[Utada Hikaru] Utada Hikaru（宇多田 ヒカル）'s Official Thread [v.19]

[KarenPang]

for me I actually like both HS & UB

it's just like that I'm surprised HS sells even better than UB in the long run . It still stummed me til now

[Melon Panda]

I like HEART STATION a lot more than ULTRA BLUE. I used to despise ULTRA BLUE, but HEART STATION encouraged me to give ULTRA BLUE another chance, and while I don't like it quite as much as her other albums, it has its gems.

I'm not sure I can completely and accurately describe why I prefer HEART STATION obtain higher sales than BEST FICTION, but I'll give it a shot. HEART STATION was a long drawn-out effort, and while it's not everyone's cup of tea, Utada took her time to create the kind of sound she was looking for. While Namie undoubtedly also works hard, BEST FICTION seemed more like an attempt to capitalize on her newfound popularity post-60s70s80s. Had Namie come out with a new studio album or something a little more musically creative, I'd have no problems with whatever her sales became. I just wish it were something other than BEST FICTION (which ought to have included SPEED STAR and Violet Sauce, but that's another topic).

[ladytaboo]

I love both HS and UB, though I tend to lean a little more toward UB. And I'm not too surprised that HS is selling more. I can see where Melon Panda is getting at with the whole BEST/original album thing. I'm ecstatic about Namie's success, and she does deserve it so it doesn't really bother me.

[GRACE]

UB is the crown. UB is my absolute favorite Hikki album, and one of my favorite albums in general. Heart Station, on the other hand, is like something she crapped out >.>... Seriously, it sounds like one song cut into parts, there isn't a lot of variety. UB had a distinction between tracks, something that made them all different and special. I'm surprised it sold so much, it really wasn't good enough too. Japan has always have a strange taste in music...

I just feel that, with Heart Station, she took a GIGANTIC leap in the WRONG direction. It seems like she was trying to please the Japanese public that she alienated with the style of UB. Before, she seemed to be going her own way not giving a crap about what people thought because they learned to like her music, she didn't make music geared for them to like. HS, on the other hand, feels like it was geared for Japan to like and not for Japan to grow to like.

It's a bad direction, the only song I thought was remotely close to where she used to be was Kiss & Cry, that was a more Hikki song, everything else was pretty much the same sounds. I don't even listen to HS at all anymore, I stick with UB and prior.

^I really feel like there's a reason that HEART STATION has outsold ULTRA BLUE. The quality of the music is so much higher on HS and it's a very consistent disc.

ULTRA BLUE was too all over the place for me and a lot of the music was kind of a mess (sorry, but "Passion" was a nice try, but poorly executed). I'm glad Hikki didn't keep going with the self-indulgence, because if she continued that super artistic thing she had with UB I probably wouldn't been able to really get into her next album.

HEART STATION doesn't require any skipping around for me, the only song I don't really like that much is "Celebrate." It's a return to form after UB, IMO, and I think Japan agrees

[GRACE]

I doubt Japan's taste in anything seriously, after seeing what Japan creates...

God damn it Japan creates the weirdest ****.

Anyway, I'd HATE for her to continue with the Heart Station style, like hate to the point of stopping listening to new things she puts out.

[GRACE]

^...You don't know Japan that well do you? Japan is the KING of f'd up ****. I don't trust their tastes because of it D:

UB>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>HS

Yes. It's true, stop denying it.

[♥ you!]

Originally Posted by GRACE

^...You don't know Japan that well do you? Japan is the KING of f'd up ****. I don't trust their tastes because of it D:

UB>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>HS

Yes. It's true, stop denying it.

Well yeah over all it is Japan, but I was mostly referring to music I find the weirdest Japanese music enjoyable but when I see weird Euro music I'm just like 'WHAT THE ****?'

I really liked the cover and promo images for UB. the booklet pictures are .

[Zachery!]

"Beautiful World" is awesome, that's the best track for me.
But I think "Stay Gold" is just ok, as with "HEART STATION".
"Prisoner of Love" is bleh and so is "Flavor of Life".
The best tracks, I think, are "TAKE 5", "Beautiful World", and "Fight the Blues". I think all the other songs are either just ok or mediocre.

Mediocre:
Kiss & Cry
Flavor of Life
Prisoner of Love

her older stuff was better.

FINAL DISTANCE, anyone?

[GRACE]

Actually, Kiss & Cry is one of the few tracks on Heart Station I enjoyed ._....

I personally found that I thought I was going to love Beautiful World when previews first surfaced of the chorus. Then the full version came out, and the verses made me stop and go "...Hikki, you could have done so much better..."

[bluegie]

Again Grace, it's personal taste. I dun doubt you find UB million times better than HS. Like I said, UB is quite distinctive in hikki's discography. It is unique in complexity and it's not mainstream at all. However, for me hikki has making this album too complicated that it didn't really suit my taste at all. The songs quality overall is better than Distance (IMO Distance is her worst album.. that's what I call "pleasing the public" album), but it's quite difficult to get into it. (Let's say Kairo... I do agree that this song should be very unique, but somehow it doesn't attract me at all).

For HS... I dun really think hikki's tryin' to be please the general public. More likely I feel like she has stepped out from her melancholy (I'm not saying she has depression.. but she wasn't that super happy in her life back in UB I think). I think she wants to make a happier album, so she chose to make something soother than UB. If we compare UB and HS, they both use similar arrangements (sync instruments all over the place), but HS is less complicated than UB. This is one of the reasons I prefer this album more. While the lyrical contents are still beautifully written, the mood is softer and I feel calm when I listen to this album.

That's is how I see between UB and HS. I admit that the single songs in UB are much better in taste, but the album songs had too much thoughts going thru. HS's single songs are weaker in terms of music uniqueness, but in overall the album flows much better.


I still think DEEP RIVER is her best album. Unique singles, wisdom thoughts, album flow... It's like she combined the songs to tell a story..

[ayumisrael]

Originally Posted by bluegie

I still think DEEP RIVER is her best album. Unique singles, wisdom thoughts, album flow... It's like she combined the songs to tell a story..

I agree, DEEP RIVER is hikki's best album and one of the most enjoyable and good music album on earth!

For me I also liked UB more than HS.
UB has really strong songs (like Passion, Be My Last, kairo, This Is Love, COLORS, Keep Tryin' etc.)
It's a really complicated album and that's what make is so special and easy to like for me.
I loved it that hikki went the complicated way and was a bit sad that she didn't get it into HS.
HS is so public friendly that after the first listen omgness to this album I wasn't listening to most of it afterwards.
From time to time I like listening to one of the songs but except for the good single songs I don't really listen to the album tracks (and HS/SG songs). I don't know what happened but maybe because it's too public friendly the ethereal pop style in just became really generic.
If it pops up in shuffle (when I shuffle or not selecting songs) I won't pull next but I'm not paying attension to the song.

I think bringing namie here is very ridiculous and comparing BF and HS is more ridiculous. BF has songs on it and quality songs so if namie succeed with it it's really good for her even if it's a compilation (though I thought that there are some lack of songs but it doesn't matter).

[Solarblade]

^OMG you guys.....total war between UB and HS....seriously both albums were great in their own way. Ultra Blue was the beginning and had Utada being experimental in it which was produced a nice album overall, though a few songs we're just weird, mainly "Nichiyou no Asa" plus it had some "Old" songs I mean "COLORS" and "Dareka" were pretty much a while back before the album. I'll agree though that they could have placed the songs better but it was still nice album

HEART STATION, however was her knowing the ethereal sounds and working with it. Even though the album should have added more since it was more or less mainly singles. Each single did bring a new sound from her. Even "Boku wa Kuma" was something we never knew she'd do, and she spoke French ^_^ "Niji-iro BASU" was a great song, it felt like it summed up all her works. R&B beats from the start to the ethereal sounds to what becomes one at the end, I think it's her best song. "Celebrate" was also a needed track because it's like a "Keep Tryin" track, it's there to make you happy since most of HS was mentally sad.

If there's anything that I want to see. I want her lyrics to be more from Exodus's point of view than anything. I love Exodus and just how each song had a purpose to it, especially "Hotel Lobby's" talk about prostitution.

Now why bring Namie to the mix, seriously.... Either way I was disappointed by the album and I question why didn't they put her biggest songs IMO on there "Violet Sauce", "Come", "The SPEED STAR"...I mean seriously, if you're gonna have an album put the biggest tracks on there too.

[ladytaboo]

I still think DEEP RIVER is her best album. Unique singles, wisdom thoughts, album flow... It's like she combined the songs to tell a story..

ITA. Neither album compares to DEEP RIVER or Distance for that matter.

[ayumisrael]

Originally Posted by sakidrops

ITA. Neither album compares to DEEP RIVER or Distance for that matter.

I agree, DEEP RIVER and Distance are her best albums to date (while DR is the best).

Originally Posted by sakidrops

ITA. Neither album compares to DEEP RIVER or Distance for that matter.

Distance is her best album for me, hands down.

Originally Posted by greggerz189

Those weren't. The album tracks are what were nearly insulting to listen to. Nijiro BASU and Celebrate were beyond lackluster. And Boku wa Kuma? What a waste. Amuro's music is quality all around lately; her PLAY album was flawless and it's album tracks were amazing. BEST FICTION is very deserving of outselling HEART STATION by millions of copies.

If you actually find Hikki's music insulting... are you even a fan? Doesn't sound like it. PLAY was a mess of an album and deserved to sell only half of what ULTRA BLUE did And what are you talking about with BEST FICTION? It's just some best album, nothing new...

Originally Posted by Zachery!

"Beautiful World" is awesome, that's the best track for me.
But I think "Stay Gold" is just ok, as with "HEART STATION".
"Prisoner of Love" is bleh and so is "Flavor of Life".
The best tracks, I think, are "TAKE 5", "Beautiful World", and "Fight the Blues". I think all the other songs are either just ok or mediocre.

Mediocre:
Kiss & Cry
Flavor of Life
Prisoner of Love

her older stuff was better.

FINAL DISTANCE, anyone?

You think POL is mediocre? And K&C? FOL?! I'm assuming you didn't like Distance or First Love much then, right?

Originally Posted by GRACE

I doubt Japan's taste in anything seriously, after seeing what Japan creates...

God damn it Japan creates the weirdest ****.

Anyway, I'd HATE for her to continue with the Heart Station style, like hate to the point of stopping listening to new things she puts out.

Japan's taste isn't bad... it's just different from Westerners. But from a Japanese perspective, most people liked HS much better, which is quite evident

Originally Posted by criminal

I love how everyone suddenly knows exactly what Japan likes.

Yeah and ULTRA BLUE and HEART STATION aren't even that far from each other. They're quite similar, in my opinion. As for quality, again, they're really similar. They both have their perks and flaws. I'm kind of inching towards HEART STATION, but even if I am, ULTRA BLUE is right next to it. D:

It's not hard to know what Japan likes since most of us here follow the charts and sales like crazy. But I agree about UB and HS not being too far apart, but for me ULTRA BLUE is so inconsistent and uneven. You've got great tracks like BLUE but then total failures like "Nichiyou no Asa." And you've got really fun, up-beat catchy tracks like "Keep Tryin'" and then the messy, boring "Kairo." HEART STATION doesn't have the peaks like UB, but it also doesn't have the horrible lows like UB.

[xiaou-xijiang]

Originally Posted by dddaiyamondo

If you actually find Hikki's music insulting... are you even a fan?

you can still be a fan and not like an album.

Originally Posted by dddaiyamondo

You think POL is mediocre? And K&C? FOL?! I'm assuming you didn't like Distance or First Love much then, right?

what does that have to do with anything? Distance and First Love don't even compare. I thought POL and FOL was very mediocre and forgetable. K&C, First Love and Distance (the songs and the albums) are gems.

Originally Posted by dddaiyamondo

But from a Japanese perspective, most people liked HS much better, which is quite evident

you can buy the album and still not like it. lol. Does having a Japanese perspective change everyone's opinions?

[RikkuK]

Originally Posted by xiaou-xijiang

what does that have to do with anything? Distance and First Love don't even compare. I thought POL and FOL was very mediocre and forgetable.

I agree completely. POL is crappy. Even utada herself said she dumbed down the lyrics so the Japanese audience could relate more to them...ugh

But Deep River is by far the best imo

[bluegie]

Whenever I look at the DEEP RIVER cover, I feel like she is the ancient goddess . LOL

[criminal]

I love how everyone suddenly knows exactly what Japan likes.

Yeah and ULTRA BLUE and HEART STATION aren't even that far from each other. They're quite similar, in my opinion. As for quality, again, they're really similar. They both have their perks and flaws. I'm kind of inching towards HEART STATION, but even if I am, ULTRA BLUE is right next to it. D: