『A BALLADS 2』on sale 2021.03.12

[visionfactory]

The good thing about this release is that Ayu will be performing old ballads on TV shows ^_^ nice

[pedronekoi]

ˆ Not sure about it... there are only a few music tv shows left in Japan right now. I wish she would do variety shows more often like she did during 2017.

[~angel*ayumi~]

I miss Hey!Hey!Hey! so much, it was always so funny (even if you don´t understand japanese)

[Aderianu]

Originally Posted by visionfactory

The good thing about this release is that Ayu will be performing old ballads on TV shows ^_^ nice

Well... When she supposed to give birth?

[njanjayrp]

Originally Posted by visionfactory

The good thing about this release is that Ayu will be performing old ballads on TV shows ^_^ nice

If we get a single Pray for you performance that will already be something.

[summerain]

I think it's time for another Music Fair special, like the one last A BALLADS promotion did have. And perhaps she could perform in some Music Station Spring Special with some grand old ballad.

[nalini-dahlia]

It'd be kind of dumb if this album was released without the song "Ballad" on it, that's all I'm saying.

[Surreal17]

The one that will most likely be included on the compilation is JEWEL, given its popularity and timeless sound. I would love for "BALLAD" to be on the album as well, such a highlight in her career (ballad wise).

[Deep snow]

Originally Posted by Surreal17

The one that will most likely be included on the compilation is JEWEL, given its popularity and timeless sound. I would love for "BALLAD" to be on the album as well, such a highlight in her career (ballad wise).

JEWEL is a very strong contender, yes, but the one song that I have one billion percent certainty would be in this album is fucking Days.

I would argue its popularity among the Japanese fans exceeds JEWEL's by light years—and I find that really unfortunate because to me it's an overly sappy, OK-at-best song.

[orbitalaspect]

Originally Posted by Deep snow

JEWEL is a very strong contender, yes, but the one song that I have one billion percent certainty would be in this album is fucking Days.

I would argue its popularity among the Japanese fans exceeds JEWEL's by light years—and I find that really unfortunate because to me it's an overly sappy, OK-at-best song.

Yeah, but no one in their right mind listened to Days as much as we obsessed over SHUYA looking all adorable and cuddle-snuffly in the PV... Ayu was kinda OK in it. But by the end I was like, "Well, yeah, duh you were daydreaming he could be yours..." And then I was like, "Oh wait, at least she knows him. And they work together. And she can have him play her love interest like 50 times. And he'll do it. And he'll even do it wearing little to nothing. And he'll do it again on stage..." And then I just felt like the song, "life," you know? It's like that one song in Ayu's discography that tried to be something and never really got any attention because it was so outrageously outshined by the A-side on that single, which was only released because fans were so voracious about getting a full version of the interlude.

I agree though. GREEN was the track I wanted, but I mostly loved the promo CM of Ayu spinning in that cup and smiling. It was one in a series of CMs she'd done in 2008-2009, where she kind of recaptured that magic she had from years prior. Nothing beats that Honda Spark CM featuring Sparkle though. All of those are etched in my memory pretty hard.

[Deep snow]

Originally Posted by orbitalaspect

Yeah, but no one in their right mind listened to Days as much as we obsessed over SHUYA looking all adorable and cuddle-snuffly in the PV... Ayu was kinda OK in it. But by the end I was like, "Well, yeah, duh you were daydreaming he could be yours..." And then I was like, "Oh wait, at least she knows him. And they work together. And she can have him play her love interest like 50 times. And he'll do it. And he'll even do it wearing little to nothing. And he'll do it again on stage..." And then I just felt like the song, "life," you know? It's like that one song in Ayu's discography that tried to be something and never really got any attention because it was so outrageously outshined by the A-side on that single, which was only released because fans were so voracious about getting a full version of the interlude.

there's a lot to unpack here!

Originally Posted by orbitalaspect

I agree though. GREEN was the track I wanted, but I mostly loved the promo CM of Ayu spinning in that cup and smiling. It was one in a series of CMs she'd done in 2008-2009, where she kind of recaptured that magic she had from years prior. Nothing beats that Honda Spark CM featuring Sparkle though. All of those are etched in my memory pretty hard.

I agree with both points here. I'm a GREEN supremacist because that song improved by a lot from the demo we heard in that commercial (which is cute! I remember this). the recorded version just exudes dignity, for lack of a better term.

also—Sparkle! I was obsessed with this song since that Honda commercial. it was such a banger. Rule/Sparkle was such a powerful combo.

[indigochild]

I will NOT tolerate this Days slander going on in this thread It's one of her best ballads and that's that on that. And the music video is also stellar. That pink outfit? Adorable. And the setting of the PV looking like she lives in the slums of FFVII. ICONIC.

[tokyoxjapanxfan]

Realized I posted my reply in the wrong thread lol woops

I for one loved and continue to love Days and I don’t care if someone doesn’t like that opinion lol. I still after all these years catch myself humming it out of nowhere. (That and No way to say.)

Green is largely forgettable to me. It exists. I didn’t enjoy the over acting in the video, and so that was lost on me too. While I enjoyed it during MIJ Tour, in terms of her “Asian” sounding songs, it’s still nowhere close to vogue for me.

[Toniayu123]

Days/GREEN is easily one of her best singles ever. BOTH should be on A Ballads 2. Is Green a ballad tho? Lol The orchestra version on Rule/sparkle is awesome as well.

[thinkingoutloud89]

Originally Posted by indigochild

I will NOT tolerate this Days slander going on in this thread It's one of her best ballads and that's that on that. And the music video is also stellar. That pink outfit? Adorable. And the setting of the PV looking like she lives in the slums of FFVII. ICONIC.

I hate everything about Days.

[indigochild]

Originally Posted by tokyoxjapanxfan

Realized I posted my reply in the wrong thread lol woops

I for one loved and continue to love Days and I don’t care if someone doesn’t like that opinion lol. I still after all these years catch myself humming it out of nowhere. (That and No way to say.)

Green is largely forgettable to me. It exists. I didn’t enjoy the over acting in the video, and so that was lost on me too. While I enjoyed it during MIJ Tour, in terms of her “Asian” sounding songs, it’s still nowhere close to vogue for me.

Originally Posted by Toniayu123

Days/GREEN is easily one of her best singles ever. BOTH should be on A Ballads 2. Is Green a ballad tho? Lol The orchestra version on Rule/sparkle is awesome as well.

omg the TASTE! Not everyone here has that <3

[AyuCanada]

I love Days, it is one of her modern signature songs, it is the most basic/cliche ayu sound (and I mean it in a good way). The mere fact that it, through the years, outshined GREEN despised Avex putting all the money on GREEN when it was released (the Cm + one of her most expensive PV) speaks for itself. Days was successful because the fans loved it and earned its success.

[280301]

I can see Days ending up on A BALLADS 2, but probably not GREEN. I don't mind either track, but they're not my favourites (I do recognize that the emotion Ayu conveys vocally in both of them is great, however).

I wonder how much of MY STORY she will include. That album is a heavy-weight when it comes to ballads, but also songs that aren't quite ballads but definitely have an A BALLADS vibe (I mean, given the two albums were released what, a year or two apart...so it makes sense that there's a similar flavour between them).

HOPE or PAIN, HAPPY ENDING, Moments, walking proud, and CAROLS. lol.

Really interested to see the tracklist. I hope it's released soon.

[SunshineSlayer]

Days was her largest ballad hit post-Jewel, so I don't see any way that it's not on here.

[KLJames]

i never like 'Days' until she perform that at AT2016,
i LOVE all abt her dress and her smile,
and most important is...
no dancer/dancers dance around her!!!