'LOVE again' composers/arrangers and new track lengths

[Tony G]

Originally Posted by Zeke.

I couldn't disagree more about Wake me up. That song is the first song in a long time that actually showed that Hamasaki Ayumi "attitude". It was classic Ayumi.

There's really no denying the western electropop influence that song has to the point where it comes off as somewhat generic. It's a great song, don't get me wrong, but it's not the kind of music I'd want Ayu to produce on a large scale. I prefer NEXT LEVEL album or Last Angel-type compositions if she was going to continue producing electronic-influenced songs.

[Zeke.]

Originally Posted by Tony G

There's really no denying the western electropop influence that song has to the point where it comes off as somewhat generic. It's a great song, don't get me wrong, but it's not the kind of music I'd want Ayu to produce on a large scale. I prefer NEXT LEVEL album or Last Angel-type compositions if she was going to continue producing electronic-influenced songs.

It's like Sparkle which was from NEXT LEVEL, lol. I think it's totally Ayu, straight from the opening.

Party Queen on the other hand, that one doesn't sound anything like Ayu...

But I get I am...-ish vibes from Wake me up mixed with her classic power-house tracks.

[ComatoseBunnySnatcher]

Originally Posted by Tony G

There's really no denying the western electropop influence that song has to the point where it comes off as somewhat generic. It's a great song, don't get me wrong, but it's not the kind of music I'd want Ayu to produce on a large scale. I prefer NEXT LEVEL album or Last Angel-type compositions if she was going to continue producing electronic-influenced songs.

I agree with Zeke here, and don't think Wake me up has a generic western sound. It sounds MODERN to me, which had been missing from alot of Ayu songs recently (IMO). Sparkle actually sounds alot more like a western dance track to me but Ayu played both styles well with both lyrics and the strenght of her voice in them. Last Angel is nice but sounds like 2 songs melded together; the chorus is fun but the verses bog it down so much...

I welcome any song that has a Sparkle/Wake me up modern and fun sound with open arms. All in all, LOVE again is such a step up from FIVE-Party Queen and even Rock'n' Roll Circus (which i LOVE).

[Zeke.]

I like Last Angel, I really do. But the arrangement sounds so dated. I mean, the mix of WHATEVER on LOVEppears sounds more modern than Last Angel does and that was from 1999. Lol.