[Almost Home]

Originally posted by Newt

I mean honestly, it's like coming into Stand Your Ground and attacking Beyonce or Britney for selling less than their previous albums when the sales industry has tanked and you just sound like an idiot

Utada's comeback enabled her to come back on top of her competition and that's all that matters

The situations aren't even comparable. And Britney DID tank but let's stay on topic.

[willmcclure9]

I cant at some members expecting her to do 2008 numbers in 2016 after a 7 year break

[Almost Home]

Originally posted by willmcclure9

I cant at some members expecting her to do 2008 numbers in 2016 after a 7 year break

Expecting her to do better =/= expecting her to do 500k first day

[BaddiéBéy]

Deserves more. The album's amazing

[Newt]

Originally posted by Almost Home

No one said she was forced? I merely stated the release pattern WORKED FOR HER which is true. So for you to say it ''damaged her brand'' after she's always taken breaks makes ZERO SENSE. Her fans, her label, the Japanese public are ALL USED TO IT and always anticipate her releases regardless.

I won't even bother addressing illogical and just plain flamebait parts of your post other than the fact she is UNDERPERFORMING and the marked may have decline but so has she and MORE SO than you'd expect her to. Nothing excuses it.

God bless.

You keep equating a 5-7 year no promo, 1 single release disappearance from the industry with her 2-3 year breaks (with magazine covers, interviews, single releases, performances).

Once again, I don't know what kinda fantasy land you live in but this whole "a long break must equal huge sales" thing has never been accurate for any artist ever (except for Justin Timberlake I guess?), let alone in japan. Therefore I can only conclude that you're here because youre salty that namie isn't on top anymore

[willmcclure9]

Originally posted by Almost Home

Expecting her to do better =/= expecting her to do 500k first day

Heart Station did 480,081 first week WEEK

Lets wait for the Fantome first week....

[Almost Home]

Originally posted by Newt

You keep equating a 5-7 year no promo, 1 single release disappearance from the industry with her 2-3 year breaks (with magazine covers, interviews, single releases, performances).

Once again, I don't know what kinda fantasy land you live in but this whole "a long break must equal huge sales" thing has never been accurate for any artist ever (except for Justin Timberlake I guess?), let alone in japan. Therefore I can only conclude that you're here because youre salty that namie isn't on top anymore

Who expected huge sales? But she's declined more than anyone expected her and for her to sell ONLY 5k more than Namie (who once again releases YEARLY) says a lot. Utada's releases are anticipated. Namie's are expected. Utada's releases are aided by the wait. Namie's usually suffer from it.

Not to mention Namie releases EDM while Utada caters to traditional J-Pop listeners ALSO. So yeah she UNDERPERFORMED. Not hard to understand HOW and WHY.

[Newt]

Originally posted by Almost Home

The situations aren't even comparable. And Britney DID tank but let's stay on topic.

I mean. That's true kii

But anyways. You know very well that her GH album sold like 450k before her departure. In the meantime, the industry has tanked and Ayumi is selling like 19k a day.

If you seriously thought a studio album was gonna come back and sell more than that GH after half a decade of being gone is just ridiculous. (Considering GH albums sell more than studio albums in japan)

[Juanito]

I can't believe what I'm reading in here. People actually comparing US artists to Japanese artists and comparing the US and JP markets.... people here think they know the JP market as if it's the same ok

[Almost Home]

Originally posted by willmcclure9

Heart Station did 480,081 first week WEEK

Lets wait for the Fantome first week....

It was a hypothetical situation (not an actual expectation) and it'll probably do around Namie's numbers (slightly higher). Japanese first week sales are usually easy to predict.

[Almost Home]

Originally posted by Newt

I mean. That's true kii

But anyways. You know very well that her GH album sold like 450k before her departure. In the meantime, the industry has tanked and Ayumi is selling like 19k a day.

If you seriously thought a studio album was gonna come back and sell more than that GH after half a decade of being gone is just ridiculous. (Considering GH albums sell more than studio albums in japan)

Ayumi is also over. Why are we even comparing her to such standards? Like Britney? Ayumi? Really? Let's be happy she's outdoing Crystal Kay while at it.

[Juanito]

People that say they are expecting 500k in this sales climate where idol groups are growing please stop embarrassing yourselves.

[Halien4Life]

Really good numbers.

Better than Namie and she hasn't had a long ass hiatus/ media blackout. A lot has changed since Utada's last album.

Slay

[Suilen]

She should easily do the _genic numbers (160k) for the first week and ideally have some longevity but they went all out with the promo for this month / week so I'm pessimistic about that. Just LOVE has amazing longevity because Kana keeps releasing singles and keeping it cute but since there's almost nothing left to release from Fantome, I don't see Utada outselling Kana by the end of the year.

[Almost Home]

Originally posted by Juanito

People that say they are expecting 500k in this sales climate where idol groups are growing please stop embarrassing yourselves.

Who's expecting 500k? Perhaps in total but even that'll be a huuuuuuuuge stretch for her at this point given releases that debut with these figures (first day) usually end up doing 250k-290k in total.

[Newt]

Originally posted by Almost Home

Who expected huge sales? But she's declined more than anyone expected her and for her to sell ONLY 5k more than Namie (who once again releases YEARLY) says a lot. Utada's releases are anticipated. Namie's are expected. Utada's releases are aided by the wait. Namie's usually suffer from it.

Not to mention Namie releases EDM while Utada caters to traditional J-Pop listeners ALSO. So yeah she UNDERPERFORMED. Not hard to understand HOW and WHY.

This is a big issue of correlation doesn't equal causation. You are making leaps of logic that don't originate from facts, but assumptions you make about the market. I can't respond to anything you just posted because it comes from fabrication and there's no way to respond to that.

Stans were saying the same thing back when her GH was released. "The GP was anticipating the last album before her departure, the sales were disappointing!1!1". And here we are, the same routine, but with different stans. I understand people hold Utada to higher standards because she IS much better than all of her pop peers, but the lengths yall will go to justify that an album selling more than every other jpop solo female is a flop, is outstanding

[Juanito]

Let me highlight few key words for the delusional and concern trolls

This is
FIRST DAY

PHYSICAL ONLY

[Newt]

Originally posted by Almost Home

Ayumi is also over. Why are we even comparing her to such standards? Like Britney? Ayumi? Really? Let's be happy she's outdoing Crystal Kay while at it.

If you read my post accurately, you'd see I am not comparing her to Ayumi. But merely using industry sales to gauge her own performance. It's not her fault that the industry shifted to supporting idol groups?? And I've already said she sold MORE THAN Namie multiple times so I hope that comparison is valid enough for you

[Almost Home]

Originally posted by Newt

This is a big issue of correlation doesn't equal causation. You are making leaps of logic that don't originate from facts, but assumptions you make about the market. I can't respond to anything you just posted because it comes from fabrication and there's no way to respond to that.

Stans were saying the same thing back when her GH was released. "The GP was anticipating the last album before her departure, the sales were disappointing!1!1". And here we are, the same routine, but with different stans. I understand people hold Utada to higher standards because she IS much better than all of her pop peers, but the lengths yall will go to justify that an album selling more than every other jpop solo female is a flop, is outstanding

Even Namie's figures were seen as disappointing for her however? It's not just Utada.

With that being said she's held to a higher standard because she appeals to a WIDER DEMOGRAPHIC than any of the other pop girls in Japan. It's like comparing ADELE and Taylor Swift and why one sells 2:1 in contrast to the other.

The numbers aren't essentially bad that's never been denied but for her it's underwhelming.

[Almost Home]

Originally posted by Newt

If you read my post accurately, you'd see I am not comparing her to Ayumi. But merely using industry sales to gauge her own performance. It's not her fault that the industry shifted to supporting idol groups?? And I've already said she sold MORE THAN Namie multiple times so I hope that comparison is valid enough for you

Namie's numbers were also heavily criticized.