Matsuura Aya – Subject: Sayonara “10TH ANNIVERSARY BEST” SPECIAL LIVE December 20, 2011

Not too long ago Aya celebrated the tenth anniversary of her debut with a special performance at the Cotton Club in Tokyo. There we got the first unveiling of Subject: Sayonara, the sole new song to appear on her 10th Anniversary Best album due out tomorrow.

Previously, we only had a rough fanrecording of the song to go by, but this morning UpFrontTunes released the entire performance on Youtube:

Written by Takeuchi Mariya (someone who Matsuura fans should recognize, as her 2008 musical Mariya – Honki de Only You was based entirely on Takeuchi’s music) Subject: Sayonara is certainly a haunting and beautiful ballad, helped in no little part by Aya’s fantastic voice. The amount of emotion she is able convey through merely the inflections in her voice is absolutely wondrous.

Also, I know I’ve said it before, but she really does work fantastically with a live band. It just adds that inexplicable organic element, and just helps everything feel just that much more alive.

Edit: Through the magic of time, what was once tomorrow is now today and Aya’s 10th Anniversary Best is now available for purchase! I’ve updated the appropriate links over in the side-pane. This album really is perfect for all Ayaya fans. Don’t care much for her newer, non idol-styled work? No problem as it’s filled mostly with her classics. Or do you simply yearn for more new work from her? Well this is all your gonna get for the time being so you better just smile and take what you can get!