[Utada Hikaru] Coming Back to the 23rd Thread♥

[Sundae]

I don't like the font of those, HonMaru. The coloring is nice, but I don't like that foggy, haze effect.

[HonMaru]

^ Uh okay? Fair enough I guess.

[kang daesung]

I like the last one best. But, unlike a lot of people, I don't think she needs any extra makeup.

[rikku411]

The thing about the cover is that it can show how lazy her team is or isn't being. I agree that tons of people don't even see covers, but it's definitely a big part of what people want to see on their iPods or iPhones.

It probably won't make a difference in terms of someone buying it online (it won't for me definitely), especially since you can even delete album artwork if you want. But as for seeing how serious Island Records is being... it's a bad sign.

People just want to see something professional, and some take it more seriously than others.

Maybe it'll look better on iTunes, hm.

[Maemi]

Well, the cover of Exodus '04 was very simple too...

[Zeke.]

Originally Posted by amorphose

I don't think 99% of American teens would even know what you meant if you said 'single.'

I remember one time calling into the radio and asking "Can you please play (so-and-so's) new single, ***" - I forgot the artist but the radio guy was surprised that I called it a single and I just said that I read up on the internet a lot. He said most people just would have said "the new song by (so-and-so)".

[Zeke.]

Originally Posted by Maemi

Well, the cover of Exodus '04 was very simple too...

Yes and it was gorgeous!

[Maemi]

To be honest, when i saw for the first time Come Back To Me cover, i wasn't disappointed very much. Because i was afraid she's gonna make smth awful like HS/Stay Gold.

[rookies]

I like the US/Japan EXODUS cover more than the UK version. ^^

[emi♡]

Originally Posted by dreamcrushed

Sure, that's your opinion. And I've actually seen worse. And it probably would help her if it were "stylish" (whatever that means to anyone). I think people should save their outrage for the cover... Knowing the "j-pop community", it'll be a complete crapstorm anyway (as it always is when covers are revealed). EDIT: Like the post above mine.

But I don't see what's so horrible about it that someone would decide not to buy any of her upcoming English releases because they have concluded that this one single cover is supposedly demonstrative of how not seriously IDJ is taking this.

I don't have any ideas on what it should look like... What do other people think?

And yeah, I go to the college. I'm going back in a week... End of Vacation =

yeah I understand.

It's just a little disappointing.


And that's awesome you go to Wellesley. I was thinking of applying there last year, but I decided to stay in state.

Congratulations on getting in! That's quite a feat.

[CoriKaru]

You people paint Americans out to be so ignorant. Of course they know what a Single is and are aware of them and the fact that artists have photos of themselves displayed on Singles. The point is, people will see this Cover. They didn't make this for US here in this forum. We saw it, everyone else will see it.

[kawaii otaku]

um i'm not so sure that's true, mostly.

almost every time i say "oh yeah, my favorite artist has a new single coming out!", people are generally like "wtf is a single?"

they just say 'new song', not 'new single'. at least over here (tri-state area) that tends to be like case about 95% of the time.

[jbrat2219]

Originally Posted by kawaii otaku

um i'm not so sure that's true, mostly.

almost every time i say "oh yeah, my favorite artist has a new single coming out!", people are generally like "wtf is a single?"

they just say 'new song', not 'new single'. at least over here (tri-state area) that tends to be like case about 95% of the time.

My peeps don't know the difference between an album and a CD...

They usually say, "Oh so&so is coming out with a new CD!"

But when I say, "Ayu's coming out with a new album," they give me these blank stares and say, "You mean a CD?" xD;

It's so weird.....

[[taskin.ayu]]

Singles have less importance in America anyway. It doesn't matter who sees it. It's like how most single covers for major artists are just extras from the album photoshoot. XD

[kawaii otaku]

^ yeah, look at all the singles from Britney's 'Blackout'

[amorphose]

Originally Posted by CoriKaru

You people paint Americans out to be so ignorant. Of course they know what a Single is and are aware of them and the fact that artists have photos of themselves displayed on Singles. The point is, people will see this Cover. They didn't make this for US here in this forum. We saw it, everyone else will see it.

It's not that they're ignorant. It's something that's lost in the American music culture. If an American isn't old enough to remember when singles are physically released, why would they know what one is? Where do you hear about singles other than iTunes.

I don't know about you or where your located in the states, but I sure as hell know that no one here will understand immediately what you mean if you say 'single.' I wouldn't even know if it wasn't for Japanese music.

[emi♡]

^Exactly, music is just different here...

although, I remember singles when I was younger...I don't know if any of my friends do.


What I really hope...is that they don't use the cover for promotion.

What really disappoints me the most, I think, is that it kind of gives the impression that Utada is sort of a newb, which she is, here in the US. But I don't think they should market her that way.

Hikki is huge, and I think they should give her just a little more credit...and maybe invest a little more in her.

but you know...she did say she wants her US music to be different...so whatever.

[amorphose]

I doubt they will use the cover for promotion.... unless (god smite me for even considering this XD) it is from the same photoshoot the album cover is from.

A little offtopic: But how does a new artist, such as Utada, go about promoting correctly in the US? The city I live in is very small. I never see any promotion for an artist except for an occasional poster in a record store or commercial on TV. It's not like Japan with the countless music shows and giant billboards and stuff. xD

[Sundae]

Maybe they are trying to distance themselves from Exodus. With BoA, they are always talking about her previous sales. But can you do that with Utada without mentioning Exodus? They should be able to, but they don't seem to want to work that angle.

[amorphose]

They talked a bunch about her amazing Japanese sales when EXODUS was released. Didn't seem to do anything. They mentioned her sales on MTV's "You Hear It First" and the EXODUS press kit thing.

I haven't heard anything about BoA really outside of the JPop fan forums. I did see "Eat You Up" on TheN though.