Thoughts on Blue Bird?

[elepop]

^^ Me, I do care. An artist that has never ever written or composed their own music for me is like... o____o Makes me kinda think "Do they even get themselves involve in the music they sing?".

[PickleCookies]

Originally Posted by truehappiness

It's when she holds her notes out and stuff.

Not quite. It's a bit more than just holding a note.

This is from Wikipedia:

Originally Posted by en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vibrato

Vibrato is a musical effect where the pitch or frequency of a note or sound is quickly and repeatedly raised and lowered over a small distance for the duration of that note or sound. Vibrato is typically used to add expression and vocal-like qualities to instrumental notes.

[elepop]

^^ And that means...? XD

Originally Posted by truehappiness

Koji Morimoto ain't the new arranger, people xD He's the mixer of the song.

He's been the mixer since like.. forever XDD [he's on the OBI for fairyland if you want to see]

See? :]

Oh, I thought it said "arranged by Koji Morimoto" on the website when the tracklist was initially posted. I must have mis-read it, because I knew he had never arranged for Ayu. Whoever the arranger is, they really whiffed with this one.

If you properly examine it, the song is nothing like "fairyland" or anything from back in the RAINBOW era. Plus, "fairyland" was created with some of her strongest people from the past (tasuku and HAL), and although posing something of a new flavor for Ayu, it was still a very strong, well-executed, significant piece. I feel like MY STORY and (miss) understood were transitional periods, where her style was not quite as defined as past albums, and they have led us to the album we are about to see. Some hits, some misses. "BLUE BIRD" is definitely fabricated of Ayu's new "cute-girlpop" style, as we've witnessed with "Born To Be", "In The Corner", and "Beautiful Day".

Pop is fine, Ayu has mostly released pop tracks, even encorporated them in to her rock phase between Duty and MY STORY. But there's just something empty about some of these new cuts. Again I say "cute-girlpop".

I hate cute. And girls.

[PickleCookies]

Originally Posted by asongforXX

^^ And that means...? XD

Rather than just holding a syllable as one note, you go up and down, changing notes, but the same sound. ...if that makes any more sense.

Originally Posted by evolusean

And girls.

Me too. They have cooties.

[elepop]

Originally Posted by PickleCookies

Rather than just holding a syllable as one note, you go up and down, changing notes, but the same sound. ...if that makes any more sense.

Yeah, that makes more sense! Thanks.

[PickleCookies]

You're welcome. I didn't know until a friend in choir told me. Haha.

For a good example, think Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You." (I hope that's right.)

[SunshineSlayer]

Originally Posted by *Petit*

Almost every song released is like that no matter which genre, even a lot of classical pieces are arranged like that. That structure is basically the same as for traditional written novels, stage palys etc too, it builds towards an intense climax and then the solution or ending.

But even if it has the same structure, they don't have to necassarily sound the same - or they could be so good like will or alterna that you don't even really notice the structure. Earlier in the thread I gave a list of songs that Ayu has released in the summer that do stand out as summer songs but yet don't have the Blue Bird type of sound.

Originally Posted by *Petit*

Well, you have a point, but I don't know what type of song that could be. It would have to be a song that still is considered mainstream, if people are to buy it. What can she do would be considered "New" without going too far outside her style (we all saw what happened to B&D, Pride and BTB right?). Ayu's problem is that she's done so many diffrent thing, there're few styles left to do.

This kind of goes hand in hand with what I just wrote above. It doesn't necassarily have to be a completely new genre, just something that stands out from the norm and grabs people. However there are still genres left she hasn't tried, enka enfused pop(Will is pretty close to this), rap(wouldn't really want to see her do it, but the rap sections of Fly High etc are always great^_^), country(not crazy about that genre either lol, but still something she hasn't tried), Something retro(keep going down the path of Ladies Night, each decade of American music has a certain style to it and she hasn't done all of them), something that is big band influenced etc etc. She hasn't tried EVERYTHING. But once again, she shouldn't need a whole new genre in order to create a song that sounds original.

Originally Posted by *Petit*

IMO koda's popularity isen't mainly because of music, but I haven't got enough material of hers to make a sensible statement.

That's kind of what I thought too, that it was all due to her sexy image. But actually, her best selling singles recently have all been the ones that do not really rely on that image. Look at Koi no Tsubomi this week - a nice pop song without an overly sexy video and the performances are all understated - yet it sold 180,000 copies the first week! For those that haven't been keeping up with the sales, that is more than Startin. And Startin' contained 2 new songs and videos. Koi no Tsubomi only contained 1.

Originally Posted by *Petit*

But the songs I've herad of hers are very traditional popular songs in every aspect. And she hasen't got as big a reportoire as ayu either (rock, classical, trance, dance, etc etc.) =X Perhaps this will change now though, when she's releasing more and getting to work with more different people.

That's more or less true, though I must admit many of her recent singles have been pretty good.

Originally Posted by *Petit*

I do think however that it's smart from avex as a company's point of view to push forth koda instead of ayu or f.ex otsuka, because they'll make more money from koda and can hire more people. Koda doesen't do anything except singing and dancing (I think...?) Just like the traditional idols. She doesen't make any money writing songs or lyrics (Or does she..? Forgive me if she does, but I haven't got that impression).

I agree from the record company stand point, it is what they should be doing. But I want Ayu to stay at the top. And if she really wants to stay there she is going to have to go into fight mode.

And yes, Koda IS involved with the songwriting. How much, I'm not 100% sure, but she is involved.

But really, all of these are moot points. The bottom line is that Koda is getting more popular and Ayu is getting less. Ayu needs to decide whether she really wants to fight to stay on top or whether she is satisfied with where she is right now.

Originally Posted by j_nerd

blue bird starts out just like koi no tsubomi

I just realized that this afternoon, lol! I had made a mix cd of all the recent singles and had kind of just thrown them on there - didn't pay attention to the order. Well I was listening to it in the car and Blue Bird and Koi no Tsubomi were back to back. I actually thought Blue Bird WAS Koi no Tsubomi when it started. Weird.

[elepop]

Originally Posted by *Petit*

I do think however that it's smart from avex as a company's point of view to push forth koda instead of ayu or f.ex otsuka, because they'll make more money from koda and can hire more people. Koda doesen't do anything except singing and dancing (I think...?) Just like the traditional idols. She doesen't make any money writing songs or lyrics (Or does she..? Forgive me if she does, but I haven't got that impression).

Kuu does plenty of songwritting:

Koi no Tsubomi, you, Candy, Shake It Up, feel, WIND, Love goes like..., Birthday Eve, Lies, Someday, Sweet Kiss, NO TRICKS, Promise, Star, Butterfly, Your Sunshine, Taisetsuna Kimi he, Hot Stuff, hands, Hearty..., SHAKE IT, Kiseki, Trust you, Chase, LOVE HOLIC, 24, Believe, Through the sky, Break it down, Rock Your Body, Rain, Without Your Love, Talk to you, Hana, Get Out The Way, Sweet Love..., Gentle Words, COME WITH ME, Your Only one, one, Nasty girl, love across the ocean, Trust Your Love, Go Together, Your Song, feel me, Best Friend Of Mine, My Dream, So Into You, Till Morning Comes, come back, TAKE BACK, Can’t Lose, walk.

[SunshineSlayer]

Originally Posted by asongforXX

^^ And that means...? XD

When Ayu goes WAAAAAaaaaaaaAAAAAAaaaaaa in almost every note that she holds these days.

Originally Posted by asongforXX

Kuu does plenty of songwritting. Some that she wrote or co-wrote:

you, Candy, Shake It Up, feel, WIND, Love goes like..., Birthday Eve, Lies, Someday, Sweet Kiss, NO TRICKS, Promise, Star, Butterfly, Your Sunshine, Taisetsuna Kimi he, Hot Stuff, hands, Hearty..., SHAKE IT, Kiseki, Trust you, Chase, LOVE HOLIC, 24, Believe, Through the sky,

Is that just for the lyrics or the lyrics and music?

[PickleCookies]

I love you, SunshineSlayer.

[SunshineSlayer]

Originally Posted by PickleCookies

I love you, SunshineSlayer.

lol. Uhhh, Thanks?

[elepop]

Originally Posted by SunshineSlayer

When Ayu goes WAAAAAaaaaaaaAAAAAAaaaaaa in almost every note that she holds these days.

Is that just for the lyrics or the lyrics and music?

Songwritting, as I wrote. So lyrics.

[PickleCookies]

Originally Posted by SunshineSlayer

lol. Uhhh, Thanks?

Well you basically said that Ayu sucks, in so many words.


(asongforXX, get on MSN).

[etheruraura]

I agree from the record company stand point, it is what they should be doing. But I want Ayu to stay at the top. And if she really wants to stay there she is going to have to go into fight mode.

I agree with this. I would give almost anything for Ayu to release a song that everyone on this forum loves, (even the people who haven't liked the majority of her latest material for a long time) along with a nice cover, and nice PVs. I like BLUE BIRD, but it doesn't particulary stand out to me. I would absolutely love something with real instruments - no fancy electronic arrangement, no sparkling sounds, just a complex song with a nice compostion and arrangement. I would love an acoustic mid tempo song, but I don't think thats going to happen..something like Hitomi Yaida's "Ring my Bell" would be fabulous. On the whole though, yes, she does need to step up her game. I want her to take her time with the next single she releases. I want it to be great. I haven't given up hope on her yet, because I know she's capable of amazing stuff. Old songs like SURREAL, Far away, NEVER EVER, ourselves, etc. (Even though I like her new stuff as well).

[SunshineSlayer]

Originally Posted by PickleCookies

Well you basically said that Ayu sucks, in so many words.


(asongforXX, get on MSN).

I don't think that Ayu sucks at all.

Originally Posted by asongforXX

Songwritting, as I wrote. So lyrics.

Songwriting can mean the music as well. So, she is a lyricist but not a composer. I just was curious about that.

[PickleCookies]

Oh. Well I interpreted it that way. Oh well.

[SunshineSlayer]

Originally Posted by asongforXX

Songwritting, as I wrote. So lyrics.

Songwriting can mean the music as well. So, she is a lyricist but not a composer. I just was curious about that.

[truehappiness]

Oi. x.x

[elepop]

Originally Posted by SunshineSlayer

Songwriting can mean the music as well. So, she is a lyricist but not a composer. I just was curious about that.

Oh, I see. I thought songwriting only meant writing songs!

Originally Posted by PickleCookies

(asongforXX, get on MSN).

Can't, MSN is not connecting.