What is the cure?

[lumieregrl]

Originally Posted by sugarbasil

I personally (most people probably don't agree with me) think that a lot of it has to do with her CD covers, posters, PVs, magazine shoots, etc. I'm not saying that's all of it, but seriously, compared to Kuu, Namie, and other artists, Ayu's covers etc. are so...blah.

I mean, I look at JAPONESQUE and I'm blown away. The PVs, the covers, the photoshoots...EVERYTHING is artistically AMAZING. Then you have things like the 'You were...,' 'L,' and 'A SUMMER BEST' covers and I wonder WTF is Ayu thinking?? Almost all of the PVs from Love Songs were boring as all ****. She has been consistently boring in all of her non-music related media since GUILTY, in my personal opinion. Meanwhile, Namie and Kuu are off making gorgeous things!

IDK that's just how I feel. One of the reasons I got into Ayu in the first place was because I loved her PVs, covers, and photoshoots. It's also the biggest reason why I don't follow her much anymore. Constant disappointments in that area.

This so much! One of the things that drew me to Ayu were her PVs. They were so interesting and meaningful. Some songs I didn't get into until I saw the PV for them (Rainbow, for one). The last few years however...

[Delicious n Bold]

CREA, HAL, and DAI.
In an age of music so complicated and all over the place, CREA's simplicity is much needed.

[kendelle]

Promotion and a new, dance-worthy sound a'la Namie would see her getting more airplay on radio, played in clubs etc.

Nobody can dance to ballads or pop songs, but Namie's sound gives you energy and makes you want to move around. With Ayu's latest offerings, you just want to sit there and take it all in.

Oh, and better covers

[channy]

Originally Posted by kendelle

Promotion and a new, dance-worthy sound a'la Namie would see her getting more airplay on radio, played in clubs etc.

Nobody can dance to ballads or pop songs, but Namie's sound gives you energy and makes you want to move around. With Ayu's latest offerings, you just want to sit there and take it all in.

Sorry, but just no.

I must confess, I've never listened to anything of Namie Amuro but I skipped through her newest album "Uncontrolled" and except of "Love Story" and "Tempest" every single track on this album is provided with a cheesy electro beat / bassline. That's nothing else than average electro pop.

Aim for the most up to date mainstream sound and lose your musical identity.

Luckily Ayu is still refusing to jump on the David Guetta sound (I call it so) everyone else is looking for to improve sales.

[Delicious n Bold]

Originally Posted by channy

Sorry, but just no.

I must confess, I've never listened to anything of Namie Amuro but I skipped through her newest album "Uncontrolled" and except of "Love Story" and "Tempest" every single track on this album is provided with a cheesy electro beat / bassline. That's nothing else than average electro pop.

Aim for the most up to date mainstream sound and lose your musical identity.

Luckily Ayu is still refusing to jump on the David Guetta sound (I call it so) everyone else is looking for to improve sales.

Preach!
Thank god Ayu hasn't jumped aboard the electropop/dancepop craze. I probably would lose interest in her if she did so. I have specific artists if I want to listen to electro (ami suzuki for example). The Ayu sound is much more different. It's more slow, relaxed. I hope it stays that way. She just has to, as Pieces_of_SEVEN says, stay true to herself.

[jewelbox]

If she took a hiatus maybe more people will get more interested of her comeback..?

[Zeke.]

Well even if I am in a happy place, I absolutely love sad music. Sad melodies - I can never get enough. I just feel like sadness is the strongest emotion, especially when conveyed through music. It just becomes so utterly beautiful.

[Jawdarna]

This reminds me of a conversation I had with my boyfriend (who doesn't listen to many Japanese artists) recently.

Me: "I am loving LOVEppears at the moment...question, why don't you like Ayu? Though, I don't really blame you at the moment, her last release was terrible, and I love Namie's new album more."

Him: "To be completely honest, she's difficult to 'get into'. I prefer Namie too, she's a lot easier to listen to."

I agree with him on this. Ayu is a bit of an odd taste; you either get her, or you don't. But yes, coming from a person who doesn't listen much to either artist, he prefers Namie. I have to agree with him, Ayu is no longer a musical trend setter, she's not on the ball like she used to be. Once she could dictate what was popular, and now she cannot for reasons unknown (influencing choices) but related to her declining popularity as an artist (is it her promotional team? Is it Avex? Is it her own choices?).

Also, the quality difference is massive between Uncontrolled and Party Queen.
Uncontrolled seems polished to the max; actually, it reminds me of a generic dance version of MY STORY.
Party Queen...is just horrid. I haven't listened to that album in about two months, it just seems like 'cheap' pop to me, extremely ear grating. Sorry if that sounds negative, but compared to her past works that were crafted with absolute perfectionism, it's just...disappointing.

What is more depressing though, is that I actually prefer Namie's arguably-most-generic album, to a more experimental album from Ayu. In the past, it would have been so different.

The only 'cure' for her to boost her sales and overall quality is to follow the crowd genre/sound wise (like Namie) for a bit to restore her overall fanbase (casual listeners/fans/hardcore fans; particularly the causal listeners), and then release something a bit more experimental.

[yoshino]

I think Ayu's music is ok, although there are some obvious changes in her music styles in PQ album. Somehow it's not that exciting. Maybe she needs better composers. And she definitely needs promotion!!! Maybe she also needs to rest for some time so that more people will anticipate for her releases.

Honestly, I think her album covers are getting horrid. Maybe she needs to change the photographer and the designer too. lol. Stop being with Leslie so much!!

[Pieces_of_SEVEN]

I agree with a lot of things in this post. NOW I think:

-a hiatus would hurt more than help (or maybe I just can't accept a long period without new music from her)

-return of old composers, especially CREA

-better photoshoots for CD, DVD, live covers

-MUCH MORE PROMOTION

-more TV lives

-release a damn single and PROMOTE IT EVERYWHEREEEEEE! and include 10 tracks full of remixes like the old days.

-go back to older styles of music (LOVEppears to like, (miss) understood)

[emi♡]

I don't think it's just to improve sales. People like those songs for a reason :/

Namie has always been more about performing and dancing than anything else...so that's what she mainly does.


And it's not THAT crazy for Ayu to think about electropop in that way. In the golden age of remixing back in the day, she was all over that scene Guess it wasn't her original studio versions though.


Honestly, I don't know how I feel about her promotion. She always seems so busy and tired, and people are always saying how she needs more time for her.

Was there a time when she had a good balance? Instead of just either or? idk.

[channy]

Originally Posted by emi♡

it's not THAT crazy for Ayu to think about electropop in that way. In the golden age of remixing back in the day, she was all over that scene Guess it wasn't her original studio versions though

Yea. But there is a difference. Ayu always had her studio albums separated from the trance/house/eurobeat albums. Even at her peak when her first ayu trance release flooded the clubs.

That's why I don't see her releasing pure electro/dance studio albums. She's always had her wide range of remix albums for that anyways

[jewelbox]

Getting rid of the amateur who photoshops her photos nowadays and no Leslie or Ryan anymore..
Ayu should find good photographers..

[Pieces_of_SEVEN]

^^Well she's done pretty much every single other genre out there. lol whatever though, as long as ayu remains true to herself, which I know she always will, I will follow and love her.

[SheFliesHigher]

Yeeeaaah, I dunno, I've definitely found myself playing Kuu and Namie in my car much more than Ayu these days. I can't really explain why, but something has changed. I'd say it was me who changed, but it doesn't look like that's the case.

I haven't listened to Party Queen in a while. Most of the songs haven't had much staying power with me, unlike songs from her other albums.

I would love to see better covers and photoshoots of her. The FIVE photos were some of the best I've seen of her in a long time. The ones where she's smearing her lipstick are just so raw and artsy. I feel like she's so overdone with makeup and photoshop these days that the images of her have no spirit. The recent Summer Best CD cover is so terribly photoshopped that I nearly want to cry looking at it.

[zaqwanbadli]

Originally Posted by SheFliesHigher

I feel like she's so overdone with makeup and photoshop these days that the images of her have no spirit. The recent Summer Best CD cover is so terribly photoshopped that I nearly want to cry looking at it.

Ah, the recent Summer Best CD cover... the first moment I saw it I thought to myself, wow, Ayu looks like some Eva Longoria variation. She appears uncharacteristically... blank.

These days I find myself fighting, straining to move on and letting Ayu go... but she is one of the few singers I listen to, so that binds me to her.

In my humble opinion, she's too complacent in her career now to "make" any effort. I guess it's only natural. You can say you want to do something that you like forever or else you'll die, but the hard truth is things always change. People change.

The only cure I can see is that Ayu needs to pick herself up. After all, she has full control over her career. She's capable to venture out if she wants to.

[Zeke.]

I don't really think it's about the music style with Namie and all that. Japan still loves it some Japanese style music. Songs you wouldn't hear in most other places. It loves it's cutesy pop songs. I do too.

[emi♡]

FIVE photos were amazing. That's awesome edgy Ayu I need.

If the music had been better, that album would have been wow. What a time to start "experimenting" with r&b.

[Pieces_of_SEVEN]

It's so weird...I've also listened to PQ FARRRR less than I've listened to her other albums while they were new.

Actually, it may be because a lot of the songs have a sad undertone (reminds me, Return Road, Tell me why, letter), and I'm just in a very happy place in my life right now. I've been listening to much more positive, upbeat, happy songs as opposed to the sad songs. Maybe that's why. But it freaked me out at first, I was like, why am I not playing these songs over and over and over and over like I always do with new ayu releases?! hm.

[jbrat2219]

Originally Posted by Pieces_of_SEVEN

It's so weird...I've also listened to PQ FARRRR less than I've listened to her other albums while they were new.

Actually, it may be because a lot of the songs have a sad undertone (reminds me, Return Road, Tell me why, letter), and I'm just in a very happy place in my life right now. I've been listening to much more positive, upbeat, happy songs as opposed to the sad songs. Maybe that's why. But it freaked me out at first, I was like, why am I not playing these songs over and over and over and over like I always do with new ayu releases?! hm.

Actually, I understand exactly what you mean. Ayu and I are usually on the same wavelength, almost to a creaky extent. When she got married, I was in a new relationship so that Love songs got MAJOR overplay. But although I adore PQ, I'm in a happy place so the only songs I listen to regularly on the album are call and letter because they sound the most happy lol.