[Polyrhythm]

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

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

If you like to play video games, especially video games like "Kingdom Hearts", then you may know of Utada Hikaru.
Now going by only her family name, Utada is best known in the States for the opening song, "Sanctuary", (or "Passion" in the Japanese version), of the Playstation 2 video game, "Kingdom Hearts 2". However, she is a very well-established pop singer in Japan and has come out with numerous albums over the years. Her newest album, "This is the One", was released on the record label, Island Def Jam. The hip hop influence of the label can be most notably seen in the single and opening track, "Come Back to Me".
Below is a brief description and numerical rating of the tracks on this CD. If you'd like to pick up a copy, it is only $8.99 on Amazon.com here. Fair warning, though, if you like her as a J-Pop singer, sometimes her lyrics don't translate as fluidly in English as they may in Japanese. She tends to use downright kooky lyrics that sometimes don't make the most sense. She does have a beautiful, clear voice, though, so it's easy to ignore when sometimes the words don't flow properly, but if you're a purist, the lyrics could possibly get on your nerves, or maybe even just make you laugh, which is probably not the sentiment that Utada wants to express.
Track 1: Come Back to Me-(6)-a song about wanting someone you once loved back in your life, there are definitely some hip hop overtones on this track which proves the new direction Utada is going with her music.
Track 2: Me Muero-(5)-a light beat supports this song in a style almost reminiscent of Sade or even some light reggae, Utada laments about a lost love over quirky lyrics such as "should I go Winona Ryder and do some crazy thing?" and "I lie on my bed and flip through TV channels, eating Godiva."
Track 3: Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence-FYI-(6)-this song samples and pays tribute to Ryuichi Sakamoto's "Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence", which can be found on the Pure Moods Volume III CD. Sweet oriental beats form the background for this bouncy track about being there for the one you love.
Track 4: Apple and Cinnamon-(9)-one of the strongest tracks on the CD, Utada sings about how her and her former love used to have so much chemistry and fit together perfectly, like Apple and Cinnamon, but now they have broken up and she's not quite sure how to understand how they went from everyone envying their relationship to simply falling out of love with each other. It must have just been too good to last.
Track 5: Taking My Money Back-(6)-another hip-hop laced track reminiscent of Aaliyah's style, Utada is not taking anymore of her boyfriend's crap. He used her for her money and she put up with it for a little while because the sex was so good, but now she's leaving him and taking her money back with her.
Track 6: This One (Crying Like a Child)-(5)-a down-tempo song about wanting one more night together with a former flame, Utada continues to spout more quirky lyrics, such as "a hundred JPEG files filling up my hard drive" and "Honey, I got your ringtone on my Blackberry."
Track 7: Automatic Part II-(4)-a song about loving music and being proud of what she does, iin the end, it translates to being kind of silly, with such lyrics as "find out all about me on Myspace and my newsletter, I'll be glad to add you but I won't give you my number."
Track 8: Dirty Desire-(7)-a track about feeling lustful towards someone with a pretty good back-up beat and a bit more fluidity in her lyrics.
Track 9: Poppin'-(8)-a great beat that you can easily dance to or snap your fingers along with, this track is all about the powerful feeling of owning the night that women can feel when they walk into a club with their stiletto heels on and the moonlight shining down.
Track 10: On and On-(5)-the repetitive club-like chanting of the "on and on and on"'s can become a bit annoying in this song dedicated to making the night last. But, once again, those kooky lyrics seep in again with such lines as "Honeys, if you're gay, burn it up like a gay parade. Honeys, if you're straight, pump it up, take it all away."
Track 11: (Bonus Track) Simple and Clean-(7)-Utada did this song for the first Kingdom Hearts video game. This track is about loving someone but being too young yet to marry or go completely out of their way for them, so can't you just have the night together and not think about it too much afterwards?
Track 12: (Bonus Track) Sanctuary (Opening)-(10)-this is the opening track to the Kingdom Hearts 2 videogame. If you've played Kingdom Hearts 2, you've heard this song. If you haven't played the game, this would be a great introductory song to offer someone who has never heard Utada's music before, especially since everything here shines, her voice, the lyrics, the music--just a great song.
Track 13: (Bonus Track) Sanctuary (Closing)-(9)-a more breathy, "acoustic"-ish version of "Sanctuary", which played at the end of the Kingdom Hearts 2 game. If you'd prefer a ballad version of "Sanctuary", then this song is for you.

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.