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Ayumi Hamasaki: The Rate - Part I [Greatful days]


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Posted
25 minutes ago, Graves said:

Curaga: Love that whip crack lol. Apparently this song is a threat, but it's a truly great song, so I have no desire to sabotage it :khalyan:

oh wait, this was supposed to be my comment for vogue :dies: I was relistening to Duty searching desperately for a whip crack sound, to no avail, and then heard it instantly once I played vogue. I wondered why I would say Duty was a threat, but it made it much farther than I expected! :clap3: Both great songs

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Posted

Well, if that ending was meant to be a drag for Matsu*ra, then 10s against the board, but they broke up after it was recorded.

 

 

Posted

Aw monochrome, lovely track! immature next? :eli: It's my last non-9+ score left

Posted (edited)

Omg i hate atrl :gaycat3: it didnt load and deleted my long comments about this :emofish: Fix the Site

So, lemme say something fast.
Love the robotic futuristic instrumental-feels very metropolitan and bit moodier. Very reflective song. The intricacies of modern life :gaycat3:
She was really 10 with melodies,instrumentals and lyrics. Not shocked she turned into such a massive artist in japan
Her sophomore had so many powerful tracks
Im sorry but.........Everytime i see curaga giving her lowest scores i just scream :bibliahh:

Edited by AvadaKedavra
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Posted
3 minutes ago, Graves said:

The layers. What do y'all think? Was Ayu sending us a message on monochrome?

 

Maybe because she was singing these songs about her ex-lover that she continued to have a close working relationship with? Like the sting of pouring your heart out over a man who cannot truly be objective in his opinions of you/your work because of all the baggage :gaycat6:

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Posted
2 minutes ago, Suilen said:

Well, if that ending was meant to be a drag for Matsu*ra, then 10s against the board, but they broke up after it was recorded.

 

 

I bet his old ass was hot and cold with her or something, old men are not to be trusted

 

 :clack:

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Posted

 

Gretchen Dancing GIFs | Tenor

Posted
3 minutes ago, Invisibility said:

Aw monochrome, lovely track! immature next? :eli: It's my last non-9+ score left

14.png

 

Track #5 on LOVEppears

 

HIGH SCORE: 10 x 7 (Suilen, Kyle-x, UrMom, Curaga, blueberries, Maresia, AMIT)

LOW SCORE: 6 x 1 (Katamari)

HOST SCORE: 9

 

How the mighty have fallen. The once-dominant LOVEppears is down to two final tracks after this. And the top ten is still a couple places away...

 

As for immature, though... Kind of spooky-sounding, no? That tinny piano line at the top of the song, as if we were about to step into a gothic horror moment? Inspired. immature is certainly one of the most intense songs on LOVEppears, lacking in the light and airy vibes that prevail in other parts of the album. That's not an insult either, immature is a great tune that gives some extra substance to the record. Those siren-like synths are insane, and that drum machine in the back was doing overtime that day in the studio. We thank her for it! The fact that brilliant material like this and And Then was left on the album is a testament to the strength of LOVEppears as a whole. Some other J-pop girlies don't even have singles this good.

 

Just in case you were wondering why that was listed as 'Album Version' in some places, immature also has a version used in commercials for the same water brand that Trauma and monochrome previously advertised. Mm, yummy water. This JT version was released on the appears single CD on the same day as the album itself. Nothing confusing about that. The album version is miles better anyhow, so don't waste too much time wondering otherwise!

 

 

Suilen: a discography highlight.

Kyle-x: The production on this one goes absolutely insane, the album version really elevated the track and slots in perfectly. The eurobeat remixes of this are classics but the "CLUB BAHIA MIX" is so cooky and amazing.

Curaga: Craaaaazy good, like wtf. My only critique is that random outro: we went from up in the club to back in the nursery for a sec lol.

AMIT: one of her best songs period.

 

 

ppearsCD.png

 

3/17

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Posted
6 minutes ago, Curaga said:

oh wait, this was supposed to be my comment for vogue :dies: I was relistening to Duty searching desperately for a whip crack sound, to no avail, and then heard it instantly once I played vogue. I wondered why I would say Duty was a threat, but it made it much farther than I expected! :clap3: Both great songs

My bad, queen. Let me not shade you for the rest of the results as penance.

Posted

Having to link to a performance from Tik Tok, avex just upload all the old performances omg

 

Love the drama of the editing here>>>> when the blood starts dripping down from the top of the screen asdkljakl I love her

 

 

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Posted

Oh y'all are clearing miss LOVEppears dddd omg

Posted

KP1pa72.jpeg

Posted

immature another album track that dropped out of the top ten, I'm afraid :sosad:

Posted
1 minute ago, Graves said:

My bad, queen. Let me not shade you for the rest of the results as penance.

Oh no, you're totally fine. Me and my experimental comment formatting :gaycat6: Thank you for allowing me to participate despite the villainy and the experimentation nnn. Shade away :katie:

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Posted
4 minutes ago, Graves said:

Some other J-pop girlies don't even have singles this good.

I appreciate the Nishino drag in these trying times

 

KP1pa72.jpeg

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Posted

When that "bokura wa itsu ka" comes in after the drop. Mama I'm ascending

 

 War Of The Worlds Alien Scene GIFs | Tenor

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Posted

This is for the girls that appreciate her weirdo remixes

 

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Posted
6 minutes ago, Graves said:

Curaga: Craaaaazy good, like wtf. My only critique is that random outro: we went from up in the club to back in the nursery for a sec lol.

Miss Kyle had to drop off her kids before we went to the next club, our Lady Dynamite tea.

  • Haha 1
Posted (edited)

Not my fave track but the dance breakdown after the first verses of inmature is real good. A bit haunting :gaycat4:
i can feel the spooky undertones too.

I like all the melody changes from this. This album has so many dance tracks but they dont feel manufactured or overly plastic
This is best album for crying in the club :gaycat2:

i dance  with my besties and at the same time im realizing stuff about life and all the hard situations

VfTIPcA.gif

Edited by AvadaKedavra
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Posted
Just now, Graves said:

Miss Kyle had to drop off her kids before we went to the next club, our Lady Dynamite tea.

That reminds me, I still haven't picked them up. Oh well, a few more months with the babysitter (misono) won't hurt them

 

Gretchen Dancing GIFs | Tenor

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Posted
1 minute ago, Graves said:

Miss Kyle had to drop off her kids before we went to the next club, our Lady Dynamite tea.

96a8d733f900a72ce2c988f6503ff7c8df3b28bc

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Posted

13.png

 

33rd Single
Track #13 on MY STORY

 

11 x 1: @AMIT

 

HIGH SCORE: 10 x 6 (Graves, Kyle-x, UrMom, blueberries, Fevesy, sanzo)

LOW SCORE: 6 x 1 (Maresia)

HOST SCORE: 10

 

She said oh, you wanted bops? Eat up, girls. INSPIRE is just a frenetic mess of a song, and I really mean that in the best way possible. The jittering, clashing instruments don't give you any breathing room, even during Ayu's union-mandated instrumental break. It's a wave of infectious music that slams you down and forces your feet to tap along. To these ears, this is probably the best blending of the "harder" MY STORY sound with Ayu's perfect pop sensibilities. A great song and a great single choice.

 

Oh, and the lyrics? More brilliance. Where so much of MY STORY is spent lingering on her feelings and frustrations, INSPIRE is totally declarative. No wallowing around about it, Ayu is coming right out and saying that she's done being a perfect robot and submitting to every last order. She will pipe up and she will speak her mind, regardless of what people might say. Where most of the album dwells in darkness, INSPIRE is determined to find a light even if she has to break down the wall to do so. It's defiant and proud, prickly and unafraid to ruffle feathers. A sister song to my name's WOMEN, in a way.

 

Serving as the second single to MY STORY, INSPIRE was released over Summer 2004 and was another big number one for her. Released as a double A-side with GAME, the single was her best-selling release that year, outdoing Moments and Carols. Ironically, twenty years later it has less streams than both of those songs. Time can be funny like that, huh? The music video is neat. Not as striking as Moments or GAME, but a fun Ayu take on a very western style music video. You know what I mean. Exotic background and dancers in a bowling pin formation? The ending revealing it was all a dream... TRL would've snacked down on it. Of course Ayu still has to get carried across the desert like a queen, however.

 

And the beach scenes? AppropriATE!

 

 

Suilen: it's inspiring me to fight against the regime.

Kyle-x: She came to serve. This song is so cool and I love how she comes for our throat with the chorus delivery. The PV is excellent.

Invisibility: The freshest song in the album, yes? An a banging chorus you just can't get out of your head. The video's lighting was a casualty of the early 00s, but I do love how committed she looked to be for the choreo moments.

Curaga: OKAYYYYY!!! Stomp a bit!

Meloetta Carey: what are the other songs in Ayu's upbeat, rock-y pep talk canon? I can only think of "startin" and "23rd monster". Anyway, cute song after all the ballads---time for act 3 of MY STORY.

AMIT: the biggest banger to end all bangers, the way this song dynamic punched me in the face while revisiting the album for the rate, I had no other choice but to award it with my 11.

 

 

mystory-CD.png

 

2/17

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Posted (edited)

Obviously I'm a westerner who doesn't understand the real intricacies of Japanese culture, so my opinion is just that... but I always was taught that Japan was a culture of conformity and not speaking out of turn or causing a scene. Conservative in many ways. Ayu making songs like INSPIRE, and then going on to kind of live them out during her "downfall" era with the Japanese press is kinda admirable, no? Like she didn't give a **** about censoring herself online, even when people were laughing at her, or her albums were getting sold out of bargain bins or the press was tearing her down. Much respect to the queen.

Edited by Graves
  • Like 4
Posted

Hate that her imperial remix era was over by the time this got released. The way this is the first remix of this song we got.... like Armand why do you have her saying "coochie" 500 times. This is too funky even for me. At least we got a cute eurobeat remix of it a few years later on ayu-mi-x 7.

 

 

  • Like 1
Posted

Yeah, it's a bit messy, and I prefer other rock tracks from the album, but it is inspiring, I have to admit.

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