[News] New Album TROUBLE on 15th August

[njanjayrp]

Originally Posted by Aderianu

If this is theme, in tracklist would be songs like Warning, not two pale untitled yet demos. I can see "trouble" only on covers

Ha ha absolutely. The fourth track seems like it could be trouble however not in caps.

[xLuna&1LOVE]

Originally Posted by ~angel*ayumi~

I get the complaining about the lack of new songs, I get the complaoning about the CK "AD" (altough it doesn´t bother me that much) but I srsly don´t get the complaining about the price.
1944¥ (Mini Album, normal price) + 7,884¥ (Blu-Ray, took price from MiJ) = 9828¥
So that makes 540¥ for the Box and the goods.

Because... that is about 60 euro for a Blu-Ray? Idk, I think that is pricy.
I could understand that DVDs cost more than CDs, but these ones are at another level. Especially... considering that you would probably watch it 3-4 times, to be optimistically.

Wait... that is good to mention.. The theme: #metoo movement???????
Someone who has power used to harass ayu sexually???? Look at that expensive watch.. it symbolizes the guy is wealthy and grab her boobs (deluxe cover) and she pretends she is ok (smile cover) but in deep she is not (serious half face cover)???

If this is theme, it makes sense why We are the QUEENS is in the track list.

Most likely she shot this, got through all the pics and picked out where she looked great, including this one. Who knows.. maybe it will end up in something conceptual like this, but I believe she just wanna look pretty and badass.

[kotora]

Originally Posted by Yoake

I'm glad that they released covers and goods. Now I know which version I'll buy. I can't wait to be at home to do it!
I can't wait to get this beauty in my hands.



Well it might be something like that. Her expression on the box looks as if she is asking herself What should I do? mixing with surprise. She doesn't look happy or look as she like that.

I am just bored and created storytime. Since people don't see the connection between each cover and I create the connection.

[LOGMAN]

Originally Posted by njanjayrp

It's really hard to disagree...I don't mind the random product placement that much, but if there are really only 5 tracks this is really showing that they have no respect for their customers, albeit no one is making us buy anything.

Nah pretty easy to disagree; 1900 for a mini-album isn't that over-priced. 8000 for a concert blu-ray in a deluxe box is fairly standard. I've paid more for about the same.

We're not dealing with a rational fan, though. This is someone who has already said they hate the music, the photos and declared the whole release a fail before any of these details were even announced. Yet she'll still spend 20,000 on it all, then when it arrives she'll barely listen to it or look at the photos and then come here to complain about how awful it all is and how mad she is at Au for making her spend so much money on something she never wanted.

This is not 10,000 for 5 songs. No one is being forced to spend that much on something they are't interested in. If someone buys this with good intentions and then finds when it arrives they are disappointed with the quality of the workmanship, the video/audio quality of the DVDs/blu-rays, then for sure they can complain about spending so much and getting a subpar item. But until, complaining about the price and contents just seems redundant.

[Yoake]

Originally Posted by kotora

I am just bored and created storytime. Since people don't see the connection between each cover and I create the connection.

And that's good.
I felt something similar to what you explained before to read you. Ayu is an engaged artist and that's why I think there is more behind that cover than only a beautiful photo. Playing with the codes that rule something is the best way to convey a message. On CK ads the girls on couple photoshoot have a sexy or/and pleasure pose and expression and most of the time their eyes look the camera/spectator to share that she like that and seduce them. Here the darkened eyes of Ayu and the fact that she doesn't look us break those marketing rules and point that something is wrong.

There are so many things that can cause trouble and so many way to express them. An angry rock isn’t the only way to share a problem or a bad thing. The world is wider than that. I'm waiting to read her lyrics and to hear the melodies to understand how she succeeded to portray them.

[Sky High]

Originally Posted by Chibi-Chan

I highly doubt that there is any hidden message behind those covers. On the contrary, I think the photographer and Ayu just thought this would be "cool" and "fashionable". The CK ad cover looks exactly as disturbing as most ads out there do. I mean, in most ads women are portrayed as powerless puppets and a lot of fashion ads are rapey af. This is no different.

I totally agree with you. To me this is not cool, it is disturbing and tacky.

[Uknow!]

M(A)DE IN JAPAN was pretty conceptual, there was a connection between the titles, covers, lyrics, music and order of the songs.

I agree that this time doesn't seem the case but maybe we should wait to have the final product. I'm dissapointed at the moment, I love the covers but not as a musical product, I don't like WatQ and WORDS being in the mini (I like these two songs though), but who knows what Ayu is going to do after this release, maybe she has something in mind, I want to give her the benefit of the doubt.

[xLuna&1LOVE]

Originally Posted by LOGMAN

We're not dealing with a rational fan, though. This is someone who has already said they hate the music, the photos and declared the whole release a fail before any of these details were even announced. Yet she'll still spend 20,000 on it all, then when it arrives she'll barely listen to it or look at the photos and then come here to complain about how awful it all is and how mad she is at Au for making her spend so much money on something she never wanted.

I don't feel personally attacked, even though I have written as well that I think this release is really expensive. But this post is clearly directed towards a certain member, and I can guess who. I just want to say, that this post has a very mean untone towards her, (calling her out as a being a not-rational fan already set that tone) which I find completely unnecessairy, especially since she never did anything to you. So, please... keep it friendly?

[junshen]

The hand of the man is max matsuura BTW

[se7entheaven]

Originally Posted by junshen

The hand of the man is max matsuura BTW

I KNEW IT!
Kind of disturbing though but then again they both probably had something going on back then

[Uknow!]

max matsuura? OMG, if we add the rumours about their romance at the start of Ayumi's career and kotora's analysis (who is a visionary) we have a great story here hahahaha

[Sky High]

Originally Posted by Uknow!

M(A)DE IN JAPAN was pretty conceptual, there was a connection between the titles, covers, lyrics, music and order of the songs.

I agree that this time doesn't seem the case but maybe we should wait to have the final product. I'm dissapointed at the moment, I love the covers but not as a musical product, I don't like WatQ and WORDS being in the mini (I like these two songs though), but who knows what Ayu is going to do after this release, maybe she has something in mind, I want to give her the benefit of the doubt.

MIJ had perfect concept, but I agree we should wait for final product. I thought that this time she would focus more on the quality of music than on the presentation of the product. I really expect more music, I do not mind that there are no PVs. I have impression that she is just sick and tired of all this.

[LOGMAN]

Originally Posted by xLuna&1LOVE

I have written as well that I think this release is really expensive.

I agree it is expensive - I find blu-rays and box sets like this in Japan are generally far more expensive than most western releases (I say most, because I often see some absolutely obscenely priced releases in other countries).

Certainly, I had hoped for more. I think most of us did.

Recently, I purchased a box that contained one concert on blu-ray and the concert again on CD (plus another concert on CD) - all for 11,000. Felt like a bit of a fool spending so much, but the quality of the set really made up for it and that's the hope I have for this, right now.

[Yoake]

Seems Kotora was right

[KittyKathy]

Originally Posted by junshen

The hand of the man is max matsuura BTW

This is even more disturbing.

[!Lawi!]

Originally Posted by Uknow!

M(A)DE IN JAPAN was pretty conceptual, there was a connection between the titles, covers, lyrics, music and order of the songs.

I agree that this time doesn't seem the case but maybe we should wait to have the final product. I'm dissapointed at the moment, I love the covers but not as a musical product, I don't like WatQ and WORDS being in the mini (I like these two songs though), but who knows what Ayu is going to do after this release, maybe she has something in mind, I want to give her the benefit of the doubt.

Off topic but is there anywhere I can read about these connections in MIJ?

The main thing that bothers me so far with Trouble is the relation between the '''''edgy''''' title and provoking cover, and the fact 3 out of the five songs are generic sounding mid tempo tracks. I guess that's what you get for hyping yourself but when I read trouble I heard WARNING, (don't) leave me alone and a bit of Microphone, not Summer diary!

Still excited for new songs I can't lie, but I'm pretty positive that I won't be putting money in this release, which would be the first time since love again that I don't purchase a new album.

[BlackSilence]

Originally Posted by junshen

The hand of the man is max matsuura BTW

I love the covers, or more like the crop of the pictures that they used, and i'm not mad with the text either.

But that full body shot is just plain out disturbing and even more so when you know who's on that coutch....makes me cringe. But i like the way the image looks from the composition aspect. Man it gives me mixed feelings

[xLuna&1LOVE]

OMYGOD I am glad I am not the only one going overboard with this. I am so uncomfortable right now.

Edit: well I am glad I know it, because I was twisting whether I should buy the deluxe set anyway... but this saves me 70 euros.

[kotora]

Originally Posted by junshen

The hand of the man is max matsuura BTW

She means the watch is from Max. I used to work for luxury watches industry. That god damn watch on the album cover is over USD10,000. Special version could go up to USD100,000. No wonder Max has one.

[Katsuyuki012]

^^same