[Rumor] Ayu’s fanbase dwindling? New single fails to reach top 20 [AramaJapan]

[TeamAyu2004]

Originally Posted by Zeke.

I just don't understand how someone can "hate" ayu. She's done some frowned upon things as of late but she's never been anything downright dislikeable. Maybe people think it's an act?

My impression from people in japan is that she thinks she is just old. lol
When i talk about her to people of my age or slightly older they are like... You know her!?!?! LOL... thats funny... She's so old!

I'm like... really????

[attractive nausea]

Originally Posted by Zeke.

I just don't understand how someone can "hate" ayu. She's done some frowned upon things as of late but she's never been anything downright dislikeable. Maybe people think it's an act?

My guess is that because back in her peak her face and music was everywhere, like REALLY everywhere. So people really liked her at that time, but after years they just kinda got tired of her, it's as simple as that. And now with all the scandals (mannie, party queen cover, maro...) japanese people must think "she's just trying too hard now, soooo annoying"

That's how it works nowadays : we find a new face → she gets really popular for a few years → then people start to get tired and lose interest → her sales start to decline and everyone except her fanbase starts to hate her because "ugh look at that she's trying too hard, why don't she quit already"
Even tho i like lady gaga that's kinda how it worked for her, and nobody can deny that

Though there are also counterexamples, like Namie, who's been around for a longer time than Ayu but still manages to remain popular and sell very well...

I guess that's a question of image, the more you keep your life private and avoid scandals, the longer your career will last ??

[Andrenekoi]

^Lady Gaga's sales fell because she overdid it. She wouldn't be at such a low place only 6 years into her career if she didn't force competition against other popstars and if her public persona had at least some consistency.

Ayu is around for 16 years and she did great for 10 of those 16, even now she is doing better than a lot of people that actually came after her. She is at the place someone with her career span gets once the generation shifts. One generation always negates what the past generation treasured (what pretty much explain why being an authoral pop singer in Japan right now isn't a good thing).

Namie didn't managed to "remain popular and sell very well", the public lost interest on her during most of the 00's. She wasn't selling great and that's when she shifted her tours from arenas to halls, even if nowadays she does that by preference. Regaining your popularity is very different from ramaining popular all long the way. But Namie pretty much also suffered from a shock of generations when she got down.

[Rocky Raven]

Originally Posted by Andrenekoi

Namie didn't managed to "remain popular and sell very well", the public lost interest on her during most of the 00's. She wasn't selling great and that's when she shifted her tours from arenas to halls, even if nowadays she does that by preference. Regaining your popularity is very different from ramaining popular all long the way. But Namie pretty much also suffered from a shock of generations when she got down.

How well do u know about Namie career in 2000s, especially in 2004,2005,2006 eras? Had you watched any programs she was in back then to see how people actually react every time they seeing her? "Best Buzz Asia 2004" & "Most Impressive Performing Artist in Asia 2005" award do mean something.

Having a niche range of listeners didn't mean that she lost her image or popularity, because I was originally a fan of Ayu before I knew Namie, and I was also introduced to Namie in her "low period" (2003), but she conquered me with her urban Western influence music quality & un-kawaii image. You said there's a shock of generations, yes, myself was shock. So for me Image does count.
Until now it has been 11 years, and yes, she's been remaining her popularity along the way, no matter how hard you try to prove her not.

[Andrenekoi]

Originally Posted by Rocky Raven

How well do u know about Namie career in 2000s, especially in 2004,2005,2006 eras? Had you watched any programs she was in back then to see how people actually react every time they seeing her? "Best Buzz Asia 2004" & "Most Impressive Performing Artist in Asia 2005" award do mean something.

Having a niche range of listeners didn't mean that she lost her image or popularity, because I was originally a fan of Ayu before I knew Namie, and I was also introduced to Namie in her "low period" (2003), but she conquered me with her urban Western influence music quality & un-kawaii image. You said there's a shock of generations, yes, myself was shock. So for me Image does count.
Until now it has been 11 years, and yes, she's been remaining her popularity along the way, no matter how hard you try to prove her not.

I know Namie since 2002, and she was pretty much seen as a has been back them by everyone that wasn't part of her fanbase. I even remember her fans (usually people who followed her since the 90's) complaining that they missed when she was at the top of the game. She kept around because she had, as you said, a niche, and even when she was at her lowest, she was still regarded as a strong live performer (something that isn't much different with Ayu nowadays), but to the general public, her popularity wasn't that big.

Now, you can say whatever you want, her sales from 2000 to 2005 can't really be faked, can they? It wasn't until Queen of Hip Pop that things started changing for her... And I remember people regaining interest on her on that era.