Stay Gold - Thoughts on Hikaru Utada

[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!

[ストロボ・EdGE]

Originally Posted by Enfluerage

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.

..."Dumbing down her songs"? How do you know she wasn't being serious? I don't think she was aiming for satire here or in any of her other sexual songs. She knows that the average American who listened to it would not assume so much and find a deep and criticizing meaning behind a song like 'Dirty Desire'.

[primavera♥]

oh i adore this. . .its hte perfect way to describe things and als oto describe such "rivalry" between hikki (<3) and ayu (<3) who both have such different pasts and most definitely different opportunities (which for some reason a lot of people dont realize that the opportunities a person has can easily affect the rest of their lives)

i love this. beautifully written and perfectly describing hikki in a general way. a bit touching really ^_____^

[Andrenekoi]

Sorry, but this article reveals more about urself than about Hikaru...

[pommy48]

Sorry, but "the most talented singer in the world" killed it for me~

But nicely written~

[Enfluerage]

Originally Posted by ストロボ・EdGE

..."Dumbing down her songs"? How do you know she wasn't being serious? I don't think she was aiming for satire here or in any of her other sexual songs. She knows that the average American who listened to it would not assume so much and find a deep and criticizing meaning behind a song like 'Dirty Desire'.

Lol... Because I watched an interview before about this. Hikaru described how American audiences are different than Japanese audiences. And how she intentionally changed her songs.

Here's an interesting note: an interviewer once asked her why she wrote about "Come back to me?" - was it about personal experience ie: she cheated on a partner? Hikaru laughed and said no... She wrote the song because she felt there were too many American songs about guys cheating on girls and later begging forgiveness - so she wanted to turn the tables on this, and write a song about a girl cheating on a guy. Is this not "commentary"?

And btw, the things I wrote about Hikaru may seem a bit strange to many casual fans, but I've seen lots of interviews about her, and this is just the impression I get, in my personal opinion.

As for the comment "most talented singer in the world"... I don't mean it as "singer with the best voice, or best singing skill"... It's more a comment how Hikaru was a child prodigy and has written, composed and arranged 8 albums of material (well almost all of it - excluding one cover) by the age of 26. And the albums have done very well, even without especial marketing. How is that not talented?

But if you are a Hamasaki Ayumi fan, read on the rest of the article and if you really understand what I wrote, you'll be delighted! Of course, this article is very complicated. The true meaning behind it is this... Hikaru is talented and musically very successful. But what impresses me the most about her is that she almost has the same passion for music as Hamasaki Ayumi (the music artist I respect the most). Or in other words - I wrote so many nice things bout Hikaru ... but gave Hamasaki Ayumi the better compliment.

Have a think about this statement carefully:

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.

Ie: notice I didn't write "The highest compliment I can give Hikaru Utada is that I respect her more than Hamasaki Ayumi" (because that isn't the case!)

Anyway, hope that explains the point of the article (and the first line)

[primavera♥]

^ i dont see why such negative replies to what u shared (or why what u said could have difficulty being interpreted) . . .i find it very special how much u love and respect hikki ^___^ i swear everyone always contradicts something so simple on this forum haha

thansk for further explanation though. now it makes more sense, love

[TITANIC]

most talented singer in the world.

I cant accept this.
So that u mean Hikki is better than Mariah carey?????
she write and compose her music also. Not to be mean and not too far. see Ayaka. she debuted in 2006 when she was 18. does she carry a musician blood? NAH. she has much much more better voice and singing skill compared hikki IMO. Hikki's parents are musician so no doubt if she can be a good singer.

thats what I thought. better not to put most talented singer in the world.

[jean-baptiste]

^i'm guessing you missed this?

Originally Posted by Enfluerage

As for the comment "most talented singer in the world"... I don't mean it as "singer with the best voice, or best singing skill"... It's more a comment how Hikaru was a child prodigy and has written, composed and arranged 8 albums of material (well almost all of it - excluding one cover) by the age of 26. And the albums have done very well, even without especial marketing. How is that not talented?

anyways, i enjoyed reading this article. greatly written.

[Picaflor 7/4]

She's my favorite artist and even I wouldn't say she's the most talented singer in the world.

[gallowsCalibrator]

Nicely written I really respect Hikki because she is so talented *o* I wouldn't say she is the most talented though...

[Enfluerage]

Originally Posted by Picaflor 7/4

She's my favorite artist and even I wouldn't say she's the most talented singer in the world.

That's a bit ironic then, isn't it? Hikaru isn't my favourite artist and I think's the most talented music artist in the world.

Judging for the comments I received, I'll again repeat what I wrote above.

I consider many singers in the world to have better singing skill than Hikaru. Mariah Carey for example has an incredible vocal range, powerful voice and can sing in many styles. How about Andrea Bocelli or Sarah Brightman etc?

But I had clearly defined the context that I was saying "talent". Which was to look at the overall picture of lyrics, composition, arrangement, singing and also looking at debut age.

Mariah Carey debuted at age 20. In her first six albums (sorry I didn't check further), she did not write a single song by herself! There were also songs that she didn't write at all (and not just in her Christmas album). She only started doing some arranging in her third album.

One singer who is quite accomplished is Otsuka Ai. In her 5 albums, she writes and composes all her songs. She also co-arranges with Ikoman, and can play several instruments. But she debuted at age 21.

Not sure why Ayaka's name is in the mix. I actually like her singing and her songs... But her debut album was at 18 and has only released two albums.

Kwon Boa debuted at age 13. But she is essentially a dancer / vocal artist - and not a writer, composer or arranger.

Zhou Jie Lun writes, sings, arranges, dances, directs, acts, plays like 10 instruments and even owns 2 restaurants and a music company. But as I clarified earlier... I think Zhou Jie Lun is the most talented celebrity, but in terms of writing/composing/arranging/singing though I wouldn't put him before Hikaru. He debuted at age 20, and writes less than half his songs.

As for Hikaru, she debuted with U3 at age 10, and released her first solo album at age 14.

Michael Jackson debuted with the Jackson Fives at around age 6, and released his solo album aged 13. Although he didn't initially write or compose (basically until Off the Wall), he is actually an exceptional writer, composer and arranger as well. And I think he had the best singing skill of the generation (and even more than Marieh Carey). Because Michael Jackson could sing an incredible variety of songs, with a wonderful voice... But he could also rap extremely well.

I only considered Hikaru to be the most talented music artist / singer (in terms of music and singing) on June 25, 2009

[TITANIC]

dont forget Ayaka. she debuted at 17 or 18 just 1 or 2 years younger than Hikki and she write and composed by herself. Hikki's parents are musician so undoubted she has good skill in musical.

[jean-baptiste]

@Enfluerage: yeah, i see what you mean. but i could also see why people wouldn't agree. it's all about opinion.

[AyUta]

It's his opinion.

I thought this was beautifully written . You hit all the marks.

[4minute Girl]

is this real

[Enfluerage]

Originally Posted by 4minute Girl

is this real

Notes:

1) Hikaru is not native Japanese. She's an American citizen born in New York

2) In one of the interviews, she comments about how people mistake her for being native Japanese, and say to her: "Your English is really good!" To which she replies "Well yours isn't bad either!"

3) In the video Hikari, she washes dishes..... the entire video

4) Check the amazing Tetris competition out in Youtube. It's frightening how they play. And yes, she did win 26-4.

5) In an interview for her album "This is the one", she describes how it was funny how a bunch of geeks could make such refined, elegant songs.

6) "Flavor of life" was the song she sung at the time of her divorce.

7) In her song "Boku wa Kuma", the lyrics goes "I am a bear, a bear, a bear, a bear. Not a car, a bear, a bear, a bear".

8) In an interview, she describes her singing as actually a secondary occupation - almost an afterthought, with her writings, compositions and arrangements as her primary objectives.

9) Yes, Zhou Jie Lun can sing, dance, act, direct, play 10 instruments and also owns two restaurants =)

10) Hikaru was indeed asked to describe Hamasaki Ayumi once on a radio station. Hikaru said that they weren't rivals, and that Hamasaki Ayumi was very popular, pretty and writes all her own songs. The radio host replied "And how is that different to you?"

* * *


11. Hikaru Utada was an American who was born into a privileged family. Her father was a successful music producer, her mother a famous singer.

12. 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. When Hamasaki Ayumi first met Matsuura Max, he commented that her singing was poor and suggested she should do singing lessons.

13. Hamasaki Ayumi is half-deaf.

14. The total sales of Hikaru Utada is approximately 35 million and Hamasaki Ayumi's total sales is approximately 45-50 million.

15. The comment about world's best singer/songwriter in the last decade is an interesting one. In 2000 to 2010, estimate sales for some top singers/band include: Spears (43m), Rihanna (15m), Hamasaki Ayumi (40m), Norah Jones (40m), Hikaru Utada (25m) Coldplay (40m) Mariah Carey (15m), Aguilera (25m) U2 (20m), Madonna (30m), Beyonce (23m).

Out of all the artists in the world, I think only Coldplay, Britney and Norah Jones could have outsold Hamasaki Ayumi in 2000-2010. But Coldplay is a band while Britney and Norah don't write all their songs. Norah Jones for example only wrote 3songs from her best-selling album.

[Andrenekoi]

I think u r wrong about the Max comment, he actually commented he liked Ayu's voice and that she should take vocal lessons and work with Avex...

[jean-baptiste]

^

[Enfluerage]

Originally Posted by Andrenekoi

I think u r wrong about the Max comment, he actually commented he liked Ayu's voice and that she should take vocal lessons and work with Avex...

All Night Nippon, Dec 1998 (credit to Masa). Hamasaki Ayumi was giving advice to a caller.

HA: Do you know Max Matsuura, being the producer of my works now?
Caller: Yes.
HA: Do you know? I've known the man since I was sixteen.
Caller: Really?
HA: Yes, I've known him for about four years. And when we went to a Karaoke house together, I was told by the man, "You are poor at singing."
Caller: What?
HA: And he said to me, "Poor at singing, but you have a good voice", and "Go to take lessons.


Apologies, I made an error in my original post. It should be "he commented that her singing was poor and suggested she should do singing lessons". (ie: Max thought her voice was good, but her singing was bad). I'll fix this now. Thanks for this.

In Rocking on Japan (2001, credit masa translation), Hamasaki says that Max told her this afterwards:
"So go to the voice lessons and the physical training first to develop your strength".