"progress" Preview

[Zeke.]

Originally Posted by njanjayrp

By your standards it might not be, by someone else's it just might be. You want people to accept your opinion when you're seemingly not ready to accept theirs. It seemingly goes both ways ^^ There is really no point in discussing opinions and trying to see which one is more legit. If you can't stand reading that people like something you don't, you're not any better than they are when they tell you off.

I'm not saying people who LOVE it are blind or biased - I am saying when they get so worked up because other people don't love something. None of us hate Ayu or we wouldn't keep coming here. It's natural to feel sad sometimes when you love someone so much and have loved their music and then the releases start hitting you less and less. None of us want that but some of us start to feel that way and then there's the message like "Well too bad for you, I still love it! Heard the first 5 seconds of the new song and it's already the best song of the year!" - stuff like that.
A lot of the time it's not Ayu but its avex and/or the quality of releases now (not the actual songs but the PVs, promotions, covers).

Also, I am satisfied with releases and usually they grow on me and then I love them more because they are different. But it's only natural to think about how fierce it was at a certain point. I still love her releases and all, and after a year passes I usually love the previous release even more! But there is nothing wrong with missing the "spark". It's not like we are ungrateful for what she is releasing, but just can't deny and reminisce about other works and compare.

What I'm trying to get at is I just hate it when fans decide to actually review her music and if it's somewhat negative, even if it is a well written opinion and not just a "AYU SUCKS" - they are looked down on by some. Ayu could release a song of farts and giggles and some fans would still think of it as super amazing.

[njanjayrp]

Originally Posted by Zeke.

I'm not saying people who LOVE it are blind or biased - I am saying when they get so worked up because other people don't love something. None of us hate Ayu or we wouldn't keep coming here. It's natural to feel sad sometimes when you love someone so much and have loved their music and then the releases start hitting you less and less. None of us want that but some of us start to feel that way and then there's the message like "Well too bad for you, I still love it! Heard the first 5 seconds of the new song and it's already the best song of the year!" - stuff like that.
A lot of the time it's not Ayu but its avex and/or the quality of releases now (not the actual songs but the PVs, promotions, covers).

Also, I am satisfied with releases and usually they grow on me and then I love them more because they are different. But it's only natural to think about how fierce it was at a certain point. I still love her releases and all, and after a year passes I usually love the previous release even more! But there is nothing wrong with missing the "spark". It's not like we are ungrateful for what she is releasing, but just can't deny and reminisce about other works and compare.

What I'm trying to get at is I just hate it when fans decide to actually review her music and if it's somewhat negative, even if it is a well written opinion and not just a "AYU SUCKS" - they are looked down on by some. Ayu could release a song of farts and giggles and some fans would still think of it as super amazing.

OK I get what you're saying, but every fandome has fans like that and in a way it's always good to have at least a few of those passionate fans, who are prolly younger and will grow up and change sooner or later. I myself don't understand how some people can be fans of "insert a random idol band" and like all the stuff they put out and if I said anything I'd prolly get crucified, so if you are aware you'll get bashed for having an opinion then don't post it at all, as you know what kind of reaction you can expect or simply don't care about what others say and still post how you feel about something. What I am trying to say is that there will always be people like that in every forum/fan base.

The thing that annoys me is when people try the song only once and then diss it off right away and yet they still manage to form this opinion and are able to write pages with all the reasons they dislike a song. As you said, sometimes you just have to let something grow on you. Ayu works hard to make those songs so trying it a few more times isn't going to kill anyone. Also there is the fact that the majority of Ayu's international fan base can't understand what she is singing about so all they want are catchy melodies and she can't have those all the time.

[Zeke.]

^ I actually think simpler melodies work better (Days and JEWEL were said to be simple and I love them). Simple melodies stick, more complex/complicated/awkward melodies don't.

[SURREAL__RAINBOW]

I'm biased when I feel like it, and no one should gaf about it.

But lately I just cbf... The preview is alright though.

[pepper]

i don't get the sending mail comparition, maybe verses a little, but chorus oO

it seems for me like a kiss'o'kill song (not exactly the same, but slow verse + strong dramatic chorus type)

i love chorus, because ive only listened to it twice, and I still remember how it goes~ so it got stucked in my head.

but verses (or this verse) is just out of the song. It's really blossom-like, but blossom was better still they were not that cutesy.

[pepper]

and about that "ayu goes flat"... I am happy to be that kind of fan that don't like big changes. Tomb Raider goes survival, and I'm like "uhm.bring me back the typical tomb raider!"

I like when Ayu sounds like 10 years back then. I think her most experimental songs sounds like raw meat. They don't have THIS magic.

[Andrenekoi]

I still don't get why people keep listening and complaining about an artist they never like the material after a certain era... It's not like Ayu should be pleasing any and everyone personally....

I liked the preview, imo its sounds really strong...

[love in music]

Originally Posted by Andrenekoi

I still don't get why people keep listening and complaining about an artist they never like the material after a certain era... It's not like Ayu should be pleasing any and everyone personally....

I liked the preview, imo its sounds really strong...

Same here. I joined this forum in 2008 and still notice the exact same people since then post in every "thoughts on -new song of the moment-" thread saying they don't like it. Everyone has a right to their opinion and by all means fans/former fans can continue for years and years posting in threads about her new songs complaining and then going on about how everyone else who likes it is a stan but it seems like a waste of time. I'd rather focus on artists who do a good job pleasing me.

[AyumiAi]

Can anyone else imagine after the huge woohhh woooooooo her repeating the chorus but really softly and with only a piano melody? I dunno it just seems like it would flow nicely

[truehappiness]

I hate when people refuse to admit her work is anything short of perfection when it isn't and then they attack the fans who have an opinion.

Well, to them, it might be. I think this is like those situations where instead of someone thinking that a song/set of songs is great and thinks that everyone should think they're great, but it's the exact opposite. Just because you don't like the song(s) doesn't mean that they are bad nor does it mean that everyone else has to have the same view that they're terrible and same sounding.

IMO, if you don't have something nice to say at a fan forum, you should expect to see some backlash to what you have to say. It's to be expected after all since this is kind of a forum made for Ayu fans by Ayu fans. Not everyone loves everything Ayu does here (but a lot of people seem to think that for some odd reason) but there are a few who are satisfied with her output overall and I don't think that's a bad thing. It's the case with any artist, really, but with Ayu, her overseas fanbase is pretty large compared to some other artists. Like, I'm a fan of some other artists and I rarely ever see their fans ever get so heated and disappointed over the quality of tracks compared to older works they've done. I think they're just grateful that they're releasing new material at all and taking things as they come.

Sometimes I think of Ayu fans as really spoiled because she's given us so much and more often than not, she's slammed for whatever she does. Like... she'd give fans exactly what they're asking for and then suddenly it's not enough or whatever she ended up releasing wasn't up to their standard or something. It's been bugging me for the last few releases and it makes me wonder sometimes if we as fans are even listening to the same tracks when I hear "She is releasing the same songs over and over and is not fresh." I mean reaaalllly?

[MissElin_]

^I recognise what you say there. It's pretty much what I have heard before. Ayu fans getting a bit more overheated in those questions than other artists fans. Everybody have different taste and also Ayu. She won't keep on having the same taste in music, ways in producing music etc. She evovles, just like the music industry and ppl listening to it.

So...

[jbrat2219]

Originally Posted by haikudasai

Your numbers are questionable.

For this me, in that "10%", I feel that she continues to release the same style without anything fresh. For years I've seen most people just absolutely love every single 10 seconds of a preview they get and know that its going to be a super amazing song. Yet this forum continues to promote such a biased opinion that chases out those who differ.

At any rate. She still makes the majority of you happy and that's great. Unfortunately, for me, she continues to go flat. I'll always be a fan of her for what she did give and that shouldn't discredit my fandom for her simply because stans can't handled a difference of opinion.

What I'm trying to figure out is what in her music sounds the same to you? Her singles? They're almost always going to be formulated to appeal to an audience, but her music in general? There aren't many songs like do it again (Love songs), Sexy Little Things (RnRC), Sparkle - which was on a single (Next Level) and there's definitely nothing like Mirrorcle World. I feel like people who are always asking for something different sometimes overlook songs that are actually different. Yeah she doesn't do them in hoards like she use to (in my opinion she never really use to) and it's a well known fact that her music gems are the album tracks and not necessarily the singles. The singles are going to appeal to more than just her fans, BLUE BIRD, Sunrise and Days were hits because they were ~different~. Just my two cents.

[kagami]

Originally Posted by jbrat2219

What I'm trying to figure out is what in her music sounds the same to you? Her singles? They're almost always going to be formulated to appeal to an audience, but her music in general? There aren't many songs like do it again (Love songs), Sexy Little Things (RnRC), Sparkle - which was on a single (Next Level) and there's definitely nothing like Mirrorcle World. I feel like people who are always asking for something different sometimes overlook songs that are actually different. Yeah she doesn't do them in hoards like she use to (in my opinion she never really use to) and it's a well known fact that her music gems are the album tracks and not necessarily the singles. The singles are going to appeal to more than just her fans, BLUE BIRD, Sunrise and Days were hits because they were ~different~. Just my two cents.

Exactly. You are always so good at putting my thoughts into words <3

I'm always like 'what?' when people complain about her never doing anything new at all-because it's just not the case at all. Even if you don't like the actual product, I just can't believe that some people don't recognise songs like Slt and Do It Again as songs unique in her discography....and then act like everything she used to do was so out there and different, when it wasn't.

She has always had a decent mix of new and different, standard and more universally appealing.

[Coelacanth]

Whatever, the current state of J-pop is so terrible that Ayu can release the most basic song and still slay all of her contemporaries.

That being said, I think 'progress' sounds good. Ayu knows good melodies.

I don't know why fans of pop music specifically are so obsessed with artists changing their sound and music style after every album... I blame Madonna.

[njanjayrp]

^ yeah it seems that many take everything she does for granted.

[tetsuo69]

i'm not liking her voice on the song and the song sounds to happy and the wow yeah i've heard it so many times on other songs

[primavera♥]

im quite late...but I must mention that I love the preview so far, so hopefully I will love the whole song <3

[jbrat2219]

Originally Posted by Coelacanth

lol, its true though.

Ayu's career doesn't even mirror Madonna's that much. when Madonna would do a new genre, she would really get deep into it. Ayu never took experimentation to that level imo, so no one should expect it.

I believe you! I'm waaaaaaaaaaaay behind when it comes to Madonna and I just saw a performance of hers today and now... Let's just say I see where Ayu gets it hahaha.

[jbrat2219]

Days had such great lyrics in my opinion. Same with JEWEL <3

[tetsuo69]

i have no problem with the melody but with her voice.