Japanese Media Addresses Ayu's Voice - Page 15

Andrenekoi · #**281** 20th January 2010, 07:02 PM

^As I said, if they found Rule at kouhaku bad, well, I don't trust their opinion xD Even if she really destroyed some songs at cdl

SunshineSlayer · #**282** 20th January 2010, 07:28 PM

Well, like I said, imo it is only good when you put it through the "Ayu's current vocal standards" filter. But the general public does not do that because they don't know what her current vocals are really; they just know her past vocals - so to many people, it just comes across as bad.

Andrenekoi · #**283** 20th January 2010, 07:36 PM

^I can understand this, aesthetically it wasn't pleasent to japanese people in general... But really, in terms of vocal skills and technique, it was a pretty solid performance considering Ayu's capacity (and not only at the moment, but considering her entire career)

4minute Girl · #**284** 20th January 2010, 07:41 PM

it's very sad but i agree. she has completely let herself go.

hidekirby · #**285** 20th January 2010, 07:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andrenekoi

^I can understand this, aesthetically it wasn't pleasent to japanese people in general... But really, in terms of vocal skills and technique, it was a pretty solid performance considering Ayu's capacity (and not only at the moment, but considering her entire career)

Mmhh I think that Rule isn't a very hard song to sing... She's more rapping than singing actually.

And considering Ayu's singing skills -considering her entire career as you said-, I think it's a really poor performance : /
Yet, I find the whole fine, nothing really wrong.

Andrenekoi · #**286** 20th January 2010, 08:16 PM

^Rapping? o.O Where?!

hidekirby · #**287** 20th January 2010, 09:03 PM

You know when there is this filter on her voice (during the verses) and even the chorus, it's a bit like 1LOVE.

SunshineSlayer · #**288** 20th January 2010, 09:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andrenekoi

^Rapping? o.O Where?!

The way she breaks up the words so much, like in Sunrise, makes it sound less like singing and verging more on rapping. Of course its not rapping actually but its not quite really singing either.

njanjayrp · #**289** 20th January 2010, 09:34 PM

^ it's more like talking to the beat of the music

Everyone's doing that so I am not sure where we're going with this.

hidekirby · #**290** 20th January 2010, 10:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by njanjayrp

^ it's more like talking to the beat of the music

Everyone's doing that so I am not sure where we're going with this.

So am I

I just wanted to say that she is not really singing in songs like Rule, or Sunrise as SunshineSlayer said. So it's a bit weird -for me- to judge her vocals with those kind of songs.
She managed to bring nice performances with Rule, yet nothing amazing. But she isn't really singing there (unlike in You were... for example).

(miss)understood · #**291** 20th January 2010, 11:05 PM

I don't recall Ayu ever touring as much as she is recently, it seems her venues and schedules are doubled, tripled, as a way to keep the income coming.

It's because of this I feel that her vocals are wearing out, every evolution she sings, and heaven knows how many evolutions on stage she does in one year, she yells at the top of her lungs during that group chant.

Smoking, drinking, everyone does these things but these should be cut out of ayu's agenda at a time like this...

And if the drug scandal is true, which it very well may be, No wonder her vocals aren't what they used to be. Anyone's body majorly deteriorates with abused substances. It's not healthy (no matter how fun).

So I agree she's not making good choices, and All of you saying, "I hope this will really be a wake up call to Ayu,"
I really think it has been. She seems painfully deep in regret for her latest performances. People are starting to realize that it's just not the same and NOT over-lookable.

As any ayu fan should know, music is her life. I don't think she will ever want to stop singing for as long as she lives, she even says, "without music, I would die," in the CNN interview. So I think it is very safe to assume that Ayu will take this incident into account and really improve her standings... she's on a shaky foundation and it would be incredibly apathetic and inconsiderate if she continues squealing and pushing out as much air through her lungs in a failed attempt to pursue her passion.

Of course she is going to step it up a notch. It's just a low point in her career and things will go up again. That's life. If she is really losing her voice for good, then there is nothing she can do about it. I hope that doesn't happen, for our sake, but mostly for hers. I can't imagine having my entire life built around one single thing I desparately desire and I lose all abilities to achieve my goals. That would be worse than death!

truehappiness · #**292** 20th January 2010, 11:29 PM

A bit of an interesting poll related to this... kind of, if only because it was a survey related to the Japanese public. I guess they asked this question on Waratte Iitomo? in March of 2009 and had teams guess what the age groups said when they were asked this question... it's pretty crazy, haha.

「歌姫といえば誰？」「When I say 'utahime', who (do you think of/comes to mind)？」
　　
　　　 1位　　　　　 2位　　　　　 3位　　　　　 4位　　　　　　5位
20代浜崎あゆみ安室奈美恵倖田來未　絢香　　　　　ビヨンセ
30代浜崎あゆみ倖田來未　安室奈美恵宇多田ヒカルビヨンセ
40代浜崎あゆみ中森明菜　安室奈美恵松田聖子　　絢香
50代浜崎あゆみ美空ひばり中島みゆき松田聖子　　安室奈美恵
60代美空ひばり浜崎あゆみテレサ・テン高橋真梨子安室奈美恵

http://www007.upp.so-net.ne.jp/iitomo/2009/20090311.htm

Ayu basically got #1 for all the age groups other than 60 year olds who chose Misora Hibari over Ayu, haha. I'd wonder if it was meant to be in a negative light, like a 'diva' but I don't think Teresa Teng was much of a diva...

They also held a survey in September asking about "best female performer" or something, and Ayu isn't anywhere to be found, and instead there are some of the better vocalists of the J-Pop world. Though I don't know if Utada Hikaru counts since she barely ever performs in Japan, but here it is...

「アラゆる世代の女性に聞きました「歌がうまい!」と思う女性歌手といえば?」

　　　　1位　　　　　　2位　　　　　　　3位　　　　　　　4位　　　　　　　5位
20代　絢香　　　　　吉田美和　　　安室奈美恵　　宇多田ヒカル　Superfly
30代　吉田美和　　絢香　　　　　　宇多田ヒカル　AI　　　　　　　　MISIA
40代　吉田美和　　絢香　　　　　　松田聖子　　　岩崎宏美　　　和田アキ子
50代　美空ひばり　高橋真梨子　岩崎宏美　　　石川さゆり　　天童よしみ
60代　美空ひばり　岩崎宏美　　　天童よしみ　　石川さゆり　　五輪真弓

http://www007.upp.so-net.ne.jp/iitomo/2009/20090923.htm

SunshineSlayer · #**293** 21st January 2010, 01:54 AM

^ Yeah, its interesting that she would be in one list, but then not even mentioned in the other.

truehappiness · #**294** 21st January 2010, 01:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SunshineSlayer

^ Yeah, its interesting that she would be in one list, but then not even mentioned in the other.

It seems almost like a "good at singing" chart rather than who is an "utahime" in the latter. I mean, I'd totally consider ayaka, MISIA, AI, and the Dorikamu vocalist as good singers, but not necessary "utahimes"... But I suppose it also depends on who you ask.

SunshineSlayer · #**295** 21st January 2010, 02:03 AM

^ Yes, the second one is more about vocals and performance. The first one, it is difficult to quantify what quality exactly they mean when they select Ayu as Uta Hime (singing princess) I watched a Waratte Iitomo earlier this year that had a similar Uta Hime poll kind of thing and I remember Ayu wasn't on it, but maybe it was the second one you posted - I'll try to look for it.

truehappiness · #**296** 21st January 2010, 02:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SunshineSlayer

^ Yes, the second one is more about vocals and performance. The first one, it is difficult to quantify what quality exactly they mean when they select Ayu as Uta Hime (singing princess) I watched a Waratte Iitomo earlier this year that had a similar Uta Hime poll kind of thing and I remember Ayu wasn't on it, but maybe it was the second one you posted - I'll try to look for it.

http://www007.upp.so-net.ne.jp/iitomo/index.htm

This site has most of the episodes transcribed [19 million hits?!?] so you can check here if you aren't able to find the video.

SunshineSlayer · #**297** 21st January 2010, 02:25 AM

^I would love to, but for some reason on that site, only the first page appears for me. The rest is all gibberish even though I've got Japanese language plugins.

truehappiness · #**298** 21st January 2010, 03:21 AM

I have to switch my encoding to ShiftJIS to view the site usually.. hm. Strange.

Jeremy911 · #**299** 21st January 2010, 03:52 AM

I guess the media must have forgot about the amazing performance of you were... At CDTV. Pretty typical of the media saying Ayu's era is over though. They have only been saying that sense 2004 LOL, And we see how wrong they were there. Ayu just needs to let her vocals heal is all.

You can't expect to sing as often as she tries, And be able to keep your voice at it's ideal level. She really does need to give her voice a rest, And the smoking/Drinking probably needs to stop to.

truehappiness · #**300** 21st January 2010, 04:00 AM

Quote:

And the smoking/Drinking probably needs to stop to.

Honestly, as far as we know, she probably stopped that a while ago. I mean, the beer love and stuff was mentioned in 2005/2006/2007, but since then I think she's been trying to get better and not drinking as much to try and make her voice better and so on. I mean, all we pretty much have is speculation about her drinking (nowadays) and possible smoking habits, and people throw it around as though it's the truth...

I wonder if the beer's been replaced with aojiru for the most part, haha.