the single and disappointed people.

Anyway I don't remember so many people hating it when the BLUE BIRD single was released.

Personally I think it is a OK song, it may not fit the album because of the style and also because it is too "average" compared to the other tracks.

I am also startin' to like startin' because it is very well placed in the album, but the biggest surprise is Born to be, I didn't like it the first time because of the PV but now I love it (because of the AT2006 intro I think)

[moombasista]

I really wasn't expecting much with this album but wow it's good o.O!

I really like it. It's like the "darkside" of (m)u

It's clearly not her best album but it's far from her worst

MY STORY is still her worst IMO

Anyway the album tracks and interludes are awesome!

I still don't like Beautiful Fighters or Startin' or Born To Be...

And I love the booklet!