Utada hikaru sells really really well in Japan. Amzing
and Ayu is the 5th highest taxpayer in the music entertainment industry (both male and female)! That's amazing
I'm not surprised that utada hikaru earns more than ayu in terms of sales. When she releases something, people are very excited about it, thus leading to high sales. Ayu produces good songs (better than hikki, IMO) but maybe the Japanese got tired of her already and are less enthusiastic about her releases since she produces singles thrice a year with an album to cap off the year, unlike Utada who, recently puts out one single a year. and it just so happens that in 2004, she released two albums. and one of them is a BEST album!
Total sales of each (approximate)
Ayu
Memorial address 1m
three singles 300000+ each
total: close to 2m
Utada:
singles collection 3m or a bit less
exodus 1m
darekano (single) 400,000 or less
total: around 4m +
Wait... if ayu's sales is half than hikki's, why is there such a huge gap between their income? ayu's sales are half of hikki's yet ayu's income is nearly one third of hikki's... where the hell did those other stuff come from?
either utada makes more money from her advertisements, or hikki's record company contract gives hikki a larger income from sales than ayu. or both. Just my guess :p
I'm quite surprised that Mocchi (ELT singer) is in the top five of females... ELT barely released anything with phenomenal sales in 2004. mika nakashima may have even sold more than her.