Composer reacts: Flow | Final Fantasy XIV

Composer: Masayoshi Soken
• FINAL FANTASY XIV - Flow
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[@wherestoomy8880]

Heyya ! @Atlasbenighted Thank you so much for the insight and breakdown ! This is.. my favourite theme probably of anything quite literally.. A Song of hope that resides deeply and always within life, where goes despair so does hope, and where darkness goes so does light. It’s a song from Hydaelyn herself, and her message of the Song of Hope as I see it. I don’t have the proper words to explain it or neither would there be any to explain how I feel.. but it’s a special one in my heart after a very long journey.. And our journey will never end.. I hope others too can add their insights and how they felt with it and more ! Thank you so muchh Atlas and everyone and hope all of ya have a great day and as always ! 😎❤️

[@AtlasBenighted]

Thanks for the request!

[@Mirikyrana]

The song is a goodbye that was building up for 10 years. So this song carries a lot of emotional weight.

[@AtlasBenighted]

I can tell

[@LazzyVamples]

But in-universe, it represents a reunion and then a goodbye that was building for 12000 years.

[@vegeta2998]

It does even more so since the singer said she had to try to record a couple of times due to breaking down singing this song.

[@Nimoot]

But only 1 year in-game time story-wise.

[@ninjafoxgamesgeekery4555]

@@vegeta2998 Makes me think of just how impressive Marina Kawano's performance is for NieR Automata's Weight of the World as she actually sings while crying towards the end on the recorded track.

[@kennycardoso]

Amanda on vocals and Keiko on piano = masterpiece flow made by Soken

[@alanastevenson]

For real. I was lucky enough to get tickets to FFXIV's FanFest in Vegas, and the piano and orchestra concerts (which included Amanda singing) were my favorite part! Keiko is an absolute beast at the piano, and I felt very lucky to hear her play live!

[@Kaosi]

Flow is the "Thank you" to Answers "I'm sorry."

[@kingjade]

Listen here... the song is enough to tear me up, you dont need to come in and help...

[@ninjafoxgamesgeekery4555]

Something I don't see enough note on this song is that it also feels like it's got multiple directions. It first plays between the Warrior of Light and Venat'daelyn. But it also plays between Warrior of Light and Meteion. If you listen to the lyrics with the thought of Venat speaking to Meteion at the end, it hits just as hard but differently than it does between Venat & WoL.

[@Artificer_Lavender]

@@ninjafoxgamesgeekery4555good insight. The song gets deeper when you look at Flow Together, it’s flow with an added electric guitar that was used to represent the WOL/WOD especially in Shadowbringers. Flow together is very intently Venat/hydaelyn singing with the WoL instead of to them.

[@GimmeTOKYO]

Every. Single. Time. I cry when this song starts.

[@RichardHudlin]

Me too. It hurts in a good way.

[@astaphe9186]

"Welcome and Well met, my brave little spark..." *me, immediately sobbing because Crystal Mom is proud of me*

[@ritsuko89]

This is something I read from Masayoshi Soken's X (formally known as Twitter): The song "flow" that appears in ENDWALKER is sung by Amanda who sang "tomorrow&tomorrow". I received the recording of her song and finished mixing the music, and the song was completed once. But.... but she appealed to me to sing the song again, after letting the melody and lyrics blend more deeply into her mind. The song she sang again was awsome, and I couldn't stop shaking when I was mixing it into "flow". By the way, she also said something like this. I couldnt stop crying when I read the lyrics of FLOW. When I sing, the lyrics get into my mind and I can't sing well because I cry. So please give me some time to overcome this. she is gonna say that? I'm gonna cry! :_(　:_(

[@cobbil]

There was an interview she did recently (I forget the youtuber's name) where she said she has to compartmentalize her emotions, because she'll end up a sobbing mess when she sings Flow.

[@DustInTime]

@@cobbil Was it with Grinding Gear? They did an interview with her this past Monday!

[@Cellybeans]

@@DustInTime I'm listening to that podcast right now as well :D

[@DustInTime]

@@Cellybeans They do a great job with their interviews! Always fun to listen to!

[@pinkchckn]

@@DustInTimemight've been MarcoMeatball. He used to be an opera singer, and does a lot of content with other people in the industry related to gaming. Some time ago he made a video interviewing Amanda and the topic of the interview was just this song.

[@cobbil]

Amanda Achen as given us two of my favorite songs in FFXIV: Flow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow. Her voice is so divine, its almost criminal.

[@unlikelyraven7374]

She's also the singer in the Dawntrail trailer ^.^

[@Theheadless1858]

Hydaelyn is a goddess of light who presides over the forces of peace and tranquility. She resides in the heart of what the game calls the ethereal sea, where the souls of the departed go to rest, be cleansed and ultimately be reborn. The song is meant to represent her lovingly receiving souls into her embrace, assuring them it is okay to let go and close their eyes to find peace, with the promise that once cleansed, they will be carried by the eternal winds back up to the world of the living and that she will forever lovingly wait for them as the cycle of death and rebirth continues again and again forever.

[@Angarato86]

very well said. man this game is so beautiful just your explantion made me tear up alittle. I love Venat so much in my interpatation its also the song she entrusts you with to "teach her a brigther melody" to alter her "flow" of dynamis. to become 1 of the rebirth. you at the very end teach her this song that you got from hydaelin so meteion can sing it with her power of dynamis to heal the universe and let all the dead planets restart their rebirth cycle.

[@CrashB111]

And she's always been characterized as a perfectly loving mother goddess, the people of Etheirys are all her children. And everything she's ever done has been out of undying love for her children. So Flow gets added emotional weight when it's basically a loving mother singing a lullaby to her children.

[@nelvyraven7627]

I'm crying damn, all those we lost during the game and got a "glimpse" of them in the ethereal sea. Knowing they are resting in her embrace to be reborn, that's so beautiful

[@SirMoribund]

I can't listen to this song without tearing up. I'm a grown man and when I encountered this in the game, it totally wrecked me.

[@DeeFourCee]

This song is the Sequel to Answers. The first song which is about Hydelyn and Humanity singing about its struggles. This song is her talking to us THE PLAYER and in-game character about our journey. How we far we have come and how far we have travelled. How strong we have gotten as she watched over us. Finally, as we have the opportunity to meet her she sings this melancholic song.

[@AtlasBenighted]

There you go

[@dustyfairywingstoo]

This song is a sort of lullaby and swan song the game’s mother goddess sings to the player character. That’s one of the reasons it hits us all right in the feels. It’s all the more heartbreaking when you know the context of your final meeting with Her.

[@AtlasBenighted]

Absolutely, has a lullaby maternal touch

[@MrDoot-hj2ir]

This song is Hydaelyn offering her lap for us to lay after saving the world

[@Khelleyne]

Dude, over a decade since the start of this amazing story. This song is getting me each freaking time.

[@Lucyfer1102]

I love this song. As in... LOVE this song. It never fail to make me tearing up. The way Amanda sings it, the way the emotion in story mixing with it, weight heavily on my heart.

[@austinmartin612]

I can't listen to this song at all without tearing up a bit, there's so much emotion that "flows" from this song both in context and not. But if you've played the game and got involved in the story, it really is just meant to break you, it's a goodbye to a constant companion you didn't even know you had really, but now that you know they were with you every step of the way suddenly you don't want to see them go.

[@aerieleah533]

This song is our thank you. Answers is the I'm sorry. They are both the same character, and a rocky version of this song plays when she appears first. It isn't strictly her death but Her pride in the PC and their allies, along with the echoes of Her love on display here.

[@ninjafoxgamesgeekery4555]

I feel like there's one little twist as well. Most focus entirely on Venat & the Warrior of Light's story, but... It also plays at the very end. I personally interpret that choice being the same pride for one lone little blue bird amidst a flock of black. Because she, too, "wandered long", "past every fate". And there at the end, her desire is to also "sing once more, share of your life Far greater than memory, its loss and love words cannot hold Boundless, the tale overflows and carries your light out to sea" From Venat, through the Warrior of Light, it flows to that little blue bird to sing a song of hope, "Where in time, all shall as hope be reborn." And that hits really hard for me because I always interpreted the Elpis Bloom scene as the Warrior of Light trusting the Meteion he met is still in there and still has hope buried in her heart. The flowers were simply the way to prove she wasn't lost to despair herself. The WoL banked on that as the way forward and at the end, it feels like Venat may have always held some hope for Meteion as well.

[@aerieleah533]

@@ninjafoxgamesgeekery4555 I agree completely. It's a beautiful way of looking at it. I always thought Venat didn't want Meteion brought to ruin. She wanted her to find a brighter future. Meteion had the same sense of wonder and love for the world when we first met her that Venat had. And that, I think, connected them. She embodied what Venat loved, and that was tarnished. She wanted us to help Meteion regain that sense of wonder and joy.

[@REIL2LYFE]

Dang, I'm tearing up again.

[@RoxieBunnyHeart]

As always you nailed its significance on the head. The character saying goodbye has had maternal vibes attached to her since the base game, so when you said it was like a hug before saying goodbye... That's exactly what was happening. I don't think I"ll ever not well up at this song. ;w;

[@AtlasBenighted]

Awesome!

[@melanclock]

This song is like your mother on her deathbed telling you how proud she is and that she will live on through you

[@Hato1992]

I love that song. I was in crucial part of story. And spoiler now: there was probably no good answer to what happen, antagonist done what they done because of sadness and sorrow. This song shows that, they wanted to not lose hope in spite of that. But more emotional moment of story for me was before that. Where you had to run around barren land, all your friends are gone. You are alone. And there's no music even. There's only you and her: silence.

[@gappy6964]

The way more parts of the song that played it that area would come into the mix the more alone you became (vague wording to avoid spoils 😭) it gets me to tears every time

[@DefenderX]

Both songs are connected to Hydaelyn, a deity of light tasked with protecting the people. If Answers was her plea for help, Flow is her thank you and good bye.

[@proudlarry8225]

Every time I hear DEEP DAAAAAAAAARK FAR AWAAAAAAY I can't keep it in.

[@mallowhoney]

The tremolo notes at the beginning really give the vibe of a deep shuddering inhale when you're trying not to cry, which is incredibly fitting because every player is going through that lol

[@danieljauregui8753]

Keiko-san is the piano player, she speaks with her heart when she plays.

[@lilacmoon93]

I went to the Fanfest in Tokyo this January and got to see Amanda and Keiko live. Hearing this song belting out from the centre of Tokyo Dome was incredible. I swear Amanda didn't need her microphone if she didn't want it. She has such a strong voice from her Opera training. So much emotion and it left me in tears.

[@AtlasBenighted]

Awesome!

[@dinojohn1938]

its Hydaelyn (aka god) answering her peoples prayers think of the song Answers as the call and Flow as the response

[@paulcrimson3824]

It is one of the best and most beautiful songs of FFXIV. Amanda is amazing she is so talented and has a incredible voice. And yeah ''Flow'' is very emotional. Mostly if you played the story of Endwalker and know the context. ff14 music is amazing and glad that you always react to them and describe everything so well. I mean without playing the game.

[@Calculusman1084]

been 7 months since I beat EW, and I still cry so hard hearing this. besides the amazing arrangement, Crystal Mommy's Voice, and lyrics, are just heart wrenching in the most beautiful way possible.

[@BlakeAustin2011]

The minimalist approach to the song represents how this Endwalker expansion was explicitly designed to be a single-player experience. The developers wanted to create a since of isolation and introspection. A social online game became an ultimate solo experience. Also, pianists call the chords rolled, or at least that’s how I was taught way back when.

[@bigdracha700]

I honesty can listen to this song without recounting my start of ff14 in Japanese beta all the way through endwalker like a person who is remembering the adventure that was his life. Overwhelming every time.

[@Merandil94]

Would be interesting to now also hear about Flow Together, since they go hand in hand.

[@bamdeezclips6259]

Always a delight to see your reactions , Atlas!

[@AtlasBenighted]

Thanks mate!

[@riv4196]

Song is about a mother figure/god receiving a soul into death. Weighing their past meanings and biding them to wish others well. Remembering the blessings of life as they drift off.

[@JayBigDadyCy]

The vocals are absolutely astonishing. As a lifelong musician - She is just incredible.

[@Simpaiii]

Me starting this video: "You're a grown ass man, you can do this!" 3 notes in Me hitting pause: "Nope! :'( "

[@coollakshman]

This song is a perfect example of how metal can unleash a whirlwind of energy. Btw Nick Thurl Mavromatis has done it again! His new song is a masterpiece. React to it now!

[@MinimyoCaly]

Thank you, so much, for paying attention to the lyrics.

[@AtlasBenighted]

Of course!

[@MeganBomar]

Amanda Achen's voice is so beautiful and both Soken Masayoshi and Nobuo Uematsu are masters of their art, I loved Susan Calloway for Answers just as much as Amanda's voice here. All this brilliant music really makes the game so impactful, especially at the large story impact points like this one. It's so wonderful to see people enjoying this music even without the deeper connections with the game. The purpose of this song is to remark at the impossible journey of the player's character from a time far ahead to have gone back and met someone who would be the reason that you inevitably have the strength and knowledge at the end of this major story arc to do what needs to be done to save not just your own world but so many others too and so it is both a "hello again after so long" and a "good bye" because your road doesn't stop there but this person came all that way, the long way round through time, to meet you and make sure you could do it. Edit: No longer a fan of Susan Calloway, just for clarification, but I do love Answers. Wish she had turned out to be a better person.

[@ChainedFei]

The music is only half of it. The rest of the love is in a story that was well told, and exceeded all expectations.

[@EvraeFrelia]

If I recall, towards the end of the song, that cry heard where you commented it was “dark” was Amanda crying a bit during the song. I read somewhere the song hit her hard emotionally to sing. It’s a beautiful yet sad song, supposedly sung by Hydaelyn herself to bid farewell to her children you and the world she once saved upon her death. It’s really really sad

[@AtlasBenighted]

I read she had trouble singing in it, because she would break up crying

[@ninjafoxgamesgeekery4555]

Answers, Dragonsong, Revolutions = Susan Calloway, the musical voice of Hydaelyn Tomorrow & Tomorrow, Flow = Amanda Achen, the musical voice of Venat

[@undercoverspy123]

Time to tear up again

[@TankyCrobat]

I will *not* tell you good sir whether your ending theory was true or not. I will just sit here and listen to the song again with my teary eyes lol

[@yurukiiOWO]

i always wonder if soken was influenced a bit by hikari by elise. the two songs are so similar it's beautiful

[@guitari]

arpeggiated

[@Melon-by5bs]

After watching your tomorrow and tomorrow video I was hoping you'd get to this one! I definitely recommend listening to another Endwalker track called "Close the distance"

[@vilyar122]

on piano it's called glissando. it's mommy crystal's goodbye to us.

[@AtlasBenighted]

Oh, like the harp! thanks!

[@mangalover0149]

I recommend you watch the video she did on her channel! It sounds pretty much exactly the same as the studio version.

[@AtlasBenighted]

Bet

[@Meirnon]

It's less a goodbye, and more just a song about death/dying and posterity in general. You could go deeper into who it's sung from the perspective of and why, but that's spoiler territory, and also not ultimately super important to the message of the song being about acceptance and the importance of having lived.

[@kielyarger5283]

Spoilers here: The song is first played when you defeat and overcome Hydelaen, who makes us defeat her before we can go out into the bigger universe and fight the final boss of the expansion. The lyrics are meant to reflect her love and the dreams and ambitions of the things that will come after she is gone now that we have moved past her, and to remind of us that the journey we've made along the way with her at our side over the last 10 years is only one of many steps in our journey. It is later played again when we are at the lowest point to remind the player that they aren't alone. It's a song from a mother to her child pushing them out into the world, knowing she is no longer part of it.

[@ritmovesuviano]

A request. React to End Up Dead by Nick Thurl Mavromatis 😍

[@psychogiggles5289]

I'm very sensitive and I cry for almost everything..... This song destroyed me emotionally

[@AtlasBenighted]

Mission Success

[@NotExplicable]

😭😭😭😭

[@thehurricane6767]

Stupid question. But why are all the musical words italian/french?

[@unlikelyraven7374]

They were the dominant languages of culture during the rise of classical music, when many of these words were invented

[@Wyrd-Oh]

Honestly it's criminal you have listened to FFXIV's "Fiend" track yet, I think you'd get a real kick out of it

[@creamybunnyNA]

do you know.. La hee?

[@AtlasBenighted]

La-hee here kzbin.info/www/bejne/qnPUXoGQe5KNe9k

[@MaskedBishop]

The song sounds VERY corny at first imo, but the emotional impact is strong once the game has managed to load the tune with story and important scenes.