[Enfluerage]

Here's something I wrote about Hikaru Utada, something which would probably be appreciated by people from this forum.

"I have to write all my songs, otherwise my essence is not going to come out, and it's not going to be that good"

If my life were different, I think the current celebrity I would most admire is Hikaru Utada. There are plenty of positive things about her career. Although only 26, she is one of the best selling American singers in the last decade. As a side note, Hikaru herself finds it amusing that many people mistake her for being native Japanese, and tell her "Your English is really good!" To which she replies "Well yours isn't bad either!" (She's an American citizen born in New York).

I would estimate that Hikaru Utada has sold around 25 million albums in the last decade, which puts her on par with top artists such as Britney, Beyonce and Rihanna. Unlike such other singers, Hikaru Utada writes, composes and arranges her songs. Furthermore, unlike many other artists, you won't see her in revealing or especially fashionable clothes or video clips.

One of her most infamous MVs was her in jeans & T-Shirt washing dishes .... the entire video. At interviews, she shows up in jeans & T-Shirts and describes her typical work clothes as house robes or pajamas (since she usually composes&produces at home). She also describes herself as a geek and famously appeared on a Nintendo Tetris competition. Nintendo had organized the competition such that the prize for the 30 crazy-good Tetris regional champions was to have the opportunity to each play against the famous American. She won 26-4.

Her individually is also strongly present in her songs. Many of her songs are beautifully written, such as "Flavor of life", where she describes how a diamond ring isn't enough to save a marriage because by itself, it is just cold piece of jewelry. In "About Me", she talks about the importance of truthfulness in a relationship. Meanwhile, she mocks pop idols by infusing typical sexual imagery in a creative fashion "In my nine to five, I'm thinking six to nine" or by dumbing down her songs. In one of her *cutest* songs, the lyrics goes "I am a bear, a bear, a bear, a bear. Not a car, a bear, a bear, a bear".

Hikaru describes her singing as actually a secondary occupation - almost an afterthought, with her writings, compositions and arrangements as her primary objectives. The trademark of her songs are her exceptional layering of musical effects together with background vocals. In terms of music & singing, I consider her to be the world's most talented music artist. Note that although I normally consider Zhou Jie Lun to be the world's most talented celebrity, that's because he can sing, dance, act, direct, play 10 instruments and also owns two restaurants =)

But what impressed me the most was once when she appeared in a radio station. The radio host tried to generate conflict by asking Hikaru to described her biggest rival in the music industry. Hikaru said that they weren't rivals, and that the other singer was very popular, pretty and writes all her own songs. Taken aback, the radio host replied graciously "And how is that different to you?" Actually I think Hikaru is probably a nice person in real life.

In a sense, Hikaru Utada is closest to the ideals of being a "true music artist". Someone who is incredibly talented (a child prodigy), that writes, composes AND arranges/producers all her songs. And doesn't care about image, fashion, sales or music trends but is happy to stay artistically true to herself... But somehow, she is THAT good that she still manages to outsell almost everyone.


* * *

In music history, the great rivalry between the aforementioned talented American musician and her manufactured Japanese rival is of great interest. Before 1998, Korean music was Korean music. HK music was HK music. Japanese music was Japanese music etc. Ocassionally, one would get the Wong Faye or Teresa Teng who would sell albums outside their region, but they didn't start a trend for people to listen to that music of that country in general. Today, Rain sings in Bangkok, Zhou Jie Lun sings in Singapore, Otsuka Ai goes to Taipei and K sings in Tokyo. In many major cities, you can now find Korean, Chinese, Taiwanese, Thai, Japanese, Singaporean or Malaysian singers in CD shops.

I believe this unity of "Asia is one" came about because of the near-simultaneous debut of possibly two of the greatest music artists of all time. My cousin was telling me how someone he knew listened to "First Love" 8 hours straight. Meanwhile, when I visited KL, Shanghai or Bangkok, I would see giant posters of Hamasaki Ayumi. But what was more interesting was how these two *rivals* polarized the music industry and fans. Of course, many people would immediately notice that Hikaru Utada initially sung R&B while Hamasaki Ayumi initially sung mostly pop & dance. But that's just music styles (and besides, Hikaru Utada does lots of dance & pop these days). The polarization runs much deeper than that.

Hikaru Utada was an American who was born into a privileged family. Her father was a successful music producer, her mother a famous singer. One could say that "singing was in her blood". She went to an Ivy league, and also was taught by the best in the music industry, including Timbaland. Thus not only was she super talented but she also received the best opportunities in life. Hamasaki Ayumi on the other hand was born into poverty, her parents divorcing while she was young and she was raised up by her grandmother. She spent a lot of her early life at work or at nightclubs. When she first met her eventual manager (at around the same age that Hikaru had already sold 15 million albums), he commented that her singing was poor and suggested she should do singing lessons. Hamasaki did take up this suggestion, with her grandmother's encouragement. Although her grandmother passed away just before she debuted and although she became half-deaf - she still carries on singing today.

The beauty in their rivalry is that it wasn't just about music. It was about Talent & Opportunity vs Dedication.... It was about "being born a star" instead of "becoming a star". Today, it is interesting to note the total sales of 35 million vs almost 50 million. I would say that the highest compliment for Hamasaki Ayumi is that she, a musically talentless singer surpassed Hikaru Utada, the most talented singer in the world. For the many without happy families, for those who are poor or not talented, this really was a great inspiration.... That the world's best selling singer/songwriter in the last decade (ie: counting albums self-written) was in fact Hamasaki Ayumi, someone not born musically talented or privileged.

And yet, in CNN's famous interview of Hamasaki Ayumi, you can she too doesn't really want to talk about Fashion, Music trends or Sales. She only wants to talk about her lyrics being truthful to herself. Hikaru was right, she really wasn't that different to her *rival*. It is amazing how these two artists who debuted at the same time have survived over a decade without losing their passion for music, while so many others have either moved on to acting, obscurity, drugs or retirement.

Therefore, the highest compliment I can give Hikaru Utada is not that she's talented... but that she is the only active singer that I still listen to regularly, that debuted before Hamasaki Ayumi. Or in other words, out of my favourite active singers, she has the longest music career. The great Michael Jackson was by far my favourite singer in the 80s and 90s. But he is only my 2nd favourite American artist of all time.


Hikaru Utada
Born 1983 in New York
3 English albums, 5 Japanese/English albums

(Songs I like)

English songs:
1) This One
2) Apple & Cinnamon
3) About Me
4) Exodus 04
5) Me Muero

Japanese/English songs:
1) Flavor of life
2) Deep River
3) Time Limit
4) Celebrate
5) Final Distance
and of course, First love!