is singing her 9 year old memories in her 33rd thread~
 

YAY FOR NEW THREAD!!!!!!!!!!!

To be honest, I didnt really believe that Hikki would make it past the last thread with all the lack of news lately...word is, she'll retire soon (maybe do one last Japanese album) or she'll make it in the U.S, be rocketed into international fame, and then end her Japanese career anyway. :(

^ ^ Noooooo!!! She can't quit!!! :weep
But, seriously, she might as well have already quit considering her boooring lack of activity.

Anyway, since we've abandoned 32, I'll ask again: Is 9 Sai no Omoide worth listening to?/ Does anyone like it?

Btw, I love your sig (me)JackieRos! so true~

psh AHS people will always find something to spam about :yes

Like...I'm really happy because I was able to find utada songs on v cast...no koda or ayu...but whatever...I took WINGS.

and I just realised that I downloaded and paid $2 for it, for no reason, because I can't even set it as a ringtone :laugh

that's okay though, pomegranate to the rescue <3

Well...I don't like the single...i dunno...some people might...the songs are really boring and Utada is...well...literally singing like a little kid...:shrug I don't consider it a part of her discography.

oh lol now i see what you meant when you said that you can actually put the ringtones on your phone

i didn't even know you can find asian ringtones in the US...wow

uuh, not really.. i just skipped around the songs. she did sound sorta cute? :shrug
all i can say is, that her voice totally changed between the time she was 9 and now (duh xD) :laugh I couldn't really tell it was her.

God I really can't believe how boring Hikki can get. Her singles never disappoint me (except Boku wa Kuma) but her way of working is a way too irritating.

That's my fault but I did that on purpose because I thought the old Hikki thread was lasting WAY too long :D

I didn't see any spam from you :no
but i do believe that this thread is going to be slooooow

thank you ^_^ and yes it is true
i admit i downloaded it but i havent heard it yet O.O

oh question does anybody like when she sang close to you?
i really liked it ehhe it was nice to see the 15 year old hikki

Oh well, quality over quantity! LOL!

you guys expect too much seriously. hikki is considered pretty fast paced and exciting compared to a lot of huge artists in the world. australia's natalie imbruglia takes about 3 years between albums, new zealand's #1 artist bic runga takes 3-5 years, nelly furtado takes 3 years.. and in those breaks hardly any news surface, except paparazzi shots without makeup and stuff like that.

but that being said, i have to say once again that 9 sai no omoide is very very bad!! x__x it cant utada...

They are used to jpop... Were you release 3 singles a week and 2 albums a year xD

^seriously...but some places (like the US) need to get on the ball.

I mean they barely release anything, and a lot of it is still crappy. It just makes stuff hard...I mean we have the same radio songs for like years.

I think we need to find a happy medium. Not quite Jpop style, but not what they're in either.

@Keichii: I wasn't referring to you, just AHS in general lol Was a joke :)

@pomegranate: yeah, I didn't explain that sorry~ But seriously...some phone carriers are like Nazi's when it comes to putting stuff on your phone...it's ridiculous, they have monopolies on everything! And there's no way I'm paying for ringtones...oh hell no.


ANYWAY...I don't really like the single. I don't think she has that great a voice as a nine year old either...It's not particularly pretty or unique...It's nice she can stay on pitch though I guess.

Thanks for your opinions. Well, it sounds pretty bleak so I won't bother then :(
I'm still new to Exodus so that'll entertain me for a while ~
This is going to be a slooow thread for sure... :dead2

Yes, Exodus is amazing! Have fun :D

God I should listen to Exodus again.. Hotel Lobby, Animato and Kremlin Dusk are masterpieces.

Well, I don't live on the US, so, I don't really know how things are over there... But I don't really like the jpop way either... I think it's very strange how for example Beyonce's I am... Sasha Fierce still sounds new to me, but most jpop releases already sound dated. IMO there is no place on the world where pop music is seen as disposable product as it seens to be on Japan

i swear i never knew about the american system and i live here:rolleyes
well thats because american music never interested me unless a japanese
singer released some english material
i preffer the japanese system i mean whats the point in releasing
singles after you heard all of the songs in the album
thats just me though

exodus is better than TITO imo :yes

I totally agree. :yes


Btw is hikki on hiatus or something?
We didn't hear from her for ages (since March-April?)
And the only things we get that are related to her are BW remix (well not really from her but it's her song) and uninteresting U3 stuff.

hikki should release new japanese material, but, where is she?

100% with you on this!! its just different in japan i guess. :tired i wouldnt want to be an artist there.

Well, on the US the singles are used to pump the album sales up, not the singles themselves like on Japan^^...

I dont even understand why Utada cant release a single yet. Seriously. Just send a song, any one to radio stations...like with CBTM...dont even need to promote or do anything...why is it so hard x_x

Because Utada is not a worker like Koda or Ayumi who release their material often (the largest gap is a couple of months I guess). Who knows, maybe she lost creativity or will to work. But yeah, I'm always for quality over quantity. It's just the things that Utada release between major releases are unbelievable boring and tiring. The example is this old re-relased single. I mean who the hell wants that (sorry to people who actually like it).

^Its ok. I'm pretty sure no one liked it :innocent

She didn't release that single, her old label did...
And I'm pretty sure TITO 2nd single is going to be released soon...

^Well,

This One (Crying Like A Child)/Dirty Desire shouldve been out by now...unless this whole rumor is just an elaborate hoax

Yeah, I guess so. Compared to Exodus, TITO just sounds so tame. I like TITO a lot too, but while it has a lot of good tracks, it doesn't have songs that stand out as much as some of Exodus'. Oh, and Exodus' lyrics are MUCH better! :yes

I like Hotel Lobby, but I prefer Kiss & Cry lol. Animato is wonderfully dark and Kremlin Dusk is just brilliant! I love 'You Make Me Want to be a Man,' 'Devil Inside' and 'Exodus 04' too, amongst others.

Yes, I'm having a lot of fun :laugh :shimmy

I think Exodus was better musically...but it just turned out so forced. It wasn't who hikki is at all. Its like she tried so hard to make lyrics that sound creative and appealing at the same time...which just made a big mess. This Is The One is much easier to relate to...its more realistic...and its just a more approachable album...I mean first time listeners wont be like...WHOA...what a weirdo chick....awkward lyrics...and its still very hikki...

DEEP RIVER, i get what u mean. Although I like Exodus' lyrics, because I find them quirky and interesting, there are times when it feels as if she's trying a little too hard to prove herself as something more than an RnB artist (the obvious perpertrators being Intro and Crossover :thud). That would be the only flaw I find in Exodus (other than a couple of songs I skip over). Yes, I love TITO for it's accessible songs, but after a while it all feels a little too conventional and that's where Exodus' "unclassifiable" style really excels. Maybe in a couple of days/weeks, when Exodus' new-ness wares off, I'll change my mind...but for now, I'm enjoying it.

Yeah...its really sad to me that Hikki's 2-album contract with IDJ is now over...with both the lessons learned from Exodus and the lessons learned from This Is The One (which is basically...promote your work while it isnt stale...HELLO)...I could imagine her making it big with a 3rd attempt. I have a feeling that Hikki doesnt really want to try again...but you know...I hope she atleast releases a single from TITO anytime soon...secretly I am still hoping for her success :meditate

^ But i doubt it, because, face it, Hikki really doesn't give a **** about fame in the US. she's rich in japan, and can live forever with releasing stuff in japan every once in awhile with little to no promotion and using her fame to live off of...

if her heart isn't in it anymore, it just isn't ;<

we can always hope...

@ DEEP RIVER: Oh really? I don't know anything about her contracts... That's a bit sad, because I've always thought that if she could somehow strike a good balance between Exo and TITO, like something that doesn't sound very generic, but isn't so consciously wierd, she could really make it big. But after 2 (let's face it) commercial failures, it's hard to Keep Tryin' :P
Also, the American market is more inclined towards up-beat, dance songs (if I'm not mistaken), while ballads/down-tempo that aren't by superpowers like Mariah and Beyonce don't usually chart very well.
That being said, I hope This One does well, it's a really pretty song! :yes

^I hope This One is even a single....its my favorite song off the album...people complain that it shouldnt be a single because its another ballad and CBTM was already a ballad...but lets be honest...nobody even remembers CBTM...If the rumors are true and it is the next single paired with Dirty Desire...that'd be great (although personally, I wouldve picked This One/On and On)

It seems as if she gets a brilliant idea of making it in the US, then makes a good album, by all means, it is pretty decent! And then does hardly any promotion, and kind of doesn't bother with it anymore... like "nah, it wasn't that fun after all, so I'll njust retreat quietly back to my dungeon"
Pretty ironic, 'cause the album is called This is The One...
And it really isn't. At all
I guess it could have been, if she actually bothered to promote it.

can someone gimme a clue where to find hikki jacket scans and lyrics translation?

I prefer TITO over Exodus, even if I DO love Exodus... Cuz IMO TITO sounds more mature, while Exodus sounds too raw...

I love both Exodus and This Is The One. I think they're similar to Ultra Blue and HEART STATION. Both Ultra Blue and Exodus are experimental albums while TITO and HEART STATION are toned down pop albums. Maybe its just me though XD.

I was listening to TITO last night (haven't had a listen for a while), and I noticed that Exodus' lyrics are quite awkward in the sense that they feel so contorted to fit the musical line of the song (hope that makes sense) while TITO's phrasing and vocals are much more refined and smooth...just thought I might share that :).
I now think This One should have been the first single, because it's a much more emotional than Come Back to Me, which seems to go in one ear and out the other most of the time. On and On would also be a good choice, because I think it would grab the attention of American audiences more than a ballad. But also, her lack of enthousiasm has a lot to do with her lack of popularity, in the end, i think...

So little news about Hikki lately....its like tomorrow's news:

"Aspiring U.S star Utada has announced she is pregnant with the child of her boyfriend from high school"

Then I would probably have to eat my words :innocent

Utada's PREGNANT?

EDIT: I found a HQ picture of 'HEART STATION' on Japanese Music Dream, and believe me, I think she looks sweaty or the lights are too bright.



Spoiler cos the pictures big.

please tell me your joking, right?

OMG SHE'S PREGNANT!

Damn...always has to follow in Ayu's footsteps.

My thoughts exactly.

This Is The One stopped charting in Japan with 242,197 copies sold, Come Back To Me (full song) sold 100,000 in legal downloads and the album is out of the top 20 yearly of oricon.
EXODUS was a success compared to it...
(And personally I like EXODUS way more than TITO).

What ayu has to do with it? lol.
ayu was never pregnant XD

What it's all about the hikki is pregnant thingy now anyway?

Peoplezzzzzzzzz hikki is not pregnant x_x I was just referring to the lack of Hikki news when I made that comment

me and my gullible self :dead2 but thank god she's not pregnant, lol.

You always have to be careful as people tend to read selectively :lech

God, I'm SOOOOOO Gullible. I really believed she was pregnant. DAMN IT!

that's personally why I like to go everywhere and say they're pregnant :laugh

It's really funny to see people react when I say Ayu's pregnant.

Didn't Utada have cancer or something that meant she couldn't get pregnant? D:

Back then during DEEP RIVER era i think, she had an operation... that (maybe, but hopefully) may result to that. T_T

She had an ovarian tumor I think? I guess they just took the tumor out and she can still have kids.

^woah really? Thanks for clearing out. XD

Utada's Blog.

http://www.u3music.com/message/index...090313434j.xml

Finally. Was that so hard? >_>

what's it say?

According to Hikki Texts



and

:D yay a new message! And she realises she's been neglecting us!

Don't worry Hikki, we forgive you :)

Now bring us your Single Collection Volume 2 :D

well... i have guessed it be4~
haha~
her voice doesn't sound so nice~
:p

yay thanks for the translation
amen

untitled~No, '9 Sai no Omoide' is not worth it imo.

^yeah lol like whoever said it before...I don't really consider it part of her repertoire...

it's more like...a fun little easter egg...like "hey this is what hikki sounded like when she was 9 and her family made music together..."

Are they considering it like another of her singles? Like is it included in her discography?

Yeah...I don't like it. Her voice is, urgh!

...Where's the proof of that and who's saying so ( :weep )?

OMG, I bet it's Midoring and Ayu's LOVE CHILD!!

Hey at least if she were pregnant maybe in 15 years we could have another talented singer to replace Hikki is she were to retire? Like her mom ( :P ).

I guess in the same way Precious (Wasn't that the name?) is included..

like.. "Exodus is her first English album.. if you don't count Precious, that is.."

So it doesn't REALLY count but.. it just exists.

Thanks Kuu, emiko and Jackie!
Yeah, I pretty much have no desire to listen to it now, but it's nice to know at least one person likes it Jackie :)

i didn't like the new single, nope nope. >_>

hm, you don't know how happy i was when i saw that she had posted in her blog lol. nothing special though...but i'm still glad.

I haven't even bothered trying the single... Finally she updated her blog!! Get back to work hikki FAST!!

^ Yeah, I haven't listened to it either, actually. :shrug

WAIT! I activate Monster Reborn to raise the all mighty Utada from the Graveyard!

:innocent anyway.....I heard Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence at some Marukai (went to go visit the legendary Book-Off muhahahaha) and I was like yay....

Review of TITO @ examiner.com
I dunno...I have to disagree with this lady...just because this woman's diction is lacking in diversity doesn't mean that she should go around calling Hikki's lyrics....kooky? @_@ I love how she consider's Apple & Cinnamon one of the strongest tracks because Utada herself has condemned it as being a kinda boring and lacking piece.

I would have to agree with this part. FYI has a lot of lyrics that make sense but they're expressed in a way that only Utada fully understands. I ignore it because it has such a great melody. This One made sense especially when I understood it was from a fan's perspective like Eminem's song Stan. This reviewer chose to interpret in another way. I thought those lyrics are endearing and fit the story she's telling.

I think her lyrics are very kooky, and while they do make sense...they just aren't things you would normally hear in English.

Like the "baby you're one in a million." Who the hell says that...and in a song...ew. A lot of them weren't fluid and did sound weird, so I agree with that.

However, I don't agree where she said hikki wasn't trying to make us laugh. I think that's exactly what she was doing at many points lol


Honestly, I think it was a little hard for the reviewer to take her completely seriously.

i don't agree there either emi. making us laugh was definitely her intentions when writing kooky lyrics :yes.

^Utada herself said once that her sense of humour was a strong point on TITO... Me Muero is meant to be a funny song for example... @_@'
And even "Come back to me", she keeps complaining about how her lover left her and you discover she was cheating on him xD don't know about you guys, but I laughed a lot when listened to this xD

I've always thought that her English lyrics were kinda, well, kooky. It's not the type of lyrics you hear in American music. (Although I don't find "one in a million" that kooky, in comparison with some of her lyrics... such as mentioning Captain Picard :laugh).

Oh her lyrics in "TITO" are DEFINITELY kooky to me! :yes I do remember her saying the album was supposed to be "fun" and not to be taken that seriously though, so it makes sense that her lyrics are the way they are.

I love that line :P The first time I heard it, I kind of did a double take :shakehead

"Like Captain Picard, I'm chillin' and flossin'"

I love that line too :D

...It tooks it's time, but now Utada even got me upset with the lack of news.
Is she been doing interviews and the such, performances, ...? We don't hear a thing about new releases and the such.. *slighty upset*

At least that message is translated now..



Source; Utadanet.com, translated by Nuuk.


By the way, check out the gallery section of Utadanet. There's some pictures of a hawaiian meet&greet and more. Also seems like she's growing her hair now.

^That message has been translated for a while, since the day she posted it actually. Here's the link to the site: http://hikki.blogspot.com/

Oops, didn't see it! sorry!

Translation by jessipooh of U.blog

Probly people mistaken her w/ "Miracle Hikaru"... :P

ahh... no much news between ayu and hikki... I'm bored... LOL

LoL It'd be hilarious if someone went up to her and called her another Japanese artist.

ehh... I dun think any Japanese (or even 80% of jpop followers in the major Asian area) would mistakenly call her as another J artist..

Probly the rest of the world will do.. :P

She kinda looks like JYONGRI. @_@. And with her short hairdoo, she kinda looked like Nocchi from Perfume

here's the full translation :).

^After reading that post, have you ever guys seen some paparazzi vids or pics of Hikki? I've been searching for like ages but i find nothing. Like, hikki spotted in a mall, or hikki spotted in a beach or smt.

Utada is said to be dating a 34 year old painter. Not sure how accurate this is because they say he freely enters and leaves her apartment in Tokyo. There could be a completely innocent reason for that.

http://www.sponichi.co.jp/entertainm.../09/15/02.html

If it's true, older creative men seem to be her favorite.

like great people in the past, they have to paint their portraits lol, how much older was her ex-husband than her?

and a bit OT, but Sundae, whose that in your ava?

kiriya is like 15 - 16 yrs older than hikki. So back then when they were married, hikki was around 19 (i think she married before 20..), and kiriya was around 35ish..

So if she's dating something only 9 yrs older than her, it's not that extreme to me.. :shakehead. You know, kiriya didn't look too old when he stood beside hikki (he does have a look), and hikki tried to wear something to fit him. That is why I felt her fashion taste was actually kinda bad during that era... She always wore something too old for her.

The bottom line is. Kiriya and hikki may have a 16 yr gap, but in appearance they don't (sorta like... 7 - 8 yrs apart). It will be funny if she's really dating that 9 yr older man, and in appearance they look like 15 yrs apart :P (some people do look old you know..)

Wait a painter? @_@ How is that creative? Like a wall painter? @_@???