Ayu's Voice...

Ayu couldn't sing until around "Duty" mayyyybe "LOVEappears" time. She just didn't have the skill or training yet. You can't really say she had a natural gift for vocals, but she did learn an impressive lot along the way, and you can tell just by listening to her albums in succession. I like her voice now, although I've heard her sing live very few times, and that's where it really counts. I rarely ever listen to the "A Song For XX" album, just because it's so grating on the ears vocally and arrangement-wise. I'm not sure how people actually like that sound. Early Ayu is an accquired taste. Mid to current Ayu is smooth and natural.

[hiro]

Originally Posted by evolusean

Ayu couldn't sing until around "Duty" mayyyybe "LOVEappears" time. She just didn't have the skill or training yet. You can't really say she had a natural gift for vocals, but she did learn an impressive lot along the way, and you can tell just by listening to her albums in succession. I like her voice now, although I've heard her sing live very few times, and that's where it really counts. I rarely ever listen to the "A Song For XX" album, just because it's so grating on the ears vocally and arrangement-wise. I'm not sure how people actually like that sound. Early Ayu is an accquired taste. Mid to current Ayu is smooth and natural.

Actually, its funny. Ever notice how in the pre-Avex days Ayumi sang quite well and could control her voice pretty nicely even though it did sound amateurish? I think it was all the hi-pitchiness when she started with avex that made her sound bad in her first album. I think this habit of her trying to sound like she has a hi-pitched voice that has made some of her live performances suffer.

It always sounds good when she doesn't try to push it by becoming all nasal and shiet.