☆She Wants Her Money Back ★★ The 25th Utada Thread☆
Utada is the English language project name of 宇多田ヒカル (Utada Hikaru). She is a third culture singer-songwriter, arranger, and record producer in Japan and United States. Utada maintains this name in the west as she intends to keep her English style separate from her Japanese music. She has sold an estimated 33 million albums worldwide. Utada is fluent in both English and Japanese as she was raised in both New York and Tokyo. She is most notable in the west for composing and singing the Kingdom Hearts themes 光 (Hikari) and Simple And Clean, as well as the theme songs for Kingdom Hearts II, Passion and Sanctuary.
1. Opening
2. Devil Inside
3. Exodus '04
4. The Workout
5. Easy Breezy
6. Tippy Toe
7. Hotel Lobby
8. Animato
9. Crossover Interlude
10. Kremlin Dusk
11. You Make Me Want to Be a Man
12. Wonder 'Bout
13. Let Me Give You My Love
14. About Me
15. You Make Me Want to Be a Man (Bloodshy & Avant Mix) (UK Bonus track)
16. You Make Me Want to Be a Man (Junior Jack Mix) (UK Bonus track)
2nd Album: This Is The One
Release Date: 3/14/2009 3/24/2009
Tracklist (To be updated):
1. On And On
2. Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence - FYI
3. Apple And Cinnamon
4. Taking My Money Back
5. This One (Crying Like A Child)
6. Automatic Part II
7. Dirty Desire
8. Poppin’
9. Come Back To Me
10. Me Muero
Extra Tracks:
11. Come Back To Me (Seamus Haji & Paul Emanuel Radio Edit) (Japan Bonus Track)
12. Come Back To Me (Quentin Harris Radio Edit) (Japan Bonus Track)
Utada is featured in the latest issue of Billboard Magazine.
‘One’ Love
Japanese Superstar Utada Aims To Conquer The States
By Rob Schwartz
What do you do when you’re a J-pop superstar in Japan, and a native English speaker, but have failed to take off with your first U.S. release?
Try again, of course. Japanese phenomenon Utada will release her new English-language record, “This Is The One,” March 24 on Island Def Jam, with all parties predicting greater success the second time around. Her first English-language record, 2004’s “Exodus,” peaked at No. 160 on the Billboard 200, selling 55,000 copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan.
“My first English album was a very experimental, mad-scientist-in-a-laboratory kind of album,” Utada says. “It was a bit of a mess on my side as well as on the record company’s side. I didn’t know how to [express] myself to the public.”
This time, Island Def Jam Music Group president/COO Steve Bartels says the label is “extremely committed to breaking Utada in the United States.” Kimitaka Kato, president of Universal International in Japan, says, “Utada’s talent has been recognized by [IDJMG chairman] L.A. Reid, which led to this launch. We believe that the moment has come for the world to embrace Utada as a true global superstar.”
She’s already achieved that status in Japan, despite being born and raised in the States, until she was 14. Her 1999 debut album, “First Love” (Toshiba EMI), is the best-selling album in Japanese history, selling more than 7.5 million copies, according to SoundScan Japan. All but one of her subsequent six releases have moved more than 1 million copies.
Managed by her father, Teruzane Utada, on both sides of the Pacific, her star status at home is such that she has separate deals for her Japanese repertoire — which appears on EMI under her full name, Utada Hikaru –– and English language releases, which come out through Universal under the name Utada. “Exodus” has sold more than 1 million copies in Japan, and “This Is The One” is due there March 14. But Utada says she remains committed to Japanese repertoire and is already working on her next Japanese album.
As for “This Is The One,” she says it’s “an album made for the purpose of [being] mainstream,” having enlisted top songwriter/producers with U.S. track records and strong ties to IDJ, including the-Dream, Stargate and Tricky Stewart.
“For this project, Utada wanted to work with some of the hottest producers on the charts right now,” Bartels says, “but more importantly they wanted to work with her. The-Dream, Tricky Stewart, Stargate and many others are big fans of hers, and all of us know what the U.S. and Europe are soon to find out — Utada is a star.”
Bartels says Utada’s American “sensibilities and sound” set her apart from other Japanese artists seeking stateside success, noting early press supports from Nylon, the New York Times and Vibe. A slot is also booked on CBS’ “The Early Show,” with more TV appearances to be scheduled.
Utada had her longtime hair and makeup artists fly in from Japan for key U.S. promo work after feeling her image wasn’t presented correctly in the States on “Exodus.” The artist says she’s feeling more confident about how she’s perceived this time around.
“I feel very comfortable about all the promotional work I’ve been doing,” she says. “probably because there is less of this hype about a Japanese pop star making a breakthrough that I struggled with last time.”
☆☆Utada.jp Update: Japanese Magazine Schedule☆☆
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Utada.jp has updated today with a list of Japanese magazines that will be carrying stories on Utada in the coming month. Check it out for the full list.
A new interview with Utada has been released by Kiwibox.com. Thanks to Dave K.
☆☆“Come Back To Me” Added @ 9 Stations; #65 on CHR/POP☆☆
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Utada’s “Come Back To Me” has been added at 9 stations this week, 5 at Pop and 4 at Rhythmic. 6 of these stations have already begun playing the track and are currently listed on our Master Radio List, including WJFX-FM in Ft. Wayne, IN which has been heavily spinning the track, with 36 plays this past week. 3 stations have yet to get on board, including another San Diego station (17th largest market in the country), all of which are listed below. Additionally, “Come Back To Me” is up 2 spots today on the Mediabase CHR/POP chart, coming in at #65 with 168 spins in the last 7 days. Please make sure to keep requesting!
KDLW-FM WILD 97.7 Albuquerque, NM / 505-830-9770 / Toll Free: 1-800-711-5586
KKSS-FM KISS 97.3 Albuquerque, NM / 505-262-KISS
KHTS-FM Channel 933 San Diego, CA / 858-570-1933 / 17th Largest Market
☆☆More Utada @ SINternet☆☆
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Utada is currently featured on the latest S.I.N. Mix CD #7, which is sent out to various radio programmers around the country. Additionally, the current issue of the S.I.N. newsletter carries a few choice quotes from Vince Pellegrino (aka Vinny The Sin) regarding Utada and her single “Come Back To Me.” They include:
“Utada’s management wanted to return to the SIN offices and record me discussing IDJMG’s and my personal commitment to the current Utada project.”
“A meeting with Mike Chester (IDJMG) concluded my day where we discussed the game plan for Utada’s “Come Back To Me” and reviewed the strategies for other IDJMG Top 40 priorities.”
☆☆New Video @ Ningin: “A-Day-in-LA”☆☆
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Ningin has posted a new video clip of Utada working the LA music scene during the Grammy celebrations.
☆☆Utada @ NYMag.com Grub Street Profile☆☆
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Utada is profiled in this week’s New York Diet, a feature on New York Magazine’s Grub Street web blog. Check it out here.
☆☆Utada.jp: Official Tracklisting and Cover Art☆☆
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Utada.jp has been updated with the official tracklisting and cover art for Utada’s upcoming album “This Is The One.” There is also a new profile picture available.
01. On And On
02. Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence - FYI
03. Apple And Cinnamon
04. Taking My Money Back
05. This One (Crying Like A Child)
06. Automatic Part II
07. Dirty Desire
08. Poppin’
09. Come Back To Me
10. Me Muero
Extra Remix Tracks:
11. Come Back To Me (Seamus Haji & Paul Emanuel Radio Edit)
12. Come Back To Me (Quentin Harris Radio Edit)
☆☆“This Is The One” Cover Art @ BestBuy.com☆☆
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Best Buy has updated their online store with preorders for Utada’s upcoming album “This Is The One.” The page features a cover for the album, the same rumored cover that was making the rounds last week. This seems to validate the Tommy2 post and would make their tracklisting seem legitimate. An official announcement seems imminent.
☆☆“Come Back To Me” #74 on CHR/POP Radio Play☆☆
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Utada’s “Come Back To Me” comes in at #74 today on the Mediabase CHR/POP airplay chart with a cumulative 111 spins in the past 7 days. Her audience impression figures are still low, meaning the song is still only playing at smaller stations. Make sure you request at Philadelphia’s WRDW-FM, the largest station to have added Utada’s “Come Back To Me.” More exposure means more chances for other large stations to start playing her song.
☆☆New Utada Audio Interview @ GossipGirls.com☆☆
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A new audio interview with Utada is available on GossipGirls.com. An interesting talk with Utada about some previous mistakes on EXODUS, as well as some new insight into the concept for the “Come Back To Me” music video (20’s glamour/Greta Garbo). Utada mentions that she will be heading back to Japan in the next few days.
☆☆This Is The One up for Pre-order on Amazon.com☆☆
Thanks to FeelMyVIBE for the tip: It appears as though Utada is currently having dinner with the Editor in Chief of VIBE magazine. Perhaps a feature article can be expected in the not too distant future?
☆☆Ten and Sen are delayed for 2 weeks☆☆
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The release date for the two books has been pushed back to 19th March
Japanese website TV Station posted a brief news item regarding the Japanese release date change for Utada’s upcoming album “This Is The One.” In the update, the site mentions 2 new track titles from the album: “On And On” and “Taking My Money Back.” An official tracklisting would seem imminent.
☆☆AHS member, Amorphose, in works of creating a Hikki forum☆☆
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If anyone's interested, some of the long-time members of U-O and Amorphose are going to be making an Utada forum in the next few weeks~ They're gonna try and make it a place where fans can actually go like U-O was because hikaru.sc keeps becoming more of an elitist group of people bashing Hikki rather than a fan forum.
☆☆ “CBTM” Requests: Pop Stations Part II☆☆
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Here is a quick listing of Pop stations who have played Utada’s “Come Back To Me,” along with links to their online request pages. Place a call only if you live in the area; Toll free numbers are great for anyone across the country to request the song. Happy requesting!
WSTW-FM 93.7FM Wilmingtson, DE / 302-478-2700
WDJQ-FM Q92 Canton, OH / 330-450-9292 / Toll Free: 1-800-743-9292
WCIL-FM 101.5 CL Marion, IL / Toll Free: 1-800-341-1015
WRCL-FM Club 93.7FM Flint, MI / Toll Free: 1-866-CLUB937
WZEE-FM Z104.1 Madison, WI / 608 321- 0436
WJQM-FM 93.1 Jamz Madison, WI / 608-321-0931
KSAS-FM 103.3 KISS FM Boise, ID / 208-384-1033
WBVD-FM 95.1 KISS FM Melbourne, FL / 321-821-KISS / Toll Free: 1-800-409-9393
KXXM-FM Mix 96.1 San Antonio, TX / 210-470-5961
WXXL-FM 106.7 XL Orlando, FL / 407-919-1067 / Toll Free: 1-877-919-1067
WHTS-FM 105.3 HOT FM Grand Rapids, MI / Toll Free: 1-888-451-1053
☆☆“Come Back To Me” Available on iTunes & Amazon.com☆☆
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Utada’s “Come Back To Me” is now available for purchase on both iTunes and Amazon.com. Show your support and download a copy!
☆☆Utada.jp: Album Release Moved to 3/14; Message from Ne-Yo☆☆
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Utada.jp has been updated today with two bits of information: First and foremost, the Japanese release date for Utada’s new album, “This Is The One,” has been pushed back from the original March 4th date to March 14th. Additionally, a video of Ne-Yo’s recent message to Utada has been imbedded on the site. The video includes a little bit more than what was included in the recent video press kit.
☆☆“Come Back To Me” LiveDaily Song of the Day☆☆
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Utada’s “Come Back To Me” is currently the Song of the Day over at LiveDaily. You can stream or download the track, and a new promo picture is attached.
☆☆Requesting “Come Back To Me” on Pop Radio☆☆
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As most of you are aware, Utada’s new single, “Come Back To Me,” goes for adds tomorrow on Pop radio stations in the US. This by no means that they will begin playing the song, so it is important to request the song at stations in your area.
“In general, radio stations get very annoyed if they suspect “fan clubs” or label plants are flooding requests for a particular song or artist. If a radio station director notices that requests are coming in from outside their local area and not from their actual listeners, it can hurt that song or artist’s chances with that station more than it helps.”
☆☆Come Back To Me is #28 on the Billboard Japan Hot 100 singles chart☆☆
☆☆“CBTM” Going for Adds at Rhythmic Stations 2/24☆☆
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FMQB has updated their “Available for Airplay” page, and it appears as though Utada’s “Come Back To Me” will be going for adds on Rhythmic stations beginning February 24th. The song was originally slated to go for Rhythmic adds this Tuesday, February 10th, the same day that “Come Back To Me” heads to Pop stations.
☆☆Utada @ Teruo Artistry GRAMMY Gift Booth☆☆
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Teruo Artistry, a California based clothing company, held a small booth at one of the Grammy gifting events this weekend. Utada and her father stopped by on Friday, and a small pic is available on Teruo Artistry’s website.
It appears as though a promotional CD has been sent out to DJs containing several remixes of Utada’s new single, “Come Back To Me.” In addition to the aforementioned Seamus Haji & Paul Emanuel remix, the disc includes mixes by Tony Moran, Quentin Harris, and Mike Rizzo. It seems likely that these will become available next Tuesday, the same day that the original version goes on sale through digital outlets.
☆☆New Utada Interview with Ningin, Part 1 and Part 2☆☆
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Ningin has just posted Part 1 and part 2 of an interview with Utada regarding her upcoming album, “This Is The One.”
☆☆Official Album Title: “This Is The One”☆☆
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Utada’s MySpace has been updated with the name of her forthcoming English language album: “This Is The One.”
☆☆New Utada Profile Reveals 3 Album Tracks☆☆
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url=http://www.myspace.com/thisisutada]Utada’s official MySpace[/url] has been updated with a new profile biography, revealing 3 track titles in the process: “F.Y.I.,” “Apples and Cinnamon,” and “Me Muero.”
Spoiler:
Utada
When I start making a song, for one second I see an amazing view—and in that instant, it cracks and falls to pieces. Then the rest of the process is trying to put the pieces back together. So when it feels familiar, when I see what I saw in that moment the song was conceived, then I know it’s done.—Utada
Hikaru Utada is one of the biggest pop stars in the universe. Over the last ten years, her accomplishments in Japan are simply staggering. Her 1999 debut First Love is the country’s biggest-selling album of all time, and three of her albums rank among the Top Ten best-sellers. She has had 12 Number One hits, including four songs in Japan’s all-time Top 100. 2001’s Distance had the largest first-week sales for any album in Japanese music history, selling an astonishing three million copies. In total, the young singer has sold more than 52 million albums.
But unlike most pop starlets around the world, Utada is also a songwriter and producer; indeed, she says that she thinks of herself as a composer more than as a performer. And on her new Island Def Jam album—ten self-penned songs produced by the powerhouse producers Stargate (Ne-Yo, Rihanna, Beyonce) and Tricky (Britney Spears, Madonna, Mariah Carey)—26-year-old Utada reveals the unique sense of songcraft that is poised to make her a force in the US and European music communities.
“I wanted to make something that’s accessible but not cheap—not low-class or stupid, but still appealing to a wide audience,” says Utada. “I like to make music that’s multi-layered. You might like a song and want to dance, but not really dive into the lyrics and analyze them. And then if you’re more bookish and you like words, you might notice the references I make, to Captain Picard or Freddie Mercury or Winona Ryder.
“Both things are just as important to me—to be catchy, so when you hear a song on the radio it sticks out, and also to have that depth.”
In conversation, Utada is endlessly surprising, instantly shattering any expectations or stereotypes. The list of heroes and influences that she cites—from the Cocteau Twins to Conan O’Brien, from author Roald Dahl to the Notorious B.I.G.—is unpredictable but extremely telling. “I like smart people,” she says. “Not whether you’re educated or not, just whether you have that spark, that light in your attic.”
Born and raised in Manhattan and educated at Columbia University, Hikaru Utada grew up surrounded by music. Her father, Teruzane Utada, was an accomplished musician and producer, and her mother, Keiko Fuji, was a successful Japanese enka (ballad) singer. Utada spent her youth shuttling between New York City and Tokyo, but her most consistent home was the recording studio. By age 11, she had written and recorded her first song, and by the time she graduated from junior high school, she had been signed by EMI Records; her first album, Precious, was recorded in English, but didn’t come out in the US because of business problems at the label; it was subsequently released in Japan.
After moving to Tokyo full-time, she began recording in Japanese, and her debut album in that language, First Love, was an explosive, historic success. Since then, she has had five Number One albums in Japan—most recently, Heart Station in 2008, which was the year’s best-selling non-compilation album.
With that level of popularity, it’s easy to wonder why Utada is taking the difficult step of starting over as a new artist for a new audience. “It’s true that I could have stuck to my throne and taken the easy way,” she says, “but I felt that my creativity, my humanity would be endangered by staying in that position. I don’t want to just be this crazy artist who lives in la-la land, I want to be in touch with the real world and stay humble. And I like it when something feels scary—I see fear as a guiding light.”
Utada did make one earlier foray into the English-language marketplace with the Exodus album n 2004. But even though the singles “Easy Breezy” and “Devil Inside” were hits on the club charts, she views the new album as her true debut. “On that album, I was so insecure,” she says. “I was trying too hard, it wasn’t natural. But on this album, there’s a maturity, a more free-flowing and natural confidence.”
In approaching the new album, Utada was very careful about choosing her collaborators and setting their expectations. “With both teams, I wanted them to lay out the basic tracks,” she says, “but I told them that I have to write my own songs, with complete control over melody and lyrics.”
The producers also turned out to have very different processes. “With Stargate, it was all data transfer,” she says. “I recorded most of the vocals in Tokyo and sent them to Norway or New York. They loved it—they were like ‘This is the future!” But with Tricky, we actually spent time in the studio together, and that was nice and warm. I’m not much of an extrovert, so it was a good experience to have to communicate and get to know a new person.”
Utada singles out the track “F.Y.I.” (which includes samples from experimental pianist Ryuichi Sakamoto and references to the film Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence) as a central moment in determining her final vision of the album. “I recorded the demo in December of 2007,” she says, “but it was a difficult song, and I wasn’t satisfied with it—I had to try to get to the bottom of it. And then just a few months ago, I suddenly came up with the right lyrics, changed the melody in places, and it made sense.
“When that song crystallized,” she continues, “the message of it was very strong and confident, and I felt like it was a good introduction to me, that it fits in with my current story.”
In contrast, the breezy “Apples and Cinnamon” came “almost too easily” to Utada. The vocals on the final version are mostly what she recorded as the demo. “I almost don’t even feel like I made it,” she says. “I didn’t get to savor the experience of it.” But her own favorite song on the album is the flirty, sophisticated “Me Muero”—”no other song makes me feel the way that one does.”
It’s been a long journey, full of many miles and many melodies, for Utada to get to this album. But the lessons she’s learned ultimately gave her a clear sense of what she was looking for. “I wanted to get back to basics,” she says. “Nothing gimmicky, just very straightforward and confident, with a sense of humor. I was so sure of what I was doing, and I just became more of an adult—finally.”
☆☆Utada Interview @ Examiner.com☆☆
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Examiner.com has posted a short interview with Utada regarding her music career. Click here to check it out.
☆☆Island Records: Utada Video Press Kit☆☆
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Spoiler:
Island Records has gone ahead and posted a short 2 minute video featuring comments from Ne-Yo and production team Stargate. Check it out here.
☆Ne-Yo☆
“Giving a shout out to Utada, one of the most talented people I’ve worked with in quite some time. Fantastic voice, beautiful young lady. Utada, from me Ne-Yo, peace and love.”
☆Stargate☆
“Working with Utada was great. We had such a great time. She just walks in and just has this confidence about her, and integrity. Her vocal performance is amazing.”
☆☆“ten” + “sen” Book Release Date: March 10th☆☆
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Utada’s official Japanese website has been updated with new information regarding her upcoming “ten” and “sen” book releases. The 2 books go on sale March 10th and are each a whopping 512 pages in length. The price for “ten” and “sen” are 2,499 and 1,995 yen, respectively. Click here for all the details and for a look at the cover artwork.
Recap
“Ten” consists of an essay written by Utada, focusing on everything from her marriage and divorce, to the joys and pain of writing music. There is also a long interview conducted by Utada’s long time official writer, Ms. Matsuura, along with photos from her debut in 1999 to the present.
”Sen” is a collection of Utada’s official blog/messages and website updates plus photographs taken on location by the same man who photographed her “First Love” album.
☆☆First MySpace Message from Utada☆☆
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Utada has updated her MySpace profile with her first ever blog entry. She indicates that the filming of the “Come Back To Me” video took place on January 27th and 28th, and from what she’s seen, it “looks amazing.” She also mentions that the title of her forthcoming album should be announced shortly, and the album is being mastered in the coming days. Click here for the full blog entry.
☆☆Utada: Editing “Come Back To Me” Video☆☆
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Utada has updated her blog with an English message, informing us that she finished shooting the video for her upcoming single “Come Back To Me,” a few days ago. The video, shot by director Anthony Mandler, is now in the editing process. Click here to check out the full message.
Last edited by Luv ~Venus~; 1st March 2009 at 02:59 AM.
LOVE THIS TITLE! Woot! Predictable.. but cmon...could there really have been any replacement for THIS IS THE ONE!??? Thanks for posting all that info btw.
EDIT: Oh you changed it. Well I LIKE THIS TITLE TOO <3333 Utada Forever!
Last edited by Polyrhythm; 13th February 2009 at 07:44 AM.
wow amazing first post, gah...i've been so lost on hikki,~ what's ten and sen? i know they're books..but what's the difference between them?
“Ten” consists of a long interview conducted by Utada’s long time official writer, Ms. Matsuura, focusing on everything from her marriage and divorce, to the joys and pain of writing music. “Sen” is a collection of Utada’s official blog/messages plus photographs taken on location by the same man who photographed her “First Love” album.
Edit: I just realized it was posted in the first post ^^;;
Credits: U.blog
and Pommy your set is adorable <3
__________________
Hereby, Let it be known.
Thank you so much Ownsarai for this gorgeous set! Love like never before..
I can't preorder / order This Is The One until I pay off my debt for preordering Ayu's new album x_x
LOL yeah if you buy the USB version, you have to take a loan to pay it and I'm not even talking about buying all 4 versions O_O
I already paid for This Is The One, and with the money I've got left I'll buy Next Level 2CD + DVD I'd prefer a CD over an USB stick anytime, especially when the USB is twice the price.
13th February 2009, 07:27 AM
9/8/2004 
10/5/2004 
9/26/2005
I'd prefer a CD over an USB stick anytime, especially when the USB is twice the price.
Linear Mode
