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Guys, I'm so pleased with A ONE. I still can't even adequately express it.
First and foremost, I feel this is the first album in a while where I actually understand what Ayu is trying to convey conceptually. Everything just totally clicks with me. It's not trying to be this kind of "in-your-face" concept album with hints of irony (Party Queen), nor is the concept too subtle (LOVE again), nor does it lack a clear concept altogether (Colours).
Another thing for me that stood out was her vocals. They're particularly impressive here, both in terms of quality and emotiveness. Her control has improved immensely. It's particularly apparent in the verses and in the "softer" chorus of TSMGO. It's giving me A BALLADS~Haru yo koi era vibes. There was this effervescent quality in her voice then where it just felt like she was singing everything effortlessly. TSMGO, btw, conveys this amazing feeling of "calm determination" that is so uplifting. I think had goosebumps the entire six minutes during the first listen!
I do have one problem with the album: the lack of visuals, i.e. music videos, that properly represent the album's mood and concept. I mean, I wouldn't say Ayu has ever been an outstanding video artist... but there is SO much potential here to give these FANTASTIC songs even more power, meaning, and "oomph" by giving them a proper visual representation—and I think it's becoming a real issue for me in regards to her artistry. The songs that she chose to make videos for, "WARNING" and "The GIFT" just do not feel representative of the album's overall theme AT ALL. I think she totally got it right with Love songs, for instance. The PV's weren't amazing by any means, but she chose exactly the right songs to represent the album visually IMO. Now, if she had chose to make PV's for NO FUTURE, Walk, and Out of control—how much better would this era be? It's really a shame. And no, I don't think her concerts cut it for giving the song accompanying visuals. There's certainly a limit to what you can convey on stage.
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