new album "A ONE" 2015.04.08 in stores IV

[hidekirby]

Originally Posted by truehappiness

Eh, it's not like she does it every single time. Out of control is not like this.

I feel like for a 'grand sweeping ballad' they do tend to go for the sameish sounds, however. They should add unique instruments here and there like for HEAVEN at least.

Yuta needs to push himself a little. I know he can work magic with upbeat stuff but he needs to diversify just a liiiiittle bit more for Ayu's sake if she's going to continue using him.

Isn't Out of control the mid tempo pop rock song? It's not the kind of song I was having on my mind. I'm only targeting ballads.

They are not doing it every time of course but I swear they had already overused it.
Zutto..., Walk, SAKURA, petal, PRAY... Of course the arrangements aren't literally copy/paste, but you understand my point. I'm really really fed up with it. Like REALLY.

I totally agree with you on the rest. Yuta has done crazy/unique arrangements (I mean SLT!!). Now he just seems lazy and uninspired.

[HarukaKamiya]

*sits alone in the TK fan club*

ahahaha, I'm not listening to the other songs until my copy arrives. I spoilt myself on WARNING because hello hawt PV and idk why I watched The GIFT's PV but... Honestly the latter song is pretty, but I have no overwhelming desire to listen to it again. WARNING can get it tho.

[truehappiness]

Originally Posted by hidekirby

I totally agree with you on the rest. Yuta has done crazy/unique arrangements (I mean SLT!!). Now he just seems lazy and uninspired.

I think someone just needs to tell him that he's been doing okay but he needs to step it up to become 'amazing'. He's talented for sure but maybe when Ayu is voicing what she wants from a song he is not thinking of what he can do differently to achieve whatever vision she has and instead is like "ok, I'll do this because it sounds nice" and of course Ayu is fine with it because it fits what she wants.

[!Lawi!]

Oh my god... Guys, Ayu's whole discography is a repetition of the same song models, apart from a few exceptions that you majoritaryly hate. You really need to stop discovering at every release that she's not always an innovative singer.

Anything for you is a beautiful song, even though it shares a few notes with Walk. And TK doesn't force his songs into Ayu's discography, stop blaming it on him alone.

From my perspective, A ONE is a strong album which retraces everything that made Ayu a great, loveable singer. If you want originality, go to Party Queen or Colours. If you want the old Ayu, go to old albums.

[hayasaki]

I really don't know where are you guys seeing the 7-minute length for anything for you. I think WHATEVER on LOVEppears is her longest

[HarukaKamiya]

Originally Posted by !Lawi!

Oh my god... Guys, Ayu's whole discography is a repetition of the same song models, apart from a few exceptions that you majoritaryly hate. You really need to stop discovering at every release that she's nto always an innovative singer.

Anything for you is a beautiful song, even though it shares a few notes with Walk. And TK doesn't force his songs into Ayu's discography, stop blaming it on him alone.

From my perspective, A ONE is a strong album which retraces everything that made Ayu a great, loveable singer. If you want originality, go to Party Queen or Colours. If you want the old Ayu, go to old albums.

THISSSSSSSSSSSSS

[truehappiness]

Originally Posted by hayasaki

I really don't know where are you guys seeing the 7-minute length for anything for you. I think WHATEVER on LOVEppears is her longest

It's listed at Japanese retailers.

Originally Posted by !Lawi!

Oh my god... Guys, Ayu's whole discography is a repetition of the same song models, apart from a few exceptions that you majoritaryly hate. You really need to stop discovering at every release that she's not always an innovative singer.

Anything for you is a beautiful song, even though it shares a few notes with Walk. And TK doesn't force his songs into Ayu's discography, stop blaming it on him alone.

From my perspective, A ONE is a strong album which retraces everything that made Ayu a great, loveable singer. If you want originality, go to Party Queen or Colours. If you want the old Ayu, go to old albums.

I LOVE what she does and don't really have an issue with the songs but it is extremely obvious that some of these songs are similar in more than "oh, it sort of sounds like this" and it's hard to NOT point it out.

I think for Anything For You, it's weird because we also have Walk on the same album and for Step by step it is strange because we JUST got The Show Must Go On which already sounds like a snowy kiss sister track.

[Delicious n Bold]

Waiting for ayu to sleigh with the other songs. True Jpop queen tbh

[hayasaki]

Originally Posted by truehappiness

It's listed at Japanese retailers.

ooohh. Thanks!! That's pretty long for a ballad. LOL But i think it depends on the arrangement. PRAY doesn't even feel 6minutes. Anyway, i'm saving this song for last!!

[Coelacanth]

CMJK was always the more interesting ballad guy: HANABI, Pride, CAROLS, HAPPY ENDING, RAINBOW, forgiveness, Together When...

It's obvious Yuta Nakano is heavily influenced by classical music. Many of his arrangements reflect that.

[hidekirby]

Originally Posted by !Lawi!

Oh my god... Guys, Ayu's whole discography is a repetition of the same song models, apart from a few exceptions that you majoritaryly hate. You really need to stop discovering at every release that she's not always an innovative singer.

Anything for you is a beautiful song, even though it shares a few notes with Walk. And TK doesn't force his songs into Ayu's discography, stop blaming it on him alone.

From my perspective, A ONE is a strong album which retraces everything that made Ayu a great, loveable singer. If you want originality, go to Party Queen or Colours. If you want the old Ayu, go to old albums.

I don't know if you knew ayumi before 2008 but I seriously started listening to her in 2003 and by 2006 I never had this annoying feeling that I was listening to something she had already done before (considering her disco since her debut).
Since Secret this feeling is growing on and on for me notably with ballads, summer songs and pop/rock mid-tempo tracks (that is also why Party Queen is far from being original as a whole for me. Of course it's normal because she can't reinvent herself at every release.
But woking with the same exact people may be a part of the explanation (this and low expectations/standards). As I said it's not something incredibly borderline to say "hey, just use this sound/instrument we don't always use/we never have used before". Let's be creative!

If you choose similar melodies and you add similar arrangements...

[truehappiness]

Originally Posted by Coelacanth

CMJK was always the more interesting ballad guy: HANABI, Pride, CAROLS, HAPPY ENDING, RAINBOW, forgiveness, Together When...

It's obvious Yuta Nakano is heavily influenced by classical music. Many of his arrangements reflect that.

Mmm, do we know if CMJK is doing anything right now? Or if he's arranging for others? In his band still?

She needs to...

a) Keep Yuta BUT encourage him to do 'more'
b) Get one or two more arrangers either 'back' or find new ones that fit her sound (I want Naoto Suzuki, CMJK, and HIKARI back... maybe allow Seiji Kameda to work his magic like on Close to you)
c) Keep tasuku because he's godly
d) Maybe let Shingo Kobayashi handle arranging of rockier 'raw' tracks

[Delicious n Bold]

Originally Posted by Coelacanth

CMJK was always the more interesting ballad guy: HANABI, Pride, CAROLS, HAPPY ENDING, RAINBOW, forgiveness, Together When...

It's obvious Yuta Nakano is heavily influenced by classical music. Many of his arrangements reflect that.

He was tbh
CAROLS >>>

[Coelacanth]

Originally Posted by truehappiness

Mmm, do we know if CMJK is doing anything right now? Or if he's arranging for others? In his band still?

She needs to...

a) Keep Yuta BUT encourage him to do 'more'
b) Get one or two more arrangers either 'back' or find new ones that fit her sound (I want Naoto Suzuki, CMJK, and HIKARI back... maybe allow Seiji Kameda to work his magic like on Close to you)
c) Keep tasuku because he's godly
d) Maybe let Shingo Kobayashi handle arranging of rockier 'raw' tracks

Oh, I absolutely think Yuta needs to stick around. This guy possesses serious musicianship. Perhaps one issue is that his arrangements sound TOO polished... But even then, he's got a few "off" ones where it sounds like he was randomly messing around in Fruity Loops and we get something like ANother song, lol.

She spoiled the hell out of us with albums like (miss)understood, R'n'R Circus, MY STORY - having us come to expect that she always play the role of pop music chameleon. She walked right into this trap, of course.

[truehappiness]

She used to have more arrangers at her disposal in those days compared than the two she tends to stick with now. The numbers were never more than 3 or 4, but they were an AMAZING group of arrangers.

[Akutenshi]

Yuta is still a great addition to have, she just needs to lay off having him arrange her ballads nowadays. That's where he lacks his originality.

[NintendoHTF1242]

I'm tired of Yuta, both as a composer and arranger (even though Pray was flawless). Can she bring BOUNCEBACK? What about D•A•I?

[ayumisrael]

Originally Posted by NintendoHTF1242

I'm tired of Yuta, both as a composer and arranger (even though Pray was flawless). Can she bring BOUNCEBACK? What about D•A•I?

BOUNCEBACK composed Shake It♥ on Party Queen and no one fussed about it.

(I think that people should ask for arrangers rather than composers though since they are in charge of the sound/style of the songs).

[Delicious n Bold]

Originally Posted by NintendoHTF1242

I'm tired of Yuta, both as a composer and arranger (even though Pray was flawless). Can she bring BOUNCEBACK? What about D•A•I?

drag ha to the pits tbh
its come to the point where she's over used Nakano so much that he's like a used wipe or something. He's everywhere. why. She needs to bring back DAI. He sleighs me everytime. and BOUNCEBACK too. love em. they NEVER EVER fail to produce a timeless jam.

[ayumisrael]

^Same reply from the post above. =P

You are talking about Yuta Nakano as an arranger, he didn't compose anything since LOVE again.

BOUNCEBACK and D.A.I are not arrangers.