Ayu's social networks - Discussion #57

[Aderianu]

Ayu and mirror9 recently had a collaboration for tour goods. So I believe we can expect a continuation of it. Maybe whole ayu line

[BlackSilence]

Is she really being this cryptic queen over freaking tour goods/fashion collab? That's a little extra lol

[Aderianu]

The reality is even worse. That all is just about room with outfits that ayu wore on stage

[FoxyPinkGirl]

Originally Posted by Aderianu

The reality is even worse. That all is just about room with outfits that ayu wore on stage

But there is some available for purchase. How about reading MIRROR9’s posts 🙄

[BlackSilence]

Avialable for purchase or not, it's a little much for such an underwhelming thing lol

[ava_dreams]

Nice, I bet it took a long to organize. Happy that she's lending her voice to support smaller independent brands.

[TNeilson]

Max uploaded a video with Ayu yesterday, according to the title, I think it means “Forbidden Coversation”.
We need subtitles!!!!

https://youtu.be/8tGd1sMtOYo

[Sky High]

^ Almost million views on this video. Can someone tell us what's this about?

[Aderianu]

let's wait until yandex will suport japanese language in video and make it available to audio translation

[MKAyu]

I'll summarize five minutes at a time so no one post gets too long.

Max says he needs to talk to Ayu, something that many people are commenting that they want, but he's not sure if she's okay with it or not; he and the cameraman go back and forth about whether it's a good idea and Max decides to go for it, and that Ayu is waiting for him so probably she's okay with it. He says it's been a couple of years, with coronavirus, since he's really met any other entertainers in person.

(About 2:30) The cameraman points out that Max and Ayu were never really seen together in the old days; Max agrees and says he was with her on radio, but only because no one could see them.

(About 3:30) Max says he's not nervous, but the cameraman says HE is as they go in to see Ayu.

(About 4 min) Max and Ayu agree they've never been side-by-side on camera like this, or really been filmed together (Max says he's the producer, so he puts artists on TV, but doesn't go on himself). They haven't met in awhile, but it doesn't feel like it because they still talk a lot.

(About 4:30) Question one: When did you first meet? Max says it's different for both of them. Ayu says Max was too drunk to remember! Max says he wasn't drunk and it was at the Avex nightclub Velfarre. Ayu says he's lying and only knows because he saw the "M" drama. No, Max insists, he forgets unimportant details but remembers important things, and has always been that way. But he won't say anything more that he remembers.

(continued)

[MKAyu]

(5:16) Question two: What was your first impression of Max? Ayu says she thought, "Wow, it's the guy from TV!" They agree he was on TV a lot them and he was the very representation of the entertainment world to her, and Ay says he was surrounded by many people. Avex is all really flashy people, she says, and on Aoyama Street at that time, even people who didn't belong to Avex tried to imitate them by being flashy. Max, amused, says everyone wore black then and so did Ayu; she's confused by that and asks if that's really true (Max insists it is, then adds, "maybe. I could be wrong.") Ayu says she remembers all the staff members being very young and flashy and she felt invisible. Max reflects how different something can look from different points of view.

(8:55) Question three: What happened up to Ayu entering Avex and debuting? Ayu says she was in a different group and had to go freelance. Max says he'd been worried because it was a BIG company she'd belonged to.

(9:44) Question four: What sort of music did you try to sell? Max says that question is trouble for him because of Every Little Thing they wanted to put her in a group. Max had never tried a solo artist and was surprised and nervous about how hard it would be. He made her do a bunch of demos and then go to Los Angeles, where Poker Face was made, and hearing that he decided to go for it. He remembers her writing the lyrics for You and A Song for XX before Poker Face, though.

(cont.)

[MKAyu]

(10:41) Question five: Anything Max and Ayu disagreed on for music and lyrics? Max: HELL YES. Ayu: We did?! Max: We didn't agree at all on arrangements! You don't remember because it didn't bother you, but I want things to be the way I say they should be!
Ayu says she does remember a lot of sudden phone calls where he told her certain songs were very uncool. They talk more about how songs were arranged and recorded.

(13:43) Question six: How did you self-produce? Max says Ayu was able to do that right from the start. He knows "produced by Max Maatsura" is on everything because he's the one that got Ayu to join Avex, but once she was out there, it was all Ayu doing it herself. Ayu says Max was always thinking of her all the time, though, and he says of course; otherwise they'd never sell anything. Besides, if the producer does nothing, that's the end of him (as in, he'll not be needed and get fired), but all he did was check up on her.

(cont.)

[MKAyu]

(15:58) Question seven: What song is the most memorable for both of you? Neither Max nor Ayu likes the idea of choosing just one, and Ayu says she won't tell.

(16:39) Question eight: What do you remember about writing lyrics/music? Ayu says she'd never been praised for any specific talent or believed she could do anything special. So when Max told her her letter writing was really amazing, it struck her.

(18:33) Question nine: What music do you want to make from now? Ayu says that for any musician, and maybe actors too, what they want to do and what others want them to do is not the same. She feels lost as to where to go. Max asks Ayu where she will go (musically); she says she feels she's been allowed to go wherever she wants, but--Max cuts her off and says it's fine for her to do that. BUT, he says, her fans are watching her, and she will hear them if they tell her she is doing something wrong. So she should keep her antenna up to listen for those voices.

(19:49) The cameraman says Ayu has many fans and she starts to laugh. Question ten: What does Ayu think of her fans, who sometimes mesh with her and sometimes do not (I'm not sure what that meant, maybe it meant they sometimes like what she does and sometimes don't)? Max and Ayu agree that doesn't matter, it won't change anything whatever she thinks. But she is grateful to have fans that tell her when she is making mistakes. If those voices stop, her career is over. Although at the same time, she can't live JUST worrying about what those fans will say. Max says she's very strong and Ayu laughs, saying he always tells her she's strong. Max berates himself for caring so much what others think, and Ayu agrees that Max has always noticed more strongly what others say and think. Max calls himself weak.

[KPL]

This is such an incredible interview! Thanks for the translation.

[maxikot]

Thank you so much for your translation!

[Sky High]

Thank you for translation of this extensive interview MKAyu

[YUKARI]

wow I've just come across this interview on YouTube!! it just randomly appeared on the main page. BIKKURI!

such a wonderful video! it's like magic to see them talking like this. and I think Max was kinda shy.

I hope to watch another video with ayu! at the end of the video Max said 'fans from TA, everything depends on your demand!'

awwwww I need to see them together more!!

[koumori]

Thank you so much for the translation summaries, this feels like such an important interview. I didn't expect to see anything like this happening soon.

[tokyoxjapanxfan]

I’m shocked at how many views it has in such a short time lol

[280301]

Thank you MKAyu for the translation!

I found Max's perception of the state of Ayu's career, her creative output, and the desires/expectations of her audience (and how they contrast with her own creative dreams) quite intriguing. He clearly recognises that Ayu's career does have the potential to continue being successful if only she would become increasingly receptive to the expectations of her audience. I don't think anyone can realistically expect her (or even want her to!) to return to releasing an original album once a year (especially with the state of her hearing now, and as she has young children), but there does appear to be a yearning for new music among her fans, and this is clearly implied in some of his comments. I imagine that Ayu was informed of what the questions asked in the interview would be focused on, and subsequently, maybe this can also insinuate that Ayu herself is interested in receiving direct feedback from her audience regarding what they want to see from her. Great interview, and I'm excited to see if Ayu and her team do indeed take fan feedback into account!