Ah! Ao's Playlist has finally arrived!

Blue-Boo's bouta give you them sweet, weeaboo jams. (Not really).

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1: WILD - Back to You

   Let's start things off happy-go-lucky! For this one, not only is the song cheerful and upbeat like Ao usually tends to be (always the optimist supporter), but the meaning behind it definitely reminds me of Ao. You could say that this is her feelings towards Jack, but I also see this as how she feels about love in general. More importantly, how she feels about love towards those closest to her. Love is one of her main—if not the only—driving forces she has and, no matter what, she uses it to persevere beyond her obstacles.  

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2: HINTO -『なつかしい人』(Natsukashi Hito)

   WEEB MODE ACTIVATED
   So I know a lot of you won't be able to understand the title, but what it means is: Nostalgic Person, or Nostalgia.
   Unfortunately, I don't know the lyrics to this song, although maybe one of you all can find a way to translate and send it to me. I really love this song and wish to know what it's about too.
   Regarding Ao, I don't have a reason why she would like this song. I mean, who wouldn't? It's catchy, has a funky feel to it at one point, the guitar sounds damn amazing. Plus, I've seen in the comments for the MV that it reminds people of an OP song for anime, and I agree, since it has that energetic, cool vibe to it.
   I'm sure Ao would know the lyrics to this song and relate to it in some way, but for now, all I can say is that it's bomb asf and would definitely be on her playlist.

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3: Adele - Make You Feel My Love

   Ahh, yes, Adele. Once I remembered this song, I knew it had to be something Ao would listen to.
   Of course, listening to this song, I can't help but feel like this song portrays her feelings for Jack during C&B. Even when he was unwilling to be near her for fear of her safety or for fear of his own emotions, she still wanted to support and care for him. Even if she sees the bad sides of him, she wants to love him anyway. And even if he also doesn't believe in himself, she'll always be his #1 fan.

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4: Jon Bellion - Guillotine

   *Klance/Dirty Laundry fans stampEDE*
   Not only is this song catchy asf, but I see it as Ao's and Jack's relationship during Terrible Fates. At first, it was Jack being the closed off one while Ao did her best to get him to open up. Now, with her stressful responsibilities as the Proxy, Ao is the one who's become distant and problematic and Jack is the one keeping her grounded. You could say he's become her #1 fan, even if she has her episodes of anxiety and depression and maybe does or says stuff she doesn't mean. This time she's the one getting the constant love, and she cherishes every second.

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5: THE NOVEMBERS - Emerald

   Again, weEB MODE ACTIVATED
   For this one, I can actually give y'all the English lyrics. Although I don't exactly know how they're connected to Ao, I feel they are somehow. Here they are:

Even the whispers
We've come to know as love
Will suddenly change
Into words said for fun

We won't give you our word
Won't even make a single promise
To the days we all laughed at the same things

The vapor trails
Trace a line in the sky
As if forgiven like the sun
Like a child frolicking happily

Don't rush yourself
And never miss your chances
We're just admiring
The foam as it rises up
From the emerald sea
As we sink down and down

In the water's surface
If you squint just a little bit
There's a stranger's face like the sun
Like a child frolicking happily
Don't rush yourself
And never miss your chances

Show off your smile
Not for the sake of anyone
Show off your smile
Love is always
Giving us little tests
Not for the sake of anyone
But to we who cannot stop aging

We're just living our lives honestly
Humming the songs we wrote yesterday
We all race ahead
Like we did long ago
We're coming to get you
Coming to get the real you

   Again, like with HINTO's song, this one seems to be something that Ao would listen to. It's got that chill, summer vibe to it that you wanna listen to at the beach or on a nice car ride. The rest of THE NOVEMBERS' songs are hella good too, and I'd suggest y'all to check them out.

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6: Duumu - Illuminate feat. Slyleaf

   Okay this one—now, this one just makes me cry.
   This song reminds of Ao's optimism, not only towards others but to herself as well. The words sung here are what she'd probably say to others, to herself when she's feeling down, and probably what Sam would tell her in her time of need. It's because of this mentality of hope, love, and faith that make her the optimistic, nerdy bean she is.
   Plus, the voice clip in the middle of the song always makes me feel like I'm a kid showing something amazing to my parents. And then this feeling reminds me of Ao's love and inspiration for her parents (you know, when everything was okay), and how she cherished her childhood greatly. In general, this song is feelsy and definitely suits Ao in every way, from the gentleness of it to the lyrics itself.

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7: Grant - Are We Still Young (feat. Jessi Mason)

   Fuck, this bad boy's a bOP.
   Going back to the concept of her cherishing her childhood, this song also captures that. But more importantly than that, I've realized over time—as I write Ao's POV segments and read readers' analytic comments—that one of the main themes revolving around her character is growing up; responsibility; maturity.
   She had to become stronger in such a short amount of time and so suddenly. She left behind a life she endeared despite its moments of challenge. Not only that but her potential immortality poses a bigger stress on her. She can't help but reminisce and long for those peaceful times when she was still young, naive, and had her ambitions. I feel this song captures that in the perfect future bass track that makes you wanna dance despite the lyrics, and it's one of my personal favorites.

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8: Macklemore - Good Old Days (feat. Kesha)

   AGAIN, this is another song that captures Ao's reminisce and longing, but the difference here is its seen in a more positive light, if ya get me? It's an upbeat yet bittersweet song that kinda makes you smile and reflect on your own experiences that have shaped you to who you are now.
   Along with this, the line "you don't know what you've got til' it goes, til' it's gone" really reminds me of Ao losing Sam (*fans triggerED*), especially since she never expected to ever let him go. All in all, this song makes ya think and might even make you cry. And I'm not done just yet! MoRE SAD SONGS INCOMING.

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9: Aimer - Hosikuzu Venus (Live version)

   fUcKc, THIS IS TOO MUCH WEEB
   But on a serious note, this song is absolutely beautiful and so are the lyrics, which I've got for you all! Check 'em out:

I laughed, not because I was "strong"
You don't want to see my crying face any longer, do you?
Like stardust, a single grain of our meeting, Will end in Goodbye?
My last words are nowhere to be found

That's right, I'm okay because I'm strong
I won't raise my face and say "sorry" anymore, because it's painful

It's so precious, although it wasn't expected
Now I miss it, but I'll walk on even though I'm alone

I laughed, not because I was "strong"
You don't want to see my crying face any longer, do you?
Like stardust, a single grain of our meeting...
It's all right
The next light is right there

Yeah, if we're just going to make sad faces,
I'd rather we raise our heads and smile brighter than before

You're so precious, every second that I spent with you
Now I miss you... I'll embrace that feeling and walk on

I laughed, not because I was "strong"
You don't want to see my crying face any longer, do you?
Please, remember me at my most beautiful
Is it time to say goodbye already?
That last word is nowhere to be found

Even now, the tears just won't stop...

What I wished for wasn't anything grand—
Just for you to say, "It's alright if you stay."
Like stardust, remember me as I am
It's all right
Our next meeting is just right there.

   ...Got an idea what this song represents? Because I sure don't, haha...ha..haHAA.
   Yes, upon listening to this song and reading the lyrics (which are one of many versions, but the one above so happened to be the best in my opinion) I immediately thought of Ao and her bond with Sam.
   I'll admit that while I wrote Sam's passing in C&B, I had been sobbing profusely. Not only am I an extremely empathetic person, but he was...like my child, a precious thing that I created with care. It was like Ellie's death in KP all over again, but stronger because you experienced it through Ao's perspective. It was like losing a dear friend and you couldn't do anything about it. Even in the last moments, Ao's love was still there and it had overpowered her sorrow and mourning. And the both of them had smiled with all the beauty in the world to share their final moment together.
   I'd like to think that this song is accurate to Ao's feelings towards the ordeal. She loved Sam with all her heart and misses him greatly, and she knows he'd want her to remain the happy, kind bean she's always been. And what's a bit more saddening once you think about it is, if Natsukashi Hito is kind of like an opening song, Hoshikuzu Venus would be the ending track. It has the melodic, bittersweet vibe and tone of an ED song to a long, tiring journey finally laid to rest. And yet the story is not over.

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10: Ryuichi Sakamoto - Blu

   Ahhh, y'all thought this playlist wouldn't at least have one orchestra piece in it??!? HA.
   Coincidentally, this piece is titled, "Blu", haha.
   At first when I listened to this, it reminded me of something you'd hear in a Studio Ghibli film. Ryuichi Sakamoto is one of the best contemporary composers out there right now and his pieces are just amazing. This one in particular has a magical, mysterious, story-telling air to it. Then I thought the song could fit well into Ao's playlist, plus Sakamoto would probably be a favorite of hers.
There's no singing in this, meaning no lyrics to analyze and give meaning toward Ao, but I'd like to take a different approach. A voice may not be singing, but the instruments and the emotion they invoke are.

In the beginning, the piano is alone, dancing with all the grace in the world, and I always imagine its sound to represent Sam. Everything started with him; the first to be born, until his death, and then he was reborn into Emily. The first melody = the first link to the Proxy's legacy.
When the clarinet accompanies the piano, I imagine it to be Ao (or Emily) joining Sam. As the clarinet plays, I continue to imagine Ao. Whenever the wind instruments, such as the clarinet, flute (not technically wind but you understand) and obo play, it's always Ao, the gentle, swift dancer.
Then the string instruments start doing a march. I hear this as the march towards adventure or even danger. As the march increases in volume, so does the journey that Ao and Sam take during the course of C&B.
Ao's sound and Sam's sound beginning playing in unison, as if they're dancing a beautiful duet together, nearly ethereal.
When the cellos play in unison, I'm not sure what or who they represent. I always imagine Jack, or even the whole gang, coming in, and this symbolizes when Ao becomes involved with her duty as the Proxy. The cellos play the same melody as the flute did in the beginning and I see this as everyone in the gang becoming integrated in her life, becoming important to her, supporting her and her endeavors.
The march is still going. The flutes, and clarinets, and obos keep playing their melody; Ao is still there. The piano—Sam—comes in a few times but it's brief, yet it's waiting patiently or it even quietly blends in with the flutes' melody. The march continues and continues and crescendos more and more, until the final climax of the song at the end, where the whole orchestra is playing as one! The journey is at its end, the final fight is being fought, resolutions are being made. And then...
The piano is the last to play it's final scale, a gentle, beautiful farewell that fades off...and then Sam is gone. He's made his last goodbye, has finished his dance and leaves the journey to Ao, leaves his legacy to her to nurture and carry on.

And that, my children, is how and why this piece sings.
Also, I suggest to watch the video as well. It may just be a bunch of instruments playing, but the cinematography is absolutely stunning.

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That's all for Ao's playlist! Hope you enjoyed! Next up is Jackaboy's!~

See ya! :D