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

[ayuayu798]

LOL! Maybe she should do some more collaborations, y'know like what she did with Neyo...

[KarenPang]

Originally Posted by ayuayu798

LOL! Maybe she should do some more collaborations, y'know like what she did with Neyo...

LOL yes

her take with NeYo on Do You shouldn't have been released as a digital single

at most she should have make a PV with Ne Yo on that one , that will be hot

[ayuayu798]

^ aww the PV idea would be soo cool, I hated how it was a digital single too! That was soo stupid.

[Beauty4123]

Originally Posted by Luv ~Venus~

^

Althought the cover(s) was a "meh", I thought the booklet had very pretty images of her especially the ones in her japanese booklet.



Sexy Hikki!

R.I.P

[ayuayu798]

LOL

[Brodie Boy]

Originally Posted by Luv ~Venus~

^

Althought the cover(s) was a "meh", I thought the booklet had very pretty images of her especially the ones in her japanese booklet.



Sexy Hikki!

MMMMM Hikki looks great thanks for these!!

[Re:★]

Originally Posted by GRACE

Mainstream American music SUCKS though. I don't want to see Hikki putting on that mask, thank you very much.

No, it bloody well doesn't thank you very much.

And doesn't Billboard count downloads now? Fans in America could download from iTunes and it would count to the sales. I'm pretty sure Billboard does that, or it could be just the UK. :/

Edit: Yeah, they have done since '06.

Originally Posted by GRACE

Mainstream American music SUCKS though. I don't want to see Hikki putting on that mask, thank you very much.

The reason Hikki succeeded in Japan was because she used a style that wasn't as present when she debuted as it is now, and Japan ate it up. If she'd tried to be "mainstream" then she would have failed, because Japan was still in love with it's nasal 90s pop, and Hikki couldn't do that. So, she should pull the same thing, she just has to find what that new style is.

First of all, mainstream American music is not much worse quality-wise than mainstream Japanese music. Is Hey Say Jump! much more creatively artistic than, say, Chris Brown, Rihanna or Kanye West in the States? I don't think so Both countries have crappy artists.

Hikki was able to introduce a style of music in Japan that already was bubbling under and was exploding in other parts of Asia. I don't think it would be very easy for Hikki to start new musical trends in the States.

Originally Posted by meatpao

^ Well i believe that's because Hikki was very popular in Japan then so they just bought it

As Karen said, I don't think it would've sold over 1 million copies and been the #6 album of the year if it was just going off of Hikki's popularity.

[GRACE]

Originally Posted by dddaiyamondo

First of all, mainstream American music is not much worse quality-wise than mainstream Japanese music. Is Hey Say Jump! much more creatively artistic than, say, Chris Brown, Rihanna or Kanye West in the States? I don't think so Both countries have crappy artists.

Hikki was able to introduce a style of music in Japan that already was bubbling under and was exploding in other parts of Asia. I don't think it would be very easy for Hikki to start new musical trends in the States.

As Karen said, I don't think it would've sold over 1 million copies and been the #6 album of the year if it was just going off of Hikki's popularity.

That's my opinion about it, I think that 99.9% of western music sucks. I just do. I only like my show tunes and the occasional Kelly Clarkson album.

I think I agree with you somewhat, America's musical trends are in the crapper already, it'd be impossible for Hikki alone to save them. But that's what she's good at, I don't want her being mainstream, I'd rather her fail than her be mainstream, it's just not who she is.

And popularity totally could push an album. Look at Heart Station, if it weren't for Hikki's name, and the two major tie-ins, it would have bombed.

[PSYCHEDELICOdust]

I think EXODUS definitely did sell well because it was her. Highest selling English album over there yet, ain't it? Although, heck if I didn't adore that album <3

You discount how easy HS is to get into, GRACE.

HS was more accessible in terms of music and far less.....out there than UB was, imo. I'd imagine a lot of people saw it as a return to form for Hikki. Not MY own opinion of it, but I can definitely see that.

[GRACE]

I honestly think that a combination of FOL's tie-in, POL's tie-in and Hikki's name are responsible for how well this album has sold. Don't misunderstand me, I still think the album would have done well enough, no matter how bad it really is, but nowhere NEAR as well as it is with out them.

Originally Posted by GRACE

I honestly think that a combination of FOL's tie-in, POL's tie-in and Hikki's name are responsible for how well this album has sold.

Uhhh, how do you explain ULTRA BLUE selling over 900k then? It had crappy singles sales and even crappier tie-ins. Hikki just has a very stable fanbase who loves her music. Tie-ins have nothing to do with it.

[PSYCHEDELICOdust]

Oh, tie-ins help a whooolleee lot, but I don't think they're ENTIRELY responsible. Those tie-ins help get her music out there and played. Last Friends was an utter coup for Hikki in terms of helping stabilize the longevity of HS.

[HonMaru]

Originally Posted by dddaiyamondo

First of all, mainstream American music is not much worse quality-wise than mainstream Japanese music. Is Hey Say Jump! much more creatively artistic than, say, Chris Brown, Rihanna or Kanye West in the States? I don't think so Both countries have crappy artists.

Hikki was able to introduce a style of music in Japan that already was bubbling under and was exploding in other parts of Asia. I don't think it would be very easy for Hikki to start new musical trends in the States.


As Karen said, I don't think it would've sold over 1 million copies and been the #6 album of the year if it was just going off of Hikki's popularity.

I have nothing notable to say other than I completely agree with you. You're one of the few sane non-Japanophile people in this entire forum.

[No_Doubt]

Any artist that can sell in excess of a million copies of any album is mainstream, in my opinion. Even if their music is very experimental, if it can be enjoyed by the masses it qualifies as mainstream, which really isn't a bad thing. Even though in the US Utada may seem like an underground, avant garde act that is exclusive to select saavy hipsters, in Japan she sells like mad, and therefore she is very pop.

Anywho, I'm very eager to get some concrete news on her upcoming English album, because I found the most comepelling material of her career thus far to be on Exodus. Even though I love her Japanese work, both Heart Station and Ultra Blue had awful production that was at times too muddy and messy, or otherwise simply outdated. Thankfully, her undeniable songwriting talents are what made both of those albums great, but her quirky, playful songwriting in combination with the slick production on Exodus is what made that album my favourite. I think it was a flop in America simply because of the lack of promotion and the bad timing. If it were rereleased two or three years later and promoted aggressively, I really think it could have been a huge success because the album's style is very much in line with current North American trends; it has tons of great dance tracks and club anthems, catchy hooks, Stargate-esque guitar-driven songs (Easy Breezy, About Me), and perhaps most importantly Timbo.

[truehappiness]

Originally Posted by HonMaru

You're one of the few sane non-Japanophile people in this entire forum.

Oi.

[bluegie]

Japanophile..?? LOL is this a real word or what?

Anywayz, even tho I dun like Exodus, I would rather to see her releasing Exodus part II than releasing a mainstream album. That's all I wanna say.

And I won't say all the mainstream JPop suck, but at least 80% do...

[PSYCHEDELICOdust]

bah, the only thing keeping EXODUS from being mainstream is the fact that it wasn't accepted by the mainstream. Otherwise it'd fit right in, save for the fact I think Hikki's compositions are better.

Originally Posted by HonMaru

I have nothing notable to say other than I completely agree with you. You're one of the few sane non-Japanophile people in this entire forum.

I'm guessing you're saying that because I don't find everything Japanese to be automatically better than everything Western, which, unfortunately is the mindset of many people I've met I love love love Western music

Originally Posted by truehappiness

Oi.

Why are YOU here?

Originally Posted by PSYCHEDELICOdust

bah, the only thing keeping EXODUS from being mainstream is the fact that it wasn't accepted by the mainstream. Otherwise it'd fit right in, save for the fact I think Hikki's compositions are better.

Really? "Kremlin Dusk" is mainstream? Just look at the title

Originally Posted by No_Doubt

If it were rereleased two or three years later and promoted aggressively, I really think it could have been a huge success because the album's style is very much in line with current North American trends; it has tons of great dance tracks and club anthems, catchy hooks, Stargate-esque guitar-driven songs (Easy Breezy, About Me), and perhaps most importantly Timbo.

I totally agree with you here. However, I think Timbaland's two songs were two of the weakest on Exodus. "Let Me Give You My Love" is seriously TERRIBLE.

[HonMaru]

Originally Posted by bluegie

Japanophile..?? LOL is this a real word or what?

Japanophile: Link