[News] 9/24 CDTV Premium live TV appearance

[minkAYuko]

Ah yes, I agree with you guys she's not vocalizing anymore; like in SURREAL is almost like she's talking to you, and she seems short of breath like she forgot how to breath, I've notice this before, she just needs a new approach to singing.

[Tony G]

Reading this thread I was expecting some horrible performance, but turns out a lot of people were just being drama queens. The performance was miles above CDL and the April MW performances. The MW world vocals were decent, couldn't have asked for more. The vocals weren't perfect in SURREAL, but she was having a good time and I'm glad to see her doing TV performances now.

[SolarAngel]

Originally Posted by Tony G

Reading this thread I was expecting some horrible performance, but turns out a lot of people were just being drama queens. The performance was miles above CDL and the April MW performances. The MW world vocals were decent, couldn't have asked for more. The vocals weren't perfect in SURREAL, but she was having a good time and I'm glad to see her doing TV performances now.

Drama queen is one thing but people have reasons and explanations to why they feel the way they did. Maybe an out of tune performance is fine with you, that's perfectly ok. Just that some are not comfortable listening to it. I'm very happy to finally see her on tv and she looks as beautiful as she ever did. I think the pictures that made her look heavier were just taken at unfortunate angles or she lost weight in a short period of time.

WTF?Ugh,I hate that audience,they're like zombies.

[truehappiness]

Exactly. I don't think so either. I think she's slowly losing them and newer, hipper, younger artists (alan, etc) are beginning to take over.

Sorry, but alan and the word take over are not meant to be together. LOL.

Srsly now, the girl can sing, but "take over?" LUUUUUUUUUULZ. Ayu still has a hold on fans judging by A COMPLETE's sales imo. And from what I can see, Ayu doesn't really seem to care that a bit of her fanbase is slowly slipping away. I mean her concerts still do sell out, so she still has a presence, and she has a hell of a lot more sales than some of the artists out there who are "hipper and younger"..

[GRACE]

So she doesn't appeal to a casual listener anymore... your point? It's not like it's going to stop her from making music, we aren't the casual listeners, we're the fans. I don't really care if Japan is buying her music or not, because I am, and I'm enjoying it.

Originally Posted by truehappiness

Sorry, but alan and the word take over are not meant to be together. LOL.

Srsly now, the girl can sing, but "take over?" LUUUUUUUUUULZ.

Incredibly uncalled for.

[SunshineSlayer]

Originally Posted by GRACE

So she doesn't appeal to a casual listener anymore... your point? It's not like it's going to stop her from making music, we aren't the casual listeners, we're the fans. I don't really care if Japan is buying her music or not, because I am, and I'm enjoying it.

Well yeah, of course its nice to say that as a fan. But like it or not, Ayu's future career does depend on what Japan thinks of her, not what we do.

[njanjayrp]

Originally Posted by truehappiness

Sorry, but alan and the word take over are not meant to be together. LOL.

Srsly now, the girl can sing, but "take over?" LUUUUUUUUUULZ. Ayu still has a hold on fans judging by A COMPLETE's sales imo. And from what I can see, Ayu doesn't really seem to care that a bit of her fanbase is slowly slipping away. I mean her concerts still do sell out, so she still has a presence, and she has a hell of a lot more sales than some of the artists out there who are "hipper and younger"..

As usuall ^^ I agree with you. And I hate when people start shooting artists out of the blue and compare them to others, I mean of all the people alan XD who can't even sell more than 10 k with a single, she ain't taking over anything (at least she is far from taking over atm, plus the music she does isn't really popular, not that I have something against her). And even if someone has one hit single (Aoyama anyone) it doesn't mean s/he will remain popular for long, and there are millions of examples, and so far there are a rare few who have managed to stay "hip" as long as Ayu did. Plus the music Ayu does lately isn't meant to appeal to everyone, at least that's the way I feel.

[thangkhung91]

I think it depends on which kind of song she is singing. Recently she has been doing a lot of rock-songs lately and maybe she has been ''forced'' to use a different technique than what she's been used to...
If you pay atention in MW you can hear that the ''nee boku wa no''-part after the second chorus is much better than the verses and etc. She isn't strainging her voice as in the faster parts where she has to be fast with the lyrics, sing with a lot of power and hit the right notes. And like someone said earlier, MW doesn't really have a clear melody.
To sing a full on rock-song you need a really powerful voice. I'm not saying that Ayu doesn't have a powerful voice, it's just that it's not enough. That's why she's strainging it so much

I simply guess that her voice isnt really suited for rock-songs. I hope she'll go back to pop or ballads from her My Story- m(u)- Secret- era
I belive that was when here voice was at it's best

So keep it simple, Ayu

[GRACE]

Not necessarily, she does not have to remain number one all the time to still have a career. She could disappear for quite a while and still release something(Olivia anyone?), being a musician isn't about sales or popularity, even is she hits rock bottom in popularity, I'm sure she'll continue to get her music out there some how, even if she did it herself, since singing is her life as she said in 06.

[SunshineSlayer]

Originally Posted by GRACE

Not necessarily, she does not have to remain number one all the time to still have a career. She could disappear for quite a while and still release something(Olivia anyone?), being a musician isn't about sales or popularity, even is she hits rock bottom in popularity, I'm sure she'll continue to get her music out there some how, even if she did it herself, since singing is her life as she said in 06.

Yes, I'm sure she would. But it also means less tv performances, less magazine covers, less interviews, less budget for her albums, pvs, and tours etc etc. All things that we as fans love to see from her. Which is why I always hope that she can stay at the top for as long as possible. For example, I love Seiko Matsuda and Akina Nakamori - two singers from the 80s who's notoriety was the equivlent of Ayu today. Both still release things sporadically and both still tour, but you very rarely get the opportunity to see them in the media anymore. No more good pvs, big concerts etc, and a tv live once in a blue moon. I don't want that for Ayu too. I suppose it is inevitable though.

[GRACE]

Everyone's star wanes. As long as there's still music, though, then that's enough imo. Because that's what her main purpose is in the entertainment industry. She's a musician. She's not a model, she's not an actress (anymore), even unpopular acts still release some really good music, I'm sure she'd do the same if and when she reaches that level.

[SunshineSlayer]

Originally Posted by GRACE

Everyone's star wanes. As long as there's still music, though, then that's enough imo. Because that's what her main purpose is in the entertainment industry. She's a musician. She's not a model, she's not an actress (anymore), even unpopular acts still release some really good music, I'm sure she'd do the same if and when she reaches that level.

Well, she's not really a musician though per se. More of an overall entertainer. People who are strictly musicians can go on making music happily indefinitely, but Ayu's not really like that. Still though, no matter what I would still follow her.

[GRACE]

Originally Posted by SunshineSlayer

Well, she's not really a musician though per se. More of an overall entertainer. People who are strictly musicians can go on making music happily indefinitely, but Ayu's not really like that. Still though, no matter what I would still follow her.

...Isn't that exactly what she wants to do?

[SunshineSlayer]

Originally Posted by GRACE

...Isn't that exactly what she wants to do?

But she is not strictly a musician though. So much of what she does are either fashion, magazine, dance, pv, spectacle related and not just the music. So what I'm saying, is it will be difficult for her to continue doing the same kind of things that she has done through her whole career if her popularity wanes too much. Of course she can still release music, but the overall package will be gone and I think its that overall package that make up what Ayu is, more than just the music by itself. I don't know if she would be happy with anything less. Just like she said she wouldn't want to perform somewhere if she couldn't do her full stage show.

Originally Posted by maikaru

I'm pretty sure she cuts off her vocals, especally in mirrorcle w because she wants to do her arm wavey things~
If you watch, she just takes the mic from her mouth, and waves her arms.
I think she's just OVER excited during these performances... like, she took off control of the voice, and just became hyper and jumping... and kicking, in mirrorcle world.

She does it in every song she performs now though and has been since Jewel. So I don't think it's just because of arm waving. It could be any number of reasons though really.

[maikaru]

Originally Posted by SunshineSlayer

She does it in every song she performs now though and has been since Jewel. So I don't think it's just because of arm waving. It could be any number of reasons though really.

No no..
I meant... the ones in Mirrorcle World... the really exagerrated "I am so mysterious" arm waves.
During the chorus.. "akirameta no katte~ funbatten no katte" and then~~
And I don't know.. I have to disagree... she seems much more... EXCITED...
In her arm waves and kicks during this performance of Mirrorcle World and Surreal..

Maybe she is excited this is her first tv appearance since forever~~ LOL
But, yeah obviously not to make it sweet, somethings wrong.
Whether she cant hear her voice to control it, or something other..
I guess we don't know.

[maikaru]

I have to agree about the alan comment..
If you check even Avex website access... she is not even in the top 10.
=\ It was really rude the way he said it~ yeah... but truthful.
it's because alan is not japanese... I think, maybe that's a bad thing to say..
But generally people will support Ayumi more than alan because of that fact.

Anyways... even from the recording on Duty, she had problems with Surreal.
There are many places on the recording that is even "what the heck..."
and in all her lives, she can't do the low part, and the high part becomes shouting.
I think cause... she is trying to sound powerful for that song.. maybe excited too..
She doesn't control her vocals... she seems so excited and making those powerful arm swings.

I'm pretty sure she cuts off her vocals, especally in mirrorcle w because she wants to do her arm wavey things~
If you watch, she just takes the mic from her mouth, and waves her arms.
I think she's just OVER excited during these performances... like, she took off control of the voice, and just became hyper and jumping... and kicking, in mirrorcle world.

Edit:~ And just wanna add... after she is screaming the "Woooo wooo wooo wooo" in Mirrorcle w... I think her voice is really weak, and can't sing the low and soft parts~~ so sad.
Yeah, maybe something's wrong with her voice...
Oh and... if the ear has no problems with why she is singing, then why does she continue to try to close her ear?
Like when she is trying to get those high parts...
To try and hear herself properly? I think she simply can't hear herself anymore... especially in Surreal...
Like, when the explosion, the la la la~ I think simply she couldn't hear where she was anymore...
Because everything was o.k. until that part... and then loud noise... and that's it.

LOL~ whatever the case, I hope she can regain her abilities and find a new way to hear the song mix in her ear.

[~*Mabushii*~]

I think she had trouble with the loud parts of MW and after the loud boom in Surreal..

that said..
She still sounds GREAT to me ALL things considered and I'm proud of her.

[ayumisrael]

Am I the only one who think that this whole popularity anxiety is ridiculous?
The woman sell like crazy and still get #1s as far as her popularity is on the "risk".
After 10 years she's still one of the most popular japanese artists, you can't say that her sales are close to bad, she fill the audience in her tours quick and she performs in big arenas and also in HK, Taiwan and Shanghai.
Don't know what people are talking about but ayu is still very popular and it doesn't seem it will fade at a second. (Not popular as she used to of course as always need to be written but it's undeniable that she's still popular and as it seems she has no popularity thread (I mean from herself) if she still sell how she sell, get #1s and fill big arenas.
ayu also doesn't sound THAT bad that she would actually ruin to herself her career.
It's a matter of opinion but ayu still can sing decently or even extremely well.

A lot of things people here say are true but sometimes it arrives to exaggerations with all seriousness.

Fans or casual listeners, it doesn't seem like they protest against her "awful" singing and they still fill her big arenas and enjoying the shows (hence why she still fill big arenas of over 30 tour dates every year) and we also hear that artists like Namie Amuro and X Japan's bassist are starting to attend her concerts every year.
ayu's state is far from being bad careerwise (or actually in every way except for her left deaf ear).

[SunshineSlayer]

Originally Posted by ayumisrael

Am I the only one who think that this whole popularity anxiety is ridiculous?
The woman sell like crazy and still get #1s as far as her popularity is on the "risk".

Oh no doubt, I don't think anyone is denying that. But the day will come when she doesn't get #1 single, just like Guilty didn't get #1 album. Most of the major Utahime didn't start dying out until after the 10 year mark in their careers, Ayu is rare, but not the only one in that regard. I just don't want to see the end sped up even further because of bad vocal performances.

Originally Posted by ayumisrael

Fans or casual listeners, it doesn't seem like they protest against her "awful" singing and they still fill her big arenas and enjoying the shows

Actually they do quite a lot. All over 2 channel and other message boards talk about how bad she is. If you are in Japan and try to ask a casual listener what they think of her, more often than not in my experience they say they don't like her because a) she changed to much from her early days and b) they don't like her voice.