Looking back at 2012

[Kazeyomi]

Talking about music, I'm satisfied. Her last true gem were BRILLANTE imo, but this year there are many awesome songs. My favorite are snowy kiss along with reminds me, Melody and Sweet scar.
The only 2012 release I dislike it's A SUMMER BEST. It screams we want your money so bad, also You & Me it's her weakest song imo.

Overall many things happened this year. The Maro scandal, the trashy PQ covers and her 15th anniversary.
I don't think it's her worst year, maybe the most messy year ever. After all of this, I started to see Ayu not like a goddess on earth like I did before. But as a human. A 34 old woman who can make mistakes or take some dumb decisions, just every person do.
This makes me appreciate Ayu much more than before.

[Benikari47]

CDL1112 ~HOTEL LOVE SONGS~(TV broadcast + DVD)
I think this is the one they showed on Ustream at New Years right? If so, then i really enjoyed it. It was my first "live" Ayu concert to say. A special moment in my fandom. 9/10

how beautiful you are (digital single)
Great cover, alright song. I was at the peak of my fandom at the time so i told myself to love it, i just didn't. It's a okay song but not one i play a lot. 6/10

Power of Music (DVD + Bluray)
Didn't watch it.

Party Queen (album + 4 new videos)
This release is a tricky one for me. I went absolutely crazy when it was released. But i think it was the same situation as with HBYA. I just loved everything she released at the time.
However, it's not a bad album. It has it's gems like NaNaNa, Shake It, Party Queen & Return Road. But i don't really care for the rest, rarely give them a listen and i find it the album pretty boring all together.

I've grown to like the covers, as tacky and tasteless as they are i love them. I love when Ayu gets her fierce on.

The PV's are hit and miss, Shake It is a skanky house party mess that i can't help but love, the part where she texts Timmy still kill me.
NaNaNa.... = nonono.
Return Road & How Beautiful You Are are aight, but boring. I'll give everything 6/10

A SUMMER BEST
I was one of the few who loved You & Me right from the start, that build up at 0:34 still makes me feel craaazzzzyyy. It's a damn outdated mess, i'll admit that. But that's why i adore it so much. It's just a fun song!

I won't even comment on the video, it's cute but throwaway.

+ 1 horrible cover, 1 hot cover & a damn hot booklet that had tons of photos that should have been the officials. A Summer Mess everyone!

Overall 7/10

You & Me + Greatful Days at FNS (performance)
I don't remember this perfomance that much, but i think she shouted a afwul lot in the You & Me one? i didn't really like it. However i don't remember it all so i won't give a score.

a-nation '12, Kishidan Concert (not aired yet) & Arena Tour 2012 ~HOTEL LOVE SONGS~
Don't remember lol.

Song 4 u (XILLIA2 Ver.) (digital single)
And then she made a PERFECT comeback! This song was everything when it came out, it made me just as hyped as when Progress got released. That **** was a 10/10. Even though she annoyed everyone with the short version.

LOVE (EP + 2 videos)
I couldn't have asked for a better way to get back on top. She choose the back to basics/nostalgia road and it paid off. Big time!
Song 4 U & Missing are just stunning, and while Melody isn't a song i listen to a lot, it's still great.

The PVs aren't amazing, but a huge step up from the later ones. She looks amazing in S4U and she rocked those wigs much better than in HBYA.
Missing had a nice concept, and i liked the overall visuals.. but it dragged on in the end. Still pretty tho.

Great, great release! 8/10

Song 4 u at Hey!Hey!Hey! (performance)
It was alright, neither bad or good. 5/10

SEASONS at FNS (performance)
Ehmmm...

again (EP + 3 videos)
PERFECT, FLAWLESS etc etc.
THIS is the release of 2012 for me, Snowy Kiss is one of the best songs she's released since BALLAD. She could've won me over with that song alone, but both Wake Me Up & Sweet Scar are amazing as well. Ivy is boring, but i'll let that one slide as she hit spot on with the rest.

And i LOVE the PVs! They make you think & wonder about the storyline for some time after you've played them. Usually i just think her PVs are pretty but that's it. Snowy Kiss has to be my favorite, don't get Ayu mad she'll push you into a cheap knock off lamp from IKEA. AUCH.

9'5/10

I think it's been a nice year, it started off pretty stale but got better and better as the year progressed. LOVE & again are the highlights while Party Queen and the TV perfomances are the downsides.

[ll moments ll]

i think the only release i truly enjoyed was again. LOVE was a pretty decent release. i don't listen to Party Queen anymore. i don't really keep up with her live performances anymore, so i don't really have an opinion on TV performances or her tours.

she's been in the decline for me for years with the only exception being the Love songs era, so i don't know...i guess as a fan i'm happy with the fact she's releasing new material, but at the same time, they're not particularly exciting releases for me.

yep.

[setsuka]

weirdest year in her careeeeeeeeeeeeeer

released some of her worst songs ever :how beautiful you are and YOU&ME

and some of her best up-beat tracks : Shake It and NaNaNa

...for me it was good music wise but I can't lie my stanning of her shrink a bit this year because it was such a freakin mess

still overall loooking forward to 2013, even tho the first release of the year is not a good one

[jang-kun]

total tacky mess. the covers of Party Queen say so. but hey, AHS was so hyped during its release. like, a tiny bit of info released was like an atomic bomb dropping. lol

overall, the best pvs for me are Sweet scar followed by Return Road. best songs are 1)Sweet scar 2)Return Road 3)snowy kiss 4)Missing 5)reminds me

best release for me this year is again. best covers are Party Queen LOVE. best booklet A SUMMER BEST. best shoot NUMERO.

a-nation and HLS yet to know. lol that BRILLANTE performance was like, omg ayu what happened to you.


oh well.

[ayu_ready?]

music-wise, I like again as a whole. I also like Song 4 U. the PVs are wost in her career after PQ Timmy PVs. except Missing PV, it was beautiful
RR should have been released as a single. loved it

her vocal is suffering and she needs to do something with it.it is so for my ears

happy she finally looks good again and is with long hair, XD

her lyrics are finally something new with again release. need more of that

I couldn't care less about her personal life if her lover wasn't feautured everywhere and surrounded with scandals, other than that, I've always liked Maro, but now MaroxAyu are too much everywhere and it makes me sick

glad she let go of Timmy, even if it is just for a bit

I miss her good TA entries and twitter activity also
I miss her presence in mags and she better not appear live with that vocal

I hope she starts anew with 2013 and does something good for her image she has really spoiled this year

[visionfactory]

Good things:

Party Queen So experimental, I love it!!
A SUMMER BEST I love it!!! I always wanted a summer collection from Ayu!!
LOVE This was a fine album better than Love Songs, nothing special
again Every song is so good!!

Bad things:

Party Queen CD+DVD cover, Timmy everywhere
A SUMMER BEST The weird pose from the cover maybe though it's fine
LOVE The title, LOVEppears, LOVE -Destiny-, Love Songs, Hotel Love Songs and now just "LOVE"
again The covers were shoot the same day from Missing PV

I wasn't really into Ayu lately, I was mostly focused on Idols and Ami Suzuki for 2010-2011 but this year releases caught my attention and now I feel an Ayu fan more than ever ^_^

[amorphose]

Party Queen was tolerable. (Return Road & Tell me why are both instant classics.) But literally everything else released this year was dreadful and I really think instead of speeding up these hurried, money-milking releases, what Ayu needs to do is go on a good old fashioned creative hiatus cause this year has just been way too full of lol'z.

[JackieRos]

I really think this year wasn't her best year at all.

[harufi]

Here are my two cents
CDL1112 ~HOTEL LOVE SONGS~(TV broadcast + DVD) - really enjoyed it even if it felt kind of rushed.
how beautiful you are (digital single) - i wasn't really into this because we'd just had far too many ballads lately, but i love love loved the cover it grew on me more after listening to PQ for a while, and now i think its a good song, just not standout.
Power of Music (DVD + Bluray) - second only to R'n'RC tour to me, and i prefer the version of M she performed to the original <3 i love the jazzy spin she put on some songs.
Party Queen (album + 4 new videos) - i don't care what people think i really dig this album. i haven't listened to it for a while but its still my most played Ayu album. i liked the concept and how diverse it was. the only songs i find myself skipping occasionally are call and letter, because i just think she has far better songs of that sound already. HBYA PV is nice and simplistic but nothing i'd rave over. return road kicks serious ass and is up there as one of my favourites. NaNaNa had potential to be a better video with the camera they used but nevermind. Shake It was just hilarious (not in a good way).
A SUMMER BEST (compilation + You & Me + one new video + some unseen old performances) - this felt so unecessary back when it was released and it still does now. the DVD with unseen a-nation performances etc. could've been released as one of the 15th anniversary releases and i think fans would've appreciated it more. oh well, quick and easy way for Avex to make money i guess. You & Me was great during the summer but i can't listen to it much outside of that, its just a bit too tacky for me. PV was...okay. enjoy it more now as a trilogy.
You & Me + Greatful Days at FNS (performance) - watched when it came out and can't remember much.
a-nation '12 (multiple TV broadcasts, two different edits) - the setlist wasn't what i would've picked but its possibly the most summery set ever haha (with the exception of BRILLANTE). i LOVED how she started, with Timmy singing english lyrics of evolution as an intro, and how she went back into evolution. she sounded good and i really liked her outfits. glad she danced during You & Me! i want her to dance again in her PVs so baaad (not all the time, its just a bit a bit more fun and a nice break from her serious ones). this is the first a-nation i've watched fully so i can't really compare to others, but this one just screamed SUMMER!!
Kishidan Concert (not aired yet) - i hope we get to see this at some point
Arena Tour 2012 ~HOTEL LOVE SONGS~ (DVD/Bluray not yet announced, concert not aired on TV) - I CAN'T WAIT FOR THIS!!
Song 4 u (XILLIA2 Ver.) (digital single) - only Ayu could get away with releasing a track like this and have it chart so highly on iTunes :L
LOVE (EP + 2 videos) - i thought it was great - and then again came along and floored it. Missing is incredible, Song 4 u great and i've took to Melody more than i expected. solid release, but could've done with one more track and been a little lighter on the remix side. PVs were very beautiful...but i wanted a fight with the queens on song 4 u haha.
Song 4 u at Hey!Hey!Hey! (performance) - she sounded okay, not great but not terrible. i really loved the staging with the chess floor and dancers don't know whether its just me but i don't think anyone sounds great on TV lives.
SEASONS at FNS (performance) - man, i'm really not a fan of this song to begin with which really didn't help :p even so...it made me feel kind of sad she sounded slow and frail to me and kind of made me realize how old she is and stuff, i always think of her being mid-20s and stuff.
again (EP + 3 videos) - just... Wake me up is up there as one of her best. Sweet Scar is a throwback to RAINBOW and i love it. snowy kiss was a surprise! could've been shorter but really great track anyway Ivy is one of those track i forget about, like meaning of Love but nvm. PVs were...mainly disappointing. enjoyed them, but i wanted something more like Sparkle/Rule for Wake me up. really liked the one shot of sweet scar though.

overall, i don't think she's had a bad year. just a very, very unusual one.

[jyujiw]

Party Queen is one of her most enjoyable albums so far, it really flows very well when complete. It's very strange taking one song or another, it kinda breaks the story of the album. Her voice is amazing and it was very nice seeing her taking a breath of fresh air in the next LOVE and E,S,M. Such underrated songs imo =/

CDL 2011-2012 and PoM were extraordinary, since the PCDL I didn't enjoyed a CDL so much and PoM made me cry many times, it's a simple concert, not in the style that I like, but the meaning behind of it made everything very special and meaningful.

TV appearances = blah.

The second half was pretty confusing, but I liked a lot "LOVE" and "again", I don't think it's her best work ever, but they were pretty joyful to hear.

About PVs, definitely it's her worst year imo xD
This is something I can't really defend.
Only Sweet scar made it through.

[George]

Ayu is going through what seems like a midlife crisis.

[AyUmIXx]

i'm pretty satisfied for the whole year of 2012. just that ayu lacks of TV promotions.

[koumori]

For me, it's not been the best year of her career.

[Leaf King]

There were some good things, and there were some bad things.
The best of all was the POWER of MUSIC DVD release.