A ONE thoughts and reviews

[orangeakira]

This album is okay. I don't hate any songs. I don't absolutely love any songs. Personally, I think this is the "safest" studio album she's ever released, but that's not bad since we got the craziness of Colours.

Idk, that's about it, I don't know what else to say. Is this her worst album of all time? No. Is it her best of all time? No. It's just there. It's nice. I don't think I've ever felt this neutral about an Ayu album before.

[Andrenekoi]

Off Topic but... YAY! SunshineSlayer is back! <3

[Chibi-Chan]

Originally Posted by Delirium-Zer0

Speaking as someone who actually reviews music, Zeke is completely right for reasons that are absolutely quantifiable with more than just sales numbers, even if he can't quite articulate it.

Granted, who gets feels from what songs and why, YES that is definitely subjective - but there are truly tangible, real reasons why many of Ayu's older "safe" ballads could easily be considered higher quality from a compositional standpoint than a ballad like "Zutto..."

First, of course, is the level of risk-taking involved in these respective tracks. Take "HANABI" for instance... nothing in its composition is risky - nothing in it could have been considered noisy or weird at the time. It's not experimental. it's still a 4/4 song, it's in a standard key and doesn't have any changes to those two aspects of its composition (unlike some great CREA tracks which routinely have key changes for the last chorus or two, and "Will" which has time changes). What HANABI does have is unconventional instrumentation - reverberating plucks of bass guitar take the lead alongside strings that only appear briefly before disappearing when Ayu sings in the verses; the music box sound at the beginning is not that of a relaxing, twinkling, wintery sound but that of a somewhat rusted and worn-out old family heirloom; the drums sound like they're being played in a rock arena very slowly, there's plenty of space between most of them which makes the whole song sound dark and empty. This gives Ayu space for her choruses to swell up, more layers of instrumentation - with added reverb and slightly increased volume on some of them - fill the empty space, and the emotion works much better thanks to the contrasting fullness between the verses and the choruses.

SEASONS took even FEWER instrumental or compositional risks, but it still had that gradual buildup from the verses to the choruses, it still had that contrast. It also had that very complete & dynamic mix that had reverb and amplification changes in all the right places, plus the fact that each instrument has its own solidly catchy melody so when you listen and, say, ONLY listen to the piano or ONLY listen to the lead guitar or ONLY listen to the bassline, that's a great standalone melody just on its own, AND it never sounds out of place or like it's interrupting the full song.

Zutto sounds like it was automatically generated by comparison. Each individual instrument sounds like it's sticking close to a single note all through the chorus or all through the verses, but it's otherwise sort of improvising, hovering around its target note like a drunk bumblebee. The bridge between the verses has a TINY bit of a swell but its restraint makes it sound old-fashioned and conservative rather than pleasant and inoffensive which was probably the goal. The chorus isn't big enough compared to the verses because there are the same fill-in strings in the song as a constant presence the whole way through and the volume of the strings is just amplified to a miniscule level - the flavor of the chorus doesn't change despite the key shift from the verses which is just kind of sad. Add that to the relatively constant drum track - they don't change much from one part of the song to the next. The whole song feels like a blurry beige mass rather than the colorful journey up & down green hills and flowery fields and autumn leaves that you get from ballads like "SEASONS," "Dearest," and "Days."

And for the record I think LOVE~Destiny~ is in the same camp as Zutto... so this certainly isn't nostalgia talking. I've never really liked LOVE~Destiny~, though I'm glad it happened because it helped boost Ayu's reputation as a relatable lyricist.

Love your post! Like someone said before, it's a really lovely and great description of HANABI. And it perfectly sums up why I have no love at all for Zutto... and most other songs on A ONE.
I still think it's Ayu's worst album to date because especially the ballads have such boring and uncreative arrangements that they bore me to death.

[SunshineSlayer]

Originally Posted by HarukaKamiya

It IS a psychological thing because you're talking about your PERCEPTION of music, and perception VS reality is a really interesting thing when it comes to psychology, because every human perceives things differently.

But its really only a psychological thing if you were familiar with Ayu to begin with. I think one of the points some people have been trying to make is are fans listening for the music or for the artist now? What would new listeners think of this album? etc

Originally Posted by Andrenekoi

Off Topic but... YAY! SunshineSlayer is back! <3

lol. I pop in occasionally.

I actually just came back to the USA, so I've had a bit more time on my hands than when I was living in Japan. haha

[Delicious n Bold]

Originally Posted by SunshineSlayer

I think one of the points some people have been trying to make is are fans listening for the music or for the artist now? What would new listeners think of this album? etc

I feel like I'm intruding with this conversion but what do you think about that (the quote above)?

For me, I still have yet to listen to the album and I've heard that the album is a large ballad snoozefest that unsurprisingly pales in comparison to her past songs despite the songs trying to pay homage to the era in which her past songs came out. But I have read and reread the lyrics and any hype I have is connecting the music to the artist.

[truehappiness]

Listen to it. The experience is unique to everyone.

[Delicious n Bold]

Originally Posted by truehappiness

Listen to it. The experience is unique to everyone.

I'm dying to. But as I predicted I won't be able to until tomorrow evening. Lately I've been very judgemental and picky so let's see if Ayu can endure my wrath

[Kouyou]

Originally Posted by SunshineSlayer

But its really only a psychological thing if you were familiar with Ayu to begin with. I think one of the points some people have been trying to make is are fans listening for the music or for the artist now? What would new listeners think of this album? etc

I've been a fan of Ayu's since 2007. I've seen this question floating around the forum recently and I think it's a very interesting one. I've thought about it myself and I think that a lot of the reason why I buy Ayu's new albums and listen to them is because of her; however, if an album was just painfully boring or tasteless, I would criticize it and not recommend it. I may refuse to buy it.

The thing about a lot of Ayu's albums is that they are "growers". I might not feel moved by or fall in love with an album on the first listen, but I listen to it more and read the lyrics and my feelings change. I realize that a lot of new listeners will not have the patience to do that, so perhaps that is what separates me from them.

[ayuuk]

Just got the album. Like some mentioned I feel pretty neutral about it, nothing special, nothing standing out... Weird feeling...

[gogirlanime]

Originally Posted by Andrenekoi

I will disagree with you over here....

Love~Destiny, To Be, Seasons, Far Way, Dearest, Voyage, No Way to Say, Hanabi, Moments, Carols, Heaven, Together When, Days
You Were

Take off Ayu's vocal delivery (that even if flawed, always had a very well done emotional work on them) and what you have on most of those tracks is some random anime ending song, some minnor Disney movie theme or something anyone could release.

I agree with this as well. But Ayu's voice and personality added to the enchantment. Honestly her latest 5 years have been the most innovative and unique. While A ONE isn't super unique compared to the rest of her career the songs are of a higher quality and production value compared to her first 5 albums.

Originally Posted by Andrenekoi

You know that everytime you talk about the Zeke's Seal for Epic Awesomeness by Zeke, you always describe the material you love and the material you hate on a very subjective way, right? It's not like you are talking about technical aspects of the songs, but about how you feel about them, something that is very personal and that only you can trully understand. Most of the songs you point that you love are well crafted innofensive pop songs, most of them very easy on the ears, to the point that most of them being released on key moments were every big jpop star releases their safer works... and that's not wrong with that.

Ditto, I describe based on feelings to be fair too, but I'm not quick to judge if others don't agree.

Originally Posted by Bigtop

For anyone who has been tracking this so-called 'Ayu vs. miwa' battle - or even the upcoming Ayaka album next week - I'm sorry miwa and Ayaka, but A ONE has got to be one of the best albums I've listened.

This is what I call 'classic Ayu.'

There's no Ayu than Ayumi Hamasaki - and A ONE really gets me back into Ayumi Hamasaki. Literally! To be honest, I have NOT listened to Colours (yet!), which is pretty unusual (or even most of 'LOVE again' album). This is the FIRST Ayu album I've listened in FULL since 'Love songs' back in 2010. I mean, really?

She's 36 years old right now?

Well, I have something to say: Don't play around with her age! Even at 36 years old, she can still write good songs! 'Long live the Empress!' - that might be a suitable quote.

In the midst of Ayu vs. miwa battle, I think Ayu's album stands out. (I think by a mile...)

This I totally agree, for a J-pop album key word a POP album, this is a masterpiece! The album is not perfection by all means but I haven't been this excited since Love Songs and before that RAINBOW. The songs bring me back to why I feel in love with Ayu when I was a teen back in 2002

[js_surrealism]

I agree with all the people who have been arguing that her music in the past had way more of an impact than they do right now, except that I think Love Destiny is one of her best ballads.

I really liked A ONE but for those who think this album is a masterpiece, I am really curious as to which other albums you are benchmarking this album against.

I still think she has it in her to make good and fresh sounding music, as long as she stops feeling this compulsion to please and to pander to the lowest common denominator.

[waterballoon]

finally got to listening to the album... wow!

1. a Bell
seriously what is this intro doing? sounds more obligatory than adding to anything. bleh. meh. pass. one of her worst intros/interludes

2. WARNING
I got chills listening to this, but her "LA LA LA" parts sound very auto-tuned, and the chorus has this weird noise, like every sound layer is fighting to be the loudest and most prominent and it becomes very jarring. I also hate how in the later part, they added some "yeah yeah yeah" into the "LA LA LA", as if the song isn't messy enough.

it's an amazing song that has so much power, but compared to her past power songs, this is way too noisy. still like it though.

3. NO FUTURE
I already loved this from the preview, so yeah still love it. I don't get the comparisons to "Like a doll", and I don't think it sounds dated at all. If anything NO FUTURE sounds like an old-school anime opening, something like Sailor Moon or Cardcaptor Sakura lol.

the choruses are very well done, and I like it so much. the last minute or so though... I appreciate the change in key and structure but for a while it feels like she's singing on and on and they refuse to let the song stop.

4. Anything for You
Like most people, I dismissed this right off the YouTube preview, and it does remind me of Walk.

What I like though, is how depressing it sounds, and there's something very beautiful and poignant about the arrangement and use of minor key. It is also one of her more grandeur ballads. But again, something sounds noisy in the chorus. I noticed that since LOVE again, they have done a shit job in layering her voice and the backing vocals. It's very very jarring in this song and it takes away some of the enjoyment from an otherwise surprisingly good ballad.

5. Last minute
Still like it, but again it's noisy in a bad way. Compare this to Memorial address and immediately you can tell which had a superior production. The drums sound dead, and bleh the whole sound is bad. Like Anything for You, it really takes away so much of the enjoyment, because I really like this song.

6. Zutto...
Still like it from the single days. Can't find anything particularly bad, but I can't find anything that really makes me go "wow" either. Kinda like most of her recent works, but still enjoyable to listen to.

7. Out of control
Hands down, the best song in the album. People compare it to "call" and "Letter" but those 2 songs in her worst album (Party Queen) have nothing on this. I love the instrumentation, I love her vocals, I love everything.

8. Story
I remember being blown away from the YouTube preview, but in full, it was pretty meh. The intro reminds me just a little of "walking proud" because of the subtle guitar riffs in the background, but "walking proud" was a masterpiece from a Magnum Opus album, while Story is... average.

The verses outshine the chorus, and they remind me a lot of Haru Yo Koi, so plus points there. The chorus sound messy, and there's no distinct melody.

I'll also stop here to say, I find one of the biggest problems with A ONE is that a lot of the ballads sound like the, "It's the end of the day, and I'm here reflecting on life" thing... and it makes the listener feel tired. If you place one of these ballads toward the end of an album, like "winding road", or even, "Curtain call", or "untitled ~for her~", then it's fine, but on A ONE, songs like these are everywhere.

Almost every ballad sounds reflective and peaceful, like a goodbye to a journey. There weren't many ballads that were dynamic and made you feel for it. Maybe Zutto... counts, but the rest were way too "end of the road" to me.

9. The GIFT
Again, it's another song that's just okay - nothing fantastic, but nothing horrible. It feels warm that's for sure.

10. The Show Must Go On
I was very excited by the intro, until her voices come in... that part with the "The show must go on, yea yea yea" was so grating ugh.

The rest of the song was pretty good though, and it's probably the next best song after Out of control.

11. Walk
It's a fitting finish to the album, but we already had Anything for You and Story. Still pretty though, but that's about it.

---

so that's my take on A ONE. most, if not all, of the songs sound middle-ground, and rather safe. This is a very safe album imo, with Ayu doing everything just right without any sense of "reinvention" if that matters to you.

Besides the problem with many songs sounding very "end of the road", I also find the mixing/layering/mastering/whatever you call it quite garbage. I can't stand it anymore. It's a problem since around LOVE again I think, where her songs don't sound like art anymore, but more like weird rejected demo quality. It's so bad. Firstly, her main voice and her backing voice really don't mesh well together (for a good example, refer to the chorus in Days), secondly, every layer in every song tries desperately to overtake each other, and everything sounds very loud and overall, it's jarring. Examples including the chorus of WARNING, the chorus of Anything for You, the chorus of Last minute, the whole of Story. They could have all been excellent if not for the horrible -insert music production jargon here-.

I still quite enjoy the album, but I probably wouldn't listen to it from start to finish anymore because as an album, the songs don't mesh well and it's really weak, but individually, they are all actually pretty decent.

Are any of these as good as the "older" Ayu? I guess not, but good enough for me anyways.

[Corvina]

Listened to the album and it is a really solid one. Production is good.
Though I have to agree it is dragging a lot in the second part.
Story is the most boring song since forever for me.
And the only song really standing out is actually Last minute - vocals and emotions here are especially great.
I do like NO FUTURE and Anything for you. The Show Must Go On and The Gift are alright. Still don't like Walk. Out of control is the weakest of the new (album) songs, don't like it.
And with WARNING...sadly the full thing doesn't click with me as I thought it would. It's a nice song, but I don't love it like her rock songs in the past.
Overall a 3,5 of 5 for me right now. Really cohesive.

The only gem is and stays Last minute! I just love it, especially now in contrast to the rest to the songs of the album!

[stepYOU1234]

After a few listens- definitely better for me than Colours and Love again. I think I'd have liked the tracks on Colours spread across a few albums and while Love again sounded very Ayu, I didn't feel an emotional connection there. A ONE though is getting there for me. More memorable songs for me and Last minute and Walk are really up there for me so maybe this will grow on me a bit more. The only song I'm not fussed by at the moment is The GIFT and I feel as though the album could do with an interlude between The Gift and TSMGO. I don't often listen to full albums with Ayu, just songs grouped by mood other than when an album first comes out but this is my favourite album since Love Songs I'd say.

[AYUmyQUEEN]

You know, at first listen I wasn't the biggest fan of WARNING, but man has it grown on me! can't get it out of my head! Love it!

[jbrat2219]

I have been listening to A ONE for a while now and have calmed down from the excitement of a new ayu album to finally digest what I've heard. I'm not very tech-savvy when it comes to music and I don’t have an outstanding knowledge of J-pop music like some awesome members and contributors so this is purely my opinion.

I appreciate the discussion that has been going on and I agree with a lot of things said. I like this album a lot and I appreciate what ayu did here. I agree and disagree that this is “back-to-basics” ayu. As far as lyrics and PVs I do think that ayu is returning to her very early roots. But as far as music arrangement there is definitely a lot that has been considered ayu’s “signature sound” for a long time now.

To be honest, I think that this album following COLOURS was a good move because I think both albums represent both sides of ayu fandom: the fans who love classic ayu and the fans who love experimental ayu. Love it or hate it, COLOURS was a bold release. From the music to the visuals.

A ONE has a much more toned down music and visual. The arrangements are typical piano+strings+guitars, the album largely consists of ballads and the PVs are very simple (even WARNING). I think it’s because what A ONE hopes to emphasize this time around is something that most ayu fans adore ayu for: her lyrics. In A ONE, the boldest thing here is not the composition, arrangements, musical direction, booklet photos but her expressing her feelings in more directly than I can remember in some cases.

I mean, when is the last time we got lyrics that stung like WARNING?! I felt like she just kicked my ass with those lyrics lol. And how often do we get lyrics like The Show Must Go On that explicitly shows how much ayu cares for her fans. Even her often revisited theme of loneliness feels fresh here. I’m not saying that there is anything groundbreaking in this album that we haven’t seen before or felt we’ve heard/seen a hundred times in her long career.

However, this time it everything feels raw yet not overdone. It’s nothing dramatic, no grand sweeping ballads with all-star production, no gut-punching rock music or J-pop songs that were obviously designed to top charts. I think that’s what I love about this album the most and why I rank this album as good as my beloved Love songs. Not because I think it “sounds” as good as far as music production and quality, but because it feels as good (to me at least).

Now, because I obviously haven’t written enough, I’ll go track by track lol:

a Bell

I love ayu album openers, but for me this one fell a bit flat. It sounds beautiful but it also sounds like an ‘interlude,’ not an opener. But despite coming before WARNING, it does set the tone of the album and prepare you for what you will hear the majority of the time, so in that regard it does it’s job. ------- 6/10

WARNING

I like WARNING, but not because I was desperate for another ayu rock song. To be honest, I don’t think this is as much of an ayu rock song as much as it is an ayu sassy song. It reminds me more of 1 LOVE more than it reminds me of Microphone for example. The lyrics definitely prove as such, too. Overall, I LOVE LOVE LOVE the lyrics so this song kind of gets a higher score by default lol. ------- 9/10

NO FUTURE

So…. This is kind of my Holy Grail so please pardon my exaggerated love for this song lol. From the moment I heard the preview for this song I just knew, felt it in my soul, that this song was going to be my new favorite ayu song of all time. And the full version did NOT disappoint. I know a lot of fans would be like “really, fav of all time?” but yes, I adore everything about this song. I can’t describe it but it just hit me in a certain way and held on to me and I can’t shake it off.

I’m not surprised that this was written by TK, not only can you hear it all over the song but he kind of wrote my previous favorite of all time (November) so it was destined from the start with NO FUTURE. I know that most fans consider A Song for XX (album) to be ayu’s worst album… I have to be honest, I LOVE that album lol. And the composition of this song reminds me a lot of that album (especially during the bridge, it sounds EXACTLY like FRIEND II) to hear that kind of throw-back was a very pleasant surprise.

Quick story, I was playing this song at a friend’s house, he has lived in Japan and his wife is from Japan and they both agree that this sounds like “classic” ayu and it was one of the best songs of hers that they’ve heard in a while. I didn’t even really explain the song that much but it caught their attention very quickly ------- a million/10 Sorry, but I warned I would exaggerate lol.

Anything for you

After NO FUTURE, I had high expectations for this song but once the preview came out on YouTube came out, I realized it didn’t meet those expectations. I liked the song a lot first listen but it just didn’t grab me like NO FUTURE or any of his previous works. However, when the full song came out I went through a sequence of thoughts: at first I’m like “zzzzZZZZzzz” then the chorus kicked in and then repeated in true TK fashion and I’m like “Well, it’s really pretty! But will this turn into another snowy kiss where the song never ends and drags on for forever?”

But the ending…. (excuse my language) fucking makes the song. I may be going overboard but I think it was brilliant. It took the song from a dark atmosphere to an optimistic one in one key change. Just when I was getting a bit bored with the song, they key change literally lifted my head up and made me pay attention to the song. And I felt it. I felt the song. Just like that it became one of my favorites on the album. This song is really well done. And the fact that it’s not overdone with grand sweeping gestures makes the song great. You get to feel it without much distraction. ------- 9/10

Last minute

I saw this song get compared to memorial address a few times but like some fans said, it’s not really as good “musically”, but I do think it has a very similar atmosphere and if memorial address had a PV I think it would be like Last minute. When I saw her in the red dress it reminded me of a memorial address performance she did (for some concert, can’t remember which, she has too many lol). I love the rawness of the PV, I honestly can’t see how it could have been done any other way. I think some people listen to a song like this and want a PV that infuses the rawness with symbolism and ambiguity but in my opinion it wouldn’t have done the song justice. The song is straight forward so why not the PV? ------- 8/10

Zutto...

I am in the minority who (initially) thought Zutto… was the best song on the single. That was my own ignorance lol. I wanted to save Last minute and Walk for later for some odd reason lol. I knew the album was right around the corner so I wanted those two songs to be fresh. Having heard those two songs and now A ONE, I think Zutto… is one of the weaker songs but in my opinion still a good listen. This has very class ayu winter single vibes and in that aspect it fulfills its purpose well enough. It’s still not better than You were… (fav winter song+PV ) for me but it stands up well. ------- 7/10

Out of control

I don’t really get the dislike for this song! I think maybe because the title is misleading? It does give the impression that it will be a very dark song and maybe there are some darker channels that she could have explored with a song like this. It sounds surprisingly light-hearted lol. Maybe the contrast means something (I don’t feel like analyzing it, sorry). I love the lyrics and I really enjoy the song. But I also really enjoyed call and Letter so maybe that’s why lol.

I think these kind of songs are necessary in ayu’s discography. They are easy listeners, nothing special, just nice songs to listen to on a calm day. I think that’s why I love Sweet Season on Love songs so much and ended up listening to it more than I would have expected because on a nice day, outside with a nice breeze and good book - I don’t know - the songs fit lol. Not everything has to be wild and out there for me, I rather enjoy her easy listeners. ------- 9/10

Story

I kind of consider this song to be like Out of control in that it’s an easy going ballad. It’s really cute though. I feel like this song could have been on Secret though, maybe after meaning of Love? lol Again, lyrics are great, but what stands out for me are her vocals. They’re so cute lol. ------- 8/10

The GIFT

Again, I feel like I’m in the minority lol. I loved this song from the first time I heard it. And the PV is fantastic, I even loved JJ lipsyncing the lyrics, so cuteeeeee! For me personally, the composition does stand out from the rest of the songs in the album. I was in Asia for a little while and I feel like this is “the thing” (natives, correct me if I’m wrong). This song sounds like something someone like Jay Chou could have sung or other Asian artists but I don’t necessarily think that’s a bad thing. It’s about time ayu reached out to other Asian composers outside of Japan. So in that sense, The GIFT is a really fresh song for me. And the piano intro/outro gives the song a really nice touch. My only complaint is that the song didn’t keep that vibe the entire song but it’s still really good. ------- 8/10

The Show Must Go On

I don’t think of snowy kiss when I hear this song. Not because it doesn’t sound exactly like it but because it’s overall so much better. This song makes me wanna get up and dance wildly in my living room and scream “THE SHOW MUST GO ON” (Which I’m sure I did one night after two bottles of wine…. ;D). There’s just so much energy in this song. I wish this song got a PV, something like Fly high but with more energy and with ayu surrounded by fans!!! It would have given me (excuse my language) so much fucking life!!!! ------- 10/10

Walk

I didn’t hear Walk in full until the A ONE. I avoided it on Zutto… and I only listened to the preview once. I call myself holding out until the album but I had no excuse, this song is everything lol. A lot of people make comparisons to Anything for you, and at first I heard it too. But after listening to both songs in full I can’t hear it anymore for some reason lol. They’re both so distinct to me now that even though the chorus progression is exactly the same, one doesn’t come to mind when I hear the other. I don’t know what happened to be honest. All I know is that both songs are great, but Walk is better in my opinion. When she hits those high notes I feel my soul lift. I do have to admit, when I hear the very beginning, I start singing Virgin Road… I’m like wtf?! ------- 10/10

I’m not going to talk about the Utada cover, we all know it’s fabulous lol. But like some else suggested, I put that track with COLOURS.

Over all I think this album really shines. I want to write a more refined conclusion but I am going to be late for work OMGGGGGG. I’ll write another post when I get back.


But really quickly, even though I love the album, I do agree that the mastering is… um… well…. let’s just say I agree lol.

I’d love to hear more thoughts on that and if people would better receive this album if it were re-mastered because I think the musical elements are there but they don’t shine as much as they could… OKAY BYE!!! *rushes out the door*

[pepper]

Ok it's time for me

a Bell
Ok, that pretty. But well, that's not anything I will listen to "just like that".
5/10

WARNING
I didn't like it that much when PV was out. But after few listen, it's a strong, rememberable track from Ayu.
7/10

NO FUTURE
The ending give me goosebumps. Why she is not recording more tracks like that? The ending itself could be AN ANOTHER SONG. So much melodies, perfect arragment, oldschool feeling, good vocals. AND CATCHY AS HELL.
10/10

Anything for You
I really wanted to say anything like "its pretty, not something I would listen but it's pretty". No. Zutto is pretty. This is boring as hell. And too long. I am skipping it. There is nothing I could remember. And the ringbells makes me mad. Grr.
2/10

Last minute
Strong rock ballad in MA style. My style, enough said. Sad, pretty, emotional. AND CATCHY.
9/10

Zutto...
This is NOTHING I would listen to just like that, but I like the oriental feeling, the softness, and the chorus is pretty rememberable
5/10

Out of control
This song had sooo much potential, i love THE MARCH tempo of the song. I prefer ballads like that than "AfY" etc. So it's ok.
6/10

Story
It's not THAT bad as Anything for You. It does have stronger, winterish chorus a'la No way to say. But still, it's a forgetable ballad. The bells... ;///
4/10

The GIFT
Meh. There is TOOO MUCH ballads... Too much. Just no.
2/10

The Show Must Go On
I thought it would be something like snowy kiss, but it's WAY better. It reminds me of something like "NATURALLY", which is amazing feeling.
7/10

Walk
I really liked Walk when the single was out, but while you listen to whole album you are going to fall asleep from boredom. Still Walk/Story is way better than AfY and The GIFT.
4/10

Movin' on without you
is such out of place.
But i still love it xD
9/10

That's a weird album.
Such strong uptempo tracks. Such boring ballads AND THE AMOUNT of them makes me crazy.

[pepper]

ps: where is Tell All.

[OnlymE89]

My main gripes are the dreary ballads and how dated everything (especially the upbeat songs) are. There isn't a single song I'd say I love or can fully praise... I think it's about time she ditched TK compositions and Yuta Nakano arrangements and found someone fresh to work with. I'm sure there are plenty of people who align with her sound that would die to write for her lol.

It's nice that AHS is happy with this album, but I really don't think my taste aligns with AHS's taste at all. This album is just a retread of 1999-2002 and Love songs for me. It's so dated and a bit bland. The sounds she used for RAINBOW, (miss)understood, NEXT LEVEL, etc. were much more interesting.

TOTALLY agree! she needs to find a fresh sound... Half of the songs here sound just like some other songs she recorded in her previous albums (almost like they used the same music files and just changed some elements and assembled new lyrics to them...). She needs to really update her music. I would like to see her trying something like Sam Smith (if she's into ballads now, I think that he's 60's jazzy-gospel style could fit her well- and yes, I'm aware of the fact that 60's does not mean fresh sound but if you ever listened to Sam Smith or Lenadel Ray you probably understand how they can make you feel nostalgic but yet in a very "freshy" way.. )
Anyway.. this album sounds like something from 2003-4

[ayu-fan]

Here's my review:

1. a Bell
It's a lovely opening! I always fond of orchestra sounds. 8/10

2. WARNING
What a surprising song coming from a serene a Bell. Intense catchy rock song and instant favorite from the album. 9/10

3. NO FUTURE
Easy listening song, kinda anime-ish, maybe that's why it reminds me of Song 4 U. 8/10

4. Anything for You
I always mistaken this song to Walk, especially the chorus. A pretty but rather boring song (and dragging too long) 7/10

5. Last minute
I like this song, sounds really sad and powerful. The surprising beat in the middle works everytime! 8/10

6. Zutto...
Despite almost everyone said this is a generic/boring ballad, I personally REALLY like it! I like her vocal and the arrangement is really pretty. It's been a long time since she has a beautiful ballad like this 10/10

7. Out of control
A generic rock ballad, but it's growing on me. The chorus is pretty catchy. 7/10

8. Story
Oh God another ballad another pretty but generic-over-5-minutes ayu ballad. 7/10

9. the GIFT
I don't like her overdramatic vocal on this song. Still, a pretty song. It doesn't sound like a Japanese song, oddly. 7/10

10. The Show Must Go On
Yess finally an uptempo song! I really like it! I can feel the energy and her vocal really amazing! 9/10

11. Walk
Weird placement because it's a ballad again Powerful ballad, but I'm not digging the chorus in the end. 8/10

12. Movin' on without you
Amazing cover from ayu! I still prefer the original though, but ayu's version is not bad at all! 8/10


A decent album from ayu, I'd say it's on par with Colours in quality. It sounds consistent from the beginning to the end. (Yes, I saw you Party Queen). Would be more ayu-ish if the titles are one word only.