Ayumi Hamasaki Discography Rate Pt. III
- Thread starter Cutlery
- Start date
This can totally be mine.
she/her
it is mine isn't it
He/Him
50
Party queen: 6.9
HIGH: 9 (@Ana Raquel)
LOW: 3 (@ThisIsRogue)
I might be a bit of a white man's whore, but the dude to her left here, that appears alongside her for ViVi's April 2012 issue is really hot. She likes her men with big noses. Said shoot also gave us whatever this piece of male homosexual pandering (top left corner) is:
God, I love contact sports. Something something intricate rituals to touch the skin of other men something.
ANYWAY our first opener falls short of the 7+ mark, as it inaugurates our top 50 neatly. The song's composer was, undoubtedly, Timmy, while Tasuku arranged... whatever there was to arrange here? 'Party queen' introduces us to the carefree, no-fucks, bombastic nature much of its parent album preserves, with themes of being the centre of attention at the party, having a good time and a little too many drinks also. Which is about what any gay or gal would do after a break-up (or divorce, in her case) once past the grieving stages. Bottoms up!
As for me, I think this was done dirty by pure association to the general distaste for the album. It's a basic but really well crafted bop, very 8bit, blitzy and bass-heavy, plus the I AM THE PETTY QUEEN hooks are catchy and memorable without falling into annoying territory. The "cheers!" ad-libs I could do without, though. Let me now lend the microphone to the audience...
Our lowest scorer @ThisIsRogue violently pries the microphone from my long-fingered hands, and screams into it angrily, "It's blatantly trend chasing but she's missed it and it's not even any good. When she's singing 'I am the party queen' it sounds like she's trying to convince herself more than owning it". Well surely not everyone can be Koda Kumi in this world, precious? Speak of the devil, 'cause the next to take a grab is @evilsin, "This coming as a title track after Ayu's marriage failing felt like her wanting to relax and just have fun. Somehow I always get some melancholic undertones from this, or maybe I'm just reading to much into it. However, considering the queen of cryptic over here, everything is possible". Yeah there's a façade aspect to it in which Ayu is trying to keep a cool persona together for her friends, or the media, or her fans even.
Amidst the back-and-forth and the chaos ensued, @Weslicious speaks up, "This isn’t as bad as I remember. A trashy bop if you ignore the shoe-horned in 'lonely queen' element that seemed only to be added to give the album a theme". Stan 'NaNaNa'! Or don't, you beast, seeing as you gave that a mere three points. And a voice is suddenly heard as the girls are fighting, it is @otenkiame, somehow loud enough to be heard over the sounds of protest across the room, "I've never really thought of Ayu as the party queen type, but maybe she is? I dunno. I know she was trying to convey the emptiness of a party queen, but I never thought it worked (aside from the live rendition). ANYWAY, this is totally up Kuu's lane in every single way. Bouncy synths and beats, and a shift in key from verse to chorus that really works". Yes to all of the above. I live.
This one was performed towards the final section of the HOTEL Love Songs tour, coming right before the classic 'SURREAL~evolution~SURREAL' medley and the closing song before the encore, 'Love song'. In the DVD performance below, you can hear the lonely queen segment that was referenced a little above in the write-up. No PV was filmed for the song.
Party queen: 6.9
HIGH: 9 (@Ana Raquel)
LOW: 3 (@ThisIsRogue)
I might be a bit of a white man's whore, but the dude to her left here, that appears alongside her for ViVi's April 2012 issue is really hot. She likes her men with big noses. Said shoot also gave us whatever this piece of male homosexual pandering (top left corner) is:
God, I love contact sports. Something something intricate rituals to touch the skin of other men something.
ANYWAY our first opener falls short of the 7+ mark, as it inaugurates our top 50 neatly. The song's composer was, undoubtedly, Timmy, while Tasuku arranged... whatever there was to arrange here? 'Party queen' introduces us to the carefree, no-fucks, bombastic nature much of its parent album preserves, with themes of being the centre of attention at the party, having a good time and a little too many drinks also. Which is about what any gay or gal would do after a break-up (or divorce, in her case) once past the grieving stages. Bottoms up!
As for me, I think this was done dirty by pure association to the general distaste for the album. It's a basic but really well crafted bop, very 8bit, blitzy and bass-heavy, plus the I AM THE PETTY QUEEN hooks are catchy and memorable without falling into annoying territory. The "cheers!" ad-libs I could do without, though. Let me now lend the microphone to the audience...
Our lowest scorer @ThisIsRogue violently pries the microphone from my long-fingered hands, and screams into it angrily, "It's blatantly trend chasing but she's missed it and it's not even any good. When she's singing 'I am the party queen' it sounds like she's trying to convince herself more than owning it". Well surely not everyone can be Koda Kumi in this world, precious? Speak of the devil, 'cause the next to take a grab is @evilsin, "This coming as a title track after Ayu's marriage failing felt like her wanting to relax and just have fun. Somehow I always get some melancholic undertones from this, or maybe I'm just reading to much into it. However, considering the queen of cryptic over here, everything is possible". Yeah there's a façade aspect to it in which Ayu is trying to keep a cool persona together for her friends, or the media, or her fans even.
Amidst the back-and-forth and the chaos ensued, @Weslicious speaks up, "This isn’t as bad as I remember. A trashy bop if you ignore the shoe-horned in 'lonely queen' element that seemed only to be added to give the album a theme". Stan 'NaNaNa'! Or don't, you beast, seeing as you gave that a mere three points. And a voice is suddenly heard as the girls are fighting, it is @otenkiame, somehow loud enough to be heard over the sounds of protest across the room, "I've never really thought of Ayu as the party queen type, but maybe she is? I dunno. I know she was trying to convey the emptiness of a party queen, but I never thought it worked (aside from the live rendition). ANYWAY, this is totally up Kuu's lane in every single way. Bouncy synths and beats, and a shift in key from verse to chorus that really works". Yes to all of the above. I live.
This one was performed towards the final section of the HOTEL Love Songs tour, coming right before the classic 'SURREAL~evolution~SURREAL' medley and the closing song before the encore, 'Love song'. In the DVD performance below, you can hear the lonely queen segment that was referenced a little above in the write-up. No PV was filmed for the song.
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He/Him
Hey! Thanks for the support, hope you'te enjoying my graphics and witty write-ups every now and then.@Cutlery your doing amazing.
Sorry I haven't commented along the way so far, but am more than free to do so (and will) going forward.
Unless it's my 11 that goes first. Then I'll use my free time to burn this thread to the ground
And yeah, I think it helps I've disposed of much of the "this doesn't make me feel anything" songs already, and we're moving into the meatier bulk of the eliminations.
He/Him
49
Tell me why: 7.05
HIGH: 8.5 (@RUNAWAY and ME!)
LOW: 5 (@lalaclairi_)
Y'all don't deserve this tbh??? You have some amazing, understated bongo drums, processed vocals acting as a beat, sax, guitar and some delicious heavy bass all wrapped up under the guise of a simple piano/strings ballad... I hate Party Queen haters, I said it!
Oh and like I said before, this Leslie Kee shoot for the Super Ayu photo album, from which the single cover of 'how beautiful you are' comes, is incredible. Have a look.
'Tell me why' has actually got a good number of people behind it, at least for Ayumi standards, with four total. Hanif Sabzevari, who apparently had no other prominent credits until SHINee's 'Sunny Side' (2018) and Red Velvet's 'LP' (2019), Lene Dissing, of Danish songwriting trio Startone Music, Marcus-Winther John of Inside the Whale, as well as known Greek-Swedish Eurovision darling Dimitri Stassos. The recipient of the lyrics is unclear, as she references long distances from them (I want to hear your voice say / That you can't reach me through the monitor screen) and lack of communication (Hey, I want to share your burden too / Share your pain, your doubt, your past). Queen as cryptic as always.
@Weslicious has a moment of clairvoyance, and delivers a compliment that is in no way backhanded for once, "This is somewhat different for her, but still sounds like an Ayu song. Quite good", yeah it has a classic vibe to it but like I highlighted, a lot of instruments and elements that you don't hear on the typical (miss)understood or Love songs track. Meanwhile, @otenkiame is feeling punny, "I dig the piano riff and the 'oh oh oh' chanting the most from the song. It's actually somehow not what I was expecting from Ayu, and I'm not sure exactly why. Please tell me why, Ayu. *Eherm* I can't find anything wrong with this at all, but it doesn't do much for me overall".
@ThisIsRogue believes only in the beginning and the beginning alone, "Started out strong but sort of fizzles out a bit". So naturally, @evilsin is assertive in the statement he makes, "It so weird how this sounds very Ayumi melody wise yet the producers are all western. It's bizzare honestly". I don't know what a Eurovision is, but these people have provided SHINee and Red Velvet with a bop or two, so! And lest we forget, Max Matsuura is still behind a lot of the production aspect at the end of the day. So that contributes.
Tell me why: 7.05
HIGH: 8.5 (@RUNAWAY and ME!)
LOW: 5 (@lalaclairi_)
Y'all don't deserve this tbh??? You have some amazing, understated bongo drums, processed vocals acting as a beat, sax, guitar and some delicious heavy bass all wrapped up under the guise of a simple piano/strings ballad... I hate Party Queen haters, I said it!
Oh and like I said before, this Leslie Kee shoot for the Super Ayu photo album, from which the single cover of 'how beautiful you are' comes, is incredible. Have a look.
'Tell me why' has actually got a good number of people behind it, at least for Ayumi standards, with four total. Hanif Sabzevari, who apparently had no other prominent credits until SHINee's 'Sunny Side' (2018) and Red Velvet's 'LP' (2019), Lene Dissing, of Danish songwriting trio Startone Music, Marcus-Winther John of Inside the Whale, as well as known Greek-Swedish Eurovision darling Dimitri Stassos. The recipient of the lyrics is unclear, as she references long distances from them (I want to hear your voice say / That you can't reach me through the monitor screen) and lack of communication (Hey, I want to share your burden too / Share your pain, your doubt, your past). Queen as cryptic as always.
@Weslicious has a moment of clairvoyance, and delivers a compliment that is in no way backhanded for once, "This is somewhat different for her, but still sounds like an Ayu song. Quite good", yeah it has a classic vibe to it but like I highlighted, a lot of instruments and elements that you don't hear on the typical (miss)understood or Love songs track. Meanwhile, @otenkiame is feeling punny, "I dig the piano riff and the 'oh oh oh' chanting the most from the song. It's actually somehow not what I was expecting from Ayu, and I'm not sure exactly why. Please tell me why, Ayu. *Eherm* I can't find anything wrong with this at all, but it doesn't do much for me overall".
@ThisIsRogue believes only in the beginning and the beginning alone, "Started out strong but sort of fizzles out a bit". So naturally, @evilsin is assertive in the statement he makes, "It so weird how this sounds very Ayumi melody wise yet the producers are all western. It's bizzare honestly". I don't know what a Eurovision is, but these people have provided SHINee and Red Velvet with a bop or two, so! And lest we forget, Max Matsuura is still behind a lot of the production aspect at the end of the day. So that contributes.
He/Him
48
Can someone tell me why she looks so realistically sad in the single cover?? Damn, it looks like a candid taken at someone's funeral service. I just want to go up to her, offer her a shoulder, some napkins and tell her everything's gonna be okay.
WORDS: 7.15
HIGH: 8.5 (@RUNAWAY)
LOW: 4 (@evilsin)
'WORDS' was the second and last digital release made ahead of TROUBLE, on September 6, 2017. Its release was just ahead of the Just the beginning ~sacrifice~ tour, starting on that date. Musically, it's a pop ballad in typical Ayu fashion. It's laidback yet it has a full sound that does not use a lot besides drums, strings and a subtle piano. It was composed by Mayuko Maruyama, longtime collaborator who more prominently contributed from the MY STORY to Rock'n'Roll Circus albums run, and arranged by the duo of Atsushi Sato and Takehito Shimizu.
While this really is a standard affair, and I probably overscored it with an eight, I do like how streamlined everything is without falling into some of the saccharine clichés that often plague the filler round these years. And to clarify, I don't think 'WORDS' is filler at all.
Regarding TROUBLE's tracklist, @Weslicious has a case of diminishing returns, "As with æternal, there’s nothing to dislike. It just sounds like a lesser version of songs she’s done before", I prescribe a dose of 'Survivor' and, oh wait you hate M(A)DE IN JAPAN... then perish. @evilsin does too much, "This one is the stinker of "TROUBLE". The verse and even the pre-chorus are fine, and the lyrics are again make me feel things, but the chorus brings it down. Actually, this sounds like the most frankensteined songs of hers. There is zilch of originality here", I'll excuse it, just because you're generally correct. You know who's more measured this time? @otenkiame! "I remember totally writing this off, but it's not at all bad like I thought it was. Sure, I'm not gonna say it's my favourite, but it's sweet enough. I do enjoy how soft and gentle it sounds before the hooks take on more life with all the strings and Ayu's powerful vocals. It's good enough".
On the aforementioned tour, 'WORDS' was part of the encore, as per usual though I can't find it anywhere though.
Can someone tell me why she looks so realistically sad in the single cover?? Damn, it looks like a candid taken at someone's funeral service. I just want to go up to her, offer her a shoulder, some napkins and tell her everything's gonna be okay.
WORDS: 7.15
HIGH: 8.5 (@RUNAWAY)
LOW: 4 (@evilsin)
'WORDS' was the second and last digital release made ahead of TROUBLE, on September 6, 2017. Its release was just ahead of the Just the beginning ~sacrifice~ tour, starting on that date. Musically, it's a pop ballad in typical Ayu fashion. It's laidback yet it has a full sound that does not use a lot besides drums, strings and a subtle piano. It was composed by Mayuko Maruyama, longtime collaborator who more prominently contributed from the MY STORY to Rock'n'Roll Circus albums run, and arranged by the duo of Atsushi Sato and Takehito Shimizu.
While this really is a standard affair, and I probably overscored it with an eight, I do like how streamlined everything is without falling into some of the saccharine clichés that often plague the filler round these years. And to clarify, I don't think 'WORDS' is filler at all.
Regarding TROUBLE's tracklist, @Weslicious has a case of diminishing returns, "As with æternal, there’s nothing to dislike. It just sounds like a lesser version of songs she’s done before", I prescribe a dose of 'Survivor' and, oh wait you hate M(A)DE IN JAPAN... then perish. @evilsin does too much, "This one is the stinker of "TROUBLE". The verse and even the pre-chorus are fine, and the lyrics are again make me feel things, but the chorus brings it down. Actually, this sounds like the most frankensteined songs of hers. There is zilch of originality here", I'll excuse it, just because you're generally correct. You know who's more measured this time? @otenkiame! "I remember totally writing this off, but it's not at all bad like I thought it was. Sure, I'm not gonna say it's my favourite, but it's sweet enough. I do enjoy how soft and gentle it sounds before the hooks take on more life with all the strings and Ayu's powerful vocals. It's good enough".
On the aforementioned tour, 'WORDS' was part of the encore, as per usual though I can't find it anywhere though.
He/Him
Does this mean TROUBLE or Party Queen are about to be culled? Find out below...
47
call: 7.18
HIGH: 10 (@RUNAWAY I'm so sorry sis)
LOW: 6 (@Ana Raquel)
My energy is drained for TODAY, but I really wanna reveal the 11 we're about to lose, so let me just say that @RUNAWAY I'm sorry that this is your biggest loss so far and that you're losing the second perfect score out of anyone in the countdown so far ñññ.
As for me however, I think it's fine and very mid 00's Hillary Duff album track at parts, but wouldn't go out of my way to look for it and press play other than when it comes up on shuffle or I'm listening to the album. This last action being something I'd reccomend to some of you until y'all warm up to it as a full body of work and some of the great songs it houses.
@evilsin thinks that, for someone who has lots of song titles relating to them, Ms. Hamasaki has got her 'SEASONS' mixed up here, "Cute and inoffensive, which in turn makes it a bit forgettable. The overall feeling tries to be all summery and warm, but the end result is kinda chilly". Our star commentators had chill for this song, yes, even @Weslicious, "This is good actually. A quite cute melody and catchy". @otenkiame is caught up in the breeziness over any vocal complaints, "A sweet pop/rock sound, despite not being anything spectacular. My biggest complaint is the overuse of her vibrato during the verses. I know it's a bad habit of hers in her later career, but it sounds more jarring than usual here. But, what the hell, this is pretty great for relaxing to. Kinda a sucker for this type of soundscape".
@RUNAWAY gets the last word for this, though not the last laugh sadly, "This has always been my personal favorite from this album. It’s the most Ayu-like if that makes sense. It feels like half of this album was recorded by a different person".
47
call: 7.18
HIGH: 10 (@RUNAWAY I'm so sorry sis)
LOW: 6 (@Ana Raquel)
My energy is drained for TODAY, but I really wanna reveal the 11 we're about to lose, so let me just say that @RUNAWAY I'm sorry that this is your biggest loss so far and that you're losing the second perfect score out of anyone in the countdown so far ñññ.
As for me however, I think it's fine and very mid 00's Hillary Duff album track at parts, but wouldn't go out of my way to look for it and press play other than when it comes up on shuffle or I'm listening to the album. This last action being something I'd reccomend to some of you until y'all warm up to it as a full body of work and some of the great songs it houses.
@evilsin thinks that, for someone who has lots of song titles relating to them, Ms. Hamasaki has got her 'SEASONS' mixed up here, "Cute and inoffensive, which in turn makes it a bit forgettable. The overall feeling tries to be all summery and warm, but the end result is kinda chilly". Our star commentators had chill for this song, yes, even @Weslicious, "This is good actually. A quite cute melody and catchy". @otenkiame is caught up in the breeziness over any vocal complaints, "A sweet pop/rock sound, despite not being anything spectacular. My biggest complaint is the overuse of her vibrato during the verses. I know it's a bad habit of hers in her later career, but it sounds more jarring than usual here. But, what the hell, this is pretty great for relaxing to. Kinda a sucker for this type of soundscape".
@RUNAWAY gets the last word for this, though not the last laugh sadly, "This has always been my personal favorite from this album. It’s the most Ayu-like if that makes sense. It feels like half of this album was recorded by a different person".
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she/her
Can we like get rid of something from the other albums my 11 is suffering!!
He/Him
...
You're safe, for now.
46
Shake It: 7.2
HIGH: 11 (@evilsin) 9 (Yours Truly)
LOW: 5 (@ThisIsRogue @lalaclairi_ @Weslicious)
Can you say "DIVISIVE"?? As we can appreciate here, the scores for this little track were all over the place (or about as all over the place as a rate with such a small pool of voters can get, anyway). However, this was doomed from the start, and not even the eleven it received could help it afloat higher than the mid 30s. With this, in the short space of five eliminations, its parent album has seen its number of songs halved!
'Shake It' was composed by Bounce-back, whose name is unsearchable through my available means at least. CMJK was responsible for arranging it. Lyrically, it's all about Ayu cheekily highlighting how a woman can have several personality traits that help them get what they want, and some secret weapons for it too. There's plenty of cynism and irony to it, too, in a way Ayu often tackles these femininity themes in her lyrical approach. Its bouncy, rockish sound is present throughout the track, with electric guitar melodies and some quirky, dramatic samples to finish.
Let's hear what our adience has to say.
@otenkiame, "The mixing of guitars with the synths gave this that Ayu sound to it. I'm not going to lie and say this does a lot for me, but it's pleasant enough to warrant multiple listens, particularly because I'm always a fan of Ayu being aggressive".
And our 11-giver, @evilsin, "God, I love this song. This take on the usual rock affair is definitely something else. The trumpets amping up the whimsical and almost turning this into a soundtrack for a circus performance are definitely the main draw here. It's like a rock chick of a sister to 'Sexy little things' a bit".
'Sexy little things'? A moment most pleasing to me.
The video is whatever, just Ayu quickly checking her Hello Kitty phone to get the news of a house party, some people doing parkour and this back-and-forth between Timmy and her that made me let out an ugly laugh when I first saw it:
Though if you think about it, since Timothy is the one receiving the message, shouldn't it say Ayu on the name above? The mind it wonders.
she/her
Despite not really liking Party Queen as a whole, I love party queen and shake it because they are trash bops. I'll possibly be the lowest scorer for the three remaining tracks.
Now please leave Trouble alone I love it!!!!
Now please leave Trouble alone I love it!!!!
Okay *cracks fingers*
First of all someone on Twitter said that Gaga's "Stupid Love" synths sound like "Party queen"'s and I can't fucking unhear it now.
Secondly, Max Matsuura hasn't produced a single song, he's an "artist producer" and "record producer", meaning he's more of a supervisor, rather than a composer.
Thirdly, not my 11 being the first one to go in a rate yet again.
Fourthly, fuck this "Party queen" cull.
And fifthly, @Cutlery, you're doing amazing, sweetie.
First of all someone on Twitter said that Gaga's "Stupid Love" synths sound like "Party queen"'s and I can't fucking unhear it now.
Secondly, Max Matsuura hasn't produced a single song, he's an "artist producer" and "record producer", meaning he's more of a supervisor, rather than a composer.
Thirdly, not my 11 being the first one to go in a rate yet again.
Fourthly, fuck this "Party queen" cull.
And fifthly, @Cutlery, you're doing amazing, sweetie.
He/Him
He/Him
Oh and Thank U for clarifying this, I always had the doubt whether the credits meant more of an "executive producer" role rather than directly related to the music.
On topic, I'll probably do a couple eliminations later today
There's a total 10 here. Just the one, mind.