The A one 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
Love Songs
FIVE
Party Queen
LOVE again
Colours
M(A)DE IN JAPAN


A One




01 a Bell
02 WARNING
03 NO FUTURE
04 Anything for You
05 Last minute
06 Zutto...
07 Out of control
08 Story
09 The GIFT
10 The Show Must Go On
11 Walk
12 Movin'on witout you

A one is somewhat a divisive album, even if better received than Colours. People either praise it's throwback to Ayu's characteristic sound, being this album mostly constructed around that, while others find it to be safe and boring. Songs like WARNING, Last Minute and the Utada Hikaru cover Movin'on Without You became fan favorites and generated above the average Youtube views.


You can find the album lyrics in here

You can find the booklet in here


Music Videos

Spoiler:

Tour

[Andrenekoi]

When the album came out, a lot of people theroized after Ayu said there was something hidden in the title, that the "A one" was actually "Alone" without the L. At first I didn't agree with that, but I'm on that boat nowadays :B.

"A" is frequently used by Ayu as an way of refering to herself, but it also means there's only one of something. So, you have two direct references of being alone, the "A", and "ONE" and a hidden one on the supposed "ALONE" of the title.

Why supressing the L? Maybe the L in here is for "Love", and without love, one becomes alone.

But it wasn't the wordplay in the title that changed my mind about it being "ALONE", but the song lyrics, as pretty much every single one of them but 2 of them talk about loneliness in some kind of way:

WARNING

Yes, you don't understand
I don't show you
You don't know the real me
I don't feel like sharing
I don't plan on telling you
I'm my own only

Lalalalalalalai Lalalalalalalai

The prevalence of this is growing
You're starting to demand too much
This hollowed out heart
Won't come back anymore

You got too close
Farewell

NO FUTURE

The backlash of loneliness
That comes after happiness
No matter how many times I experience it
I can never get used to it
Saying “goodbye” instead of “see you tomorrow”
Is just so cold
When “see you tomorrow”
Is always what I really wanted to say

Anything for You

Traces from that faraway day still remain now
Just how far have we journeyed since then?
Right now, someone else stands at the same place
Feeling the same emotions of confusion as we did

We were hurt so strongly that we couldn’t hide our tears
Our pain has always been relieved only with the passing of time

Last minute

I don’t wish to remember your last smile
Just go while I pretend to be asleep
I just wish to be loved, but I’m just
Not able to love anyone, you have surely
Realized that, right?

Zutto...

Forever and always, only mine
To wish that you’ll only be my love
Is that too selfish?
But you are surely
The very last person
For me

Even so, sometimes
A sadness comes from somewhere
Can I blame it
On this snow and season?

07 Out of control

Unable to shed tears, so heartless, loneliness controls me
On such a night, and I want to see noone but you
Noone, only you, can’t have anyone but you
But that’s just me, I have no reason to explain that

08 Story

We pass each other with smiles
Just like two strangers
While gazing at each other's backs
we'll wish the best for each other

From this point own, the album gets less dark and the lyrics finally start talking about finding some kind of companion, either in a relationship or with her public on stage. Funny enough, when you talk about not feeling alone anymore, you are still talking about loneliness, and Ayu sounds eager to finally find love and her public so she wont feel so lonely anymore.

The GIFT

From today, the two of us will live on
to make each other the happiest in the world
After all, this love is a gift from God
the only one in this world

The Show Must Go On

Today too I got to meet those smiles I love, right?
Today too I got to hear those voices I love, right?
No matter how much the ages keep changing
there's one thing that will never change
right here

In the end, even if Ayu can find romantic love or companion on the stage, she still is human, she still messes it up and people still turn against her. In Walk, a lyrics that somehow reminds me of Ivy and a song for XX, Ayu sings once again about how living life her own way can lead her to be alone again, but this time she embraces it, like in WARNING. If the price of being Ayumi Hamasaki is being alone, them loneliness it is.

Walk

Hey, just what do people aim for
That makes them selfish?
Hey, if I had lied
Will I be forgiven?
Hey, just what kind of measure
Do people use to judge others?
Hey, if there’s really a line
That tells us
Not to do it anymore
Who decides on that?

lalalalala lala lalalalalai, that’s my life
But I’m proud, uh, to live this way

Interesting thing is that some people got really bothered that Movin'on without you were an album track, but again, this song talks about loneliness, and of the pain and relief of the moment you decide to move on alone from someone who is hurting you. Again, loneliness.

Movin'on witout you

I've already forgotten
Those promises
I'll return the ring
So give me back my heart
I have to go without you

It's hard, so
I'll break up with you
Acting like a good girl
Isn't easy

I didn't expect it to be so painful
But why is it?
I wonder if it's still too soon

[relmy]

I feel like it goes further than just loneliness, it's about how inevitable becoming alone is. Because sometimes, like WARNING, you push people away with how you choose to live. Or NO FUTURE, where loneliness is almost an assumed conclusion. It doesn't matter how everything plays out, how much you give someone, you end up alone. Even with The show must go on, a song about one constant source of togetherness, the album again reminds you that it's only temporary and loneliness is the result.

I personally feel that there is acceptance of this inevitable loneliness to an extent, when it's from being yourself or holding your ground it's acceptable. I feel like there's still a very Ayu theme of being alone unwillingly though, and wanting to know why - mainly Last minute and out of control. Why does it have to be inevitable that the people you love leave you alone too? Out of control being performed with ASFXX is perfect because of that - "I was born alone. I will go on being alone. I thought that living this way was truly normal". In ASFXX she's crying because she was alone, thought it was normal, but realises it's not - and is lonely. The extra why in the live makes it seem like out of control is another answer to 'why are you crying?' - well, she's not crying, because there's still loneliness, and it always seems to end up that way.

Honestly? One of her best live performances in my opinion, and a pefect duo of songs. ASFXX isn't performed as heavy either, it has a lot of the vulnerability of the version on the ASFXX album, and less of the anger and determination from A BEST or A BALLADS (and later lives). It's very reflective and oh shit, am I here again?

I really like A ONE and clearly have a lot of feelings about it lol, especially out of control. I think it's THE song on the album for me. Even if you can control certain things, accept some loneliness, there's always that one part you can't control.

[Andrenekoi]

^I really liked that! :0000

[YuraiNamida]

I think behind A ONE there is a big deal of mysterious concepts. Just behind the title there is the A(L)ONE theory as said above but I think there is a second letter that is supposed to be there: the S. When A ONE was announced she explained that there was a missing letter. After 4 monthes from A ONE release date she released Sixxxxxx, an album with a concept revolving around the letter S (every track is titled starting with an S letter, the feat. Is with Spexial, the guest in Summer Diary is Shuya and so on). In A ONE there are both the GIFT and The Show Must Go On that are about being unite. The GIFT is about being AS ONE with her husband, The Show Must Go On is about being AS ONE with her fans. Both are the opposite of being Alone.

Moreover A ONE was introduced as a new starting point for Ayu, a new beginning: the beginning of the alphabet i A, while numbers begin with ONE.

The most simple and not that deep meaning is Ayu number One.

[jiarongisme]

I think what's interesting with A ONE was that it was released during the whole "I'm sorry I left Japan behind and moved to LA to escape" period. And because of that, I feel that the whole concept of Cirque de Minuit revolved around that - and it's more fleshed out in the tour than CDL. It almost feels like the 3.5-hour shows were meant to be an "apology" (I believed it was mentioned as such somewhere?) to her fans and also sort of explained what went down in her head during that period. The polarity in analogies above is rather interesting and how I interpreted the era - more specifically, the tour - is rather different as well.

First act - circus ring master (Duty - Microphone)
Very grandeur entrance in Duty, the dancers bowing down to her, carefully planning out every part of the show - there's that one particular moment where she was "discussing" the show with the guy on stilts where I thought it was pretty random but I kinda get it.

You will find me, right?
I'll take a gamble and believe
that you will find me

Relating back to the Out of control thought from relmy, it almost feels like her grandeur performances were almost a facade and a cry for help. Transitioning to Pride, it showed her inner struggle on whether to give up and run away, throw away the facade (Btw, I hate that they treated the colours as such in the DVD haha)

Ah, even if that's the ends of this world
And even if others laugh, saying it's useless
Let's go together, because there's nothing
More frightening than giving up

When it came to Microphone, it's almost like just another day where she has to act strong, constantly reminding herself that she should stay on and that this is what gives her life meaning.

Change is a wonderful thing
But it doesn't mean losing yourself
It's in my roots up to here and from now on
Because I can see it through

I certainly had days
When I felt my limit, turned my back
On everything, and cowered in a corner, but...

Second act - running away (GAME - WARNING)
I saw the two male characters as Ayu's inner voices violently fighting against each other, one to face her fears (stay in Japan), and one to run away (to LA). Obviously the running away thought won.

Hey, little by little
The warmth you left behind begins to dissolve
And when it all disappears, what meaning will this body hold?

Impulses pile up
And I get into a maze with no exit
I search for a way to get away from the realities that suddenly attack
Yet strangely, why
Can't I leave this place?

...

Tell me that pain is an illusion
Tell me that I'm not myself
Tell me; if you don't, I'll just search for your warmth again

This is then followed by the brazen display of "hey, what I did was the right decision. Don't like it? F you." Although she's sometimes pained by what she has done I think. It's interesting to note that the length of this section is EXTREMELY long, almost like she's trying to reinforce that she made the right decision.

my name's WOMEN

There are definitely nights
When we feel a little heartache

Maybe it's true
That people can get stronger and gentler
The more they're hurt

until that Day...

Hey, those people who feel like they know everything about you
Just from a little smiling and exchange of words
Are sorely mistaken

I won't tell you
The reason for my smile
Or the meaning of my words
Cause I don't think
I want to tell you
So there's nothing you can do
Yeah, no body knows the real me
More than you

1 LOVE

Living is to keep making choices with your own hands at all times
If you're gonna interrupt, feel free to with words or whatever until you're satisfied
Such things won't shake me

WARNING

"Remember how you were
When we met sometimes"
You're making me laugh. After all, that's
My line

I'm not an output
For your complaints

I remember she even mentioned on Twitter or responded to someone saying that WARNING depicts the "death" of one side of Ayu.

Third act - sorrow (Diary - Last minute)
The said death of a side of Ayu is better shown by Midoring in Diary. It's almost like the death of that side of Ayu is causing her some form of regret and sadness. She can't seem to stop blaming herself. It's as if she's yearning to be back, to reconcile with herself that she's so desperately searching for.

Diary

Why is it that you passed on...
Why is it that you....
Why is it that I am living on
In a world without you

HAPPY ENDING

Oh morning, please come for me quickly
Before I'm unable to conceal my weakness

It's strange that the nights are so lonely
Just by you not being here

...

If someday I'm can completely redeem myself
And if the day comes when I'm forgiven...

But now I don't have any qualifications
To speak about the definition of happiness

Secret

I long for a place where light shines
Beyond the darkness
Even if I spread my one remaining wing
I can't reach the truth

Last minute

You're thinking that these are the last words, right?
I don't want to hear something like that, even for a second
By becoming a memory, you become eternal
That's more unfair than anything else
Give me back myself

In Last minute, as well, I see Yossy as depicting the soul of the "dead Ayu" that's constantly trying to embrace her, almost saying that she's still deep inside, but she dies by the end of the interlude.

Fourth act - reflections (A Song for xx - Out of control)
Wholeheartedly agree with relmy, which I think fits her inner thoughts during this period of time where she's getting to the realisation that she should revive the "dead Ayu".

Fifth act - reconciliation (Anything for you - progress)
She's came to terms with herself!! The true meaning of her existence as an artist is her fans and that she'll do whatever it takes. She'll do anything to be with them and protect them as long as she's together with her fans and that. Although I also feel that Anything for you is her kinda speaking to herself? The version of Ayu that couldn't forgive herself at first.

You were hurt, weren't you? So much you couldn't hide your tears either
But time alone will always soften the pain

Hey, if it's something I have, I'll give you everything
My strength, my kindness, these feelings of loving you, everything
Hey, that's why you can stay there; just stretch our your hands a bit
It's all right; I will definitely grasp your hands

I can't be sure but this section is mostly about realising that she should be one with her fans, back home in Japan.

forgiveness

We're no more
Than mere dots
Yet we're everything

If someday
It's all connected
We'll become a line

Even if this is just small chunks
Floating in the sky
I'm sure tomorrow
I won't give up
I won't be afraid to fight

progress

The two of us tick away the same time, believe in the same future
Our tears yesterday and our smiles today are both true

We know the same pain and brought the same tenderness
We'll change them into the strength to be able to live in tomorrow

At that time, I was at that place fighting
If everything was so that I could choose the present...

Then is the reason I want to forgive the past
That I turned away from, that I couldn't face and left behind, because I want to be forgiven?

Sixth act - triumphant return to the fans (Rule - Mirrorcle World)
The "I'm gonna truly live and be myself" act. Thinking back on how she came to the realisation that her fans are who she lives for.

Rule

We don't need a rule
Decided by somebody else
'Cause we are the rules
And we won't surrender

...

'Cause you taught me on that day
That nothing is coincidence
It's all inevitable

With Lady Dynamite, I think the performance was more of the highlight instead of the lyrics, the fun little bit where the ladies were fighting against the guys - representative of her with her fans fighting against the negativity perhaps?

I'm sorry, but could you shut up?
We can't hear our own voices
If you want to talk so badly
Then talk to your mom, boys■

once again, thanking the fans for being there, and that they are the source of her happiness.

evolution

We were born in these times
But I was able to meet you

We were born on this earth
That's why I was able to meet you

On the day we were born on this earth
We were certainly somehow happy
We were certainly somehow sad
We were crying
Wow yeah wow yeah wow wow yeah

We were born in these times
But somehow we're moving forward
That's why somehow we're standing here
We're transmitting today
Wow yeah wow yeah wow wow yeah

This is where things got interesting. I think at this point she's kinda contemplating happiness and how to get there in immature. Is the happiness that she's experiencing now an illusion? Surely it's okay to want to be happy right? I also kinda feel that she was kinda fighting something/someone but won in the end with during the entire bit with the elephant.

It's okay if we have days
when we think that we were born
in order to be happy, right?
Hey, if you listen carefully, you can hear
the shout like a prayer that's hidden within

In Mirrorcle World, everything has been reset to the first act, but she's back and stronger, having a firm resolution, back to the strong-ass artist that she is and it's all because of her fans. And that she will not run away again and face her inner demons.

This isn't the time
To run away and act like a victim

Wow I took this more seriously than I thought LOL. But yeah, I found Cirque de Minuit to be so deep concept wise that I thought it was a really interesting case study for an Ayu concert. Probably one of her most conceptual ever (though only based on my analysis - which may not even be true).

[mellody]

^ I always like this kind of analysis, great job!

The only question remains for me is why it's called midnight circus. While circus itself has becoming her theme since 2010, I'm not sure state of day like midnight remains important for her or not.

Perhaps I think too much as well, but this is the ayu we're talking about.

[Irish_Ayu_Fan]

This thread reminding us all how good Cirque de Minuit AT was.

[Andrenekoi]

^^Circus is her thing since Concert Tour 2. It's also used as a visual to Dome Tour and the whole visual concept for A Museum.

And I guess it's a midnight circus because it's a dark one.

[Uknow!]

Some people in this forum had the idea that the missing letter could be T for ATONE, it makes sense because Ayu wanted to repair the damage she had done in the past, but I prefer ALONE and AS ONE theories.

The PV of WARNING is quite interesting because Ayu gathered all the elements that her fans have always criticized about her (homosexuality, sexual concepts, bdsm, theatrical expressions, even the ponytail look from Lady Dynamite). Then she made it in her biggest expression with an orgy lol

I love your theory @jiarongisme, I always thought the same and I share a lot of your ideas.

[relmy]

I wrote a long response to the amazing posts in this thread on my phone, pulled a classic Ayu and lost it all.

In short: I agree with jiarongisme. I feel like immature is the big show piece because it's a song about how it isn't naive or immature to wish for happiness. The original comes from a young person told this by the world/adults, in CdM Ayu is telling us/convincing herself that after everything she still believes in finding happiness.

I think Midnight Circus comes from all the references to making it to tomorrow (literally and metaphorically), holding out through the night and being alone at night. Most of the songs from this tour fit this. I think we've all sat alone at night having a worry about ourselves, it's the tour of that.

As for the title, I like Alone the most as it's what I tale from the album personally. Being alone is different to loneliness, and the exploration of when it tips to loneliness is something I love in Ayu's music. The others all work too though, if it was just meant to be alone she would've called it that. Atone, as one, Ayu going back to square one... Such a great album and tour!

[summerain]

Originally Posted by relmy

I think Midnight Circus comes from all the references to making it to tomorrow (literally and metaphorically), holding out through the night and being alone at night. Most of the songs from this tour fit this. I think we've all sat alone at night having a worry about ourselves, it's the tour of that

I was coming here to say that, thank you.