Ayu's lyrics in the A song xx era...(Mini rant)
 

This morning I was in the mood for some ol' school Ayu and listened to her debut era. And all I can say is wow....I really wondered exactly what she went through (besides the loss of her grandmother and other things) exactly for her to write stuff like that.

With songs like Powder Snow, Two of Us, As If, A Song for XX, & For My Dear, the whole mood was COMPLETELY hopeless while others Poker Face, Wishing, Trust, and Hana were trying to see a little light. But it really amazes me when you look at her now, she's happier and it reflects in her lyrics opposed to when she debuted.

ASFXX was so raw, pure, honest. The lyrics were teen-angsty in a sense, but done so poignantly.

I think it's also interesting to look at her "darker" songs now and compare them with her older ones. Take "GUILTY" and "do it again" for example.. I don't think ASFXX Ayu would have ever written such vague lyrics.

In her early years she was a lot more honest, direct, and specific in terms of her lyrics. :) It's a very different side of Ayu. I love Ayu now, but I think her lyrics before were so beautiful. It's probably teenage angst, but it's probably that and so much more, what with working at such a young age.

Even though her old lyrics are teenage angsty in their topic, I don't think they're written in such a way - mainly because they contain elements of hope and seeing the light. They were direct, honest and easy to empathise with.

Her lyrics now are much more varied in topic and a lot happier, but I think in doing that she lost a lot of the direct nature and honesty that made her older lyrics so powerful. She still writes great songs now, but that tends to happen when she's getting something out emotionally - which from her interviews - it gives the impression that all her old lyrics were of that nature.

A Song for xx lyrics pretty much like what I write these days quite often. I really like her lyrics on that album even if the music is a bit too 80s for my tastes, but lyrically A Song for xx is one of her best albums, and lyrics are the #1 reason why I like her debut album very much. :)

A Song for ×× is a lyrical masterpiece! Your post is basically how ayumi got famous :D

^haha yup. I wrote a whole senior these on it. :laugh

ASFXX is probably her best album lyrically imo. She did go through quite a few rough things for someone so young. And she was blunt, which is rare in Japanese culture, so it was easy for people to empathize with her.

I think the ASFXX album was one of those albums that was heavily focused on lyrics rather than melodies. I say this because a lot of people always say that ASFXX was the weakest album of Ayu's, but I think that's mainly because they are focusing on the music rather than the lyrics. I agree though that her lyrics back then were much different from what you get from her today...they were much less vague & far more direct. I sometimes kind of wish Ayu would write like that again, but I am able to appreciate her more indirect lyricism as well....sometimes it can come across as more meaningful when it is less direct (if that makes sense). Either way, it just goes to show that Ayu is a great lyricist no matter what approach she takes :).

I came across the Energize lyrics today which I have never read before and was surprised that they reminded me of the ASFXX era:

You may wonder, "Is this an adult?
Is this what I often imagined in my childhood?"

mi|kshake~

During this era Ayu was searching for herself. She never wanted/imagined to be a singer.

TIME: Compared to A Song for XX, your first album, it's like a different person is writing the lyrics on your latest. Your earlier songs focus on loneliness, and they seem more autobiographic. I Am..., though, takes on a broader view, touching on issues like faith and peace.

Ayu: In the beginning, I was searching for myself in my music. My music was for me. I didn't have the mental room to be conscious of the listener; I wrote to save myself. I didn't understand what it was to write songs. But over time I began to see many things, my influence, the responsibilities that gave me.

Takeuchi Cullen, Lisa (March 25, 2002). "Empress of Pop". Time. pp. Splash. Retrieved January 24, 2008

The lyrics on A Song for XX are what made me appreciate the album a whole lot more. They're raw and honest, and speak about a young girl who had low self-esteem at the time.

It's hard to say that it's the weakest AT THE ERA lol.

But it's funny how now I'm 19 going 20 and I FINALLY can relate and understand whatever Ayu has been saying through her words. I suddenly feel...so much more appreciation for her words now. Yea, I wonder why I didn't feel anything for the past 6 years as a fan. I used to think ASFXX's lyrics were just questions and powerful emotions..but the moment you really start to question them YOURSELF, then the song totally feels different to you

^ I am the same age (19->20) and my feelings are what she wrote in her early years. I don't understand her recent albums, (NEXT LEVEL->) lyrically, 'cause I am not there yet. But I can see myself in about 7-10 years to be on the same (next ;)) level she is now.