Some thoughts about Ayu? Good/bad?

[Spartayu]

Hi, it's been a few years since I get here, I doubt anyone remembered me anyway. But during these years, there's something I really need to get it off my chest, just kind of bothers me.

Personally, I can't really keep up with her change. You see, I do prefer the older times of her, back then her songs was much better in my opinion. I might be wrong though, because the last 'new song' I ever heard was Party queen, and it sounded damn awful in my opinion. If someone says that this is false and that there are songs which sounded better than her old products, I can understand (because I stopped listening to her songs after... Rock'n'Roll circus I guess.. ROFL)

But that's not something that bugged me the most. She's an artist, it is acceptable that she wants to keep up with trends by changing (I honestly don't expect her to earn more in the industry just by using old fashioned-style songs). But what started bugging me most is that she started marrying foreigners in a hasty pace. I don't know, it feels very hasty to me. First the 4-month Mannie, now she marries a one-year r/s American medical student? (Seems like she's got a fetish for foreign guys, mmmmm). It's the small things that makes a picture big, it is not very unusual for people to get married after knowing each other for a year, but I feel as though she is just kind of desperate or just rushing to settle down, perhaps due to her age or something?

And then, something else about her also bothered me; She started to take off her clothes more often and take more and more half-nude photoshoots. Yes, I know she did that in the past as well, "Unite", "Love Appears", "I am", "Rainbow". But these were albums and the amount of "Naked" shots can be counted with fingers. Now, almost each year, she will release at least more than one set of "Naked" photoshoots, magazines, photobooks... Makes me wonder what is she really up to, sex sells? Change of fashion? Change of style? Or is she trying to be a sex icon in Asia? Or is she just getting so confident about her body?

Personally in my opinion, I don't like that, it just bothers me... A lot.

What do u think about these? Good? Bad? I am open to this discussion, but I hope you guys don't reply mean things back at me, and please don't get all worked up just by reading this post, I'm not trying to attack Ayu, but these were just my thoughts since her "evolve". I know there are many overly-obsess fan boys and girls here, but please, I need a fair discussion and do consider my viewpoints as well instead of just getting clouded by your 'obsession'.

[Surreal17]

Hmmm..interesting opinion. Well, I've been an ayu fan for the last 2 and a half years and I must confess that the main thing from ayu that attracted me was exactly her constant change of style (music & image). So, even if I don't like some songs, in the future I'll definitely like others.

As for her relations, I really don't mind who she marries with. She isn't the type of person who appears in scandals (I don't consider her relationship with Mannie or the mini albums LOVE & again scandals....or the Maro thing...like wtf) or go to TV to promote her relationships or to talk about them. This is something I admire her for. And overall, why should I care for her private life? For me, it's all about her music. She can marry who she wants to..american, austrian etc.

And the other thing that you said ..about the sex thing...I don't think that she is or wants to be a sex icon. I believe she was never considered to make part of this category. She almost never talks about sex in her lyrics even if she has some (let's say Sparkle, maybe Last angel, Lady dynamite). Hmmmm...the provocative image is part of her art, of her manifestation, and why not, I'm sure she is quite comfortable with her body. I don't find anything wrong with this.

Have you listened to Love Songs and LOVE again? These albums have a lot of jems in them. You should listen to sending mail, Do It Again, November, Sweet scar, petal. I really love her discography after Rock'n'Roll Circus. Also, you should check BRILLANTE. Epic song!

[Coelacanth]

You've said nothing profound and this 'rant' certainly does not deserve its own thread.

Not only that, but it's filled with a bunch of thinly-veiled insults directed at 'foreigners' and the fandom in general. You haven't listened to anything since Rock 'n' Roll Circus? I just can't with this post...

[holy_arrow]

I do agree with you that Ayu's style, songs are already changed and some people can't stand with this fact...
As Surreal17, I have been her truly fan for more than a year (since mini album Love released in late 2012). Can't deny that her songs after RnR Album are not better than the before... but some of them is EPIC... Specially talking about album Love again, I think if the voice of those songs (SAKURA, untiled for her ... story 2,... ) is from Duty or Secret era, the record of Love again will be better. In my opinion, the latest songs (feel the love, merry go round, Lelio, XOXO,..) are great in the other way, we can't feel/listen to/hope for/... it in the old way we used for the Duty/My Story/... album.
About her magazine shooting photos these days, yes, she was naked and I was really annoyed with those photos. However, they aren't the scandal, they are not effect to her music/song lyrics or her performance after all. So it's acceptable...

[November4]

Originally Posted by Spartayu

Hi, it's been a few years since I get here, I doubt anyone remembered me anyway. But during these years, there's something I really need to get it off my chest, just kind of bothers me.

Personally, I can't really keep up with her change. You see, I do prefer the older times of her, back then her songs was much better in my opinion. I might be wrong though, because the last 'new song' I ever heard was Party queen, and it sounded damn awful in my opinion. If someone says that this is false and that there are songs which sounded better than her old products, I can understand (because I stopped listening to her songs after... Rock'n'Roll circus I guess.. ROFL)

But that's not something that bugged me the most. She's an artist, it is acceptable that she wants to keep up with trends by changing (I honestly don't expect her to earn more in the industry just by using old fashioned-style songs). But what started bugging me most is that she started marrying foreigners in a hasty pace. I don't know, it feels very hasty to me. First the 4-month Mannie, now she marries a one-year r/s American medical student? (Seems like she's got a fetish for foreign guys, mmmmm). It's the small things that makes a picture big, it is not very unusual for people to get married after knowing each other for a year, but I feel as though she is just kind of desperate or just rushing to settle down, perhaps due to her age or something?

And then, something else about her also bothered me; She started to take off her clothes more often and take more and more half-nude photoshoots. Yes, I know she did that in the past as well, "Unite", "Love Appears", "I am", "Rainbow". But these were albums and the amount of "Naked" shots can be counted with fingers. Now, almost each year, she will release at least more than one set of "Naked" photoshoots, magazines, photobooks... Makes me wonder what is she really up to, sex sells? Change of fashion? Change of style? Or is she trying to be a sex icon in Asia? Or is she just getting so confident about her body?

Personally in my opinion, I don't like that, it just bothers me... A lot.

What do u think about these? Good? Bad? I am open to this discussion, but I hope you guys don't reply mean things back at me, and please don't get all worked up just by reading this post, I'm not trying to attack Ayu, but these were just my thoughts since her "evolve". I know there are many overly-obsess fan boys and girls here, but please, I need a fair discussion and do consider my viewpoints as well instead of just getting clouded by your 'obsession'.

- Her music: you stopped after RnR Circus? Are you serious? Go listen to Love songs. That's her best album to date IMO, and objectively at least ONE of her best albums. It blows the other recent albums out of the water. Beautiful arrangements, voice, melodies, catchy, deep lyrics. <3

- The marriages, I agree. They disturb me a bit, especially that Maro fiasco on the covers and him eating grass. (Did you hear about that?) She's not an unapologetic b!tch like Madonna to pull those things off, Ayu's a "relateable" artist. And that new guy is just an awful choice imo, but whatever, at least she doesn't make a big deal of it. Hikki's taste is even odder.

- What? Ayu a sex icon? I don't see a problem with doing nude shoots. She's not showing her genitals and nipples like Madonna. There doesn't even need to be a reason to do a nude shoot. It's fun, sexy, cool, different... Doesn't bother me. Obviously you're saying this because of the Party queen era, in which case I agree that was terrible, but she didn't change her image into a sex diva after that lol.

If you want to complain about a valid point you should complain about her concerts or voice. Now those have gone downhill rapidly since the Power of Music tour in 2011. Hell, her voice was 5x better even before avex.

[Andrenekoi]

IMO both Party Queen and Love songs are among her best albums, so, I totally disagree with you on this.

The girl is an adult, she can pretty much merry whoever she wants for the reason that pleases her the best.

As as you said yourself, she is using nudity and sexuality since day one (or at least, year 2)... "Oh, but she didn't do it every time before", yeap, she did, she had at least one nude/half-nude/fetish photoshoot every year on the music material from 1999 to 2002

[Spartayu]

Good to see the replies from you guys. Like I said, I am open for this discussion, I am not fully enclosed with my own thoughts. If anyone of you here has a good point, my thoughts can be changed.

You guys have a point, she is an adult, she has her rights to pursue what she wants and that doesn't mean anything to her songs. But I don't know, maybe that 'change' in her life just annoys me too much.

And yes, I also agreed that her live voices ain't as good nowadays... For songs, I've also emphasized that I can accept the fact that she decided to move on rather than to stay in her older tradition-styled song, but staying by her side as a fan is something I can't really comply anymore. Also I've mentioned, I won't deny if I am wrong because I was on a bias standpoint just by listening to Party queen. Nevertheless, as adviced by Surreal17, I tried Love Song, and I gotta say, it ain't as bad as I thought it was...

Btw, please don't be rude. If you find it offensive in certain ways, I'm sorry about that, I didn't mean it. Like I said, it wasn't meant to attack Ayu, it's just somethings about her that just bothered me very much. If you are really in a desperate state of defending her, I would appreciate you just write something meaningful from her point of view.

Thanks.

[Andrenekoi]

I just don't understand why you bothering opening this thread if yourself said you aren't a fan anymore...

And I'm not asking it on a "go way" way, I just don't get the point of it...

[Spartayu]

Originally Posted by Andrenekoi

I just don't understand why you bothering opening this thread if yourself said you aren't a fan anymore...

And I'm not asking it on a "go way" way, I just don't get the point of it...

I ain't a fan, but I do not know how to describe this feeling either, it's just annoying even when I was transiting from a fandom to a non-fan. Maybe some part of me still cares but, I don't know either, let's just say it bugs me, that's all. ROFL.

On a second thought, it's because I experienced her beginning of change even when I was still a fan, and because of these changes I slowly decided to let go of 'my idol'. But eventually it becomes something that just bugs me and I just have to let it off my chest after few years, hoping someone would convince me from her point of view... This would probably be my first and last post after these years here anyway.

[November4]

Originally Posted by Andrenekoi

I just don't understand why you bothering opening this thread if yourself said you aren't a fan anymore...

And I'm not asking it on a "go way" way, I just don't get the point of it...

+1

No offense, but I don't get the point of a whole thread for this either. x) Maybe Spartayu just wants to love Ayu again even though he doesn't and needs to get some things off his chest?

As for me I'll always love Ayu no matter what she does because I literally owe her the way my life is turning out, so I can kinda get him when he's upset about not being a fan anymore. It's like you idolize this person for years and years and then she goes out and becomes a rapist. Only err... Maybe bad comparison. xD

[chocopockymaster]

Originally Posted by November4

It's like you idolize this person for years and years and then she goes out and becomes a rapist. Only err... Maybe bad comparison. xD

What on earth possessed you to think that saying this was a good idea?

As for you, SpartAyu, I'm all for people having their own opinions and whatever, but some of your criticisms are downright silly and baseless. You think she takes her clothes off too often? You yourself said that she has been doing it since the beginning of her career...LOVEppears, appears, UNITE!, RAINBOW...she's no stranger to implied nudity, and I don't see how continuing that trend with Mirrorcle World or the magazine shoots is something you can really get upset about. And you should probably just accept the fact that there's nothing wrong with a strong, confident woman deciding to show off her body. If she was being ~forced into it by her management that would be one thing, but we all know that Ayu calls the shots where these kind of decisions are concerned. Take your faux outrage elsewhere, kthxbye.

[alternarist]

change is the only constant. If u cant keep up with change, either go away or change urself.

all i can say is this. Now go fancy some other singers.

and HAHA now all the so-called "foreigner males" will hate u .

[November4]

Originally Posted by chocopockymaster

What on earth possessed you to think that saying this was a good idea?

As for you, SpartAyu, I'm all for people having their own opinions and whatever, but some of your criticisms are downright silly and baseless. You think she takes her clothes off too often? You yourself said that she has been doing it since the beginning of her career...LOVEppears, appears, UNITE!, RAINBOW...she's no stranger to implied nudity, and I don't see how continuing that trend with Mirrorcle World or the magazine shoots is something you can really get upset about. And you should probably just accept the fact that there's nothing wrong with a strong, confident woman deciding to show off her body. If she was being ~forced into it by her management that would be one thing, but we all know that Ayu calls the shots where these kind of decisions are concerned. Take your faux outrage elsewhere, kthxbye.

Please, if a shallow comparison like that on the internet upsets you you shouldn't go out into the world.

[chocopockymaster]

Originally Posted by November4

Please, if a shallow comparison like that on the internet upsets you you shouldn't go out into the world.

Grow up. I don't know where you came from all of a sudden but you have been doing the absolute most in every post I've seen you in. You're honestly comparing falling out of love with an artist to admiring someone who you admire that ends up being a rapist? Dear god, I can't even deal with this level of idiocy. It's inappropriate on so many levels, and it's not even an accurate comparison.

[colorsofromance]

^ +1

[ImpactBreaker]

Geez guys, chill out.

I don't think ayu changed that much. Actually even among her newest songs, there's one that's so tipical old ayu that makes me wonder if the formula will ever wear out. I do believe people wear out on ayu after so many years though. Even so, I'm not as hardcore as I was in the past but I still look forward to her newest stuff because I can still enjoy it. There was a time I was building up expectations, which caused frustration and made me not to enjoy some of her new releases, but fortunately I'm past that.

[SilverOwl]

.........................................

[g~sus~]

I like her changes..Recently felt that it's too much till I heard Now&4Eva
Sounds like her back in Abest!