new album "A ONE" 2015.04.08 in stores II

[Tom Punks]

Originally Posted by truehappiness

I don't think anyone expected major cohesion with this album.

There's a little of everything here and it'll probably end with Story and begin with WARNING...

Something tells me we'll get the usual song clumps.

Yeah, but the songs don't all have to sound the same to form a cohesive album (imo). They just have to all work together as a collective. Party Queen, (miss)understood, Secret etc. all feel cohesive within themselves despite having a pretty wide array of styles. This just feels like a hodgepodge of random tracks she selected and decided to throw together lol.

But then, for me, the LEAST cohesive albums are usually the ones where everything sounds really similar and then the cohesion is thrown off by a couple random tracks that don't fit in. Like, LOVE again having Wake me up and a couple other weirdos, or Love songs with all the non-TK songs that were produced TOTALLY differently and sounded super awkward on the album lol.

I think in part this album's problem isn't just a lack of cohesion, it's that it feels like an assortment of songs that don't even FORM an album. It's like Colours really. As much as I love everything on Colours (save for Pray ugh), it doesn't really work as an album. Except at least Colours was for the most part consistent in style. This is just... all over the place xD

Originally Posted by js_surrealism

For all of the constant criticisms of Ayu's work it's easy to forget that her last really weak album was Love songs. Everything from Party Queen onwards (including A One, if the single + previews are anything to go by) has been rock solid.

I really hope you're kidding lol

It just seems weird to me that you'd think LOVE again is stronger than Love songs

[orbitalaspect]

Originally Posted by Tom Punks

Yeah, but the songs don't all have to sound the same to form a cohesive album (imo). They just have to all work together as a collective. Party Queen, (miss)understood, Secret etc. all feel cohesive within themselves despite having a pretty wide array of styles. This just feels like a hodgepodge of random tracks she selected and decided to throw together lol.

But then, for me, the LEAST cohesive albums are usually the ones where everything sounds really similar and then the cohesion is thrown off by a couple random tracks that don't fit in. Like, LOVE again having Wake me up and a couple other weirdos, or Love songs with all the non-TK songs that were produced TOTALLY differently and sounded super awkward on the album lol.

I think in part this album's problem isn't just a lack of cohesion, it's that it feels like an assortment of songs that don't even FORM an album. It's like Colours really. As much as I love everything on Colours (save for Pray ugh), it doesn't really work as an album. Except at least Colours was for the most part consistent in style. This is just... all over the place xD

I really hope you're kidding lol

It just seems weird to me that you'd think LOVE again is stronger than Love songs

If you think of Party Queen as a concept record, sure. It follows this progression after the end of a relationship. From the party phase where she feels so happy to be free and single (Party Queen, NaNaNa, Shake It<3) then into confusion and anger (call, Letter, reminds me), then to sadness (reminds me, Return Road, Tell me why), then avoiding the things she normally does to give herself time to heal and learn to move on (the next LOVE, Eyes, Smoke, Magic) and then ends on a reflective song that sounds like Ayu but still somehow different (how beautiful you are). But that's about it. It's starkly incohesive if the concept wasn't there to hold the record together.

Still, when you think about it, it's a brilliant concept to follow Ls with.

I will argue that Ls is a more cohesive record than PQ. The songs share some variety, but it's Ayu's sound. Every song on there is about love in some way. Whether it's songs like Love Song, Sending Mail, Last angel, blossom, Sweet Season, November, and Virgin Road which talk about loving someone specific... or it's MOON, which was written after Ayu's pet passed away... or it's Thank U, about her fans. I think Ls was better compiled, though I wish the interludes didn't sound so cheap.

I hate to argue that sales are a good indicator of good albums, but if you look at Ls to RnRC's sales, it sold about 17% less than RnRC overall. PQ to Ls, PQ sold about 47% less. LOVE again sold 40% less than PQ. and Colours sold about 40% less than LOVE again. So, while I think a huge huge part of this is lack of promotion and a number of other factors, I think PQ and everything since PQ hasn't been well received by fans. And I think you can look at the drop from single to single, album to album, and get a good idea of whether a bad release is causing more lost market. She's going to lose a percentage of sales from one album to the next regardless, but a huge drop of almost 50% just a matter of months after spending two weeks at #1 with a mini-album that sold almost 70% more copies doesn't always mean that no promotion made it bomb.

I think a good example to look at is someone like Kyarypamyupamyu. Nanda Collection debuted at #1 with 100k in sales (~275,000 total), but her follow-up Pikapika Fantajin sold about 1/4th as many copies (~70,000 total). And she promoted it too.

But you can look at single sales for Ayu, for example. Look at Ftl/Mgr, which sold about 37,000 total. Then a full year later Z/Lm/W sells almost 36,000. I think she keeps more of the market if the release is well received by existing fans.

As an aside, I've said it before, and I'll say it again, because it bears repeating: We will honestly have a good idea of how A ONE is received by looking at Koda's sales. Koda has just barely outsold Ayu since GUILTY and Kingdom were released (Dejavu was the only exception), and I think WALK OF MY LIFE is going to be a stronger, better record than Bon Voyage.

As an aside, I like bringing up sales because I like the numbers and statistics part of the discussion. It's just fun to see how these numbers stack up over time and to try to predict them. I think A ONE will be a Top 10 record, but I'm concerned it will actually debut in the bottom half of the Top 10. Also, I think Ayu and Koda will top out at around 35-40,000 each this year. But that's better than my estimates for Ai Otsuka. I think LOVE TRiCKY may barely sell 2,000 copies.

[Tom Punks]

Originally Posted by orbitalaspect

If you think of Party Queen as a concept record, sure. It follows this progression after the end of a relationship. From the party phase where she feels so happy to be free and single (Party Queen, NaNaNa, Shake It<3) then into confusion and anger (call, Letter, reminds me), then to sadness (reminds me, Return Road, Tell me why), then avoiding the things she normally does to give herself time to heal and learn to move on (the next LOVE, Eyes, Smoke, Magic) and then ends on a reflective song that sounds like Ayu but still somehow different (how beautiful you are). But that's about it. It's starkly incohesive if the concept wasn't there to hold the record together.

Still, when you think about it, it's a brilliant concept to follow Ls with.

I will argue that Ls is a more cohesive record than PQ. The songs share some variety, but it's Ayu's sound. Every song on there is about love in some way. Whether it's songs like Love Song, Sending Mail, Last angel, blossom, Sweet Season, November, and Virgin Road which talk about loving someone specific... or it's MOON, which was written after Ayu's pet passed away... or it's Thank U, about her fans. I think Ls was better compiled, though I wish the interludes didn't sound so cheap.

To me, Love songs doesn't feel all that cohesive because it's basically 2/3 TK, which all has a very distinct sound, but the rest is sloppily produced and sounds nothing like the TK parts. Whereas PQ is very consistent in its (bad lol) production and has a little bit of everything without too much of anything and is set up in a manner that flows very well etc. All the songs on PQ feel like they belong on PQ, while on Love songs there are tracks that sound totally different from the rest, in this case in terms of production not genre/arrangement/whatever

[jbrat2219]

No Future is still my favorite. Followed by The Show Must Go On and then Warning. So many good songs this album <3 Between this and Koda Kumi's new album, it's the year of amazing music from the pop divas!

[cosmicfirefly]

I don't mind albums not sounding cohesive, I like the variety. But I also like when the songs share a similar atmosphere or feeling. RAINBOW is one of my favorites from Ayu, and I think it's a good example of cohesion with variety, except maybe the transition between Real me and Free & Easy.

[Coelacanth]

Out of control's instrumentation is quite unlike her other midtempo rock numbers, imo.

I'm impressed so far by the depth of the arrangements. The songs do NOT sound like demos.

[js_surrealism]

For all of the constant criticisms of Ayu's work it's easy to forget that her last really weak album was Love songs. Everything from Party Queen onwards (including A One, if the single + previews are anything to go by) has been rock solid.

[Andrenekoi]

Originally Posted by js_surrealism

For all of the constant criticisms of Ayu's work it's easy to forget that her last really weak album was Love songs. Everything from Party Queen onwards (including A One, if the single + previews are anything to go by) has been rock solid.

What?!

[Zeke.]

Originally Posted by js_surrealism

For all of the constant criticisms of Ayu's work it's easy to forget that her last really weak album was Love songs. Everything from Party Queen onwards (including A One, if the single + previews are anything to go by) has been rock solid.

Lmao is this a joke?

[js_surrealism]

^ Honestly, although I didn't like GIFT or Story much, I feel like the "generic ballad" / "midtempo" card is thrown out a bit too much. My personal sense is when you've hundreds of songs in your discography, it gets harder and harder to differentiate yourself stylistically. I think rather than dismissing certain songs because it 'sounds generic' it's worthwhile to listen out for how they are different. Sometimes you won't find much, but sometimes the payoff is quite good.

I think the Zutto/LM/Walk single is a good example of something that I was ready to write off at first listen, that I gradually grew to love with repeated listens, identifying different interesting nuances in her voice, the melody, the words.

Originally Posted by Zeke.

Lmao is this a joke?

I think it's pretty apparent that Ls is just not my cup of tea whereas you have a persistent hardon for it, so it's best that we just agree to disagree since we won't convince each other otherwise.

[Coelacanth]

Originally Posted by js_surrealism

I think the Zutto/LM/Walk single is a good example of something that I was ready to write off at first listen, that I gradually grew to love with repeated listens, identifying different interesting nuances in her voice, the melody, the words.

Wouldn't expect anyone here to be able to identify "nuance."

"The Show Must Go On" is already being mythfied in the fandom as a "snowy kiss" rehash and the full song isn't even out yet.

[Tom Punks]

Originally Posted by Coelacanth

Wouldn't expect anyone here to be able to identify "nuance."

"The Show Must Go On" is already being mythfied in the fandom as a "snowy kiss" rehash and the full song isn't even out yet.

Unless the entire rest of the song is entirely different, it's a snowy kiss rehash.

[Andrenekoi]

Originally Posted by Coelacanth

Wouldn't expect anyone here to be able to identify "nuance."

<3<3<3

[ayu-michan]

This album as a whole will probably sound like Rock n Roll circus - all over the place. But I'm perfectly okay with that. I'm just glad she can still pull off these rock songs. And well for The GIFT, I'm not yet fond of it. These sound like typical weak ballads to me (unless the lyrics are super great or something, then I'd reconsider). My favorite is definitely WARNING.

I'm just wondering if the lyrics will be good or naw. Like if they're going to be different or the same/similar to Love Again onward. But well again I'm glad there's rock songs my god thank you so much. NOW & 4EVER was such a disappointment for a rock song.

[terra]

Originally Posted by ayu-michan

I'm just wondering if the lyrics will be good or naw. Like if they're going to be different or the same/similar to Love Again onward. But well again I'm glad there's rock songs my god thank you so much. NOW & 4EVER was such a disappointment for a rock song.

I also think the same, the problem I have is with the how the melody goes, Granted, her choice of where the melody goes is at times weird, questionable, typical JPop but imo NOW&4EVA's is just falls flat.

The preview so far sounds great imo, yes it's not as cohesive like MY STORY or Love songs, but it's nice. It'll be like Rock'n'Roll Circus, like someone said. And I don't mind that, it's better than LOVE again for me.

[Didz-19]

i haven't even check out the preview....but I think I will hold until the album release! wish me luck!!!

[truehappiness]

Lyrics seem to be good so far. Not Zutto-y from what I can see.

I wonder if The GIFT will have an incredible bridge or something. I can see it building up to that. C-Pop tends to have good bridges anyway...

The Show Must Go On is like You & Me + snowy kiss to me. And as epic as the song is, it really does seem like the theme song for her tour. Does the pre-chorus refer to a-nation and the tour leading up to it?

[xLuna&1LOVE]

I am a bit indifferent towards the previews. Whether you liked Colours or not, it sounded new. At least for an album in the Ayu discography. But every A ONE preview is a big deja vu. They are bearable, but not blowing away. So.

WARNING: Agree to artcika this is basically Lady Dynamite pt 2. Haven't listen to that song for ages, so I hope the full track of WARNING can bring me back into the mood. Pretty sure the ugly "bdsm" - I do not even want to call - "costumes" (seriously who dressed these people) are for this PV. But, even though I am not excited to see the video, I pray Ayu can turn me on with the song only.
The GIFT: has the most confusing melody ever. It sounds allright, but oh... did I just listen to a chorus? At least this one reminded me of nothing. So, okay, I guess it need to grow on us over time.
NO FUTURE: Also a confusing melody, but less than The GIFT. It's nice though. Reminds me a bit of Naturally or so. No wait it reminded me of something else but I forgot...
Out Of Control: Middle-part Party Queen style, welcome back Call, Letter and Tell me why. When I read the titles here before I gave them a listen, I really thought this one would be rockin' or electro pop. Turns out my expectations were wrong, but whatever.
Show Must Go On: Yep this one is snowy kiss allright. I dislike this preview,, allthough the calm verse was a relievement.
Story: Nice ballad, nice arrangement, nice melody I hear so far. Just nice. Yup nice.

So yeah, I think these songs plus the Zutto single are nice together, but it sounds a bit overdone.
Still care for the full release though. My interest is not gone completely.

[js_surrealism]

^ Those comments make it sound like N&4E failed because it was 'meant' to be a rock song and didn't live up to that. Not sure what sort of song it's 'meant' to be but it's definitely one that I enjoyed thoroughly. My only gripe with it was the fact that it sounded slightly out of place as an album closer.

And yes, Love again is CLEARLY a better all round album than Love songs for me, even if certain individual tracks off LS were slightly better than some off LA. At least a third of the tracks on LS are on my list of least favourite Ayu songs ever.

[truehappiness]

NOW & 4EVA is more of an 'anthem pop rock' track IMO. I love the bridge.