What? Most people love Manatsu, and some people really love Hanataba (including myself). We can't wait to get her new album. No way people preferred her not coming back! :P

Well I don't think this will work really well with Japanese audience. Namie is still selling decently, but I also believe that her recent albums scared away some fans as the majority songs in the albums are in English. I have to give applause to her though because she insists on doing what she wants.

People want music for them to dance to and they are somehow coming to the wrong artitst.

Exactly this.

Also I'm pretty sure (liked 50%) that Utada signed a new contract so she can release English and Japanese music under one label.

I think you're reading into people's wants more than you should. We're all excited for Utada to return, but we're all very curious about how this album will sound.

For example, ayaka changed SIGNIFICANTLY after her hiatus and going indie. She's definitely not been the same artist, even if she's made good music.

So, with Utada, we're all wondering if Utada will do crazy stuff like Keep Tryin' and This Is Love because she previously did do it alongside tracks like the three she's recently released. Either way, I think we can all agree that Utada has won J-Pop this year even if she stopped at two songs. Unless Ayumi comes out with another million-dollar-and-eight-PV record, I doubt someone's going to top Utada or in-turn top Miliyah Kato.

Well, unless Koda decides to shake things up again this year... But still. Utada has won J-Pop this year. She came back with two amazing, very personal tracks, which are both mature, evolved, and memorable. I still think of them daily, even if I don't listen to them. So she's made her impression on me.

I'm just curious if Utada's going to do anything fun on this record. As silly as it sounds, I'd love another Nijiiro Bus or Boku wa Kuma. But I'd also love to hear her more upbeat style like Making Love or This Is Love. I'm sure there's bound to be something upbeat on the album. I mean, this is Utada. The girl who sang "I want your baby..." and named a song Kettobase! She's always got something quirky up her sleeve.

Exactly

Not looking to dance. Looking for something that isn't a ballad.

It's not like she doesn't write uptempo songs. Considering her last song was also a ballad, and then she released two more, it's not like it's some ~crazy~ idea.

People who listen to Utada know she is not that kind of singer lol In my case I waited for something ethereal like ULTRA BLUE that I consider like her best effort and the peak of her creativity musically but I can understand her choices I definitely look forward to see the final "product" but I'm not impressed by these new songs !

Yeap, it was announced both her future japanese and english releases will be released by EMI (at the time) under the name Utada Hikaru.

I've probably listened to Manatsu no Tooriame about a thousand times already. I seriously can't get enough of it.

recochoku second week:

Hanabata wo Kimi ni - Weekly no. 1 on both single and uta

Manatsu no Toori Ame - Weekly no. 2 on single, no. 7 on uta, and no. 5 on video

They are also No 1 and 2 on iTunes since two weeks.

Hikki has startet a Q and A via Twitter...


Q: It’s been 5 years and 3 months since you started your “human activities,” and you’re finally resuming with music. What words would you use to express your feelings to your fans?

A: “Yo! It’s been a while!”

...

Q: Both songs use live instruments as main sounds. Since “SINGLE COLLECTION VOL. 2” it seems that this is a more common occurrence. What’s the reason?

A: It’s really fun to add, subtract a ton of sounds during programming. But I’ve started feeling like I’m missing something, working in a world where the tempo and sound intervals are so controlled. With live instruments, there’s a more organic structure, and more than anything, the “sound of the room” is just awesome.

I’ve always loved live instruments, but I’ve never been great at communicating with musicians during sessions, and it’s just been easier for me to sit by myself in front of a computer and do the arranging, and only work with programmers and arrangers that I know really well.

But lately, it hasn’t been as much of a burden to communicate with musicians who I’ve just met, and to explain what I’m imagining or what I’m hoping to achieve. I guess I’ve grown up a bit!

...

Q: There’s been a lot of reaction online from people who’ve heard your songs on TV, saying that their impression of your voice has changed. What are your thoughts?

A: It’s been really surprising! Hearing things like “Your voice feels softer,” “I can feel a warmth to your voice,” or “It feels more feminine.”

More than anything, I’d say that during my break I’ve been able to revisit my vocal methodology, and due to my pregnancy I’ve been able to undertake a more healthy lifestyle. I’ve also been singing Japanese nursery rhymes every day, so I feel like through that I’ve picked up on singing Japanese in a more polite, carefree way.

Also, I’m working with a new mixing engineer, and they obviously treat my voice differently than other people in the past.

...

Q: What are your favorite lyrics from each song?

A: From “Hanataba wo Kimi ni”: “Sekaijyuu ga ame no hi mo / Kimi no egao ga boku no taiyou datta” (Even those days when the world was awash in rain / Your smile was my sun), and “Manatsu no Tooriame”: “Katenu ikusa ni iki kirashi / Anata ni mi wo kogashita hibi” (Out of breath from a war I could not win / Endless days, burned, trying to extend you my love). In both, I feel like my current self was able to write the utmost lyrics.

... I hope she will answer more Questions soon.

^thx for posting them, hope there is more to come too...

i wonder what they'll gonna do in the next months...
hope we get another 1-2 digital/s (hopefully mid/uptempo to have some variety) then album mid/late summer

"Yo! It's been a while" lol freaking Hikki

You can't take the New York out of her

Anyone else find both new songs incredibly boring...? It's so unfortunate.

^me. thank you.

sad ya'll can't get into the beauty of manatsu at least...
the mood is on point and probably one of her best songs already imo
(i think my playcount was like ~127 on day one ��)
it has that magic that i missed from ayu her ballads since her amazing Virgin Road!!

manatsu is a gem. As mentioned, it totally has a mood to it. I especially adore the way in which the piano notes echo during the verses - so haunting and an absolute genius technique!

Y'all simple minds can go listen to Beyonce or something.

"wahhhh I have different musical tastes and/or expectations than you do so I'll tell you to go listen to a singer who I clearly think is under anyone that I'm actually a fan of and also PIANO DUH"

...have a seat. you tried. you know better.

I'm sure the album will have a few tracks for those not feeling the ballads.

really? I neither of us two said the songs are bad. Yes, mood is on point on for me personally speaking, I think the songs are good too. I just don't play them often because they bore me atm I expected something more grabbing like Goodbye happiness, at least for one of the two.

+ Beyonces latest album is pretyt good ;P Stop acting like you own the monopol of music-taste all the time.

Lol sorry. I think that other track that was for her mom on Singles Collection was more of a bore though, which I think people liked so it strange this piece gets critiqued in this way.

I love Manatsu and Beyoncé lol

That KazenoOnna song? Not fond of that either..

Literally anything Utada releases will be a staircase above the average j pop record right now, so I'm happy she's back.

I'm not sure what people were expecting from her comeback but it looks like it was something edgy. She seems to be herself, new songs are decent ballads, her vocals has change a bit (sounds less whiskey) - I'm happy that she's back.

Maybe they woulda been happier with another American album, lol. Probably something as grotesque as "Poppin'" would've gotten more praise. Lol.

I'm wagging my finger at the level of pretentiousness some of you are showing in this thread. I think all J-Pop lovers already experience a certain level of judgement for our music tastes. We should know by now not to belittle others for what they like or don't like.

MTE :yes

I'm super happy as well, it has been 5 long years (we did get that other song before but it's not enough!)
I don't really like ballads but I will be super happy with anything that she releases soon.

I'm quite glad to say I can't recall how this songs sounds. (Yeah...it's fair to say I was very disappointed in TITO. Maybe someday I will revisit that album but it still feels too soon haha)

Lol, I couldn't recall it either. I think my mind blocked it out the same way it would a traumatic experience.

I pulled it up to remind myself. It's like something a sassy feral cat would strut through the back allies and fence posts to.

The line about doing a 69 or something still makes me feel a bit ill.

^ During my nine to five
I'm thinking six and nine
I gotta make you mine

I can't believe I actually remember those lyrics off the top of my head. Lawdy.

Dirty Desire is my jam tbh. I can unfortunately relate to the lyrics HAHAH so embarrassing

Dirty Desire is silly but a great dance song. I can't help but hear the first line the wrong way.

There's something that's been growing inside of me
A baby baby, a baby baby

And now that baby is finally out.

Thanks for posting this!

Also, whoever it is in your avatar picture, I want to kiss him.

omg this is so awkward
https://twitter.com/u3music/status/726171772458962944

^LOL I don't think it's awkward, but kind of hilarious

"Ftr reacts it's OK.t"

Ironically Bey's last two albums have had layered and high-quality production, but I find them just as boring to listen to as these two new songs... Simple songs are fine with me (Fleetwood's Songbird is a masterpiece) but these two tracks make me feel nada

I never liked utada for her ballads to begin with. First Love is still a nono for me.

manatsu is the perfect song for a hot cup od coffe or tee and watching the rain drops moving down the window

and Hanataba is a perfect song for a hot cup of tea while walking down the street on a sunny day.

Yes, it has never done it for me!

sarcasm or do you mean it for real? :D:D

For real of course. I love Hanataba so much. :D:D

You're welcome and Thank you ;)

Some of you guys need to loosen up. TITO is a cute, fun, occasionally brilliant (Apple & Cinnamon, This One, Me Muero) album. Not everything she does has to be some artistic magnum opus lmao geez let her be a human.

can we make a kissing line ? XD

I freaking love Me Muero. I would've loved a PV for it with Hikki going through sterotypical breakup patterns (ie like sobbing into a tub of ice cream watching a horrible chicken flick, drinking and dancing around like an idiot, Facebook stalking his new girlfriend and calling her a sleeze or whatever.) It could've been a lot of fun. Haha I listen to that song all the time just because. (Actually I listen to pretty much all of TITO except for DD. That's just not my type of song.)

I also like Me Muero lol
Guilty pleasure xD
Everybody who's into Utada seems to hate it.

I really like This One (Crying Like a Child). It's the perfect "I'm gonna sing along horribly and off-key because I'm currently sobbing" type song.

Me too. I love its lyrics, but i can't the song itself.

I love Me Muero! I think it's a fun song :D

First Love is probably my favorite Utada ballad. Took me a long time to really appreciate that record, but I do.

Me Muero is the song I like least on TITO. Poppin' and Automatic II were weird lol. But I had that album on repeat when it was released. It's so good, don't care what anyone says.

This One (Crying Like a Child) is Perfection ... The whole album is ... meeeeh but this song is perfection :luv2

@ thinkingoutloud89 - what is a kissing line? ^^

A line where me, thinkingoutloud89 and whoever else interested take turns in kissing the pretty boy from the picture while Dirty Desire plays in the background.

hah oh yeah. we share the same thought than :D im totally into her comeback.

Before the full version was released, I've already listened to the 1 min version on iTunes for more than 350 times. Now combined with the full version, I've been listening to the song for 728 times and still counting :D.

Right? Addicted To DeepRiver.

^I just noticed that he is from Germany only a Bundesland away kekekeke

Oh Oh Oh ... i see ;-)

By the way ... she is still number 1 on iTunes! :love

What happened to the PVs? Still not uploaded on YT?

They uploaded a short version of the PV on YT
I love them both, but I love Manatsu's nature shots so much. It's so nostalgic and bittersweet.

Found this great cover of Manatsu on YT

Any news about Hanataba wo Kimi ni's PV?

No... :(

Any news about the new album...? It's June already... :shakehead

So pretty

"Manatsu no Tooriame" PV is very her (old) style - that's a good thing I guess.

Just downloaded the PV from jpopsuki.
I reuploaded it here if anyone wants to download it.

It's so heartfelt-ly beautiful and nostalgic, it got me sad lol My favorite kind of PV :heart

cool thxx:love

Do we have both PVs yet or just that one?

Btw does that PV have a story? I don't quite follow whatever is going on...looks pretty though.

^jpopsuki only has Manatsu so far.

Manatsu's PV doesn't have a storyline, it consists of beautiful shots.

I can't believe that ULTRA BLUE is already ten years! Woahhhhh.

Oh god, no. :tired

I am so happy to see Utada make her return! I have been waiting so long.:dead2 The new songs sound nice, a little minimalist, but I look forward to her next releases/singles!
:love

I feel like she is forever in the Deep River PV theme LOL

^ I don't mind - she keeps her style.

NEW ALBUM For September 28 release!!! XD

http://www.utadahikaru.jp/news/

OH MY GOD, WHAT AMAZING NEWS

I think I just died

OMG OMG OMG! Yasss finally a new album!

OMGOMGOMG

OMGOMGOMGOMG

September 28... That's not post summer. That's autumn lol :D.
When can we preorder the album then???

This is the first time she is not releasing in March or June. I hope it can sell at least 500K in total (probably not, but I can dream :D)

AWESOME. Wondering what it'll sound like. Utada's been known to release lead singles that don't usually dictate overall sound of album (Dareka with ULTRA BLUE and Boku wa Kuma with HEART STATION). So I'm really curious as to what it'll sound like. I was a fan of her two comeback songs (Sakura Nagashi not so much) so I'd be happy if she were to continue with this sound.

I wonder if the cover will be another big head shot of hikki :D.

I know right! Every album cover of hers is a head shot, even the English albums (Exodus' U.K. version is a head shot). Curious if she'll try something new or continue tradition.

Not the best collections though, lol.

Yes! I didn't expect an announcement so soon, despite it being a "Summer" release. I thought there might be another single first so glad we are going straight into the album!

Awesome!

Am I dreaming right now?

YASSS for the new album! Is it September yet?! :vbhappy :dead2

Wow!:thumbsup
I was not expecting to hear a release date. I'm glad it is somewhat soon.:heart
So curious as to what it will sound like. How it will sell too! I'm expecting big sales since it is going to have so much hype.:yeek

I am in tears!!! Can't wait!!

GODTADAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Oh my god