The Love songs era concepts analysis thread!

[Andrenekoi]

Overall guide-lines:

-The intention of this thread is discussing the concepts of Ayu's several releases, analysing the lyrics, the music, the visual, the videos and the tour concept.

-Everyone's insights about the concept of an era is welcome!

-Please, let's avoid the "this era rocked"/"this era sucked" stuff.

-And remember, when it's about the interpretation of a creative work, there's no right and wrong, just different impressions. Offenses towards another member discussing the subject will be reported.

Other Threads:
GUILTY
NEXT LEVEL
Rock’n’Roll Circus
FIVE
Party Queen
LOVE again
Colours
A one
M(A)DE IN JAPAN

Love songs (you can download it here)









1. Love song
2. crossroad
3. MOON
4. sending mail
5. Last angel
6. insomnia
7. Like a doll
8. Aria
9. blossom
10. Thank U
11. Sweet Season
12. overture
13. do it again
14. November
15. Virgin Road
Love songs was Ayu's 12nd studio album, released in 2010. It was the first release of the love themed albums Ayu released during early 2010's, borrowing heavily from orchestral music. The singles from this album were Ayu's last from her #1 singles streak, and gave her the record for the most number 1 singles for a female act in Japan, breaking Seiko Matsuda's record. Love song's biggest hits were MOON, crossroad, Virgin Road and Love song.


LYRICS (from here, and another take here)

Love song

Spoiler:

A life without love?
I'm not confident I could live like that

A life without dreams?
I don't want to imagine it

A life without song?
I can't even guess what that would be like

Without a love you won't give up
Life's boring, there's no meaning

That's not what I want

Do you have something you want to protect?
Are you worried you won't be able to protect it?

It's because you're hurt and beat up
That you know strength

Do you have someone who's important to you?
Can you treat them right?

Gently hold them tight
Before you lose them

It looks like
It won't just be that simple

But even so, without a love you won't give up
Life's boring, there's no meaning

I don't think
Every little thing will be easy

But even so, without a love you won't give up
Life's boring, there's no meaning

Should I just give up
And take the easy way out?

There will probably be days
When you honestly think that

Have you lost something?
Was it something you left behind?

Do you have regrets?
Do you think "If only I could get them back"?

Is there something you want?
Is it within reach?

Are you honest with yourself?
Why won't the tears stop?

A life without love?
I'm not confident I could live like that

A life without dreams?
I don't want to imagine it

A life without song?
I can't even guess what that would be like

Without a love you won't give up
Life's boring, there's no meaning

Right?

crossroad

Spoiler:

There are times
When I wonder how different
The scenery I can see from here is
From the scenery I dreamed of

And I wonder
If I chose the right path
At the crossroad that began
Where I stood
And I wonder
What was down the other path
At the crossroad
Where I stood

But I keep going
Telling myself I haven't lost yet

He was always so full of bravado
Protecting himself
So he wouldn't get hurt
I wonder if he can smile well now
What is changing
What I've changed
What I cannot change
Am I smiling well?

When I happened to pass by
That road littered
With nothing but nostalgic memories
It felt so warm, but it hurt

I wonder
What are the things
I've lost
The older I get?
And I wonder
What are these things
I gain
The older I get?

Even this very moment while I'm thinking about it
Is becoming the past

I thought
Someone I passed just now
Looked like that girl
So why
Couldn't I even
Call out to her
And just watched her back
As she got further and further away?

But I keep going
Telling myself I haven't lost yet

He was always so full of bravado
That was the only way be could protect himself
So he wouldn't get hurt
I wonder if he can smile well now
What is changing
What I've changed
What I cannot change
Am I smiling well?

MOON

Spoiler:

The night we met
Slipped into the hustle and bustle
Going to and fro between dreams and reality
And disappeared like a ghost

The moon was too distant that night
And my memories are still vague
The image of you is so blurry
So I should have been able to forget you

I wipe away
The first tears
Your wounded heart showed me
I'm sorry I wasn't brave enough

Hey, I'll give you a tender song
So you can believe in forever forever
So don't look at me with those sad eyes
And don't ask in a quivering voice
"Do you love me?"

We looked up at the moon together
It seemed so close, as if we could reach out and touch it
It was so beautiful it hurt
And almost made me cry

I closed my eyes and promised
If I could have just one wish
I wouldn't need
Any more than that

Hey, I'll give you a tender song
So you can believe in forever forever
So please just keep smiling
And tell me you're happy
Once more

Hey, I'll give you a tender song
So you can believe in forever forever
So don't look at me with those sad eyes
And don't hide the quiver in your voice when you ask
"Hey, do you love me?"

Hey, I'll give you a tender song
So you can believe in forever forever
So please just keep smiling
And tell me you're happy
Once more

sending mail

Spoiler:

The sun has left me behind once more
And thrown me into the darkness today

I get weak, I get pathetic
I hate this moment of each day
And I hate myself more than anything

I hesitate and sigh
I delete and start over from scratch
But in the end, I can't make myself hit send

Just how long? Just how far?
If I had the strength...

By your side, just by your side
Laughing, forgiven
Will that day ever come?

I want to tell you eye-to-eye
These feelings I can't put into words

I want to tell you eye-to-eye
These feelings I can't put into words

I want to tell you eye-to-eye
These feelings I can't put into words

I want to tell you eye-to-eye
These feelings I can't put into words

The moonlight tenderly embraces me
But even on nights like this I can't hide my loneliness

I deliberately choose
Words that are convoluted and hard to understand
To try and escape the pain

You pierce my heart
With words that are straightforward and plain
And sometimes sad and sometimes fun

When did it all, when did it get
So complicated?

By your side, just by your side
Laughing, forgiven
Will that day ever come?

When I hear your voice, I picture your smile
And it makes me want to see you, but I'm scared

When I hear your voice, I picture your smile
And it makes me want to see you, but I'm scared

When I hear your voice, I picture your smile
And it makes me want to see you, but I'm scared

When I hear your voice, I picture your smile
And it makes me want to see you, but I'm scared

Morning comes and once again I haven't sent
That email I spent so much time writing

Morning comes and once again I haven't sent
That email I spent so much time writing

Morning comes and once again I haven't sent
That email I spent so much time writing

Morning comes and once again I haven't sent
That email I spent so much time writing

Last angel

Spoiler:

You can hear it, can’t you?
I want to tell you
The bells that herald the end
Aren’t a sad sound

I cried, I screamed
I couldn’t put it into words
It’s not a lie, it’s not a dream
I won’t wake up from this
I won’t regret it anymore, I won’t look back
All I can do is move on
Even if I love you, even if I miss you
Even if I’ll never see you again

I’ve had romances
That I’m too ashamed of to hold my head high
A constant repetition
Of nights of play and lonely mornings

I’ve had romances
That I’m too ashamed of to hold my head high
A constant repetition
Of nights of play and lonely mornings

Is there still time? Am I not too late?
Can we still start something?
I want you to see me, I want you to feel me
I don’t want you to give up on me
I won’t run away, I won’t pretend
I won’t do the same things again
I’ll be by your side, I’ll hold you
I’ll take you as you are

There’s just one love
My one last love
Nights of trust, mornings of fulfilment
An angel smiled on me

There’s just one love
My one last love
Nights of trust, mornings of fulfilment
An angel smiled on me

I cried, I screamed
I couldn’t put it into words
It’s not a lie, it’s not a dream
I won’t wake up from this
I won’t regret it anymore, I won’t look back
All I can do is move on
Even if I love you, even if I miss you
Even if I’ll never see you again

Is there still time? Am I not too late?
Can we still start something?
I want you to see me, I want you to feel me
I don’t want you to give up on me
I won’t run away, I won’t pretend
I won’t do the same things again
I’ll be by your side, I’ll hold you
I’ll take you as you are

Like a doll

Spoiler:

How much sadness
Must you have been shrouded in
For you to have shut out the voice of your heart like that?
Let me hear it, just a little

Let me hear it, just a little

Like a doll like a doll like a doll
Like a doll like a doll like a doll

If you think you may as well
Slap on a clever, smiling mask
And cry real tears like they’re fake
If that’s what you want

If you forget how to love someone
And forget how to respect someone

And play dumb and pretend not to notice
When anything happens

If you throw away the will not to give up
And throw away the will to believe

And put a lid on all your feelings
You won’t get hurt

But you won’t be happy, either

Like a doll like a doll like a doll
Like a doll like a doll like a doll

You play around like you’re blotting out your feelings
And fool around like you have no memories
But I see your back
Trembling a little

Forgetting how to love someone
And forgetting how to respect someone

You must have begun to realise
That it isn’t possible

Throwing away the will not to give up
And throwing away the will to believe

You must have known from the start
That that’s the hardest thing in the world

Don’t live like you’re dead

If you forget how to love someone
And forget how to respect someone

And play dumb and pretend not to notice
When anything happens

If you throw away the will not to give up
And throw away the will to believe

And put a lid on all your feelings
You won’t get hurt

But you won’t be happy, either

Don’t live like you’re dead

Like a doll like a doll like a doll
Like a doll like a doll like a doll

blossom

Spoiler:

You were crying, weren’t you?
You’ve actually been crying in your heart all this time, haven’t you?
But you hid it, didn’t you?
You’ve always done that, haven’t you?

You smiled in that brief moment we met, didn’t you?
That was a sweet lie, wasn’t it?
You were doing your damnedest to pretend to be strong

You always knew, didn’t you? You never forgot, did you?
You don’t need to know the point of growing up

Because we’ve set out walking, we don’t need a reason for that
It’s OK, it’s OK now, I know that much

I know, I know painfully well, it’s coming through as clear as always
I wasn’t lying when I promised to share it

Just like we both protected those colourful petals
Let’s both watch tenderly until the last petal is gone

And we set out walking, still awkwardly holding hands
The step we’ve taken now is a moment that has changed our future

Because we’ve set out walking, we don’t need a reason for that
It’s OK, it’s OK now, I know that much

And we set out walking, still awkwardly holding hands
The step we’ve taken now is a moment that has changed our future

Thank U

Spoiler:

Lalalala lalalala
Lalalala lalalala

We were able to share
Another day of precious moments today

I’m so happy
That you were the way you are

We shared another day
Under the same sky today

I’m so grateful for all of that
And so I’ll sing

Lalalala lalalala
Lalalala lalalala

I hear you
I hear you clearly
I see you clearly
I see you

There’s no guarantee
That tomorrow will come

So although all kinds of things
Happened today

Although there were times
When I was holding back tears

When this day is over
And I fall asleep

I’m sure that it’ll be my moments with you
That I remember

I’m sure it’ll be like this forever

Lalalala lalalala
Lalalala lalalala

Lalalala lalalala
Lalalala lalalala

Lalalala lalalala
Lalalala lalalala

Sweet Season

Spoiler:

Wrapped in the fleeting profusion of cherry blossoms
We were still shy on that spring day

Feeling the sun’s momentary glow
We were shining with passion on that summer day

Yes, we were together every season

Those tears shining there now
Are proof that you didn’t give in to yourself
And that smile shining there now
Is proof of your happiness, sparkling, sparkling, sparkling

Unable to hide the bittersweet feeling that the fluttering, falling leaves bring
We were a little weak on that autumn day

Our fingers shivering in the freezing cold
We warmed each other on that winter day

Yes, we got through every season together

You set off walking now
After looking back for a moment and smiling nostalgically
You set off walking now
I can see a future full of hope, sparkling, sparkling, sparkling

Those tears shining there now
Are proof that you didn’t give in to yourself
And that smile shining there now
Is proof of your happiness, sparkling, sparkling, sparkling

Sparkling, sparkling, sparkling

do it again

Spoiler:

Dance dance dance
Do it again
Dance dance dance
Do it again
Dance dance dance
Do it again
Dance dance dance
Do it again
Dance dance dance
Do it again
Dance dance dance
Do it again
Dance dance dance
Do it again
Dance dance dance
Do it again

Sing sing sing
Do it again
Sing sing sing
Do it again
Sing sing sing
Do it again
Sing sing sing
Do it again
Sing sing sing
Do it again
Sing sing sing
Do it again
Sing sing sing
Do it again
Sing sing sing
Do it again

Do you still remember
The dreams you had one day?

Where are those dreams now
And what form have they taken?

The saddest thing is giving up
That’s still true now

But the reality is that there are more and more times
When there’s more to it than that

Dreams alone...
Dreams alone...

Dance dance dance
Do it again
Dance dance dance
Do it again
Dance dance dance
Do it again
Dance dance dance
Do it again

Sing sing sing
Do it again
Sing sing sing
Do it again
Sing sing sing
Do it again
Sing sing sing
Do it again

Does that
Warm your heart?

Or does it
Squeeze your heart painfully?

Letting go of something is brave
That’s something you learn as you grow up

But when that time comes, you also learn
That it’s not easy

What are...
You thinking now...

Dance dance dance
Do it again
Dance dance dance
Do it again
Dance dance dance
Do it again
Dance dance dance
Do it again

Sing sing sing
Do it again
Sing sing sing
Do it again
Sing sing sing
Do it again
Sing sing sing
Do it again

Do you still remember
The dreams you had one day?

Where are those dreams now
And what form have they taken?

The saddest thing is giving up
That’s still true now

But the reality is that there are more and more times
When there’s more to it than that

Letting go of something is brave
That’s something you learn as you grow up

But when that time comes, you also learn
That it’s not easy

Dreams alone...
Dreams alone...

Dance dance dance
Do it again
Dance dance dance
Do it again

Sing sing sing
Do it again
Sing sing sing
Do it again

November

Spoiler:

Your long lashes look so pretty when you’re dreaming
I watched you in the dark, I watched you alone

I’ve heard that we all have one soul mate
In the one life we have

But most of us don’t find that person
They can be right in front of us and we still don’t see them
We’re too afraid of trusting and getting hurt
And they end up passing us by

If I could grow one more wing
And fly freely through the air like a bird
I’d land softly, gently on your shoulder
And whisper words of love to you as we fell asleep

Your fringe has grown a little
The night breeze ruffles it, making a dancing black shadow

If we all have one soul mate
In the one life we have

If you feel something when you look into to someone’s eyes
Grab their hand tightly and don’t let go
There’s surely nobody in this world
Who’s used to losing people

If I could grow one more wing
And fly freely through the air like a bird
I’d land softly, gently on your shoulder
And wipe away the tears you couldn’t hold back

If I could grow one more wing
And fly freely through the air like a bird
I’d give both my wings to you
So you could fly anywhere you want to go

Virgin Road

Spoiler:

Hey, thank you from the bottom of my heart
For all the loneliness, pain, sins and love

Hey, there are words I was never able to say it before
Uh, thank you for this life

That day when I couldn’t take care of myself
It wasn’t me who was hurt

I’ll never forget the day I first saw tears on your profile
When you’d always acted cheerful

I’ve met someone who says he wants to love and protect me as I am
Now we’re starting out walking together
No matter what sadness attacks us, no matter what happiness we encounter
We’ve sworn to share every moment of our lives
Please look out for me

Hey, I’m going to be thankful for everything that happens from now
Uh, thank you for everything, forever

There have been nights when we’ve argued
And I’ve run out of the house crying and screaming

But in the end I always know
That you understand me better than anyone else

I have a feeling that the person I love is similar somehow
To the person you met and fell in love with long ago

I have a feeling that the person I love is similar somehow
To the person you met and fell in love with long ago
For example, I see traces of him in his unconscious mannerisms
When I realised that, a single tear fell onto my cheek
So warm

Hey, thank you from the bottom of my heart
For all the loneliness, pain, sins and love

BOOKLET (from here)

Spoiler:

PV's

Spoiler:

COUNTDOWN LIVE 2011-2012 A HOTEL Love songs (you can download it here)

[Andrenekoi]

I still plan openning a thread for Guilty and a thread for Colours

[Surreal17]

LOVE SONGS – collection of all kinds of love

CHAPTER I – “Sadder vibe”

1. Love song - LOVE AS CREATION, AS ART, AS LIFE.
Love song represents love in general. Life itself is love - the feeling that keeps us alive. We are surrounded by love and we can’t live without loving (everybody has something/someone dear somewhere in this world – we are not completely alone). It can be love for music (ayu’s case), love for oneself, children, animals, plants, art, places etc.
Ayu says that she can’t imagine her life without her art; so for her, music is love. If this album would take the form of a song, it would certainly be “Love song”.

“Even so, without uncompromisable thoughts
Life is boring and meaningless
I might as well
Give up and feel easy" (aspiring)


2.crossroad – LOVE AS SELF ACCEPTATION (inner harmony). Its sequel is “Ivy” from LOVE again.

“The things that are changing
The things I've changed
The things I can't change
Do you see I can smile naturally?” (self empowerment)

3.MOON – PAST LOVE
In the lyrics, ayu is asking her former lover to let go of the past, to move into a new chapter and maybe to give himself the chance to a new love.
The pv shows a devastated & helpless ayu because she doesn’t know what measures to take to make “that person” (the ex-lover) feel better. Also, feelings of guilt are expressed during the video with the climax scene being ayumi covered in black oil trying to escape from the truth & despair, moving her hands & head in a restless way.
Maybe she’s feeling guilty for ending their relationship and now she tries to help him recover.

“ I'll give you a gentle song
So that you can believe in eternity for ever” (yearning)

4.sending mail – UNCONFESSED LOVE
The person from “sending mail” is lonely, insecure, introvertite, sad and doesn’t know how to express her true feelings. She’s waiting for the best moment to confess what’s on her mind to a certain person but that moment never comes because a best moment doesn’t truly exists.

“I can't hide my loneliness
Even in this gentle and moonlit night” (despair)

5.Last angel – A HEALTHY RELATIONSHIP/ TRUE LOVE – love as honesty
The girl from “Last angel” has either commited adultery ( in a desperate moment) and after a while, seeing that she can’t go on lying forever, she decides to confess the truth to her partner (even if this decision may cost their relationship). Or, a second possible version: she doesn’t love him anymore and decides to confess her true feelings to him. But, my personal opinion is that the first version is much more plausible.
The pv also sustains the first possibility : ayu is seen running through strange nocturne places as if hiding something and she looks frightened that she might be discovered (at a certain point she thought she is followed by a strange person)


“The only and the last one
There is such a love
A night of belief and a morning of fulfillment
An angel smiled” (liberation)

7.Like a doll - LOVE AS TRUTH, AS A HEALTHY LIFE – love as friendship
In this song, ayu may be trying to help a friend of hers to recover from a certain mental illness/burden . That person is carrying a great suffering on his/her own shoulders because ayu is repeatedly saying “escaping from reality” and “like a doll”. Or maybe this song is simply talking about human’s tendency to escape from suffering by cutting off the connection with the exterior world.

“You can stick well the mask of a smile
And show your real tears
As if they were fake
If you wish so” (isolation)


CHAPTER II – “Optimistic vibe”

9.blossom – LOVE IN DERULATION/ BLOSSOMING LOVE/ BELIEF
The two lovers from this story are vowing one to another that no matter what the future brings (I sense a fear of unknown in the lyrics) their promise won’t fade away. Love is stronger than anything and transcends space and time.
In the pv, a young man is painting for his girlfriend a tableau and he insists in not showing her the scene in derulation. Then, he finds out that he has a deadly disease and at one point collapses. We do not find out if he dies or not but at the end of the video she is seen holding the whole picture into her arms. Maybe the painting is the symbol that love doesn’t die even if life is ephemeral. A sad video nonetheless..

“Just as we have protected the naturally-colored flower petals together
We will gently see them through together until the last one falls” (promise/faith)

10.Thank U – LOVE AS GRATITUDE FOR FANS

“When I go to sleep
In the end of today
I'll surely remember
The moments with you” (gratitude/contentment)


11. Sweet Season - LOVE AS GRATITUDE FOR BEING ALIVE
In the lyrics, ayu is mentioning all the four seasons of the year. Each of them brings different feelings and happenings.Through the end of the song, she’s saying that the future will be bright so we should look forward to it. I sense a vibe of longing but at the same time gratitude for all the past days and for the days that haven’t come yet.
In the pv, ayu is really enjoying herself with the kids (motif of hope) even if at the end she wakes up in a weird environment and realizes that those moments were just part of a dream. Maybe that dream is the beginning of a enjoyable life.

“You start to walk now
After looking back just a little and smiling nostalgically
You start to walk now
I see your future full of hope, so brilliant” (joy, hope)

13. Do It Again – LOVE AS COURAGE TO GO ON
In the lyrics and also the pv, ayu is trying to convey that even if we sometimes have to sacrifice something dear to us in order to obtain greater things, we should do it. Succes and accomplishment comes with sacrifice and a lot of work.

“(dance dance dance
do it again) x4” (sacrifice)

14. November – LOVE AS THE PRIME ASPECT OF LIFE
Ayu is inviting all of us to a life full of love because this is the only way for us to be complete. She’s using poetic motifs through the lyrics (bird, wind, wing, eyelashes) and the melody uses the xylophone as a main instrument, a first for ayumi’s musical catalog. This song alongside “Love song” have the most powerful lyrics in conveying the message of love.

“If I had one more wing
And could fly freely in the sky like a bird
I'd like to float down your shoulder gently
And fall asleep, whispering love” (inspiration, love)

15.Virgin Road – LOVE AS GRATITUDE TOWARDS PARENTS (lyrics)/ VOWS, MARRIAGE (pv version)
She has the opportunity to thank her dear mom for raising her despite all the hardships from her childhood. She’s asking her parent to stay beside her, taking care of her as always.
A very emotional and unique song in her discography as she’s writing a new chapter in her life now that she’s becoming a married woman.
The pv has another take, concentrating more on ayu’s wedding and honeymoon.

“Thank you from my heart
For all your loneliness, pain, guilt and love until now” (gratitude towards dear ones)

A cicle from Ayumi Hamasaki’s life has ended. On the personal side : she is now married for the first time (with a European man) and soon she’ll leave Japan as well for the first time (decision which was cancelled later). On the carrer side : 12 albums released (12 months – 1 year - a cicle), 50 singles.
Also, coincidence or not, the closing song of this huge era is the very emotional Virgin Road. Her first album track released back in January 1999 was her trademark A Song for xx.
Is there any connection between the two? Many have said yes and I couldn’t agree more.
In ASFxx she’s an introvertite adolescent girl without a clear road ahead of her who’s blaming her mother for her not so happy childhood.
In a simetrical mode, at the end of the 12 years cicle (1998-2010) in 2010 , ayu is a strong, confident, influent and with an accomplished life woman who is thanking her mother for raising her.
That’s why I feel that Love songs is her most strong album to date. She even said that after finishing RnRc tour, she had so many energy left that she felt like she must release a new album soon. That’s how Love songs was created.
In other words, she felt that Love songs must be released.

[labello]

It's quite interesting to see the themes of Ayu's lyrics that appear again and again (just like a theme in classical music that repeats itself). The wings theme appears here again, quite interesting to compare it to other lyrics where she mentions them.
What I actually wanted to compare would be Sweet Season. Whenever I hear somebody talk about Ayu using seasons in a song, I usually think of YOU and not Sweet Season. The refrain of YOU mentions the seasons which is why I usually think of that song:

Wrapped in the spring wind, painting a dream of long ago
The summer clouds broke and disappeared
The autumn sky is sad, the winter sea is cold
The more oblivious I became, the more time passed

Reading those lyrics, it seems pretty sad, bittersweet in a way. Even the part about the summer which usually tends to be positive sounds sad.
In comparison to that, Sweet Season sounds a lot more positive and in a way hopeful, being together through many seasons and now the other persons sets off and Ayu sees a great future for him.
While I was comparing the season aspect of both songs I noticed that this aspect of hope and departure even seemed similar.

YOU:
You’ve been through such a lot
And now you’re here
I’m proud of you every day


Sweet Season:
You set off walking now
After looking back for a moment and smiling nostalgically
You set off walking now
I can see a future full of hope

Those tears shining there now
Are proof that you didn’t give in to yourself

Although Sweet Season doesn't mention being proud I feel like while reading those lyrics, it sounds a lot like she is proud of that other person, similar to YOU where it is directly said. In both songs the other person didn't give up, and in Sweet Season followed the dream they were still thinking of in the end.

This isn't a proper analysis but I at least wanted to compare the lyrics a bit

[Andrenekoi]

IMO Love songs is an album about love (duh!), but not as in romantic love, "love" in a broader way.

I find it interesting that Like a doll comes between two interludes, like Don't look back and Marionette before it. On their respective albums, I believe all of those songs are the focal point of the albums themes. On Like a doll Ayu is singing about how you can never be sad if you just blind yourself from your own feelings, but how much you have to pay for it, as blinding yourself from your own feelings also means not feeling happiness. This is a recurrent theme on Ayu's career, the fear of being sad followed by the fear of becoming empty by not feeling anything in order to not be sad.

I also love the videos we got for this album...

crossroad and MOON also has a lot of vanitas symbols in it, like we discussed on the other threads.

I find the imagery of Ayu slowly burning while watching herself forever young, beautiful and powerful on TV to be a really stronge image. Aging is not an easy process in any circunstance, but it can be specially cruel to women, and even more with those who live from their beauty and youth and are public personalities. The amount of people who doesn't care about her because she is not young and kawaii anymore reminds me of this video.

Paired with it, we got Sweet Season, a video about a rockstar, a party queen, that dreams about having a family. I'm not surprised about how hard she tried to get a serious relationship after this release, the probably realised how much she missed it.

IMO the Do it again video portrays Ayu wearing a armor-like dress and walking through the chaos of the world with two big guard dogs in search for some light, that she finally founds in the end of the video.

The triology, that I really find to be a stunning piece of video, portrays on a dream-like way a story of love and tragedy. Considering Mannie's reflex doesn't show on mirrors and glasses, that his boots don't get wet when he step in water and that Ayu never faces him when they are at the same place during Love song, he was probably already dead in the begining of the video. Was he literally dead and haunting Ayu, his love? Was he literally dead and his memories of him were haunting Ayu, who loved him? Was that just a visual representation of Ayu's memories haunting her? It also seens like they weren't together when Mannie died.

IMO the story here is about a couple of criminals, where the man dies. Once he was dead, he started haunting his true love, the whole process drives the girl to death herself, and they can live together forever on a cinematographic version of their criminal and romantic life.

This album booklet deals with another of Ayu's recurrent symbols: house/home (A song for xx lyrics, Dearest video, Is this LOVE? video, Memorial Address booklet, My Story booklet, fairyland video, GUILTY booklet, Moments video, Sweet scar video, LOVE again booklet, Party Queen booklet, Do it again video, etc.). Usually, a person's home is a symbol for themselves, their own state being represented on their house. This could be the case with Ayu, from the over-populated over-protected house in Dearest to the dark-ish one in GUILTY and Moments, the chaotic doll-like one in MY STORY and the trashed apartment in Party Queen, over here the house is peach-colored, silent, calm, confortable, and maybe for the first time on her career, not opressive. IMO this is the first album where she started she accepting herself as she is, and her first really adult album.

[waterballoon]

Ah Love songs... my favorite Ayu album. Gonna dissect the album bit by bit...

Colors:
I think it's the 1st time in an Ayu album where one color literally dominates the covers and booklets... peachy pink.

It's a girly color, and I think it represents the sort of girlish/child-like innocence of the theme (Love). She wants to display it as a young, fresh, innocent kind of thing. While the lyrics do not entirely describe the idea of "Love" as such, it's clear she wants the album to be portrayed as such.

Also note her look - ponytails, traditionally associated with young girls. Innocent smiles, album covers appear to be shot at a rice field or something. It's very southern farm girl... very very vanilla and pure.

Title:
While "Love songs" don't mean much on its own literally, and many take the album as it is about a bunch of love songs, I believe what it really means is "a collection of love".

The songs inside aren't exactly about romantic love (generally easy to assume due to the dominant color of the album and our general impression of "love")... but more on "a collection of love" in our lives... and each song quite displays a different kind of love.

Love:
1) Love Song - Love for Love
The supposed title track sums up what the album really is about - a collection for love.

Love Song goes through the roller coaster ride that is love - while she proudly declares in the chorus for her/our love for "Love, Dreams & Music", she also mellows in the verses about the other side of love - regret, pain and selfishness.

It is one of her most poignant and accurate title track for an album and man I love this song so much.

2) crossroad - Love for the Past
Nostalgia is a power emotion & "crossroad" mainly sings about our thoughts on "what would happen if I had chosen this back then instead?"

Love for nostalgia is a big theme in crossroad: she repeatedly asks herself her feelings on the past, and what would have been... 'what if...?'

The last chorus/stanza echoes her thoughts in "Heartplace" from the RAINBOW album. I paraphrase... "When I looked at the girl, why was it that I couldn't even look at her?" in crossroad vs "When I looked at the girl I knew in the past, tears rolled down uncontrollably".

A feeling of escape and moving on was in crossroad, as though she knew the past was something she cannot return to, but she can only move on. Yes, life is a crossroad, but sometimes we can only have love for our past.

3) MOON - Love for Pets
Ah the summer song of Love songs...

Um it's highly debatable that MOON is about a romantic love but I actually beg to differ. She gives HUGE hints in the PV that MOON is really about her dead dog.

Remember that Ayu doesn't exactly write lyrics in the most literal sense, but in an abstract manner. While it's easy to read it as a past lover, I would say it's about a past pet.

Of course a dog literally cannot stare at you with its eyes and asked if you loved it, but in an abstract and poetic manner, why not? Ayu is busy at work most of the time anyway, even if said dog is in the studio or whatever, it's understandable she won't have time to be with it all the time... and when it passed away, I would think the sadness and regret from it gave pen to MOON.

4) sending mail - Love for the Unrequited
One of the masterpieces of the album and one of the few that shows a very mellow side to love.

Throughout the song is an upheaval of sounds and volumes... and the lyrics mainly talk about how she wishes to be forgiven and be able to stay close to someone, and wanting to let him/her know about it makes it so painful, and it is almost embarrassing to be honest to that person that eventually, she had to "delete" the mail she wanted to send.

In a way, such cowardice and fear was also in "No way to say", but while that is of a very shy manner, "sending mail" confronts these emotions directly. She knows she is weak, and she sings about it. It's beautifully painful... and just wow.

5) Last angel - Love for the Future
While crossroad deals with the past, Last angel deals with the future.

Throughout the song she sings about past mistakes she may have made (merry nights and lonely mornings) but there is much hope about an angel who has appeared, "An angel smiled, I don't look back or gloss over the past anymore..."

It should be about Mannie but whoever it is for, Last angel clearly sings about a hopeful future that she is looking forward to, and is therefore a love for the future.

6) insomnia - Love for Sleep (no I'm just kidding )
I wouldn't go much over interludes but I'd like to point out the irony in insomnia. After a hopeful song in Last angel, it is ironic for insomnia to kick in - it gives an idea that while the future is hopeful, it gives us fear too. An ability to rest because we're busy thinking of the future...

7) Like a doll - Love for Life
Much like what Andrenekoi said in above post that "Like a doll", "Don't look back" & "Marionette" are all songs sandwiched between 2 interludes, they also have a common theme - do not lie to yourself, do not betray yourself, do not run away.

"Marionette" takes this in a dark manner with a glimpse of hope, "Don't look back" deals with this in a personal and honest way, and "Like a doll", to me, takes these ideas in an uplifting attitude.

"Please do not live like the dead", is a line often repeated, and while in the other 2 songs she only goes about the situation, in "Like a doll" she talks about what actually happens - "Your heart will feel no pain or sadness, but you will never feel joy either."

I get the idea that's who she is, and meeting a new love opens up the possibility of her being able to be honest with herself. She wants to feel love and joy, and to do that, she must feel pain and sadness... she must, well, be human.

9) blossom - Love for Innocence/Purity
In our melodramatic ballad, blossom, a common theme runs in the lyrics - We never know what we will be like when we grow up into adults, and our strength in our youth is precious.

10) Thank U - Love for Fans
Well I'm pretty sure this is obvious enough, lol.

11) Sweet Season - Love for Simplicity
as labello draws the comparison between "YOU" & "Sweet Season", which I concur, I also believe SS is really about a love for simplicity.

it's a very "you and I" kinda song, going through seasons together and appreciating each other's strength to move on in life.

it is simple, relaxing, which explains the Country-esque genre of the song.

of course the PV is a talking point imo, because it brings forward the simplicity theme to the next level. very 60s, very happy, Ayu in a happy family with kids, a hot hubby and a Labrador. and finally a pool party!! in the summer! it's the American Life people dreamed of...

until at the end we realized she was merely dreaming, and the ending being a good prequel to the Party Queen era. it shows to me her insecurities too, that although she had love and hope for all these beautiful things, a part of her can never shake off the doubt because all good things must come to an end.

13) do it again - Love for Sacrifice
dance, dance, dance, do it again.

Hmm, how do I put this. do it again honestly imo isn't exactly about love in any sense, but growing up as an adult, and the kind of sacrifices you have to make.

after "sending mail", "do it again" is probably the other songs heavily on the dark side of love.

drawing reference from "Naturally", "being sad is the same as giving up", it's clear she's on the road of reminiscing, and the kind of things she sang about in her younger days, while still may be true, don't exactly fit in every situation. the naivety she had while young, comes back to haunt her as an adult, because as an adult, you have to make sacrifices.

in the end, she asks the listener what he/she is thinking about, and concludes that "only a dream can..." can what? we don't know, but we are led to believe "only a dream can escape".

14) November - Love for Romance
It's clear as a November sky that November is about Mannie, and our attitude towards this powerful, romantic love that would never falter. never let go, always hold onto his hands, blah blah blah, yup because "nobody in this world is used to losing"

15) Virgin Road - Love for Parents/Gratitude
While "Thank U" blatantly describes gratitude for fans and people who believed in her, "Virgin Road" goes on the personal gratitude toward her mom.

In the PV it appears it is her Bonnie & Clyde fantasy with Mannie but the lyrics clearly is a big "Thank you" to her mom. she has never written a fully positive song toward a direct family member. the closest, "Who..." brings nostalgia and wistfulness, but in "Virgin Road", there is hope... "please watch over us", "a single, warm tear falls"...

I see it as a coming of age song, in her adult days and coming close to a marriage, she realizes the kind of happiness her mother must have felt and for whatever she could have faulted her mother for, she knows she must thank her and ask for her blessing.

16) SEVEN DAYS WAR - Love for Being True To Yourself
I'll just conclude this with one line:

"I will fight, just so I can be myself."

---

So yes, my analysis on the concept of Love songs. It truly is one of my favorite albums, her most cohesive and closely themed... everything was near perfection.

And I wrote an album review when it was released, you can read it here:

http://junniejunxiang.livejournal.com/2592.html

[waterballoon]

I would say it's HIGHLY possible "MOON" is about a generic "lost love", in which "lost" can be that person/thing has gone away, passed away or even disappeared.

I chose to see it as a song for her dog because in the PV we see a glimpse of her "past" in the same room, only she's happy and waving with her dog.

The initial writing might not be for it but I think along the way she got the idea the song could be dedicated to the deceased pet as well.

[Uknow!]

@waterballoon I agree with you in your opinion of MOON. I know Ayu loves dogs and i questioned me a lot of times if she wrote a song for her dogs.
The lyrics of MOON are a little peculiar for to be a song for her dog, but the love you feel about a pet is the most pure and eternal love. The pain reflected in the song about "Aishiteru" can be the pain she feels because she couldn't show all the love she wanted.

[!Lawi!]

Love songs is my favourite album ever so I really enjoyed reading you guys! I have always felt that it was a collection of different forms of love, but your analysis makes it clearer for some songs!

I really feel that November is the ultimate romance-type love song on the album: it's pure romance, with all the beauty, but also fragility and sadness it implies.

I like being able to discuss albums separately but I also believe love songs and party queen should almost be understood together, almost like sequels to each other!

[Andrenekoi]

^I personally see Love Songs, Party Queen and Love Again as a triology about love.

[!Lawi!]

I guess I never included Love again because it never touched me as much as the other two, but you are right!

For me, the sadness in Love again is not intentional: it comes from the fact that it seems like she is trying to recreate the perfect love from Love songs, which is impossible. But that's a discussion for another thread! Thanks for starting those anyway, I'll be reading them all and I can't wait for a MIJ one!