[Charts & Rankings] Official Sales & Positions Thread III ~NEXT LEVEL~ - Page 10 - Ayumi Hamasaki Sekai
Ayumi Hamasaki Sekai
· Ayu's Official Site · Ayu's twitter · Ayu's YouTube · masa's translations · Misa-chan's translations ·


Go Back   Ayumi Hamasaki Sekai > Ayumi Hamasaki Forums > Ayu Music News

Notices

Closed Thread
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #181  
Old 11th April 2009, 04:31 AM
jbrat2219's Avatar
jbrat2219 jbrat2219 is offline
JEWEL Initiate
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Posts: 10,928
Quote:
Originally Posted by emiko View Post
Well MY STORY was very different from what she had released earlier...maybe going in the way of Because of You. Not to mention that, even though there is 10 new tracks, most of them have unique lyrics, and the album does have a definite flow and theme.

For me, it's one of, if not the best put together album, mostly because it's consistent, without being boring. It also doesn't really fall under any genre, it's not exactly Rock, but it's not really pop either, which kind of goes hand in hand with Ayu's releases...or well...the good ones anyway.

Which isn't really anything.
That's probably the best opinion I've heard of the album. I look at it a slightly different light now. It's still not my favorite though.

Quote:
Originally Posted by teddbear55 View Post
You're not the only one! I also don't think it's that great of an album. Too many of the tracks sounded the same to me. In my opinion it is a bit over rated. Though I do like it, I certainly don't love it. However it's different for everyone I guess
Yeah the tracks did sound the same to me too.

Quote:
Originally Posted by part of Me ♥ View Post
nope! i was so disappointed with MY STORY. it was more of a quantity over quality album. i can't even listen to it through all the way, i skip so many tracks.
I only listen to 7 of the 17 tracks and most of them are the singles. All of my favorite MY STORY songs are on A BEST 2, so I quite literally never listen to the album.


Anyway, I hope I'm not too bold in saying this, but I think it's weird that Japan doesn't like this type of music. Forget whether it's "good or bad," it's dance/electropop which is what's "in" now. The fact that Ayu even tried it is different in itself. Do you think Japan tolerates this music from others and just not her?
  #182  
Old 11th April 2009, 04:42 AM
emi♡ emi♡ is offline
RED LINE ~for TA~ Initiate
 
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: ☆ california ☆
Posts: 17,063
Well they seem to like...like Perfume and stuff right?

I personally don't feel Ayu really did it "right". But I mean...I don't think that's how they feel...

I kinda feel like they're tired of her or something...but I really don't know.

What's popular in Japan is kind of a mystery to me...I don't understand how groups like Mr. Children can sell so much...but how a lot of the artists just...don't make it. Especially when they're really amazing and talented musicians.

Maybe some one else can shed more light on it.
__________________

☆ bunnnniiiieeeesssss ☆

- The "New Artists You're Trying Out" Thread -

don't forget to spread the kuu




  #183  
Old 11th April 2009, 04:50 AM
jbrat2219's Avatar
jbrat2219 jbrat2219 is offline
JEWEL Initiate
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Posts: 10,928
Yeah I hope someone can! Because I'm curious too...
  #184  
Old 11th April 2009, 05:01 AM
Andrenekoi's Avatar
Andrenekoi Andrenekoi is offline
HAPPY ENDING Initiate
 
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Brazil
Posts: 6,930
*Well... she have a 11 years non-stop career... what makes people a little tired of her.

*She is 30 now... and a lot of people thinks that she is too old (her fame is at some extent based on looks).

*She is losing popularity since Rainbow.

*We have the world crisis... her fanbase is 25~30 years old people mainly... some boy bands are suported by young girls that doesn't really care about this things and the old classics bands have larger fanbases (she had more casual listeners than fans maybe).

*Female solo singers popularity in general is falling since 2000~2002...

*Albums sales in general are falling since the begining of both piratary and digital music... And Oricon only counts physical sales.


=)
__________________

http://stan-wars.com/1989.html


I live around AHS (Ayumi Haters Sekai)

  #185  
Old 11th April 2009, 05:07 AM
Zeke.'s Avatar
Zeke. Zeke. is offline
rainy day Initiate
 
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Manhattan, NYC
Posts: 9,723
Quote:
Originally Posted by part of Me ♥ View Post
nope! i was so disappointed with MY STORY. it was more of a quantity over quality album. i can't even listen to it through all the way, i skip so many tracks.

anyway i hope she will eventually reach 400k.
Well I can also say that I think part of the reason why I loved MY STORY so much is because it was the first album release I actively followed (I became an Ayu fan in about 2002/2003/2004 but it was through Depend On You on Thousand Arms.
Then I looked up what the best album would be to ask for Christmas since I didn't follow the message boards too much and got LOVEppears. Then I followed her singles starting with Moments thru to the release of MY STORY so it was very exciting. I just love that era though. Nothing can touch Moments. It's just that the songs that were staple songs on the album were done so well. I mean their were fillers (Liar, HOPE or PAIN, ...) but I loved even those ones. What I'm saying is that my name's WOMEN, About You, walking proud, and Humming 7/4 (yes, I liked it a lot) were polished perfectly. Like if you would try to improve on them, it would be impossible. Where as with later albums, it seemed I could always pick out changes that could have been made in the album tracks to really make them shine.

And really, I love NEXT LEVEL. I think that since Sparkle was such an amazing song released right before the album that no album tracks really even compare to that song. They are good, but Sparkle is superb.

Last edited by Zeke.; 11th April 2009 at 05:13 AM.
  #186  
Old 11th April 2009, 05:48 AM
jbrat2219's Avatar
jbrat2219 jbrat2219 is offline
JEWEL Initiate
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Posts: 10,928
Quote:
Originally Posted by Andrenekoi View Post
*Well... she have a 11 years non-stop career... what makes people a little tired of her.

*She is 30 now... and a lot of people thinks that she is too old (her fame is at some extent based on looks).

*She is losing popularity since Rainbow.

*We have the world crisis... her fanbase is 25~30 years old people mainly... some boy bands are suported by young girls that doesn't really care about this things and the old classics bands have larger fanbases (she had more casual listeners than fans maybe).

*Female solo singers popularity in general is falling since 2000~2002...

*Albums sales in general are falling since the begining of both piratary and digital music... And Oricon only counts physical sales.


=)
Well we already know that, but I mean what is about this type of music that is turning people off to her. Unless it's just not the music and all of the things you mentioned.
  #187  
Old 11th April 2009, 06:10 AM
Andrenekoi's Avatar
Andrenekoi Andrenekoi is offline
HAPPY ENDING Initiate
 
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Brazil
Posts: 6,930
I don't really think that the music itself have a great impact on the album sales... Even if NL is a very fresh album, it's nothing that she really hasn't done before... This time she didn't have a Bold & Delicious or something like that...
__________________

http://stan-wars.com/1989.html


I live around AHS (Ayumi Haters Sekai)

  #188  
Old 11th April 2009, 06:27 AM
SunshineSlayer's Avatar
SunshineSlayer SunshineSlayer is offline
walking proud Initiate
 
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Japan/USA
Posts: 7,019
Quote:
Originally Posted by emiko View Post
What's popular in Japan is kind of a mystery to me...I don't understand how groups like Mr. Children can sell so much...but how a lot of the artists just...don't make it. Especially when they're really amazing and talented musicians.

Maybe some one else can shed more light on it.
People love Mr. Childrens lyrics. They love Ayu's too, but Mr. Children is a bit different. I constantly hear about not only how emotionally good their lyrics are, but how 'smart' they are. They do a lot of plays on words and what not that only really native speakers would pick up. They also are very average, everyday type guys that people can relate to - I find that sense of humility and ability to relate on a common everyday level takes you a long way in Japan. Southern All Stars, B'z etc are like that as well. They all have boatloads of money but the point is, is that they do not act like they do - they at least appear not to have changed at all whether they have $10 in their pocket or a thousand dollars.
  #189  
Old 11th April 2009, 06:45 AM
jbrat2219's Avatar
jbrat2219 jbrat2219 is offline
JEWEL Initiate
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Posts: 10,928
Quote:
Originally Posted by Andrenekoi View Post
I don't really think that the music itself have a great impact on the album sales... Even if NL is a very fresh album, it's nothing that she really hasn't done before... This time she didn't have a Bold & Delicious or something like that...
What genre does she have left really? xD;

.... Jazz? Country?.... Lounge music?.... Gospel (like REAL gospel, the kind Mika's did lol). METAL, Ayu should do metal music next

Last edited by jbrat2219; 11th April 2009 at 06:50 AM.
  #190  
Old 11th April 2009, 06:47 AM
SunshineSlayer's Avatar
SunshineSlayer SunshineSlayer is offline
walking proud Initiate
 
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Japan/USA
Posts: 7,019
^ there are always more things that an artist can do. Jazz, country, opera, etc etc doesn't mean that she would have to go 100% into those genres, but to mix elements of those genres with pop music could give her something interesting and great.

btw, about the debate as to whether music quality effects sales? I think it does. Not always though. If something is the hot trend of the moment, it will sell no matter how crappy it is. But for established artists that have been around for years, I do think that quality starts to play a key factor.
  #191  
Old 11th April 2009, 06:59 AM
krazeyo krazeyo is offline
POWDER SNOW Initiate
 
Join Date: Apr 2006
Posts: 368
^Gotta agree about the humility part you were talking about. Who wants to see her in ANOTHER glittery dress and strut around with her 100th LV bag?!?! In her previous years, she had a style that could be imitated by teenagers, and not just the elite rich. (I am-Rainbow era was pretty good; she could've been easily mimicked by girls) Now she wears extremely expensive clothes, or clothes that no one really wears on the streets(take the Rule performance on MSta for example).

The Deji book was a nice thing to see though. She seemed really happy to see her fans, and she wore something plain(well not brand-name at least). If only she could continue that...
  #192  
Old 11th April 2009, 07:12 AM
jbrat2219's Avatar
jbrat2219 jbrat2219 is offline
JEWEL Initiate
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Posts: 10,928
Quote:
Originally Posted by SunshineSlayer View Post
^ there are always more things that an artist can do. Jazz, country, opera, etc etc doesn't mean that she would have to go 100% into those genres, but to mix elements of those genres with pop music could give her something interesting and great.
I would really love for her to do jazz actually... I think her voice is good for that genre now that it has matured. Or something like that remix of STEP you that was reggae <3. Or even a collaboration.
  #193  
Old 11th April 2009, 07:24 AM
Andrenekoi's Avatar
Andrenekoi Andrenekoi is offline
HAPPY ENDING Initiate
 
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Brazil
Posts: 6,930
Talking about "quality" in music is very hard... there's no way to say what is good music or bad music besides opinion, cause everyone looks for differents things on whatever he/she listens to...

So... I don't think that quality is a factor here (but if you are talking about how japanese liked her older songs better and how they think that she was better before, them, maybe this is a reason...)
__________________

http://stan-wars.com/1989.html


I live around AHS (Ayumi Haters Sekai)

  #194  
Old 11th April 2009, 10:04 AM
Not~Yet's Avatar
Not~Yet Not~Yet is offline
Who... Initiate
 
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: FI
Posts: 1,168
Quote:
Originally Posted by jbrat2219 View Post
What genre does she have left really? xD;

.... Jazz? Country?.... Lounge music?.... Gospel (like REAL gospel, the kind Mika's did lol). METAL, Ayu should do metal music next
I know you're kidding, but I would LOVE if she made a metal song. xD Since I heard t2m, which had quite a few metal elements I have been thinking about how well her voice would fit in metal music (I don't mean the growling-kind of metal of course xD;; ) . But that's not gonna happen since most of her fans are fans of pop-music.
  #195  
Old 11th April 2009, 02:52 PM
Tasked Tasked is offline
Banned
 
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Up yours ;)
Posts: 2,983
I would love Ayu to do some VERY hardsounding metal track, aswell as a clever jazz song. Or better yet, triphop! She's done triphop 2 times in remixes (HAPPY ENDING mix from Ayu-mi-x 6 and the AND THEN voice-spectral mix from Ayu-mi-x 2), but an actual triphop song would be superb =)
THAT would be a next level :-)
  #196  
Old 11th April 2009, 03:28 PM
waterballoon's Avatar
waterballoon waterballoon is offline
count down Initiate
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Lands of EDEN
Posts: 17,709
NEXT LEVEL actually brought my love back for dance music and I dug out my FutureSex/LoveSounds album and I ended up listening to Justin Timberlake more than Ayu...

My point is, there's nothing wrong with Ayu going with a new style, but at the end of the day, the only stand-out dance track on NEXT LEVEL was Sparkle. As much as I love rollin', I think Sparkle was the only 'real' dance track on NEXT LEVEL.

So in the end, what is it about NEXT LEVEL? The only thing I can see from it is arrangement/theme-based... I'm okay with the sales but again this album feels so energetic but again it's so... lazily-produced if you get what I mean.

Maybe if she got longer time to make this (instead of getting rushed by avex), it would be better, which might inspire better sales.
__________________

YAYAYAYA GAGAGAGA DADADADA WOWOWOWO

  #197  
Old 11th April 2009, 08:30 PM
jbrat2219's Avatar
jbrat2219 jbrat2219 is offline
JEWEL Initiate
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Posts: 10,928
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rody! View Post
I would love Ayu to do some VERY hardsounding metal track, aswell as a clever jazz song. Or better yet, triphop! She's done triphop 2 times in remixes (HAPPY ENDING mix from Ayu-mi-x 6 and the AND THEN voice-spectral mix from Ayu-mi-x 2), but an actual triphop song would be superb =)
THAT would be a next level :-)
OMG! I would LOVE THAT <3 So how are sales looking today?
  #198  
Old 11th April 2009, 09:13 PM
Zeke.'s Avatar
Zeke. Zeke. is offline
rainy day Initiate
 
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Manhattan, NYC
Posts: 9,723
Quote:
Originally Posted by kyuutii_hanii View Post
I know you're kidding, but I would LOVE if she made a metal song. xD Since I heard t2m, which had quite a few metal elements I have been thinking about how well her voice would fit in metal music (I don't mean the growling-kind of metal of course xD;; ) . But that's not gonna happen since most of her fans are fans of pop-music.
Yeah! The rough, hard and metal guitar bangs/riffs in talkin' 2 myself are love!
  #199  
Old 11th April 2009, 11:34 PM
SunshineSlayer's Avatar
SunshineSlayer SunshineSlayer is offline
walking proud Initiate
 
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Japan/USA
Posts: 7,019
Quote:
Originally Posted by jbrat2219 View Post
OMG! I would LOVE THAT <3 So how are sales looking today?
#5. Won't know the actual sales till the end of the week.
  #200  
Old 12th April 2009, 03:52 AM
Tony G's Avatar
Tony G Tony G is offline
SCAR Initiate
 
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Posts: 1,500
Quote:
Originally Posted by kyuutii_hanii View Post
I know you're kidding, but I would LOVE if she made a metal song. xD Since I heard t2m, which had quite a few metal elements I have been thinking about how well her voice would fit in metal music (I don't mean the growling-kind of metal of course xD;; ) . But that's not gonna happen since most of her fans are fans of pop-music.
I agree, her voice is made for hard rock type songs. t2m was great. But once I heard NEXT LEVEL.. her voice works so well in electro pop/rock songs as well. I've wanted Ayu for ages to dab into electronic music again.. she really hadn't done it since Connected. And I have to say it turned out pretty well, especially Sparkle. That song is just epic. Even Mirrorcle World sounded totally different to anything she's done before, it would be great if she made more songs like it.

It's exciting to wonder what sound she's gonna explore next. Triphop would be cool. XD
Closed Thread

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off



All times are GMT +1. The time now is 01:06 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.