Which Ayu album would be most interesting to write an essay on? - Ayumi Hamasaki Sekai
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  #1  
Old 15th May 2017, 12:06 AM
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Which Ayu album would be most interesting to write an essay on?

OK, so in one of my modules, we've been asked to choose two of the following: manga, anime, popular music, popular film, or television drama.

And we need to write about what aspects of Japan and popular culture they can show us, addressing at least two of language, society, or culture. We then need to discuss why the two we've chosen portray similar or different aspects of your chosen areas.

Massive lover of J-Pop, generally idols and female soloists. I know all of Ayu's music but not really the lyrics! I know that in the past she was always known for her creative lyrics, so wondered if you guys thought of particular songs/albums that would be interesting to research more?
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Old 15th May 2017, 12:42 AM
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Her album I am... could be interesting due to her making the decision to be more hands-on with the composing of her music.

A Best would be pretty neat, too, because of the struggle she went through due to the timing of all of, the stress of being a rising star, and her want for more control. Plus, you could probably find some good sources for it, like the documentary that came out that talks a lot about the time when A Best was released.
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Old 15th May 2017, 12:48 AM
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If you want an album that you can not only write about the lyrics, but also about how they interact with each other to form a full bodied work, I would recomend either RAINBOW or Party Queen. The lyrics are strong, they all together form a large and cohesive point of view on a subject and are (IMO) brilliant pieces of work

Writing about Asfxx and why it made her stand out at the time can be interesting too. But lyric wise you can pick pretty much any album and it will be good.
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Old 15th May 2017, 01:33 AM
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Party queen for sure. Ayu touches upon subjects rarely discussed on her other works. Return road: divorce, Party queen: life, Reminds me: sadness behind the glamour.
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Old 15th May 2017, 07:35 AM
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A Song for XX! this interview will help to understand it http://ahsforum.com/forum/showthread...ight=beatfreak

or Party Queen
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Old 15th May 2017, 07:59 AM
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I think it's really fascinating how after her breakthrough album LOVEppears she released an album like Duty, where she sings about how her time will eventually be over
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Old 15th May 2017, 11:13 AM
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^Duty really has some really interesting stuff!
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Old 15th May 2017, 01:08 PM
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Duty, RAINBOW or Party Queen for sure!
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Old 15th May 2017, 01:22 PM
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I think I Am... is a great choice. Particularly for Endless Sorrow you can make ties to the "Song of Everlasting Sorrow" which is much referenced in the arts.
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Old 15th May 2017, 04:37 PM
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A Song For ××, I am..., Rainbow, Guilty and Party Queen. Maybe also My Story...
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Old 15th May 2017, 08:55 PM
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I think any of her albums would be good, especially her early ones because they tend to have more unified themes. RAINBOW in particular talks a lot about her relationship with society as a woman, as a celebrity and not being able to have as much freedom, etc, so that might be an ideal fit for your assignment.
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Old 15th May 2017, 11:26 PM
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I think her earlier albums can really speak to the society aspect of things because you could relate it to how the content really hit the mark with what the youth in Japan were dealing with at the time.
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Old 16th May 2017, 03:51 AM
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Thanks guys, appreciate all the suggestions!

Regarding her music and what Japan's youth was going through at the time, what kind of stuff did you have in mind that relates to Ayu's lyrics?
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Old 16th May 2017, 01:27 PM
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^ Do some research on Japan's "lost generation" and you'll see a lot of those themes in her earlier work -- loneliness, insecurity, despair, uncertainty about the future, etc.
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Old 16th May 2017, 05:43 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by voltron View Post
^ Do some research on Japan's "lost generation" and you'll see a lot of those themes in her earlier work -- loneliness, insecurity, despair, uncertainty about the future, etc.
This. It really depends on what class this is for. If you need to be talking about cultural relevance, you should be focusing on her earlier albums that resonated with Japan's youth at the time. A Song For through I am highlight those societal themes.

Another interesting angle to come at this from from a cultural perspective would be the role of women in society in Japan as opposed to western society. Ayu really embraces a lot of western ideals in that regard and is definitely something that is still in many ways taboo in Japan. For that angle, albums like My Story or Party Queen might be a good choice.
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Old 16th May 2017, 06:04 PM
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This is also a great video that highlights some of the public reaction earlier in her career. This was from 2001, released by the Japanese government (or maybe just some organization -- I forget) and released in many languages for worldwide distribution.

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Old 19th May 2017, 03:12 AM
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Thanks for all the suggestions guys, much appreciated! Starting the essay next week so will choose an angle to go at it from then ^^
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