I had four songs come to my mind immediately: A Song for xx, M, Memorial Address, and Walk.
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A Song for xx has this phrase that struck me deep and has never left my mind since: "I was born alone. I'll go on living alone / I thought that living this way was truly normal" And even if the song didn't have this truly iconic and unforgettable turn of phrase, it still a phenomenally effective, chillingly honest piece about feeling lost, lonely and out of place in the world. The very beginning is also a highlight: the first three lines, all starting with
why, are so powerful.
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M has another one of those unforgettable phrases: "Beginnings come at random / but endings always have a reason". It's also one of her more interesting love songs, as it talks about how love and loss are inseparable and how and why people still feel need to love someone even though painful things will happen.
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Memorial address is amazingly and painfully (I almost cried just now reading the lyrics again) real about feelings and effects caused by loss. The choruses are all about the feelings you go through as you first process loss (and those feelings are so complicated with Ayu's circumstances) and they are so, so well written, but this time around it was the second verse that really hit me: "The sorrow I had thought to be endless came to an end", but there is still a feeling of emptiness, of feeling "bitterly cold", and grieving is surprisingly complicated; "The sky kept on weeping instead of me this year / I feel as if I were living in the continuation of the dream / and I can't even cry now". And as a bonus, this song also has some striking lines that have really stuck in my mind: "Leaving an unfading scar on my heart / you became a star by yourself", " I can't accept the coldness of the eternal parting".
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Walk is a great example of older Ayu's work. It's a song full of introspection and second-guessing yourself (relatable), but Ayu (or the speaker of these lyrics; this is one of those cases where there doesn't seem to be much distance between the two) also has the maturity to be content with herself and say "But I’m proud, uh, to live this way". Also, I find these lyrics very evocative: reading the lyrics and listening to the song, I can easily picture Ayu walking around a wintery town, observing other people and sinking into her own thoughts.
Other songs I want to mention:
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untitled ~for her~ is beautiful and amazing but might require some context to really hit with its full power.
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Ivy is another great example of the new maturity in Ayu's recent works.
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Love song is a powerful statement of purpose. "Without uncompromisable thoughts / life is boring and meaningless"... tell them, Ayu!
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POWDER SNOW is the ultimate song of teen angst.
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monochrome has such interesting lyrics, but I can't put into words what exactly it is about them that's so great.
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no more words with some more iconic lines: "If this world were split into / winners and losers / I'd rather be a loser / I always want to be a loser."
I need to stop now before this gets out of hand.
