Fans disappointed that Hamasaki Ayumi is singing Utada Hikaru’s “Movin’ on without you” for the FNS Music Festival

The FNS music festival will begin in a few hours and Gendai Digital has posted an article in regards to the fans disappointment that “Heisei no Uta Hime” Hamasaki Ayumi (40) will be singing Utada Hikaru’s (35) “Movin’ on Without You” at FNS.

Both artists made their debut in 1999 but at the special, Hamasaki will be performing an Utada song.

Fans wrote, “I wanted you to sing your own songs because it’s your 20th anniversary of your debut”.

The article goes into the decline of Hamasaki Ayumi’s popularity in the past six years and how her album and single sales have not done so well and that she isn’t participating in NHK’s Kouhaku Uta Gassen, which she had performed at for 15 consecutive years and also that she is now performing at smaller venues.

The article goes into the comparison with Amuro Namie, who retired back in September.  Both Hamasaki and Amuro had many major hits (and Hamasaki having more), both had years of waning popularity but Amuro Namie was able to increase her fandom and popularity, especially with the NHK theme song “Hero” for the Rio Olympics.

And how the biggest difference is that Amuro kept her private life private, while Hamasaki Ayumi talks about her private life on social media, which reduced her charm by half and drove fans away, according to music journalist Watanabe Yuji.

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