Hamasaki 's lyrics , all her own , have resonated among her fans , who praise them as being honest and heartfelt and " expressing determination " ; in two surveys conducted by Oricon , respondents voted Hamasaki 's lyrics as their favorite aspect of her artistry . Steve McClure of '' The Japan Times '' noted that Hamasaki has " developed a reputation as a thoughtful , introspective lyricist " ; Barry Walters of '' The Village Voice '' comments that Hamasaki 's lyrics " pack unlikely insights " . Having " trouble voicing her thoughts " , Hamasaki uses her lyrics as an outlet ; she draws inspiration from her own ( and occasionally her friends ' ) experiences and emotions and tries to put them " honestly into words " . She has stated that honesty is essential to her lyrics , saying , " If I write when I 'm low , it will be a dark song , but I do n't care . I want to be honest with myself at all times . " This meant that she did not use English lyrics until her album '' Rainbow '' , as she felt that she could best express herself in Japanese . As with her musical style , the themes of her lyrics have varied . Her debut album '' A Song for × × '' dealt mostly with themes of " loneliness and confusion " , as did her second album '' Loveppears '' . '' Duty '' likewise expressed feelings of disappointment and confusion . Hamasaki began to take on a more global outlook with her following albums '' I Am ... '' and '' Rainbow '' , branching out to wider themes such as faith and peace . Music critic Tetsu Misaki noted a large change in her lyrics style between her debut album '' A Song for × × '' ( 1999 ) , which mostly dealt with personal problems , and her following albums '' Loveppears '' and '' Duty '' . Misaki believed Hamasaki had begun thinking about her influence on society more , and began writing songs with important messages she wanted to express to her listeners . This was signalled by her not using first person pronouns as much , and instead using the words and more often . As Hamasaki matured , her lyrics began to express more confidence ; themes in her later albums included love and the struggles of women . With '' Guilty '' , Hamasaki began to compose her lyrics not only as an exposition of her personal feelings but as encouragements for her listeners , an outlook she applied in '' Next Level '' as well . In songs such as " Talkin ' 2 Myself " and " Mirrorcle World " , Hamasaki deals with the " awareness and fighting spirit of surviving in a high-risk age " to encourage listeners ; in " Rollin ' " ( from '' Next Level '' ) , Hamasaki writes , " The age is rolling around/At the speed of heading toward the end/Beyond the border/Disappointment and hope fight with each other " . In addition to personal experiences and feelings , Hamasaki bases lyrics on sources such as historical events . The life of Joan of Arc was the inspiration for " Free & Easy " , while a story told to her by her friend about a saint named Mary served as the basis for " M " ; the September 11 attacks inspired " A Song Is Born "
September 11 attacks
September 11 attacks
Ayumi Hamasaki