Hikaru Utada 'First Love' | The Unfading Shape of Memories Captured in Photos | Focus #459
Cover photo by kamikoji
Hikaru Utada's 'First Love,' performed on . Sung 25 years after its original release, this one-take performance transcends music, touching directly on 'memories' themselves.
Each word etched into the lyrics quietly evokes our past, much like the moment we gaze at a photograph.
Music and photography—both are gentle mediums that preserve the feelings we don't want to forget.
Sound and Words Evoke Memories
'Our last kiss tasted like a cigarette flavor.' The vague memory of a scent suddenly resurfaces with music. Similarly, photographs capture not only visuals but also the scent of time and the warmth of touch.
Photo by 朽蓮 kyu-ren
Photos that capture not just beautiful landscapes but also the emotions and atmosphere of the moment linger in our hearts like a heartfelt ballad.
Words Left Behind, Like Photographs, Stay Close
The repeated line 'You are always gonna be my love' resurfaces like a photograph pasted onto the heart. Photographs preserve people we can no longer meet and times we can no longer return to as something 'unfading.'
Photo by yNAK
It may be a record of pain or a testament to love. Either way, photographs allow us to confirm our emotions and prepare ourselves to move toward new love and light.
Photography and Music: Ways to Resist Time
'For now, it's still a sad love song until I can sing a new one.' Hikaru Utada's sense of 'rebirth' resonates with photography. A photo that was painful to take at the time can, years later, become a light illuminating your journey.
Photo by osono_photo
Just as music layers memories, photography quietly layers our emotions. Perhaps that's why we feel compelled to capture even the most ordinary moments.
