[News] 9/24 CDTV Premium live TV appearance

[waterballoon]

Okay like wow, I've read the comments on the past few pages and I'm gonna sum my thoughts up in this post.

So like Ayu now has to write songs that "relate" to people. I mean, what's so bad in terms of relating is (don't) Leave me alone and Mirrorcle World. She has written such angry songs to avex/HATERS ever since like alterna? What's wrong with angry lyrics? When I hear them while having a bad day or feeling pissed at certain people, I can RELATE and FEEL that wrath in those songs. THAT, is relating.

And I watched this performance and wow. I was really expecting something really bad, so bad that so many people are complaining about it... but no! I liked it, really. I mean, what's so horrendous about the way she's singing now? She sounded confident, strong, powerful and I like that vibe she's giving out.

You can even see it in SURREAL, and also to the pictures that walking.proud has posted, that she has not lost her popularity to such a bad extent as stated here. Even the HOSTS were waving their hands, and the female host was singing along too. SURREAL is a classic in J-Pop, just like a lot of the song she has done. 10 years down the road, if she were to sing SURREAL again, people are still gonna wave their arms and singing along. That's the POWER and INFLUENCE Ayu has in Japan/on us. That age-old and timeless music that she has ALWAYS been producing.

And, whoa, GUILTY and her newer music has been "generic pop" and "monotonous" and "boring" and "empty" and "not from the heart". Screw it. I think GUILTY was full of emotions from Mirror/Mirrorcle World to untitled ~for her~, EVERY SONG was filled with emotions. These emotions may be different from A Song For XX/LOVEppears/Duty but so what? It's not like she's singing about hooking gigglos in the pub and being a total *****. Even if she's always singing about tears/broken wings/whatever, at least they're heartfelt. At least they're real. That's how life is. There's only so much you can feel and express. I love how she writes the lyrics. I love the realism.

She broke up with her boyfriend of 7 years. She lost her best friend. She lost the hearing of her left year. That was 2007/2008. Compared to 10 years ago, what were her feelings? She didn't know if being a singer is what she wants. She feels upset about her father. That was 1998/1999. Duh. Difference. You can't expect a song from GUILTY to be talking about the same thing as A Song For XX. It's not like it's her fault for feeling different things. Or look at I am..., most of the lyrics were inspired by 9/11, and then again, it's a different theme in the album.

Next. I too felt that her lyrics/themes of the songs have changed. Um, duh? It's been 10 years, people. Just because you can relate to A Song For XX and can't for (don't) Leave me alone doesn't mean it's un-relate-able or anything. Reality check. Her songs don't revolve around you; they're not written for you. They're written for HERSELF. Every song in her discography is for herself and that's why I love them so much. They reveal a little of herself each time.

Now, it's about the tours, right? Okay, like I would so expect Ayu to be running around the stage and waving to fans while singing Together When.../HANABI or whatever. Yeah, get it? They are supposed to be sad songs. She's not supposed to be waving. And she hasn't stopped doing for the audience songs, like SURREAL/Boys & Girls/AUDIENCE/evolution/UNITE!/independent/Humming 7/4/flower garden/etc. She has always been relating to the audience, waving to them, blinking her eyes and all that.

And like, there's something wrong with the tours being grand? Sorry, I'm in a symphonic band and my conductor once said that music is not all about the listening, but also the watching. When we did concerts, we also did special gigs like lightings and all that. Duh, a concert isn't a concert if it's just Ayu standing and singing. Of course, you would say she would be running about waving her hands and all that. I know, in A Museum, she touched the fans' hands during poker face (or a song in that costume). But that was then, and this is now.

Now, the road she's taking is a concert of dancing and being glam. I don't think there's anything wrong with that. Now, she's not that singer who would go around touching hands while her dancers are dancing. Now, she wants to dance. She wants to play an even bigger role in her performance. What's wrong with that? And, I say, nothing can beat being close to the audience than shouting "ARIGATOU GOZAIMASHI-TA" at the end of every concert.

For example, compare appears in A Museum, and then in AT 07. It's the same theme, of lovers dancing about. In A Museum, Ayu was just singing and rolling about her dancers. Do you know how cheesy is that? Like, I laughed while watching that because it's just so cheesy. I mean Ayu looks so awkward because she isn't dancing. Then, in AT 07, she's dancing with her dancers. That same routine. That same emotion.

All right, that's it for my stand. Sometimes, I really wish that I could give Ayu a big bear hug and tell her to always stay strong like how she is now.

[ayumisrael]

Originally Posted by waterballoon

Okay like wow, I've read the comments on the past few pages and I'm gonna sum my thoughts up in this post.

So like Ayu now has to write songs that "relate" to people. I mean, what's so bad in terms of relating is (don't) Leave me alone and Mirrorcle World. She has written such angry songs to avex/HATERS ever since like alterna? What's wrong with angry lyrics? When I hear them while having a bad day or feeling pissed at certain people, I can RELATE and FEEL that wrath in those songs. THAT, is relating.

And I watched this performance and wow. I was really expecting something really bad, so bad that so many people are complaining about it... but no! I liked it, really. I mean, what's so horrendous about the way she's singing now? She sounded confident, strong, powerful and I like that vibe she's giving out.

You can even see it in SURREAL, and also to the pictures that walking.proud has posted, that she has not lost her popularity to such a bad extent as stated here. Even the HOSTS were waving their hands, and the female host was singing along too. SURREAL is a classic in J-Pop, just like a lot of the song she has done. 10 years down the road, if she were to sing SURREAL again, people are still gonna wave their arms and singing along. That's the POWER and INFLUENCE Ayu has in Japan/on us. That age-old and timeless music that she has ALWAYS been producing.

And, whoa, GUILTY and her newer music has been "generic pop" and "monotonous" and "boring" and "empty" and "not from the heart". Screw it. I think GUILTY was full of emotions from Mirror/Mirrorcle World to untitled ~for her~, EVERY SONG was filled with emotions. These emotions may be different from A Song For XX/LOVEppears/Duty but so what? It's not like she's singing about hooking gigglos in the pub and being a total *****. Even if she's always singing about tears/broken wings/whatever, at least they're heartfelt. At least they're real. That's how life is. There's only so much you can feel and express. I love how she writes the lyrics. I love the realism.

She broke up with her boyfriend of 7 years. She lost her best friend. She lost the hearing of her left year. That was 2007/2008. Compared to 10 years ago, what were her feelings? She didn't know if being a singer is what she wants. She feels upset about her father. That was 1998/1999. Duh. Difference. You can't expect a song from GUILTY to be talking about the same thing as A Song For XX. It's not like it's her fault for feeling different things. Or look at I am..., most of the lyrics were inspired by 9/11, and then again, it's a different theme in the album.

Next. I too felt that her lyrics/themes of the songs have changed. Um, duh? It's been 10 years, people. Just because you can relate to A Song For XX and can't for (don't) Leave me alone doesn't mean it's un-relate-able or anything. Reality check. Her songs don't revolve around you; they're not written for you. They're written for HERSELF. Every song in her discography is for herself and that's why I love them so much. They reveal a little of herself each time.

Now, it's about the tours, right? Okay, like I would so expect Ayu to be running around the stage and waving to fans while singing Together When.../HANABI or whatever. Yeah, get it? They are supposed to be sad songs. She's not supposed to be waving. And she hasn't stopped doing for the audience songs, like SURREAL/Boys & Girls/AUDIENCE/evolution/UNITE!/independent/Humming 7/4/flower garden/etc. She has always been relating to the audience, waving to them, blinking her eyes and all that.

And like, there's something wrong with the tours being grand? Sorry, I'm in a symphonic band and my conductor once said that music is not all about the listening, but also the watching. When we did concerts, we also did special gigs like lightings and all that. Duh, a concert isn't a concert if it's just Ayu standing and singing. Of course, you would say she would be running about waving her hands and all that. I know, in A Museum, she touched the fans' hands during poker face (or a song in that costume). But that was then, and this is now.

Now, the road she's taking is a concert of dancing and being glam. I don't think there's anything wrong with that. Now, she's not that singer who would go around touching hands while her dancers are dancing. Now, she wants to dance. She wants to play an even bigger role in her performance. What's wrong with that? And, I say, nothing can beat being close to the audience than shouting "ARIGATOU GOZAIMASHI-TA" at the end of every concert.

For example, compare appears in A Museum, and then in AT 07. It's the same theme, of lovers dancing about. In A Museum, Ayu was just singing and rolling about her dancers. Do you know how cheesy is that? Like, I laughed while watching that because it's just so cheesy. I mean Ayu looks so awkward because she isn't dancing. Then, in AT 07, she's dancing with her dancers. That same routine. That same emotion.

All right, that's it for my stand. Sometimes, I really wish that I could give Ayu a big bear hug and tell her to always stay strong like how she is now.

Exactly! I also like the bold part very much!
ayu as an artist evolves with the lyrics and she finds out more things about herself. The music she does (along with the lyrics) is sharing herself with the fans. That's why she is so great and evolving flawlessly and not writing the same thing for 10 years!

You wrote great and true things! You can still be both objective and being positive and not harsh towards ayu, and find the goods and not the harsh negatives.

(Also since when A Song for xx became people's favorite here? =P).

[waterballoon]

Originally Posted by ayumisrael

(Also since when A Song for xx became people's favorite here? =P).

Like ever since I read that A Song For XX is "relatable" because it's oh so lonely and confusing in this thread. And like in my mind, a lot of more songs that are lonely and confusing appeared.

[aura~]

^totally agree with all you'v said...

byee!

[ayumisrael]

^ XD

As a true artist it's firstly important to satisfy yourself and then satisfy your fans.
That's why I also think some people facing hard time to relate her music anymore.
ayu is not one to release mainstream cute songs or clubs music or write love-dovey everything's pink and optimistic lyrics to satisfy people, she wants to satisfy herself first and make the music in a way she will be satisfied and it is the most important thing a true artist has to do.
Her recent music has a lot of rage in it or new things for her to offer and new thoughts and that's what she brings on the lyrics from her heart and mind, not from anywhere else.

If those fans Japanese or not japanese want her to write A Song for xx or SEASONS thousand times then they are just lost with it and have to get over it.
As an artist it would be bad for her and she wouldn't evolve to anywhere with her music or lyrics. It would satisfy fans but really not herself.

[waterballoon]

^ Yeah, that's what I felt too. Listening to her is like listening to an autobiography of her life... it's really interesting and different from other artistes, and that's why she's my #1! Hahaha.

[jbrat2219]

Originally Posted by waterballoon

^ Yeah, that's what I felt too. Listening to her is like listening to an autobiography of her life... it's really interesting and different from other artistes, and that's why she's my #1! Hahaha.

I feel the exact same way

[stef_gal]

i came acroos this video on youtube...
It's Ayu...
Only the opening part...

the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1WXa--mbgg

enjoy

[aura~]

^but not everyone have to love ayu... I only said that no all the audience was: -___-. And she is the last, after 5 hours of program sure veryone is exhausted... we have to think about that... but really... i really don't care if theres more o less people jumping... i said... even in her concerts there's people who is not jumpinc nor singing... and I get angry because fo that people!! i'm dying to be in one of her concerts and they can go and are like mummys... grrr...

and, well i'm an ayu fan since 2004 and i feel totaly conection with her lyrics, old songs and new ones... some more than others of course.. it depend on every person, if someone havn't had a boyfriend she can't feel what ayu is saying in some love songs... for example...

and for her concerts... i've seen all her concerts since concert tour, and no it wasn't simple at all ^^ but the coreography, the background of the stage...were more simple... ayu was with a exagerated outfit standing in the center of teh stage almost without dancing... now is the same, costums, scenography but she dance, she is interpretating... and I think its good... i prefer that...


^^


bye!

[Ayusan]

I know Ayumi since 2004, at first there was no way I would listen to her and I'm not even sure why ... o-o .. the same year I changed my mind and got Rainbow, fell in love with HANABI.

Since the start and still now I still find my feelings through her lyrics, and I don't mind they are angry or softer as long as I find my "happiness" with. To ask her to write the same things or just soft lyrics would be stupid and senseless for me. As it's already said, she write for herself and luckily she does !!! Or she would become cheap to my eyes.

Her voice changed a lot from her beginning and I'm one of those who don't really enjoy her old nasal and high pitch voice. Her voice changed but it's not like if it was worst or dunno what else. The voice became deeper and I think it's a good thing, she may experience new things musically. Lately seems she has probs but honestly who wouldn't with all the tour and TV performances and such ??? If she find time for some lesson or training it will be fixed quickly. Actually I don't really mind her voice, I would even find it weird to hear Mirrorcle world with a high pitch voice with a heavy rockish musical background o-o
I heard some breathing problem, easy she must be damn tired !!! I don't feel worried about this. I mean it can be fixed too.

Some persons are not happy with her rock style she seems to use more and more, honestly I'm happy with but I don't mind others style. I always thought it was a style that fits her and even more when I listen to her performance with Kiyoharu. But it's the same than lyrics she does what she enjoy and not what the others do. She could easily make some soup that would be listened by the most .... and there the same persons would scream because ..... no end.

I'm honest, a theatrical side of her tours disturb me a bit but maybe because I'm more deep in metal and punk music than pop. Ayumi is the only one girl singer I follow like this, even if I listen to a very fews female singer as Olivia and Chihiro Onitsuka .... but Ayumi is the only girl from who I watch the DVDs. I enjoy them, honestly, except I fear the boat ( sorry .-. ) and such, while I would like to see the (don't) leave me alone perf. I dislike the HUGE dress she may wear, except A museum for Forgiveness and maybe Born to be AT06 .... I dislike the one she wear for Mirrorcle world performance because it's a rock and loud song and she doesn't move at all and it looks not ok for me ! She is stuck to the floor and move her arms and it drives me nut, I damn prefer the CDTV perf where at last she moves when she removed her dress ! There are some of her theatrical side that I’m ok with, I really enjoy AT05 and AT06 but in the same time there are some very simple CDL which I’m bored watching them, it must be CDL06/07 if I’m right. In fact sometimes she is too much for me and sometimes boring, but simple doesn’t mean boring since I love the TA live from A complete.

The crowd doesn’t seem to enjoy ? They surely are not all there for Ayu, and I don’t think they will react if they don’t care of Ayu, when I go to a live and there is a support act, I first “cry” because I hate it and even more when it’s not my taste at all and don’t react at all and wait, while some ***** out loud lol But yes, you can’t ask to everybody to jump and sing while they are not here for her and don’t know her music maybe, plus I saw a lot of persons very happy to see Ayu so why to focuse on a fews ?!

I just hope she will continue her job without caring about what others may say, after all I like her for this ! I just regret there is no CREA anymore, she did a very good job with many of her songs !

[truehappiness]

I know two Japanese friends at school who are exchange students.. they both think Ayu's eyes are fake fake, but eh. They were brainwashed imo from living there.

And one of them pretty much likes all American pop and the other likes everyone you would think.

[lfe.]

Have like none of you watched her TV performances over the last 10 years? You certainly haven't if you think her vocals were bad from this performance. Shes had worse TV performances even before the ear problem, and even though she was off at times, this was probably one of her better TV performances of her career. I thoroughly enjoyed it, she sounded decent and not to mention she looks terrific

[waterballoon]

^ Yeah. I agree; she looks terrific! Her hair is reminiscent of the (miss)understood Tour hair... which is so hot!

[lfe.]

^

I completely agree

Her m(u) tour hair was one of her hottest looks period. I hope she keeps it around a bit longer this time, if not forever

[waterballoon]

^ Aww but she's probably going to change her hair in a few months' time because she's a trendsetter. But it's okay! Let us sink into this moment of her beautiful hair!

[lfe.]

^

Well she kept the post-Secret era blonde hair for more than half a year, so one can only hope

Maybe in the next CDL she can do a New Year's Resolution in the emcee portion to keep the same hairstyle for one year at the request of the fans. Then Yo-Chan will show the audience pics of her different looks over the years, and we can put our trust in the Yoyogi audience to pick the m(u) hair

[waterballoon]

^ Lol, it seems like she's keeping this length for all around, but she's playing around with the style - like the color and whether there are bangs or not and all that.

And that would be an interesting emcee portion, I certainly hope the audience won't pick some fug hair like the evolution-era hair... eew...

[njanjayrp]

So the HEYx3 perf was way better both vocally and visually ^^

[Kikaru]

I finally watched the perform...

There either is something wrong with my ears, coz I thought she sounded pretty good. Is it the 2005 quality? nope, but I thought it sounded pretty decent. And surreal...I think it was pretty good until the bridge, where I think her vocals are not really suited for the higher notes anymore.

Now, I like watching her concerts, because of the theatrical elements. Of course, despite all those complaints about her singing Unite, Boys&Girls, and etc, I feel like those are the songs that she connects with the audiences with. But I love the theatrical elements because I was always fond of musicals and such, and I love that she took elements from them. (I think my favorite of all time is the Appears in AT07)