Ayu: Anything Goes [XXVII]

[DavidChaiLatte]

Slightly off topic: who else is pleasantly surprised that AHS is very much still active and kicking in 2020... Very much goes to show the level of loyalty coming from us Ayu fans

[Andrenekoi]

^Well, it's fiction, after all...

I really doubt, for example, that Ayu got her debut by winning a 10km run with her sholder dislocated. Not because I doubt she would try something like that, considering much she performed injured and in pain over the years, but because this doesn't make sense as a singer selection, even if that would explain why jpop stars tend to be so bad at singing, as that wasn't evaluated at all lol.

In the end of the day, I believe they are showing both under favorable light without making they feel unhuman. I like how it's being constructed that Ayu didn't made it because she was good, but because she was resilient.

It would have been fun having a major soloist under the TK inspired character, and a big rival from another company once Ayu debuts.

The worst part still is the reproduction of iconic performances. Karen has no stage presence and everything looks cheap as fuck.

[jbrat2219]

I've been listening to a lot of ayu today and I just realized something about my sacrilegious taste in ayu music. Obviously albums like Loveppears, Duty, I am... etc. are iconic, but I always gravitated toward Love Songs being my favorite album and A ONE a close second. When I looked into the details of the albums I noticed that I really like either Tetsuya Komuro compositions or Yuta Nakano arrangements and most often the combination of the two. I think they make the best ayu music together. I still feel swept away by the strings in crossroad for example and Virgin Road is still one of my all time favorite ayu ballads. Even with the album Love again, I don't like the album as a whole as much anymore (lack of TK probably lol), but I love Nakano's arrangements! (I mean come on, Sweet Scar!) I sincerely hope if she's working on a new album that it has them all over it.

[ExodusUK]

Originally Posted by jbrat2219

I've been listening to a lot of ayu today and I just realized something about my sacrilegious taste in ayu music. Obviously albums like Loveppears, Duty, I am... etc. are iconic, but I always gravitated toward Love Songs being my favorite album and A ONE a close second. When I looked into the details of the albums I noticed that I really like either Tetsuya Komuro compositions or Yuta Nakano arrangements and most often the combination of the two. I think they make the best ayu music together. I still feel swept away by the strings in crossroad for example and Virgin Road is still one of my all time favorite ayu ballads. Even with the album Love again, I don't like the album as a whole as much anymore (lack of TK probably lol), but I love Nakano's arrangements! (I mean come on, Sweet Scar!) I sincerely hope if she's working on a new album that it has them all over it.

Yesss 2010-2015 was so good in hindsight and we were fed well.

Songs like Virgin Road and Last Angel are instant classics.

Songs like sweet scar, no future, the show must go on, anything for you, missing and snowy kiss are bops.

[jbrat2219]

Originally Posted by ExodusUK

Yesss 2010-2015 was so good in hindsight and we were fed well.

Songs like Virgin Road and Last Angel are instant classics.

Songs like sweet scar, no future, the show must go on, anything for you, missing and snowy kiss are bops.

What an era! NO FUTURE was my ringtone for a long time and responsible for why no one could get a hold of me because I'd let the phone ring just to hear the song xD.

[Katsuyuki012]

Originally Posted by jbrat2219

I've been listening to a lot of ayu today and I just realized something about my sacrilegious taste in ayu music. Obviously albums like Loveppears, Duty, I am... etc. are iconic, but I always gravitated toward Love Songs being my favorite album and A ONE a close second. When I looked into the details of the albums I noticed that I really like either Tetsuya Komuro compositions or Yuta Nakano arrangements and most often the combination of the two. I think they make the best ayu music together. I still feel swept away by the strings in crossroad for example and Virgin Road is still one of my all time favorite ayu ballads. Even with the album Love again, I don't like the album as a whole as much anymore (lack of TK probably lol), but I love Nakano's arrangements! (I mean come on, Sweet Scar!) I sincerely hope if she's working on a new album that it has them all over it.

Both, Love songs and A ONE are in my top 5 ayu albums.

[ExodusUK]

The highs were really and the lows really low...I cringed so hard watching Made In Japan and those two god awful songs from Colours Lelio and XOXO had their moment.

[jbrat2219]

Originally Posted by ExodusUK

The highs were really and the lows really low...I cringed so hard watching Made In Japan and those two god awful songs from Colours Lelio and XOXO had their moment.

I saw that show live! I was too busy crying the entire time to notice lol. First and probably the last time I'll get to see her live so regardless of the quality, it's my most cherished concert of hers.

[pedronekoi]

The dorama is always trending on Twiter during its broadcast. The last episode had like 26K tweets about it. Even made the Worldwide trending topics.

It's funny reading the tweets because most of them are kinda of making fun of the dorama but people are also saying like "I just can't stop wanting to watch more of it". lol I have 5 friends that have 0 love or even admiration for Ayu and they are still watching it. Maybe the lockdown is making people watch it...

[Andrenekoi]

TBH, what I love the most about all of it is how gigantic this whole marketing campaign was...

They waited the Namie's retirement to settle down and people moving over it, as a way to not dividing attention.

They started hinting the Ayu+Max relationship back on Trouble's cover with him grabbing her boob. Also promoted the EP with a track about a past love.

Some time later, a new girl debut, with a strangely big budget series of PVs for someone unkown until then, visual and sound largely refreshing the Ayu aesthetic from late 90's.
The girl gets hyped because her image is so edited people don't even know if she is real or not. She is never fully shown without a shitton of filter.


The tell all novel comes almost out of nowhere, being confirmed Ayu has a part on it. When people read the book, her latest single is featured on it as the final chapter of the Ayu-Max relationship and the mysterious cover makes sense.

People stalk a little and notice Max actually posted the photo of the book's cover on his instagram a few months before.

As the book is anounced, so is the drama based on it. People start speculating who will play Ayu. The newcomer with expensive videos starts being pointed out.

The girl will actually play Ayu on the drama, what kind of makes it clear the drama deal was already set before the book was anounced and that the girl was molded after Ayu because she was planned to play Ayu before we even knew about the book.

Once the drama starts, its basically a heavy PR to Ayu, showing her in a very positive light, featuring some of her biggest hits almost randomly and the new girl is introduced to the audience having her image even more strongly linked to Ayu.

Possible outcome: Ayu generates a lot of public interest, is introduced to a newer audience and becomes a legacy star. Kalen Anzai rides Ayu's image and the interest around her and becomes a big star on her own. But even if only some of that really happens, they already won. x___x

[tokyoxjapanxfan]

The lockdown is definitely helping. Normally many people would be out on a Saturday night haha.

The lighting for the rain scene was awful. The light was coming from below max. The trees behind him had a shadow.... it was so funny I couldn’t stop laughing lol. Ahh, but I can’t stop watching either.

[indigochild]

I never realized how freaking fantastic rollin' is. When I first heard the track at the time of its release, I did not give it much thought at all. Now listening to it (with much better headphones mind you lol) I'm obsessed. It's just so... "aesthetically" pleasing to listen to if that makes sense.

[jbrat2219]

Originally Posted by indigochild

I never realized how freaking fantastic rollin' is. When I first heard the track at the time of its release, I did not give it much thought at all. Now listening to it (with much better headphones mind you lol) I'm obsessed. It's just so... "aesthetically" pleasing to listen to if that makes sense.

rollin' <3

[hud]

Originally Posted by indigochild

I never realized how freaking fantastic rollin' is. When I first heard the track at the time of its release, I did not give it much thought at all. Now listening to it (with much better headphones mind you lol) I'm obsessed. It's just so... "aesthetically" pleasing to listen to if that makes sense.

feeling the same with LOVE 'n' HATE. the chorus is so well done, when you listen to it with headphones it's like you're drowning in those beats and that guitar. NEXT LEVEL was some kinda next level shit for real

[mizuki-7]

Ayumi released albums at such a high speed back then that it was quite difficult to have an unbiased opinion but now with the time I don't think the quality of her music dropped that much like a lot of people tend to say. Of course with a prolific carrer like hers everything can’t surpasses what was done before but she definitely made excellent albums way past her prime and more importantly she has been able de maintained her own style the Ayu sound I think it’s a great quality as an artist. There are a lot of singers who only make albums based on what is trendy with no singularity.

Another thing i want to say after watching all of her concerts on youtube is that her music aged well especially her rockish songs.

[Kacku]

Originally Posted by mizuki-7

Ayumi released albums at such a high speed back then that it was quite difficult to have an unbiased opinion but now with the time I don't think the quality of her music dropped that much like a lot of people tend to say. Of course with a prolific carrer like hers everything can’t surpasses what was done before but she definitely made excellent albums way past her prime and more importantly she has been able de maintained her own style the Ayu sound I think it’s a great quality as an artist. There are a lot of singers who only make albums based on what is trendy with no singularity.

Another thing i want to say after watching all of her concerts on youtube is that her music aged well especially her rockish songs.

I mostly agree that the quality of her music hasn't dropped that much, with the caveat that I think the quality of her production and mixing/mastering got worse as the 2010s progressed; this problem is the worst on TROUBLE, where I think pretty much every song sounds lacking, but I think almost every album since LOVE again has had these issues on some songs. But even then, I think her songwriting and artistry have remained strong, and she's definitely made excellent albums in her late career (MADE IN JAPAN is among my top 5).

And completely agree that a lot of her music has aged very well!

[voltron]

Originally Posted by Kacku

I think the quality of her production and mixing/mastering got worse as the 2010s progressed; this problem is the worst on TROUBLE, where I think pretty much every song sounds lacking, but I think almost every album since LOVE again has had these issues on some songs.

+1 x a million

I'm not usually sensitive to these things too much, but the mixing on TROUBLE is completely awful. It sounds like it was recorded with a computer microphone in someone's house, and the levels weren't even touched. WATQ is almost unbearable during the loud parts because the distortion is so bad.

[ExodusUK]

In hindsight, GUILTY is kinda the weakest link of that time? The rush and thrill of Mirrorcle World really kinda justified that album's existence lol.

Same for Party Queen stuck like a sore thumb between the lofty greatness of RnRC, Love Songs and Love Again.

[Andrenekoi]

Originally Posted by ExodusUK

In hindsight, GUILTY is kinda the weakest link of that time? The rush and thrill of Mirrorcle World really kinda justified that album's existence lol.

Same for Party Queen stuck like a sore thumb between the lofty greatness of RnRC, Love Songs and Love Again.

IMO it's the opposite... Party Queen IMO it's Ayu at her best as an artist, while
RnRC is made of 4 strong promotional tracks surrounded by... pretty much meh.

Still, agree Ayu doesn't have any bad album. A lot of her worst works would be well received if released by most popstars.

[voltron]

^ I think it's up to personal preference and the kind of Ayu you most like. GUILTY had some really good songs on it. I think RnRC is much weaker, personally.

(Miss)understood and Secret are great albums, but I often forget about them. They're a little too "polished" for me - they need some more grit. GUILTY is good, Next Level was a fun experiment, and RnRC is kinda ok to me.

I don't think she's had any BAD albums, and I agree to the point above that a lot of her music has withstood the test of time and aged very well. But for me personally 2006-2010 was her weakest era overall.