[Official Message] New Album.

[Gustavopc]

It kinda reminds me of the sandstorms of Gerudo Desert on Ocarina of Time

[njanjayrp]

Originally Posted by orbitalaspect

Well, Ayu's last several albums have been overloaded with ballads. Colours was the first since NEXT LEVEL to at least balance the number of ballads/midtempo songs with upbeat tracks.

The number of upbeat songs for every record since NL (inc. NL):

NL - 6/10
RnRC - 5/12
Ls - 3/13 (4 if you count Love Song)
PQ - 3/11
La - 3/13
C - 6/10
AO - 4/11

If you break that down into raw numbers, out of 80 songs, only 37% are "upbeat". So, I definitely agree that Ayu should really focus on making this album sound upbeat and exciting. The vast majority of her songs are midtempo or ballads, and it honestly probably contributes heavily to her fall in sales. (Nobody really wants to listen to 10 sad songs if it's not a A BALLAD collection.)

Ha ha if you look at her singles from the early days you'll see that the majority were either ballads or midtempos. So that has nothing to do with anything

[orbitalaspect]

Originally Posted by njanjayrp

Ha ha if you look at her singles from the early days you'll see that the majority were either ballads or midtempos. So that has nothing to do with anything

Sure, but comparatively, from LOVEppears to Secret, she had a much greater variety of music on every album. Ballads and midtempos that all sound fairly similar in style and production are not so good... having 3 midtempo rock songs, 2 powerballads, 3 electronic ballads, etc. is very different.

So, to revise my original statement, ayu should really focus on making this album more "upbeat" and more diverse than her recent albums, which all sound more homogeneous and are filled with ballads/midtempos. Good?

[njanjayrp]

Originally Posted by orbitalaspect

Sure, but comparatively, from LOVEppears to Secret, she had a much greater variety of music on every album. Ballads and midtempos that all sound fairly similar in style and production are not so good... having 3 midtempo rock songs, 2 powerballads, 3 electronic ballads, etc. is very different.

So, to revise my original statement, ayu should really focus on making this album more "upbeat" and more diverse than her recent albums, which all sound more homogeneous and are filled with ballads/midtempos. Good?

But why would she? Even Duty, her best selling album only had a single, truly upbeat song. And A one nearly outsold Colours. ASFxx had none...I don't think this would change anything.

[CeReSu]

Originally Posted by orbitalaspect

Sure, but comparatively, from LOVEppears to Secret, she had a much greater variety of music on every album. Ballads and midtempos that all sound fairly similar in style and production are not so good... having 3 midtempo rock songs, 2 powerballads, 3 electronic ballads, etc. is very different.

So, to revise my original statement, ayu should really focus on making this album more "upbeat" and more diverse than her recent albums, which all sound more homogeneous and are filled with ballads/midtempos. Good?

I totally agree with you but I think it's just our personal wish that Ayu will produce an upbeat album this time but I hope she will!

Since Love again (except for Colours) I find her albums very BORING and all the same lol. I understand completely when you said that her recent albums are too homogeneous. I miss the diversity she offered before (think about miss understood, Secret, Guilty ♥) !

[SayukiChoco]

Originally Posted by orbitalaspect

Sure, but comparatively, from LOVEppears to Secret, she had a much greater variety of music on every album. Ballads and midtempos that all sound fairly similar in style and production are not so good... having 3 midtempo rock songs, 2 powerballads, 3 electronic ballads, etc. is very different.

So, to revise my original statement, ayu should really focus on making this album more "upbeat" and more diverse than her recent albums, which all sound more homogeneous and are filled with ballads/midtempos. Good?

I really agree with the more diverse part. I don't care if she releases upbeat songs or ballads, I just don't want her songs to sound the same.

[!Lawi!]

Originally Posted by CeReSu

I totally agree with you but I think it's just our personal wish that Ayu will produce an upbeat album this time but I hope she will!

Since Love again (except for Colours) I find her albums very BORING and all the same lol. I understand completely when you said that her recent albums are too homogeneous. I miss the diversity she offered before (think about miss understood, Secret, Guilty ♥) !

There's only one album since Love again that isn't Colours though X)
Joke aside, I do agree that I could do with a new Step YOU and a new Sparkle!

[njanjayrp]

Originally Posted by !Lawi!

There's only one album since Love again that isn't Colours though X)
Joke aside, I do agree that I could do with a new Step YOU and a new Sparkle!

It's STEP you

[!Lawi!]

Originally Posted by njanjayrp

It's STEP you

Ahaha my bad, I'll never get it right!

[CeReSu]

Originally Posted by !Lawi!

There's only one album since Love again that isn't Colours though X)
Joke aside, I do agree that I could do with a new Step YOU and a new Sparkle!

LOL THIS prove that Ayu's music doesn't interest me like before, I lost track! But I was also thinking about her mini album Sixxxxxx, which is in the same atmosphere as A One xD Maybe a little better (I appreciated Sayonara) but not so much!

A new STEP you would be awesome, same for a new Sparkle! A new pop/rock song too (and not the kind of this WARNING song lol)

[Zeke.]

There's a difference between the well-composed, and mastered tracks she released back then, and the mid-temp trudge she's filled albums with for the past 5+ years.

[krtman2002]

Am I the only one who loves Colours and A ONE? XD

A ONE is one of her best albums, though I must admit that it's full of ballads, but... good balads in any case.

[YukiUsagi]

I never listened to any A ONE song in full

[DevilsClap]

I love A ONE I also think it's one of her best albums

[pepper]

Originally Posted by YukiUsagi

I never listened to any A ONE song in full

well, for example I cant stand TSMGO. At first I was "well thats ok" but now i feel super tired listening to it. To be fair, I reaaaaally prefer sixxxxxx than A ONE, I only like 3 songs from A ONE? Last minute, WARNING and NO FUTURE. sixxxxxx may sound "mediumish" but it sound super polished to me.

NO FUTURE is pure gem on A ONE, she should experiment more with "oldschool pop" sound with new arragments.
Plus she almost never (GUILTY... -cold sight-) do a bad "edgy" ballad. Rockish or not, her edgy ballads are always (besides GUILTY...) awesome.

[Minttulatte]

I loved A ONE a lot. It was fabulous because it made me feel so damn nostalgic for some reason. Plus it has Last minute, Story and NO FUTURE and those are enough reason for me to fall in love with the album. COLOURS on the other hand isn't really great anymore. I listened to it through few days ago and noticed that I still only like Merry-go-round, Terminal, Lelio, and NOW & 4EVA when I used to like pretty much all songs before. :/

[SayukiChoco]

Originally Posted by pepper

well, for example I cant stand TSMGO. At first I was "well thats ok" but now i feel super tired listening to it. To be fair, I reaaaaally prefer sixxxxxx than A ONE, I only like 3 songs from A ONE? Last minute, WARNING and NO FUTURE. sixxxxxx may sound "mediumish" but it sound super polished to me.

That's interesting. At first I also thought that TSMGO was just ok and then I grew tired of it. However, I listened to it a few days ago and suddenly liked it as hell and now I'm listening to it all the time

I like every song from A ONE but aside from WARNING, Anything for You, Last minute and now TSMGO I just don't listen to them often... I don't know why.

[Chibi-Chan]

A ONE is her worst album ever. I hate it with passion. Nevee happened before that I hated an Ayu album. I like a few songs from it but most of its songs are uninspired kitschy pop ballads with uninspired and lazy arrangements. God how I hate this album.

[lastminute]

When A ONE was first released I didn't really like it, mostly because I had very high expectations for the album and it kinda dissapointed me :/ however, I listened to it the other day, after months of not doing so and now I just love it!
I don't know what it is with her heavy ballad albums that it takes time for me to fall in love with them, the same happened with LOVE again

[oaristos]

I still listen to many songs from A ONE: WARNING, Out of control, Story, The GIFT, The Show Must Go On, Zutto...