Ayu's 6th album will be released 17 December 2003

[Unimatrix Prime™]

There's currently 2 versions you can get at YesAsia:

CD+DVD (Japan Version) US$32.99:
http://us.yesasia.com/en/PrdDept.asp...on-all/did-97/

CD (Japan Version) US$23.99:
http://us.yesasia.com/en/PrdDept.asp...on-all/did-97/

[sxesven]

But I'm guessing they'll release an Overseas version as well.

[Divine Fang]

Originally posted by sxesven
But I'm guessing they'll release an Overseas version as well.

Me too.

2-3 new songs... not a bad album but it shall be my worst ayu's CD album . The only thing worthy about this album is the DVD. I'd say buy it as if it's A Clips 3

[Ryoko]

The dvd doesn't have some of the Pvs.. I'd like to see and hear ANGEL'S SONG though.

[sxesven]

Check Divine Fang's Ayu website, go to downloads section. You can see the new Panasonic Snap CM there, and it has Angel's Song as BGM. It's actually quite promising if you ask me [but you didn't lol]!

[Delirium-Zer0]

Please please PLEASE read this everyone...

I know ayu has disappointed us alot lately, but did any of you ever bother to think that ayu's been spoiling us the past 5 years?

No one releases remix albums with the frequency that she does, not even strictly dance/pop artists. So we have no right to complain about ayu-mi-x 5 being late or not including an Acoustic Orchestra version.

Lots of groups release ballad albums, and most of them are COMPLETELY rehashed, no re-recordings or remixes or anything. So no right to complain about A BALLADS at all unless the quality of the tracks themselves is what we're complaining about.

Ayu Trance 2 was by no means a total rehash. There were alot of songs on there that were new. The megamix format is what got me angry because i wanted standalone versions of the new songs.

The wait for singles is not unreasonable. Ayu used to release a new single once every month or two. now it's about 3 or 4 months between singles, just like most NORMAL artists. a six-month wait, while annoying, isn't that bad all things considered. Ayu's job is rough. she needs a break occasionally, or sometimes she just can't get some lyrics write. If we want good-quality songs we'll have to wait sometimes. I'd rather have GOOD songs released slowly than crap churned out at assembly-line speed, personally.

8 songs also isn't that bad of a number when you think of how much she's already released.
A Song for XX had 16 songs.
LOVEppears had 16, plus a bonus track, plus 5 songs on the second disc, making a total of 22 songs.
Duty had 12 songs.
I am... had 15 songs plus "flower garden", making 16.
RAINBOW had 15, unless you count "+" as a song itself, which again makes 16.

That's 82 songs over 5 albums. Most artists release about 12 songs per album, taking them to only 60 songs at this point in their career, if they even make it this far.

Ayu will be up to 90 songs with this album. You'd have less songs than this if you bought every album by, say, B'z or Aikawa Nanase or Every Little Thing, and weren't a crazy single-purchaser, sure to get every c/w song as well.

You already have ALOT of songs and alot of remixes to listen to, people. The fact that there are less songs on this album shouldn't be anything you're complaining about.

Ayu has been working and working for over 5 years to keep her fans satisfied, and complaining about her releasing like a "normal" artist is how you thank her? Makes no sense to me.

Also take into account Avex's status. Because ayu's been so profitable for them up to this point, they've let her get WAY too powerful -- it's become dangerous to the company. At one point, Ayu was responsible for 40% of the company's stock. This means that if she left, the company would be worth about half what it was. Avex are beginning to promote more artists aside from ayu, like Nana Katase, Do As Infinity, Every Little Thing, the Cyber Trance/Cyber X group, day after tomorrow, m-flo, and BoA, among others. They're putting more money into them, and less into ayu. No one ever considered that maybe lower sales for ayu's releases are a GOAL for avex. Given the tension of her career, there IS the threat of her leaving the label and joining another. Avex doesn't want that now, not while she's worth so much to them. They're keeping her happy by not forcing her to work too fast, so that she doesn't suddenly up and leave, and they're letting releases slow down and get less expensive to produce while ayu's sales go down and other artists' sales go up a bit. They don't want their entire company to rest in the hands of one act, it's way too dangerous to the fate of the company.

We can expect to see more disappointing releases for awhile, until ayu becomes an artist who (heaven forbid) debuts at number 2 (*GASP SHOCK HORROR!* don't alot of NORMAL artists debut at #2 instead of 1 without us worrying that their careers are totally over?? YES. Jeez. x__x). This is not the end of ayu by any means. They're trying to ease her into normalcy, trying to make her not such a huge phenomenon anymore, but DEFINITELY not trying to kill her career.

Once there's equilibrium between ayu and the other artists at avex, the releases will level off and we'll be used to what we now consider disappointing.

In the meantime, keep in mind that most artists have never had 10-track singles or remix albums for every original album.

This album is disappointing for even "normal" artists, yes, but avex needs something to make ayu's sales go down (which they still might not, since this is a cd/dvd set and the holidays are upon us).

[AyuDearest1]

I would agree with the weakening ayu part but Avex at the moment has no real backup for her. BoA is already losing steam and nothing else from Avex is becoming the next big thing. While Avex realizes Ayu is a blessing and a curse, I doubt that they would risk losing their main profit machine when no replacement is available. Avex has already lost quite a market share, TK is a certified has-been, DAT didn't become the next ELT, DAI is just there, dream wasn't the next momusu, etc. It seems doubtful that Avex is willing to risk so much by weakening Ayu right now instead of a more stable time.

If the c/w's are good there is a chance I'll buy the album. maybe.

[Unimatrix Prime™]

I suppose I don't have much to say to this, as it's a very valid point you brought up. But...

Also take into account Avex's status. Because ayu's been so profitable for them up to this point, they've let her get WAY too powerful -- it's become dangerous to the company. At one point, Ayu was responsible for 40% of the company's stock. This means that if she left, the company would be worth about half what it was.

I can understand this. No use in putting so much into Ayu, only to find out one day that she quit. But the way I see it, it's somewhat of Avex's/Ayu's fault in setting the bar for all those 10-track singles and loads of megamixes so high that it's only natural to feel that the songs/singles nowadays are perhaps not as hard-hitting as her previous stuff. I think that after I am... , Ayu hit the peak of her career, and while the songs themselves after I am... weren't that bad, it ended the days of those long singles and constant releases. It wasn't til the 2nd half of this year that Ayu finally released singles like Forgiveness, No Way to Say, etc. , along with the RMX WORKS simultaneously. Perhaps this was to make up for the "delay" of releases in previous months, but I'm still not sure why an artist who has released so much would, in a sense, be "killed off" by Avex. Yes, I know that it's to reduce the "reliance" on her in case she did leave, but if I had the rights to Ayu, I'd be sure to deliver some top-quality stuff before she did leave.

We can expect to see more disappointing releases for awhile, until ayu becomes an artist who (heaven forbid) debuts at number 2 (*GASP SHOCK HORROR!* don't alot of NORMAL artists debut at #2 instead of 1 without us worrying that their careers are totally over?? YES. Jeez. x__x).

I suppose that will happen one day, and we'll all be overjoyed when Ayu's new CDs debut higher than top 10 or something, so while she's still on top, I guess we should all enjoy it while it lasts. No one lives on forever, not even Ayu. She'll eventually fade away, perhaps not in the minds of fans, but from the jpop scene itself, and we'll all have to accept that someday. While I'd love for the days of all those remix CDs to last, there comes that time when it won't happen anymore.

Once there's equilibrium between ayu and the other artists at avex, the releases will level off and we'll be used to what we now consider disappointing.

This will be quite the surprising fact several months from now, as I suppose a sale for a single, for example, will be lucky to break 10,000 over the course of a few days. Perhaps in the future, 2-track singles will be the norm, and we'll be surprised with 4-track "mini-albums"

So once again, some very interesting points you brought up, Deli! Let's all see how true they'll all be in the coming weeks and months...

[Delirium-Zer0]

The time when ayu was worth 40% of avex's stock was about a year and a half ago, and i'm sorry to say i can't remember my news sources, only the number. I didn't think it would really come up later, so sorry i didn't make note of the source.

And the idea that avex is trying to calm ayu down and get her down to normalcy isn't in any documentation that's been shown outside the company, if any at all. It's actually smart business practice. Even if there isn't one huge good replacement for ayu (which there shouldn't be anyway because they don't want a NEW ayu, they want NO ayu, evened-out sales throughout the label, which is why there are actually alot MORE big artists from avex coming out than there used to be), a gradual decline in overall revenue for avex is better than a sudden drop in the event that ayu left or if there was a backlash against her.

And thanks for backing me up, omega. You made some good points yourself; it's true, no big act lasts forever, not even ayu, as much as many of her fans would like to believe she's this superhuman or goddess or something. I doubt it'll get to 2-track singles being the norm, but 4 track will probably be the norm for awhile. And i think it'll be awhile before a top-10 single at all is something we celebrate, but we shouldn't be surprised when it happens.

And no baggin' on my avatar ^_^ my friend Becky drew it for me.

[jerms]

....but i love it when she spiols us.



anyways, i'm not blaming anythign on ayumi. i'm pointing all my fingers on avex. IMO, i think ayu should leave avex, that cursed company. she should join Jerms Records..THEY'LL sure as hell give ya wahtcha want, 10 track isngles with good mixes, perfectionated remxi albums, amazing albums..ah. we need a petitiion eh?

[AyuDearest1]

I agree with you but I expect Avex to try to have a steady #1 singer like a B'z, Kinki Kids, or Ayu like person to keep profits going so they don't lose to much share. Also compared to the past, Avex has a lot less "big" singers than they did. Look at what they were like before Ayu - the biggest acts in jpop. Now its just Ayu and some startups that haven't caught on.

[jerms]

haah foreal. nobody relaly pays attention to those "rising artists" anyways avex, GIVE THE FREAK UP! go back to ayumi, and worry about QUALITY! (its even more important then quantity!)


SPOIL ME!

[pazard]

waw......cool

[voltron]

I'm pretty sure the 40% of avex that she made up--that number was in the Asia Times magazine article they had on her.

I think she should include "theme of a-nation '03" on the album, since it'll be so short. Or, maybe, if people see it's not & will start selling more copies again. =\ But it'd be nice to see it on the album with a PV on the DVD.

I really want to know the name of this album already though...I'm surprised there isn't one. Maybe it's going to be some huge secret. I hope it's not going to be like a good-bye her last album like a lot of people think. But avex did say that Ayu was going to be the number 1 artist this year, so maybe they wanted her to get number 1 before she gave up. But I don't think she'd retire b/c then she wouldn't have so much money.

Wow...that was long and random. I need sleep. ;__;

[kiseki89]

Well i think that no matter wha avex does, many will still support Ayumi. Now i juz cant wait for 17/12/03 to arrive!

[[H]]

yeah....whatever it is, we have to support ayu.

[nmskalmn]

Sales of Ayu CDs and stuff accounted for 40% of Avex's consolidated earnings (not stock ) in fiscal 2000, 23% in 2001, and 15% in fiscal 2002. This information was reported in the Japanese press and the American music industry magazine "Billboard".

[ImpactBreaker]

Originally posted by jerms
haah foreal. nobody relaly pays attention to those "rising artists" anyways avex, GIVE THE FREAK UP! go back to ayumi, and worry about QUALITY! (its even more important then quantity!)


SPOIL ME!

Some of these "rising" artists DO release quality material. I's not just Ayumi that exist in the whole JPOP scene...if you get enclosed to just Ayu you miss a lot of pretty good stuff.


I do agree with a lot of things Delirium said. Utada Hikaru releases very short in length singles and no one ever complains about that...but when it comes to Ayu, it seems like she has to put a lot of stuff in order for it to be worth it...sometimes I wonder if people really like the quality of her songs or if they just want quantity of tracks in order to feel satisfied. I do know it was awesome to have all those 10 track singles but it's not as if Ayu is getting bad just because she's been releasing less material...far from that. I didn't like the fact this will be a mini album though......I think they are rushing this album, it hasn't been even one year ever since RAINBOW was released. I think Ayu could spend December on recording new tracks and release this thing on January or something. But they seem to want to rush it in order to release it during xmas...a commercial thing really

[Whit3FoX]

Oh again.. sorry post again...
Is the 6th album have overseas version? me want CD+DVD
please say yes....

[SpiceSquad!]

hmmm... MAYBE the album will avalable in Overseas Ver. All Ayu album and single are available in Overseas Ver..

BTW..
Well..i dont know what AVEX is thingking right now, but i'm sure AVEX have 'better' reason and explaination to this. Lets not think negative about this. I'm very sure that AVEX isnt going to let AYU sale down.. BUT im guessing that all of this happening to boost AYU popularity out side Japan.