It's Christmas Again Kimi Ga Iru Kara in Sayuri Sugawara's 1st Official Thread

[Bigtop]

New page here; if you missed it:

Originally Posted by Bigtop

Apparently I found an AAC (iTunes) copy of "Open The Gate" album, and I decided to download it from a site (the site also distributed Yanawaraba's "Yui ~Best & Collaboration~" in 320kbps) and then upload it to JPopsuki. If you have access, you can actually download it now. "Open The Gate" was released (and then I eventually "leaked" it) on iTunes and Recochoku/Chaku-Uta 11/7 (today), a week ahead of its physical release.

Actual iTunes Japan link to "Open The Gate"
https://itunes.apple.com/jp/album/op...te/id572833044

With that AAC, this is *ultimately* the HIGHEST QUALITY cover I can ever find:

Anyways, here's a short version PV of "Star Drop":

[Utena]

just came back home from a very long day, hope I find the time to listen to this <3

[Bigtop]

I have to tell you about this - I'm actually already liking the album. In fact, this album seems promising it seems I just want to repeat the songs all over and over again! Now the next steps are to get the "Star Drop" PV out of JPopsuki as soon as it's available (but it's still not out yet at the moment), and ultimately, the album coming into my hands...

As we're about a week away from the album coming out, I have been taking a look closer and closer at the album cover art, especially with the fact that the iTunes rip gave us the highest resolution possible for the cover art, and already I have one theory that just popped up today:


This may have not been done in Sayuri Sugawara's career - did she go bare and naked?

I mean, we've already seen naked Ayu, naked Koda...but naked Sayu? That's what I did not expect - something that I TOTALLY DID NOT expect about - especially the fact that I ordered the album even before they even started shooting for the cover and promo pic for the album!

This is actually how I got my theory about how in the world Sayu could get naked just for the cover art shooting:

ジャケット撮影、無事に終わりました。すっげ～個性的なスタジオだったよ～♪

http://lockerz.com/s/249111655

Now I had a thought about this: the picture description says about the cover shooting, but when taking a look between that picture and the cover art you can actually see her shoulders more (maybe that black clothing was taken off while the cover art shooting was in progress?).

So that is where I had a thought that she may have gone naked for the cover art...is that true? I really have to wonder how the CD will actually appear once it comes home next week...from the back of the album case to even inside the lyrics booklet!

(see: http://ameblo.jp/sayurisugawara/entry-11368681100.html)

I'm really excited for this...!

(I actually now think either she has gone naked or she's wearing clothes that either the straps are arranged in a way they're not visible or there isn't any straps at all...)

[Delicious n Bold]

Are there any download links for the album?
I literally went to iTunes JP, stumbled upon this album, played the first 2 song previews an was hooked.
So, I'd really like to hear it.

Edit: I have a feeling that Bigtop will help me XD

[Bigtop]

Originally Posted by Delicious n Bold

Are there any download links for the album?
I literally went to iTunes JP, stumbled upon this album, played the first 2 song previews an was hooked.
So, I'd really like to hear it.

Edit: I have a feeling that Bigtop will help me XD

This is where I found the AAC files:
http://www.j-mp3.info/2012/11/open-g...open-gate.html

[Delicious n Bold]

^ Thank you so much!
Can't wait to listen to the album in full

[Bigtop]

Still waiting for the "Star Drop" PV - it hasn't come onto JPopsuki yet - maybe it's coming late... I just saw Motohiro Hata's PV of new song on JPopsuki, and that was last week's release, so I'm expecting "Star Drop" PV to come late...

Also, I don't see Sayu in the top 30 of the daily albums chart. (Overlooked too much? http://www.oricon.co.jp/rank/ja/d/)

Anyways, I found a couple of links that might be to your interest:

Sexy Little Things' review of "Open The Gate"

Sugawara Sayuri is an intriguing artist, in my opinion. I don’t think I could call any of her releases particularly exceptional, but I still find myself drawn to her. She may not be outstanding, but her advantage is that she delivers rock-solid, consistently-good R&B pop. Open The Gate continues that, but with a slight twist. Sayuri’s last major release, Forever, introduced some experimentation into her work; she added electric guitar and also recorded one of her best songs to date, an electrorock number titled “Fly.” Sugawara attempted to continue that somewhat experimental pattern with her latest album to relative success. Open The Gate shows a desire on her part to expand her musical repertoire and that, in its own way, makes the album a somewhat remarkable release.

http://forestofsequoias.wordpress.co...open-the-gate/

Natalie Power Push: Sayuri Sugawara interviews with three producers involved in creating "Open The Gate"

In a special exclusive interview on Natalie (a Japanese music site), Sayuri Sugawara talks to Natalie along with three producers that made "Open The Gate" a reality - BENNIE K'S YUKI "Jolly Roger", Jazzin park's Shingo Yasuda, and Sayu's long-time producer Sin.
http://natalie.mu/music/pp/sugawarasayuri02
http://natalie.mu/music/news/79920

If anybody can translate it from Japanese to English we would be gladly appreciated!


Anyways, follow-up on the "naked" issue: Maybe that naked thing was just for the cover only...

[Utena]

debuted at #49 it seems. That's bad! but there's obviously no promotion.. There was a fair amount of promotion for Forever.., I remember seeing a stand just for her when I was there but a friend tried to get the album and couldn't even find it lol...

[Bigtop]

Originally Posted by Utena

debuted at #49 it seems. That's bad! but there's obviously no promotion.. There was a fair amount of promotion for Forever.., I remember seeing a stand just for her when I was there but a friend tried to get the album and couldn't even find it lol...

I'm seeing some performances and radio appearances, but they're scheduled a bit too far later in terms of relative timeframe to release... I mean, I don't know why FLME or Sayu's management (hearing that it's New Style Vision (NSV; http://ns-v.co.jp/) and not Yui Music (like it has been for almost four years since her 2008 initial debut) that is managing her) is even promoting heavily - she isn't even scheduled to appear on TV shows... (I have a feeling that if she ever gets on a TV show, it would be on a show that not many people will be seeing it mainly because of when it's being broadcasted, e.g. late at night, something that JPopsuki uploaders don't do...)

Yeah...I mean, her peak may have already past. And she's only 22... (I don't understand why even azusa, a 24-year-old singer that mainly does anime songs, are performing on the charts better than Sayu... And I also have the feeling that like Sayu, Angela Aki (also a Final Fantasy theme song singer) is declining, though she's over 30...)

Utena (JPS/Twitter kumonoito)
I'm about to receive my copy tomorrow, and since yours might not come until the end of this week or early next week, may I upload CD-rips out of my CD and maybe you could provide the link to the scans (even though we're going to each have the same contents associated with the CD)?

Also hearing another Nico Chao! after one just recently ended last night - if you have a Nico Nico Douga account, come here, and even reserve timeshift in advance! http://live.nicovideo.jp/watch/lv115434479

(I'm just glad it's not region-locked, unlike certain other programs on Nico Live (such as sporting events), and especially the fact that she's coming to Singapore this December, it's available just about from anywhere (except China...); maybe worldwide fans should create a Nico Nico Douga account so they can watch Sayuri Sugawara doing her own live talk from Japan to the World Wide Web! Maybe I should call "Nico Chao" this: "Nico Chao! ~The Sayuri Sugawara Show~")

[Bigtop]

Latest update: #28 (http://www.oricon.co.jp/rank/ja/d/2012-11-14/more/4). Finally breaking the top 30, but I have a feeling that's as high as it's going to go, based on my observations tracking her past releases...

[AyuGAME]

Jpop world is soooo competitive

[Bigtop]

Along with Yanawaraba's "Yui", just got my copy from the mail (USPS, since I was using EMS and started with JP Post; they and USPS are Japan/USA (respectively) providers of EMS)...and got it as I was about to leave for school!



I've already uploaded CD-rips of the album (this and even Yanawaraba's "Yui) on JPopsuki, from 320k and VBR MP3 to even lossless FLAC; I'm not planning to upload to MediaFire or something due to concerns about file-sharing sites. However, I may be able to upload scans of the album (yes, I did the scans - booklet, back cover, obi, and even the disc!) on request; please contact me if you have any questions.

Anyways, here's one from the booklet; in fact, this is another (and the only one besides the cover) picture that has the "naked Sayu" and has ought to be my favorite booklet pic - inside back cover:


EDIT:
I already uploaded the scans - they can be downloaded here:
http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?g47u5uu4pgt50eg

But I also heard Utena's going to do her scans as well. To be honest, this was my first time scanning, and I have a feeling it might not be as perfect as Utena's, so bear in mind... I do also want some advice how to improve my scan quality! (The scans are at 200 dpi; I was using an HP OfficeJet all-in-one printer/copier/scanner with an iMac to scan this)

[Bigtop]

This doesn't look good...


http://www.oricon.co.jp/prof/artist/...usic/984132/1/

Barring any issues that I'm currently facing between me and Sayu's Twitter, it seems she has gone back to the debut ranking ways - and at #63, this is going nowhere but backward...

Lack of promotion, somehow... I don't understand why people are now overlooking at Sayu... She was once a Final Fantasy theme song singer, so why are we leaving Sayu behind? This is just depressing...

[Bigtop]

BREAKING: I just heard that Sayukichi's first overseas outing has been CANCELLED.

http://www.theeoy.com/2012/cancellat...-live-concert/
http://www.sistic.com.sg/portal/dt?d...tCode=jpop1212

One of our main investors had to withdraw his sponsorship last week due to inability to commit. As a result, there is insufficient budget to see the concert through. We are a non-profit organisation, and any loss made comes out of our own pockets. We have already invested our own money and put in a lot of hard work in publicity and marketing, all of which cannot be regained.

Cancelling the concert was truly the final resort. In our four years of concert staging, EOY has never cancelled any event, so this has been a most devastating decision to make. Despite our immense disappointment, we are doing our best to fulfil the rest of our responsibilities.

I cannot believe this - they cancelled it one week before the show starts...

What in the world is going on??? Now Sayu's staff might have to cancel their tickets and arrangements all because this show has been cancelled... (Sayu's website already says that it got cancelled - http://sugawarasayuri.jp/information/#live - also Haruna Luna () and Danceroid as well ())

This is not the first time an event expecting Sayuri Sugawara has been cancelled - in September she (along with a few other girls such as Mai Fukui, Sally Miura and Yukino Nakjima) was scheduled to appear on "Girls.JP ~music room~", but for unforeseen circumstances it got cancelled (mid/late-August). I just have to say this - that has got to be disappointing... Sayu's interesting year has not been without turbulence, after all... I really kinda feel sad about the fans in Singapore who wanted to see Sayu in person, but now only to find out it has been cancelled...

Note that this was posted last Friday, but it was just yesterday that I heard the news it got cancelled.

[Utena]

man that's too bad, Sayu must be disappointed :/

[Bigtop]

Originally Posted by Utena

man that's too bad, Sayu must be disappointed :/

Has got to be. But I think the fans are more disappointed.

Anyways, regardless of whether she's going to Singapore or not, she's on her way to Akita...

星野道夫さんの『旅をする木』を読みながら、福島と仙台に向かってます。心は今、アラスカです。あらすかだ ねごど（秋田弁） http://lockerz.com/s/266716757

https://twitter.com/SAYURISUGAWARA/s...81326822084608

[NintendoHTF1242]

So her scheduled concert was the first ever in four years of that company to be cancelled? Ouch lol

[Bigtop]

Originally Posted by NintendoHTF1242

So her scheduled concert was the first ever in four years of that company to be cancelled? Ouch lol

Yeah, that's what I found out.

[Bigtop]

We know that April 8th is Ayumi Hamasaki's debut anniversary (this year is her 15th), but did you know that it's also Sayuri Sugawara's debut anniversary as well?

Happy 4th anniversary, Sayu! She debuted back on April 8th, 2009, with "Kimi ni Okuru Uta".

Here's Sayuri's blog post on her 4th anniversary:

ちゃお！


今日4月8日で
わたくし菅原紗由理、デビューして
4周年を迎えました。

そう。4歳になりました。


高校卒業後、秋田から上京し
デビューをしてから今日まで
あっという間のようで
あっという間ではない、濃ゆい4年間でした。

改めて考えると、不思議な気持ちに包まれます。


ありきたりな言い方かもしれないけど、
こうやって大好きな音楽をやれているのは、
いつも私のそばで、
嬉しい時も悲しい時も二人三脚で、
私を支えてくれているスタッフさん。

そしてなにより、
大好きなみんなのおかげだと
思っています。

ついて来てくれて
本当に本当に、ありがとう。


そんな大好きなCREWのみんなから
4周年記念のプレゼントが会社に届いているということで
今日受け取りに行こうと思ってるんだけど
内容を少し聞いたところ…涙。

私のファンはどうしてこんなにも
愛をくれるんだろうと、、
本当に愛情に溢れていて、
すでに大泣きしそうです。
超楽しみ♥(´_｀*)

マジで、あたしゃ弱音はいたら、バチがあたる！笑

本当に自慢のみんなです。


今日で4歳を迎え、
ここからは変化の年となります。

1からスタートする気持ちで
ますます飛ばしていきたいと思います。
そして、これまで以上に楽しんでやっていきたいと思います。
こんなに最高な事はないと思うから。

これからも、応援よろしくお願いします。

SS

http://ameblo.jp/sayurisugawara/entry-11507405387.html

If anybody can translate this (without Google Translate) it would be gladly appreciated!

In addition to the anniversary, we haven't been updating some things for quite a while. Here are some things that we missed since the last time we posted here:

• New concert pics from "Open The Gate Tour 2013" (this one's from the Tokyo half on 1/20; the other one was in Akita on 1/27). Eight pictures in the set.
  
  
  (This picture is currently used as Sayuri's Twitter avatar - http://twitter.com/SAYURISUGAWARA)
  
• New mobile site and fanclub (called "Chao! Crew"), replacing the old one. The new mobile site is located at http://sugawarasayuri.mobi/. (See also http://ameblo.jp/sayurisugawara/entry-11502703127.html) The old site could not support smartphones; the new one does. I can access it through my iPhone...from the USA - but in order to access the premium features (315 yen/month), I actually need a Japanese phone to pay it...and now I need some help if I could (see below).
• Sayuri has been recently putting Twitter pics on Twitpic (http://twitpic.com/photos/SAYURISUGAWARA), NOT Lockerz. She switched to Twitpic...possibly under my advice to switch to that. (Sorry if I have to be biased, but maybe it's because I'm trying to put her "on the same page" as Ayaka and Yanawaraba (more info on Yanawaraba here) A switch after over two years using Lockerz (formerly Plixi), ever since she bought her first iPhone back in 2010. It now seems that switching from Lockerz to Twitpic may have been a "smart" idea, because now I heard Lockerz is no longer allowing photo sharing from the Echofon Twitter app (Echofon is the client that, like Ayumi Hamasaki, Sayuri is using for Twitter when she's on the iPhone, while she usually uses Twipple (http://twipple.jp) when she's on her MacBook)...
  
  Spoiler:

  Dear Lockerz API user,
  
  You are receiving this message as a courtesy because you at some point have accessed or used our photo-sharing application programming interfaces (“APIs”) and services. Please be advised that, effective April 22, 2013, Lockerz, Inc. (“Lockerz”) will no longer offer or support photo-sharing services for developers and third party applications. As of that date, Lockerz is terminating its API End User License Agreement with you and all others who are parties to that agreement. As required under the API End User License Agreement, on that date, you immediately will cease to access or use the APIs, will relinquish all rights previously granted, and will delete or destroy all information derived from your access or use of the APIs and any and all copies or copies of portions of the APIs.
  
  We thank you for your past use of the APIs and the related photo-sharing services and wish you well in the future.

  
  
  Anyways, Sayuri's using an iPhone 4S, it seems...
  
  

  この後、13:30頃〜秋田ABSラジオ「ミュージック・サプリ」に電話インタビューで生出演します！そし て、明日は地元秋田での初のワンマンライブ@クラブスウィンドル♪ pic.twitter.com/YqODNATh

• New song called "Wild Flower", one of her newer songs. I think this song is to remember about 3/11, it seems... http://ameblo.jp/sayurisugawara/entry-11490219914.html
• I just heard Sayuri went to LA recently for her spring break. First over seas trip (which was supposed to be that Singapore live concert that got cancelled), I suppose... http://ameblo.jp/sayurisugawara/entry-11501297316.html

Remember - here are Sayuri's Twitter and her staff's Twitter accounts:
Sayuri herself - http://twitter.com/SAYURISUGAWARA
Sayuri's staff - http://twitter.com/SayuriSTAFF

Anyways, as I said earlier, Sayuri just introduced a new mobile website (http://sugawarasayuri.mobi/; only access through smartphone (iPhone, Android), not the PC!!!), which now supports smartphones, and along with that comes a new version of the mobile fanclub, which is still at 315 yen (~$3) per month. I am really highly interested in it...only problem is that it seems I cannot sign up for it. At first I thought I would pay with my credit card directly, but when I checked other fanclubs that were based on the same system that Sayuri's fanclub is using (C&K, for example - http://fc.c-and-k.info/ - again, use smartphone, NOT PC!!!), it seems I cannot use that and I had to use an account related to a Japanese mobile phone carrier (au ID - KDDI; NTT docomo; My SoftBank). Sayuri's staff did confirm that:

Sorry, It does not correspond to a credit card transaction.
https://twitter.com/SayuriSTAFF/stat...76011153383424

Now it seems I want to try to sign up, so I used the au ID that I signed up. I had a thought that I could sign up with that au ID (just in case if I want an au smartphone if I live in Japan, and I even registered my credit card with it!!!), so the account creation was successful, but when I tried to sign up it asked me to register an au smartphone first before proceeding, and I would not be able to proceed without registering a smartphone!!!

Also, I don't think I am able to sign up for my docomo or My SoftBank accounts as I would need the same thing, from the respective carriers.

So it seems that I am out of luck from joining "Chao! Crew". Had they kept with M-UP (the previous fanclub provider, which actually accepts credit cards directly), then I would've able to sign up. But now the fanclub is powered by e-talentbank (which is the same for C&K), and they don't accept direct credit card payments. I wish either they would go back to M-UP, or, if they're sticking with e-talentbank, they would offer direct credit card transaction (which is my preferred method)...

For now, is there any way I am able to sign up if I have an au ID but don't have an au smartphone (and I don't intend to buy one) or try to sign up with docomo or SoftBank ID without an actual docomo or SoftBank smartphone? Maybe any AHSers in Japan can help me to sign up, even though I live in the USA?

(UPDATE: Sayuri's staff still says that it does not accept credit cards, but also adds that it is undecided whether the system will accept it in the future...)

Sorry. The system does not support a credit card. It is undecided whether it deals with the future at present.
https://twitter.com/SayuriSTAFF/stat...45969603403777

(See also: http://www.ahsforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=117643)

Anyways, even though for now only Japanese could sign up if you have a smartphone maybe give the new Sayuri Sugawara mobile site a try (http://sugawarasayuri.mobi/).

Man...four months without an update? After all, last check with Sayuri Sugawara's follower count on Twitter is almost 4,400...

[Bigtop]

New songs coming soon! I can't wait for her new song...but for now, you might be surprised at her hair - I was even surprised at it!

髪えらい事になっとる(笑) 新曲レコーディング中！ http://pic.twitter.com/QJN8ipPffv

https://twitter.com/SayuriSTAFF/stat...50334271852545