If AHS is still open then. Forums, even long established ones, often close down completely and suddenly.

This news really has me in a negative mood... (.__. )

I don't know... seems like she's been very half-assed to all the fans that have given their hard earned money to support her and her career.

I get the growth aspect but with as much time as she takes off between releases she could be doing all that "human" stuff she speaks of.

Every artist should care about their fan base. The fans pay for the majority of their continuing lavish lifestyles...

Ehh.. I never thought about AHS being close down :dead2. It will be quite a nightmare to me, as AHS is kind of a long established forum for me.

Actually when was the birth year of AHS? 2000? or 2001?

^I believe there was actually one when Ayu first came out...in 98 or 99...and then it moved here in 2000.


Like, I mean, Hikki has pissed me off before with her attitude towards her career...cause I mean, there are so many of us who love her so much, and she doesn't really seem...receptive.

And it is true, any artist should care about their fans, because, without fans, without other people, your art doesn't mean anything.

Well, I hope she learns all that while she's away.

Cmon AHS better not close. But this is why I said I hope ayu doesn't retire. Then the hikki thread here might permanently die and I will miss it

@haikudasai: I agree about the fan thing. I mean she's not a painter. She is a popular musician. I love artists that care about their fans and don't just disregard them as lower beings. They're trying to get they're message across to us (except for artists who just do it for not very inspiring reasons)
I kinda feel bad for japanese fans. She hasn't released japanese works since. 2008 and now 5 new songs and a long haitus. No japanese tour? Like okay there hikki
But a womans gotta do what a womans gotta do.

Maybe in all the spare time she has she just doesn't do anything? Idk. She has been pampered and safe her whole life so maybe its time to step outside of a comfort zone
Its not like ayu who was a high school drop out, lived on her own blah blah blah and was a women
Hikki...well...she was my age and honestly if I were in her situation itd be weird. I like schooling (I don't want to live life uneducated on history and art and music) and living everyday life experiences and just growing up an average girl.
Whatever reasons she has she has the right to have them as she's a human too.

If she doesn't feel its her constant duty to inspire and make music for her fans then that's all her and how she feels
And well just suffer or be happy, yeah?

boku wa kuma had 3 versions. cd only, cd+dvd, and a limited edition cd+photo booklet with pictures she drew of kuma (the one with the white bears repeating on top of the pink background like a wallpaper)

Ymmwtbam also came in cd and cd/dvd format. but only in the UK. http://eil.com/shop/moreinfo.asp?catalogid=371025

Hikki will definitely release a single or two during her hiatus. Even though she is slow, she's never in her career done absolutely nothing. She may go half a year without anything, but up to 5? even that is crazy for her standards. Remember what she said during "Introducing Utada"?

Music really is her life and I really don't think even she can live a few years without doing anything.

Do you guys think that she'll stop blogging too? =\

She's tired of paying high income tax so she's earning nothing for a while :P

Damn, this must be a real sh * tter for Hikki fans. I really was hoping for AN ALBUM. Didn't she say "the vision for the next album was pretty much set" and they were "ready to begin working on it" or something? Christ.
:thud

umm.. she was already taking a break.
well, at least she's announced it now =/

For whoever was wondering how much a signed baseball from the ITF tour is worth...someone has it up for auction...starting at $99....9 days....it is sure to go higher
http://cgi.ebay.com/Utada-Hikaru-Aut...#ht_500wt_1154

FINALLY!!!!
I will buy this album, i love all the songs (except boku wa kuma)!!!!
Hope the new ones are great!!

I agree with CoriKaru.

And damn, how could I forget about the multiple version of Boku wa kuma :innocent

But.. YMMWTBAM? Multiple versions? Wasn't it just a CD-only (that also featured the PV on the CD)? I'm not counting promo-discs and vinyls!

And I never knew Passion and Be My Last had multiple versions. I just have both in CD+DVD and I've always thought those were the only versions.

Oh no....its been about 2.5 years and she suddenly comes back with such news. I mean, i was so looking forward to her comeback. Regardless, an artiste always needs to come to a break for a certain period of time so I understand.

Not surprised she's taking a break. That's pretty much what she has been doing for a while or at least it seemed like it. At least she told us this time.

So you go Hikaru! Enjoy doing whatever, don't party too hard. I hope you still blog about stuff. As long as she's happy and healthy.

Well Hikki does have a family who was or is in the music business, I blame that for her release patterns.

Music is her life sure but I don't see her singing to an old age, I just don't.

And it's such a scary thought that we've grown old since following her music career. Time does fly.

A singles collection is an album.

@Pieces: I think u know what he means. Like a studio album that is inclusive of new singles and album tracks.

However hikkis just combining a compilation album with new songs which along with the news that she's leaving. This might as well sell 50 million.