心做し (Kokoronashi)

The song "心做し (Kokoronashi)," performed by a VOCALOID, delves into themes of emotional pain, unrequited love, and the struggle to connect with one's own feelings. VOCALOID is a singing voice synthesizer software, and its characters, like Hatsune Miku, have become virtual pop stars with a massive following. The songs created using VOCALOID often explore a wide range of human emotions, despite the artificial nature of the performers.

The lyrics of "Kokoronashi" suggest a deep sense of despair and longing. The repeated questions at the beginning of the verses ('If I could throw everything away, would it become easier to live with a smile?' and 'If I could forget everything, would it become easier to live without crying?') indicate a desire to escape from the pain of unrequited love or emotional turmoil. The protagonist feels overwhelmed by their emotions and wishes for a simpler existence, free from the heartache that love brings.

The chorus reveals the crux of the protagonist's struggle: despite being loved or getting close to someone, they feel as if they have only one heart that cannot reciprocate or fully understand love ('No matter how much I'm loved, my heart is only one'). The plea for the other person to be harsh, to break and tear them apart, is a metaphor for the protagonist's wish to be freed from the emotional bonds that they find suffocating. The song ends with a poignant line where the protagonist questions the existence of their own heart, to which the response is that it's right there, suggesting that the ability to feel and love is inherent, even if it's painful or difficult to recognize.