Kyle-x Posted October 19 Posted October 19 2 minutes ago, Curaga said: Whew I was kinda scared for the top 10 since I still had several low scores left, but the top 10 is looking solid! 11 10 ×6 7.9 6.5 5.8 The 5.8 is M isn't she
Graves Posted October 19 Author Posted October 19 29th Single「&」 Track #4 on Memorial address 11 x 1: @Curaga HIGH SCORE: 10 x 8 (Graves, Kyle-x, UrMom, blueberries, AMIT, Fevesy, AvadaKedavra, confide in me) LOW SCORE: 6.45 x 1 (Meloetta Carey) HOST SCORE: 10 What do you even call a song like this? Memorial address as a whole is just a mish-mash of genre, but ourselves is definitely the most out-there and unique track on the record. Possibly even in her entire discography! It's insane how good this song is. The dark R&B vibes and rock influence gives this song atmosphere like no other, and is that a middle-eastern influence I'm picking up in the chorus? There's almost an early '00s Timbaland quality to it, right? All through a distinctly Japanese and distinctly Ayumi lens. So many jarring elements that somehow some together perfectly. It's a huge success to these ears! Oh man! I can't wait to discuss the video for this one. It was the lead track off of the & EP, all the way back in Summer of 2003. Fun fact, & was Ayu's final multi-track EP single release for quite some time afterwards! Maybe the decline in single sales across the industry made them less viable? Either way, ourselves is sort of the "main" single from this EP, and it got an appropriate video. Spooky and campy all at once, Ayu is taken hostage by some creepy lab-coat garbed super fans and chained up. We get to see her dismantle her own iconography and dress up like a goth-rock Goddess too! I've said it right before thus, but Ayu's willingness to bring some those horror elements into her visuals is so cool to me. It really gives everything an air of uniqueness from both western pop and the other J-divas. Like, who else is pairing this nightmare visual right next to the sunny Greatful days video??? Genius if you ask me! Yeah, an iconic number one single with a great video and a fantastically varied live performance history. I have no problems declaring this one of my all-time favorite Ayumi songs. Kyle-x: A contender for my 11 omg. How ******* good is this song? The PV is AMAZING and one of her best. The "Kentaro Takizawa Remix" is pretty good. Invisibility: Such a chorus and I love the guitar here, always love an R&Byumi moment. Curaga: I hate to let nostalgia win me over like this, but this was the first Ayumi song I ever heard almost 20 years ago, and it still surprises me to this day. I just think this song is super creative and almost alien, but beyond that, it's incredibly catchy and satisfying too. Her vocal delivery is insane here, reallyreallyreally amazing. Meloetta Carey: I like the 00s R&B production cliches. AMIT: another rock banger, and the PV!!! 2/9 3
Kyle-x Posted October 19 Posted October 19 2 minutes ago, Graves said: Reminder of what's left: A Song for xx Depend on you Fly high appears SURREAL Connected M ourselves Because of You RAINBOW Depend on you is the real gag here, love it though. But... would've preferred a RAINBOW or MY STORY cut in her place ddd
Curaga Posted October 19 Posted October 19 @Meloetta Carey When I catch you Miss Meloetta Carey! I will drag you, you sick twisted DEMON! I can't even moooove I can't even breatheeee 5
Graves Posted October 19 Author Posted October 19 Me wanting to swat Curaga like a fly for so many scores, but still allowing her vote because she was boosting a fave of mine... 1
Kyle-x Posted October 19 Posted October 19 My 11 outlasting Curaga's 11... for that I will forever be Grateful Days 5
Fevesy Posted October 19 Posted October 19 I used to run around discord with an ourselves avi.. an 11 contender for real 2
Suilen Posted October 19 Posted October 19 Well, top 10 is cute. A song for xx is rather unexpected to me, but it's good, so.
Suilen Posted October 19 Posted October 19 She kinda gagged Distance by managing to bridge rock and rnb together. No wonder Curaga is stanning. 2 1
AvadaKedavra Posted October 19 Posted October 19 This is the type of song i would play in a dramatic high budget old traditional japanese movie with some horror esque things Great hybrid of Rock,Electronic and Japanese. Her dark geisha song love how her voice goes harder and more dramatic at the end of the song 3
Curaga Posted October 19 Posted October 19 I knew "ourselves" was a single, but I had no idea if it would get anywhere close to the top 10, so I have to be greatful for this placement What an incredible track!! I am still gagged every time I listen to it. 1
Graves Posted October 19 Author Posted October 19 Just now, Suilen said: She kinda gagged Distance by managing to bridge rock and rnb together. No wonder Curaga is stanning. Me streaming the 2024 mix of Can You Keep a Slaycret earlier, still bitter about what she did to that record. 1
Kyle-x Posted October 19 Posted October 19 ourselves and Moments being her last two VISEE CM tie-ups and being eliminated back-to-back is such an interesting coincidence ddd 1
Graves Posted October 19 Author Posted October 19 Also Ayu taking the iconic imagery from an album that she never wanted to make and turning it into a frankenstein horror mess is so gd cunty 1
Graves Posted October 19 Author Posted October 19 13th Single Track #2 on LOVEppears HIGH SCORE: 10 x 6 (Kyle-x, Curaga, blueberries, Maresia, AMIT, confide in me) LOW SCORE: 7 x 1 (Fevesy) HOST SCORE: 8.5 Fly high is the real introductory track for LOVEppears. Once we've done with the little interlude that precedes it, Fly high is happy to greet us with an immediate burst of music. And wow... what a way to open an album, eh? Fly high was my first Ayu song ever and it had me gripped instantly. That earworm of a chorus kicks off the song with such energy, it just smacks you across the face! And that alone would be enough to leave a good impression. But Fly high is more than the choruses - those verses are delicious too. The rising melody as she builds to the chorus is wonderful but I have to highlight those talk-singing parts as well. How much attitude is she giving throughout this song? She could be reciting her grocery list and I'd be entranced. An uplifting bop through and through, Fly high was released as the eighth (EIGHTH!!!) single from LOVEppears in early 2000 and was her first release of the 21st century. Wow. Can you say imperial phase? Despite being a post-album single (and you know... the eighth release from this one album), Fly high still managed to peak at #3 on the singles charts. The song was paired with a simple but effective music video in which Ayumi performs a remix of the song at some Y2K-era club. Good to see the team leaning into the dance and club elements that were already becoming an important part of her career between LOVEppears and the remix albums. Suilen: ok, flying. Kyle-x: SMASH SMASH SMASH. What an opener to an album omg. This **** is in different areas. The "Saturation Remix" is a great rock version and of course the "VooDoo & Serano remix" eats. Invisibility: I love how this constantly switches melody and instrumental with glee; and the spoken parts are total earcandy. A bitsy overlooked LOVEppears single IMO. Curaga: Perfection, love at first listen... This to me is the pinnacle of LOVEppears. I originally thought this was so obviously better than the more popular Boys & Girls. After careful consideration, they're almost exact in quality, but I personally prefer Fly high. AMIT: a high-energy bop and it's hard to go wrong with those. 2/17 2
Meloetta Carey Posted October 19 Posted October 19 1 minute ago, Curaga said: @Meloetta Carey When I catch you Miss Meloetta Carey! I will drag you, you sick twisted DEMON! I can't even moooove I can't even breatheeee you kind of tanked my 11, sweetpea. at least yours didn't peak just outside of the top 10 7 minutes ago, Graves said: There's almost an early '00s Timbaland quality to it, right? I feel like it's more Darkchild. I could see Destiny's Child adding it to the Survivor album or something 2
Suilen Posted October 19 Posted October 19 Ooh, that's not... Oh well, appears is a worthy last track despite the context.
Kyle-x Posted October 19 Posted October 19 The video for this is so simple but it's a lowkey little fave of mine 2
Kyle-x Posted October 19 Posted October 19 Love how she would turn up the camp factor when doing this in the later years 2
AvadaKedavra Posted October 19 Posted October 19 (edited) This one is so cute. So candy coded wanna make a playlist with different types of clubs songs. There's raunchy. Theres crying in the club. Theres hard rave. There's celebratory and shiny. love the effects in her whispery vocals here. I wanna make a new version of this one cause this one has good background vocals Love how fast this is goin. Like the video version better with that drummy parts-echoed synth parts I wanna attend that club with all my besties from here Edited October 19 by AvadaKedavra
Curaga Posted October 19 Posted October 19 Just now, Kyle-x said: Love how she would turn up the camp factor when doing this in the later years omg yes, I was living for the camp in that recent a-nation 2024 performance, specifically her dancers I wanted to watch it again the other day, but the links Britneyfan09 posted have been removed from YT
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