Critical about Ayu - Page 2

*Petit* · #21 19th December 2005, 11:04 AM

I think the songs she's released this year that sounds most like her old hits are HEAVEN and STEP you. These songs really give me the same feeling as seasons, dearest, Real me and other very good older songs. Also, will, al though not resembling old songs techniacally, is written by CREA and DAI. I think you should get her new album, to me it seems like it will be very varied and very good.

hamayu · #22 26th December 2005, 06:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PickleCookies

Well, Stephen, HAPPY ENDING is a good song from My Story. It was much better when performed live, though.
And that's it. Everything else is crap.

I disagree. I liked many songs from her album. and i wud hardly call what she creates crap.... even if its not dat good... theres always somethign in that song worth listening to. cept for carols. but i still wudnt call dat crap, becuz she made it so it has some part of ayuness or watever.... and really... even her worst songs rnt dat bad in my opinion. but den again dats my opinion xD;;... i no. me making big deal again out of nothing. who cares? IM OBSESSED!(but im not crazy)just obsessed xD;;

ruixiong89 · #23 26th December 2005, 11:33 AM

I would say that her old material is really good, with the exception of majority of the tracks on A Song for XX (Geez, many of those songs still gives me the shivers) and well, I would mark I am ... as the turning point. I am ... was an album that was SINGLE-intensive. It was just madness, singles after singles, month after month. And I think most, if not all of those singles claimed the #1 spot. And not to mention, all of them were HUGE hits. Moreover, her popularity was widespread!

After that, I think the reason why fans would say things like "Ayu's going downhill" is because after I am ... was released, came RAINBOW (which was categorised pretty much for it's ballads) which I think some fans were disappointed with (it's more on the entire album listening experience as opposed to the songs individually) and then the media starts to release reports of "OMG, Ayu's going downhill! Declining Popularity!"

That's only part of the problem. Ayu went forth with the rock genres, and they're always infused with some other elements like modern gothic (as present in About You), ballads (HANABI ~episode II~) etc. Pretty much it gained her new fans and made some old fans upset.

To add on, music downloading became rampant and as mentioned, pretty much after I am ... the entire J-pop music industry and madness over J-dramas subsided. (At least in Singapore, the start of this era was when Love 2000 was aired and SPEED was formerly introduced) Which again, accounts for a decreasing interest in J-pop.

And yes, to further add on, people do get kind of tired seeing the same face dominate the magazine covers all the time and well, pretty much everywhere! So it's one of the factors as well. That's why since I am ... I think a lot of people have been asking the question "Where and Who is the Next Ayumi Hamasaki?" because no one seems to be able to fit the bill.

New styles that left some fans unhappy, music downloading, public fatigue of an ever-dominant Ayu era led to a decrease in her popularity.

And now, the post-I am ... era, Ayu has much more control over her music. In the NTV 2004 Interview, Ayu did express her discontentment on how she was pretty much a robot and she wasn't happy with the material she had been releasing (since most of the time, other than the lyrics, song-wise, things hadn't always been in her favour to express herself) and when they asked her to release A BEST, it almost marked the end of her career.

Though I know of people out there who say, geez, Ayu's like BLEARGH with all her new releases, I think it's very much a time of experimentation and reinvention. She's done amazing for all her albums I think, especially now with (miss) understood. I love the new songs that she delivers and it shows that Ayumi Hamasaki is changing. I wouldn't even say that everything after I am ... sound pretty much the same, because they don't.

Not to mention her tours! A Museum, Arena Tour 2004 and 2005, CDL 2004-2005 were great concerts! I don't know why people cling onto the old era Ayu like there's no tomorrow, because there's no tomorrow to that.

Qt Mashi · #24 26th December 2005, 11:49 AM

^ i agree with you, such good points!

js_surrealism · #25 26th December 2005, 11:54 AM

I liked all her singles this year, even fairyland, which I was lukewarm to at first. The new album's definitely worth getting though, since it has all those singles on it and that DVD which has a ******** of material on it.

Raleigh · #26 26th December 2005, 02:05 PM

ruixiong89's points are simply excellent.

Hugo_W. · #27 26th December 2005, 04:36 PM

Oh! Well! I'm nut really surprise that you people are complain Ayumi is makin' the same old **** music again and again. Well... I'm nut a fan of Bold & Delicious at all so i guess if you want her to be different then there you go! Seriously, i find "Miss Understood" album is the worst one she ever made so far, while "MY STORY" is still in the place.

I think you really gotta listen more than jos the music of the song. For meh, i think Ayumi should stick to herself makin' wot she wanna express through her songs. I guess only that way we can get better songs.

Also i dun't really understand why you people complain 'bout her new songs so much! I guess maybe ya'll stick with Ayumi too much that you think, there's no shine in her anymore. If it's like this then i guess you should try to stop listenin' to Ayumi's new songs for like a few years...

elepop · #28 26th December 2005, 04:54 PM

I thought "MY STORY" was quite bad. You may want to consider "About you", "HAPPY ENDING", "Moments" and the interludes. As for "(miss)understood", I suggest to relisten to the album again. I think it's amazing. You may want to skip "fairyland" and "Beautiful day" but I think the rest is defenitely worth it. Besides, it's normal if you prefer her older stuff. You don't have to like her new stuff and force yourself. If you hate it, then stick to her older songs.

Tip: Try listening to the album with headphones. Every songs sound so much better and deeper in headphones. "Ladies Nights" sounds awesome and "criminal" is just so intense!

momobean · #29 26th December 2005, 05:01 PM

ruixiong89, I'm from Singapore too ^__^ I wasn't an Ayu fan at the height of the Jpop craze, but I couldn't help but notice her then. She was -everywhere-.

Quote:

I think you really gotta listen more than jos the music of the song. For meh, i think Ayumi should stick to herself makin' wot she wanna express through her songs. I guess only that way we can get better songs.

Maybe I'm wrong, but I'm thinking Ayumi is releasing what she wants to release these days..

elepop · #30 26th December 2005, 05:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by momobean

Maybe I'm wrong, but I'm thinking Ayumi is releasing what she wants to release these days..

Agreed. Seems like she's finally choosing her own path and what she likes. She said she was realy into SWEETBOX and really liked their music. And she chose him as a producer for many of her new songs. I'm happy she's doing what she wants. I guess she just wants to do something she likes and not something she knows her fans wants to hear.

AyUmIXx · #31 26th December 2005, 05:15 PM

Ayu is being matured on her music..
and actually those kind of songs in the latest album (miss)understood are the music styles that she wanted to sing for the whole years where almost her old songs were created by another composers..

So..it's not really a wasting time to listen to the songs that Ayu always wanted to sing.... and she did great on the new songs.. even though she sings couples of Sweetbox's songs.....

She is really fit into the American style's songs..

elepop · #32 26th December 2005, 05:19 PM

Why is everybody so negative when it comes to SWEETBOX?

momobean · #33 26th December 2005, 05:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by asongforXX

Why is everybody so negative when it comes to SWEETBOX?

Yeah, I don't get it. I think they just don't like stuff they label 'American'. Wait, isn't Sweetbox from Germany?

evolution105 · #34 26th December 2005, 05:56 PM

i love SWEETBOX! and ayumi has gotten to the point where she can do and write whatever comes to mind. (miss) understood sounds a little bit of both her old and new material so it's the best for both worlds. if you're enjoying her new material well here you go, and if you like her old material it's in here. if you like both, well then you got a deluxe package.

JesA · #35 26th December 2005, 06:02 PM

i love every song she has ever made. Forgiveness had to grow on me though....it was a little boring to me at first....same with As If...the 2005 ones are really good. much better than My Story, even though that was a great album.

momobean · #36 26th December 2005, 06:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by evolution105

i love SWEETBOX! and ayumi has gotten to the point where she can do and write whatever comes to mind. (miss) understood sounds a little bit of both her old and new material so it's the best for both worlds. if you're enjoying her new material well here you go, and if yo like her old material it's in here. if you like both, well then you got a deluxe package.

I got a deluxe package. Yay!

***ImpactBreaker*** · #37 26th December 2005, 07:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by asongforXX

Why is everybody so negative when it comes to SWEETBOX?

The same way you are negative about MY STORY, fairyland and Beautiful day. It's called tastes.

Neo Daydream · #38 26th December 2005, 07:47 PM

Ladies Night! ^^

natalaxie · #39 27th December 2005, 04:36 AM

I have to say that for me, ayu has hit a kind of a slump, i feel like she's losing more and more of her individuality and not taking any chances on original stuff lately. when i saw her sing about you at music station with tears in her eyes i really believed it, whereas in the heaven pv, i feel like its not genuine. maybe its just me - maybe ayu's not changing, maybe i am..