Fuji Rock’s lineup this year is a good showcase of just how strong and vibrant the output from Japan’s singer-songwriter community is. It is a shame that they get very little coverage overseas, yet that doesn’t mean that there aren’t some real gems out there. Ayano Kaneko is one such diamond, and the packed (albeit properly socially distanced) crowd at the White Stage at noon on Saturday was proof that, at least domestically, there is a lot of support for her and her music.

A musician, actress and model, Kaneko released her most recent album Yosuga just a few months back. It is an album suffused with both empowerment and doubt, of solidarity and uncertainty. Her Fuji Rock performance echoed those themes, and it was a surprisingly moving set. She started things off with Houyu, the first track off Yosuga, a heartfelt and nostalgic song. While her singing and guitar playing are very much at the forefront of the performance, the band (especially lead guitars) help to fill out her sound.

Their third song, Goaisatsu, injected a little rhythm into the equation via some solid bass-work and heavily reverbed guitar. It also saw Kaneko put her whole soul into her vocal performance, voice wailing and nearly cracking with emotion and vulnerability at times. This was a much different persona from the snarling and nearly spat delivery of the next song Sezon.

This is not to say that this set was all sadness and anger. A thread of tranquility ran through her song, and some, like the popular Shukujitsu, seemed to swell with guarded optimism, though punctuated at times with flaring with tempestuous emotion as well. Towards the end of the set things really heated up with tunes like Ai No Mama Wo, a rocking crowd favorite, and rollicking set closer Arcade, which was big, brash and bold. This saw Kaneko end her set on a strong and confident note.

At all times throughout the performance, Kaneko bore her emotions for all to see, and it encouraged the audience to share and embrace those feelings in themselves, for better or for worse. It was brave and cathartic, and a little draining for anyone with a functioning sense of empathy. It was also a reminder that great music subsists on water drawn from deep wells of emotion.