Suzuki Airi thread - 4th album "28/29" [2024.03.20]

[Zunu]

I must say it's... strangely absent from the usual trackers.

Amped linked to the apple music link a few posts up the previous page. It's the full album in streaming format, with the exception of Betsu no hito no kanajo ni natta yo which I'm guesssing they couldn't get the streaming rights to since it's a cover song of a 2018 Wacci hit (aka "No regret"). My opinion is that we should support the official streaming versions of UF and other jpop when possible so they keep making it available to westerners.

[Shoujo Q]

I listened to it on Apple. It feels a little disjointed to me. Her dance songs verse her slower songs. It felt like two different performers in a way. In her slow songs she almost sounds like Shiina Ringo, if Ringo didn’t have a nasely singing voice. Just the way she delivered the songs.

[koregaboku]

Down to #19 on Oricon...

(Silver lining Beyo(iforgethowmanyOs)nds is back up to #8.)

[boinsie]

Amped linked to the apple music link a few posts up the previous page. It's the full album in streaming format, with the exception of Betsu no hito no kanajo ni natta yo which I'm guesssing they couldn't get the streaming rights to since it's a cover song of a 2018 Wacci hit (aka "No regret"). My opinion is that we should support the official streaming versions of UF and other jpop when possible so they keep making it available to westerners.

I get what you're saying, but Apple Music is a subscription service.

[Celedam]

As much as Apple wants everyone to subscribe to Apple Music, the iTunes Store is still there as well. I assume Zunu meant both, and his broader point stands…

Except for a handful of individual tracks that are blocked by international licensing issues, almost all H!P singles, albums, and music videos are made available outside of Japan in a variety of legal, high-quality digital formats and at a fraction the price of imported plastic discs. As such, the moral case for continuing to get pirated copies through torrents is weak. We as foreign fans should do the right thing and show Up-Front that it's worth their time and effort to reach out to us.

(i wish this included DVD magazines, but oh well.)

[Zunu]

Amped linked to the apple music link a few posts up the previous page. It's the full album in streaming format, with the exception of Betsu no hito no kanajo ni natta yo which I'm guesssing they couldn't get the streaming rights to since it's a cover song of a 2018 Wacci hit (aka "No regret"). My opinion is that we should support the official streaming versions of UF and other jpop when possible so they keep making it available to westerners.

I get what you're saying, but Apple Music is a subscription service.

boins, sorry if that came off as if I were judging you or anyone else as a consumer, or as if I were saying that everybody should stop complaining and subscribe to Apple Music. I absolutely have a crapton of jpop that I get off the trackers and still do, because much of it is still not legally available in the West in digital format. So for that reason alone I'm absolutely in no position to judge anyone else. Least of all someone like you who's dropping in the neighborhood of thirty bucks just to acquire a single CD. Ordering the physical media is a great way for an individual to support the artist, and I totally applaud that.

At the same time though, over the long term, only hardcore fans are going to regularly order international CDs. They (you) are making a tremendous sacrifice on a personal level but from an industry perspective foreign CD sales will always be a drop in the bucket. To grow on an international scale, either Japan needs to make locally priced CDs available (I think the ship has sailed on that notion) or move more toward digital sales and streaming, as Western media has done. Kicking and screaming, I might add, but now as a consequence, major label music revenues are higher than ever. That's why I try to support jpop streaming when I see it available and when practicable.

But I wouldn't expect people who don't have a streaming plan or Apple Music specifically to subscribe just for that reason. Personally I prefer and primarily use Spotify; the only reason I have Apple Music at all is because it recently started to come with my phone plan. So it's convenient for me; if it's not convenient for someone else, I wouldn't expect them to seek it out. iTunes is a slightly different matter, but overall if there's an H!P/UF single or album for an artist I want to listen to available on iTunes, I'll buy it.

[boinsie]

To be honest, my original comment meant moreso as a quick quip in surprise that the album wasn't getting pirated quickly. How much did that have to do with her apparent lack of popularity? an increase of people streaming instead of pirating/buying? etc. Unfortunately I didn't follow up with that type of questioning, and just looked like a piracy-hungry mongrel. And I understand the "hey, don't pirate unless you have to!!" response.

Personally, I don't think the streaming and big-name digital download services (iTunes, Spotify, etc) are doing the artists much good. The labels earn hardly any revenue from it, the artists even less. There's something to be said for getting higher rankings and the perceived popularity that shows, gets people interested, which hopefully gets them more TV appearances, more butts in seats for concerts, etc... but if we're talking money-for-artist, I'd much rather buy the physical for an inflated price. If Up-Front had digital downloads on Bandcamp (artist takes 85%), I'd be all over it.

At any rate, I did sign up for the 3 month trial of Apple Music, and agree with Shoujo Q's review. I'm not actually familiar with Bonnie Pink's work, but a lot of the slow songs on this album are a lot more talking/folksy, and it's a real jarring difference from the synth pop tracks. At the moment I prefer her first album, but there are definitely some real jewels on i.

[Amped]

Suzuki Airi LIVE PARTY No Live, No Life? goods


https://www.elineupmall.com/ufgoodsland ... ddd663f3c/

~~~~

Daily #15
https://www.oricon.co.jp/rank/ja/d/2019-12-20/p/2/

[koregaboku]

To be honest, my original comment meant moreso as a quick quip in surprise that the album wasn't getting pirated quickly. How much did that have to do with her apparent lack of popularity? an increase of people streaming instead of pirating/buying?

I actually read your statement the same way Boinsie. Considering H!P international following and Airi being a ~legacy ace~ I would expect hers to go up quickly as well.

The flipside was also that you used that method as a stopgap between the release date and you receiving your shipment since as you've said you chose one of the less expensive delivery methods.

On a similar note, my shipment from CDJ is processing (yay)!! Transparently, I chose one of the pricier methods because I've shipped stuff domestically to friends that cost just as much in shipping so I justified it that way, lol.

I'll have my thoughts on the album hopefully soon!

[Amped]

Suzuki Airi 2nd Album "i"

Oricon 1st Week (12/17~12/22)
Weekly Rank #11
Total Sold : 10,172

*9 *9 *19 *15 *21 *19 **11

1st Album "Do me a favor" 1st week : 18,916 (#6)

~~~~~

Daily #10 to start her 2nd week.
https://www.oricon.co.jp/rank/ja/d/2019-12-23/