Lyrics and themes

Hamasaki's lyrics, all her own, have resonated among her fans, who praise them as being honest and "expressing determination". Because she has "trouble voicing her thoughts", Hamasaki uses her lyrics as an outlet; she "draws from her own 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 don't care. I want to be honest with myself at all times." Because of this, she did not use English lyrics until her album Rainbow, as she had felt that she could best express herself in Japanese. As with her musical style, the themes of her lyrics have varied: although "loneliness and confusion" were frequent in her earlier albums, she has branched out to wider themes such as faith and peace; themes in her later albums have included love and the struggles of women. Hamasaki draws inspiration for her lyrics from various sources. A story told to her by her friend about a saint named Mary served as the basis for "M", while the September 11 attacks inspired "A Song Is Born".