[Utada Hikaru] [2005] Utada - EXODUS -- UPGRADE? DOWNGRADE?

[greggerz189]

I was inspired by a very lengthy discussion I had with sxesven in the Ayu chatroom about Utada's Exodus album. I just want to know what everyone else thinks of it. UPGRADE? Was it great? Totally lived up to what you expected? Better? DOWNGRADE? Did it suck? Did you hate it? Totally worse than what you expected? CAN'T DECIDE? Too hard? Thought it was okay? Not great, not horrible? Satisfactory? DIDN'T BUY IT? What do you think?? ^_^

[lotusoka]

it was the first thing i had ever heard by hikki (utada, whatever!,) and i was really disappointed with the album. I didn't bother downloading her stuff when I saw it in forums because i figured it would be just like exodus. I bought first love one day though, because it was really cheap, figured "wth, why not?" and I loved it. I love her japanese work, and think that exodus has the potential to make her seem like a poor artist. I think there isn't much on exodus that is outstanding, in your face, work that I've come to associate with hikaru. just my opinion.

[Joel]

I would say downgrade... I simply didnt enjoy the album except for one or two songs that I thought were ok. I still like Hikki though

[-Link-]

Originally Posted by Joe - with a - L

I would say downgrade... I simply didnt enjoy the album except for one or two songs that I thought were ok. I still like Hikki though

Same with me, I wasnt really hooked on many except 2 (maybe 3) her voice sounds great, i just wasn't digging the beats too much

But I still like her

[sxesven]

I'm too lazy to type all of my opinion yet again (had a good discussion with greggerz189 on that indeed ), so I'm just going to say upgrade. Terrific album.

[iloveayu04]

I think that although the music is unique in it's own right they just weren't my cup of tea. I loved Exodus '04 and Devil Inside but that's where it stopped. Their only redeeming factor is the music.

Utada said that english music is more dependent on being catchy than Japanese. While I would generally agree with that I believe it went too far. On the album she sounds like she tried too hard to make the songs rhymy (sp?) and focused less on actual content. "You're easy breezy and I'm japaneasy," anyone?

The chorus is supposed to be repetitive because it's supposed to 'hook' you into the song. Most songs don't have more than three chorus sections that I can recall, but "You Make Me Want To Be A Man" essentially just loops the entire song. After you hear the complete verse and chorus you can pretty much stop playing the song because you know what the rest of it is. That song makes me ill listening to it. I only watched the video to see what it looked like.

The repetitive, often cheesy lyrics, looping music, and lack of a serious promotion doomed Exodus right from the start. My god.. Utada promoted her "Easy Breezy" single more than she did her album! In all I think that Exodus was a crappy album, and I pity mainstream America for hearing it. I think Utada's past work is vastly superior.. hell even "Simple & Clean" is better than Exodus. While I think about it was there even a music video on its launch for promotional purposes BESIDES "Easy Breezy?" It's been 10 months since Exodus debuted and they are just NOW showing a video for "You Make Me Want To Be A Man"! Or at least that's the impression I got. Anyway, enough harping for me - I just don't like it.

[*Petit*]

Originally Posted by iloveayu04

Utada said that english music is more dependent on being catchy than Japanese. While I would generally agree with that I believe it went too far. On the album she sounds like she tried too hard to make the songs rhymy (sp?) and focused less on actual content. "You're easy breezy and I'm japaneasy," anyone?

I wonder what she referred to. O.o because Generally I find japanese music WAY more catchy than european and american music. (LOVE MACHINE f.ex or virtually any morning musume song) I guess she was thinking on lyrics, or perhaps referring to the more clear use of repetitive percussive rythms and such vs more melodic songs.

[Chibi-Chan]

Originally Posted by iloveayu04

I think that although the music is unique in it's own right they just weren't my cup of tea. I loved Exodus '04 and Devil Inside but that's where it stopped. Their only redeeming factor is the music.

Utada said that english music is more dependent on being catchy than Japanese. While I would generally agree with that I believe it went too far. On the album she sounds like she tried too hard to make the songs rhymy (sp?) and focused less on actual content. "You're easy breezy and I'm japaneasy," anyone?

The chorus is supposed to be repetitive because it's supposed to 'hook' you into the song. Most songs don't have more than three chorus sections that I can recall, but "You Make Me Want To Be A Man" essentially just loops the entire song. After you hear the complete verse and chorus you can pretty much stop playing the song because you know what the rest of it is. That song makes me ill listening to it. I only watched the video to see what it looked like.

The repetitive, often cheesy lyrics, looping music, and lack of a serious promotion doomed Exodus right from the start. My god.. Utada promoted her "Easy Breezy" single more than she did her album! In all I think that Exodus was a crappy album, and I pity mainstream America for hearing it. I think Utada's past work is vastly superior.. hell even "Simple & Clean" is better than Exodus. While I think about it was there even a music video on its launch for promotional purposes BESIDES "Easy Breezy?" It's been 10 months since Exodus debuted and they are just NOW showing a video for "You Make Me Want To Be A Man"! Or at least that's the impression I got. Anyway, enough harping for me - I just don't like it.

That's exactly how I feel!

[tl1029530921]

Hikki - Upgrade..UTADA - downgrade...

[denadel]

Upgrade!

I only red bad things about this album on different forums, and didn't even bother listening to it.
After a while i just needed to hear it, if it was as bad as everyone says.

i got swept away.

[Halla]

I'd like to vote something between upgrade and downgrade , but with these choices i'm afraid I'll have to go with a downgrade. I think some of the songs on Exodus would have been great if someone else sung them , I don't think Utada does a great job on the vocals on this album. She sounds great on her j-pop stuff , I don't get it why she sounds so bad in Exodus

I know American music doesn't get a lot of love here , but I for one am annoyed Utada wasted her opportunity to work with Timbaland by making Exodus instead of something really great.
last time she worked with a US RnB-producer turned out great. Her 'Time Limit' by Rodney Jerkins aka Darkchild , my favorite RnB producer.

[PickleCookies]

Let me reiterate this for you all:

Utada IS NOT Hikki.
And I'll repeat it for those who missed it:
Utada is NOT Hikki.

They are not the same persona. So do not compare them, as they are two completely different entities.

And for those of whom who still complain about the lyrics to "Easy Breezy," it was a joke. The song is a joke.

Anyway, as for my opinion, I'm indifferent. I'm not fond of this album, because it is not my type of music. I am more into pop myself, so I don't like this album. Now, does that make it any less of an album? No. So I don't think I will judge whether this album is good or not.

[Halla]

Originally Posted by PickleCookies

Let me reiterate this for you all:

Utada IS NOT Hikki.
And I'll repeat it for those who missed it:
Utada is NOT Hikki.

They are not the same persona. So do not compare them, as they are two completely different entities.

And for those of whom who still complain about the lyrics to "Easy Breezy," it was a joke. The song is a joke.

Anyway, as for my opinion, I'm indifferent. I'm not fond of this album, because it is not my type of music. I am more into pop myself, so I don't like this album. Now, does that make it any less of an album? No. So I don't think I will judge whether this album is good or not.

I think you can argue 'Utada is hikki' too , it's not like an artist can't switch styles between album releases. Besides they always keep bring up she's a superstar in japan and sold a lot of albums there , and they usually mention 'Exodus' is her US debut album and not 'just' a debut album implying she has released material before.
for example , I don't think Shakira singing in english and spanish are different personas. so why would Utada singing in japanese and english be ?

and I think everyone can say how they feel about 'Exodus' , it's not going to make it any less of an album if you state your personal opinion about it

[sxesven]

Originally Posted by Halla

I think you can argue 'Utada is hikki' too , it's not like an artist can't switch styles between album releases.

I agree on Utada and Hikki not being substantially different. It's the same musician, just a different name tag.

Originally Posted by iloveayu04

"You're easy breezy and I'm japaneasy," anyone?

These lyrics have been discussed back when Easy Breezy first found its way to P2P, only to conclude that it was in fact not just a silly play on words but a more elaborate pun (I can recall 'Easy, peesy, Japanesey' having something to do with this, but I'm not sure how it all connected).

[norain]

Originally Posted by Halla

for example , I don't think Shakira singing in english and spanish are different personas. so why would Utada singing in japanese and english be

Well, the only thing you could really do if you compare Shakira English/Utada English. And Shakira Spanish/Hikki Japanese. Is that Shakira just translates her song (like boa) utada writes completely NEW tracks for each release. Making her both different people since they're styles are different. The only thing you could make a comparison of the same person is when she did HIKARI which the translation song was from Hikki. And upcoming Passion, which I think will also be translated.

[Calico]

I personally like the album. Not LOVE it, but like it. My mother hunted through five stores to finally find one copy for my birthday last year, and I don't think she wasted her effort. (Or money) I still listen to the disc regularly, and usually every song. There's only one song on that album that I can't listen to without going crazy - Wonder 'Bout. But that's just one song. I find myself randomly singing "Hotel Lobby" sometimes. (Possibly my favorite) And quite frankly, Hikki's first two Japanese albums aren't really my thing at all. (But I like Deep River) So in the realm of the world I like her English music more.

So to make it short: Not upgrade, but not downgrade. I think it's a nice in-between.

[hightea_xx]

I think it's different. No better, nore worse, just different.


Her Japanese music is so different from her Exodus stuff, that that's the only way i can really explain it. That's why i think they should be considered as two seperate entities. I definately love her Japanese stuff more than the tracks on Exodus as I find their replay value higher.

However, I think that her Exodus stuff was good as well. A lot of the tracks are well done, the lyrics are very gritty and dirty, but I think it's nice, in some odd twisted way. It's as she named her album, her "exodus" from Japan. Sadly, I don't know if she'll be making anymore of these exoduses But I think the album is good as it is different. And the last track, which has become my personal favorite, is gold.

[kayokyokufan]

I didn't enjoy the Exodux album as much as I had enjoyed her previous works. It was a 'downgrade' for me. However, maybe 'downgrade' is too strong a word 'cause I thought she stayed consistent with her great beats. I didn't care for her lyrics.

Upgrade? Downgrade? is this 6th grade or something?

I'm sure hikki saying that the lyrics to Easy Breezy were a joke is just a cover up for her after she realized how stupid it sounded when she recorded it. I personally like the album alot, some songs more than her Japanese.

[PickleCookies]

Originally Posted by j_nerd

Upgrade? Downgrade? is this 6th grade or something?

No, the Upgrade? Downgrade? thing originated on Best Week Ever.

Originally Posted by Halla

and I think everyone can say how they feel about 'Exodus' , it's not going to make it any less of an album if you state your personal opinion about it

Thanks for reminding us that we're allowed to state our opinions. I must've missed that memo.
When I said, "Does that make it any less of an album?" I meant for me, not for everyone. Some people don't like it, and they gave it a downgrade. It's not my type of music, but I'm not going to give it a downgrade- which would make it less of an album for me. See the difference?