LOVEagain album drama

It started with pre-order links, the new Ayumi Hamasaki album has been announced with no title, no tracklist, no covers, the only thing people knew was that there are 5 versions: CD only, CD+DVD, CD+DVD+GOODS, CD+BLURAY and CD+BLURAY+GOODS. The last version has been sold out literally in minutes, maybe in one hour top.

Since LOVE SONGS I usually preordered Ayu albums and this time I was also ready to do it but I wasn't sure which version should I get, I really wanted to wait and see what the GOODS are going to be and whether the case in the +GOODS version will be special or ordinary (I actually prefer the ordinary case). I was also confused about the two singles (LOVE and Again) called "mini-albums" lacking in my collection. All  in all, I really wanted to wait and see what each edition will look like and what will it contain first.

And so the CD+DVD+GOODS version was also sold out in a matter of next few hours.

Then I decided there's no need to rush now, as the regular versions won't be sold out so I can just sit and see what this new album is all about.

And that's when the hell broke loose.

Normally, calling a realese "an album" or "a mini-album" on Japanese market means the tracks are unique to this release and won't appear on any other album/mini-album, although the might appear on future remix album or best album. People who normally don't buy singles and bought LOVE and Again "mini-albums" believed they are buying the unigue songs and that the new album will be completely new. Apparently Ayu decided to troll her fans in every possible way. The new album's name is ...LOVEagain (sic!) and the tracklist consists of ...all the songs from LOVE and Again (sic!). Even the PVs on the DVD/BLURAY are a copy from the mini-albums, except for one new PV (Melody) that wasn't included on LOVE despite being listed on this album in the first info. Looks like they knew back then that they'll re-release everything later on and therefore kept one thing for the "new album" release. For those fans who spent money on LOVE and Again and still want to support her it really felt like a sick joke. On the good side there are 5 new songs and 2 new interludes and the covers are actually pretty nice, no naked butt "only-true-fans-will-understand-the-complexity-of-my-choice" thing.

You may say we don't have to buy Ayu albums if we don't want to and actually I didn't get LOVE or Again, because I smelled something like this from the start. I thought since there aren't any bonuses to the mini-albums I may wait and check the full album and then eventually buy the minis if I still want but with Ayu's dropping popularity this step feels like a final nail in the coffin. She has fans who still support her, they spend lots of money buying multiple versions of her albums to rise her sales and instead of new material they get to pay for something they already paid for and it's not even called "compilation album" or "re-release album" or "a best album", NO, it is callled NEW album. New album with old material. This is really being unfair for her fans. Calling it compilation or best or re-release would be fair and many collectors would still buy it without blinking and feeling bad about it. Now fans are left with distaste and feel betrayed to an extend that makes them cancel their pre-orders..

Personally, I'm not a collector so I don't care if she releases BEST albums or does jokes like this one, I'm nor losing any money because of it and I won't stop enjoying her music, however, it makes me really sad to see how she treats the handful of fans she still has, those few people that stand beside her and support her in the twilight of her carrier, because, let's be honest, her position is dropping drastically. Why couldn't she just take the rest of the songs and make another "mini-album"? It would cost less and people would not feel tricked into buying something they already have.

Just to elaborate more on the topic of Japanese albums. Comparing to Korean releases (or pretty much any other Asian releases), the Japanese albums are the most expensive while having only a thin booklet (although it's always the top quality) and sometimes not even that, very often it's just one page with lyrics. Korean albums are always 1/4 - 1/3 the price of a Japanese album and they have a photobook and sometimes a photocard attached, therefore, when Korean artists release a re-release album it's still packed with goods and never costs much. The same thing done by Ayu can be dissasterous, her albums cost 50$, the limited edition is about 70$, with my montly salary right now is 880$ so it's not that bad but it used to be 230$ in the past, now imagine spending 70$ (which is approximately 1/4 of my former salary) on something you already paid for, not to mention the die-hardcore fans who buy ALL versions... I simply want to say I understand how some fans may feel unhappy about it.

I'm still considering buying the album. Right now, I'm waiting for it to be released, if I like the +GOODS edition I'll pass for now and buy it in BOOKOFFF during my next trip to Japan or from some fan who will sell it, and when I won't like the +GOODS edition I'll simply order the CD+DVD from yesasia. Or maybe I won't like the album and won't but it at all ヽ(´ー`)ﾉ