[Miliyah Kato] invites you to embrace LIBERTY in thread #7

[orbitalaspect]

Well, here are my thoughts and personal ratings:

01. Dokomademo ~How Far I'll Go~ (どこまでも; Anywhere) - 6/10

I like the song, but it just feels like a b-side. It doesn't feel like the kind of song to lead off an album. I also feel like this song feels like a redo of H.I.K.A.R.I.

02. Tabibito (旅人; Traveller) - 5/10

This is Justin Bieber's Love Yourself. I'm sorry. I can't unhear the similarities.

03. Let Me In - 5/10

This is typical fare for a Miliyah ballad.

04. Saikouna Shiawase (最高なしあわせ; Supreme Happiness) - 5/10

Again, typical fare for a Miliyah ballad.

05. Shoujo Jidai (少女時代; Girlhood) - 9/10

I love that Miliyah raps on this track. The entire atmosphere and rhythm is on point. I love this track. Something memorable for me. It's like Miliyah's version of MIKA NAKASHIMA's Birukaze Swimming School. I love that she experimented with this and threw it on the album. Not a song I'd choose as a single, but it's a good album track.

06. Utopia - 5/10

I love the old school 90s R&B feel. Apart from that, I just feel this track is weighed down by the previous 5 songs, none of which were much different from this one.

07. Ai no Kuni (愛の国; Country of Love) - 1/10

This is the one song I hoped wouldn't be on the album. It's just headache-inducing to me. It sounds so bland and uninspired. I really think the melody could have been used on a better song.

08. MOON - 4/10

At this point, I feel this album is barely crawling along. I would probably appreciate this song much much more if it wasn't following SEVEN other songs with near similar pacing. I do think the 80s-inspired synths make this feel like a cool throwback.

09. Eien (永遠; Forever) - 4/10

I actually couldn't get through this whole song. The bells were driving me nuts.

10. BE - 4/10

This song should have actually started at 0:38. And I really wish she would have built something better on that rhythm. The rest of the song is really difficult to listen to because I keep thinking the beat during the verses is more catchy and has much more momentum than the bridge or chorus. The strings really ruined it for me, which is difficult to say because I really feel the verses could have made for one hell of a song.

11. I AM - 3/10

This is slightly more tolerable than Ai no Kuni, but it's still one of those songs I wish wouldn't have been released. I wish this was just a demo tape created when she was experimenting for different ideas on Utopia.

12. Triangle - 8/10

Triangle really cuts through the monotony leading up to it. It's a ballad, but it's more attention-grabbing than its siblings on Utopia. I think part of the reason is that it's not following the same production style as other songs. This is more reflective of ballads within the last 10 years, whereas other songs on Utopia are more or less 90s- and 80s-inspired. Compared to a lot of these other songs, this one feels like it's got the right length.

13. Maboroshi (幻; Phantom) - 7/10

A far better ballad than Ai no Kuni or Saikouna Shiawase. I just wish this wasn't at the end of the album.

14. Subarashiki Jinsei (素晴らしき人生; A Wonderful Life) - 6/10

An OK, nostalgic-sounding song to end the album with. It definitely doesn't stand up to other final tracks on Miliyah's albums. It's leagues under Owari Naki Kanashimi (終わりなき哀しみ; Never-ending Sadness) from HEAVEN, which is in my opinion one of the best ending tracks to any Japanese album.

OVERALL RATING: 5.14/10
THOUGHTS:
Utopia is another example of this recent trend in J-Pop to create an entire album of songs that are almost indistinguishable from each other. In contrast to LIBERTY, Utopia feels like it was all recorded during a week of rainy weather. This is a HUGE step down from LIBERTY for me. It's a HUGE step down from even LOVELAND or TRUE LOVERS, which are both a step down from HEAVEN. I think Miliyah missed it with this album. But considering we've had similar problems with MIKA NAKASHIMA, lecca, and Koda Kumi this year, I'm not as disappointed as I would be if my other favorite artists had released better records. :/

Maybe it's time for another break. A couple years helped Miliyah deliver one of the best records she's ever recorded. I think it would help her a lot to spend more time on a concept and interesting collection of songs.

To me Shoujo Jidai is to Utopia like lecca's Looking for U is to High Street, like MIKA NAKASHIMA's Birukaze is to TOUGH, like W FACE and Promise you are to Koda Kumi's newest albums. It's the one song that reflects what the artist does incredibly well. But it's also almost the only song on the record really worth revisiting in the years ahead. I was really excited for this whole season of new releases from J-Pop artists, and I've been thoroughly disappointed to a large extent with everything. Everyone lacks the versatility of years before. A lot of this music sounds uninspired and poorly planned. It's like a lot of the spark has disappeared from these artists' focus.

[Earth_maiden]

Is there a download available? Every link I find doesn't work for me.

[orbitalaspect]

Originally Posted by Earth_maiden

Is there a download available? Every link I find doesn't work for me.

http://alljpop.co/加藤-ミリヤ-utopia-mp3-rar/

The Mediafire button under DOWNLOAD should take you to Solidfiles. You can click the download button there and get it.

[freedreamer]

Originally Posted by orbitalaspect

02. Tabibito (旅人; Traveller) - 5/10

This is Justin Bieber's Love Yourself. I'm sorry. I can't unhear the similarities.

and I thought I was the only one LMAO

[Chiharo]

I don't even know what Bieber's song sounds like so that wasn't a problem for me. But if they're really similar then even more reasons to dislike this album. :/

[280301]

After reading all your reviews, I wasn't expecting anything too stellar from Utopia, and felt as if I would undoubtedly compare it to LIBERTY. I was greatly disappointed by W FACE by Koda Kumi (I had gone through a Kumi ballad phase before it was released, and felt ~inside~'s tracks were far too generic and didn't have that Kumi passion), and was expecting similar levels of disappointment.

However, I find myself pleasantly surprised! I find this album to be so variable, sometimes it feels like a throwback, other times its ethereal and dreamy, but overall it feels so soothing - and largely understated. Don't get me wrong, it hasn't spurred the same 'wowowowow' factor that LIBERTY drew out of me, it still has some unfortunate filler (such as I AM), but I feel as if as a release, this is quite solid. If anything, I find it to be very complementary to LIBERTY. If she had released both albums as 2CD release, it would have been ~amazing~.

I'm putting my money on this being an album that becomes increasingly enjoyable with high rotation.

[Next_Level29]

i feel utopia is very sophisticated and it works! I dnt feel liberty as many people felt it when it was released, but utopia is, for me, stronger and better! Im suprised!

but im suprised on her sales as well .... 2800+ copies for the first day is like .... wow.

[Earth_maiden]

Originally Posted by orbitalaspect

http://alljpop.co/加藤-ミリヤ-utopia-mp3-rar/

The Mediafire button under DOWNLOAD should take you to Solidfiles. You can click the download button there and get it.

Ahh thank you!

[orbitalaspect]

Originally Posted by 280301

If anything, I find it to be very complementary to LIBERTY. If she had released both albums as 2CD release, it would have been ~amazing~.

I agree. I think if Miliyah had decided to record Utopia and LIBERTY at the same time, these would have been an impressive double album. I think, however, separate from each other by a year, Utopia is a huge step down from where Miliyah went with LIBERTY.

[Bigtop]

I didn't realize Miliyah is in Seattle right now until I checked on the Sakura-Con website after seeing something on Twitter regarding Miliyah autograph session got cancelled...oops.

(Don't have Sakura-Con tickets though.)

[ayu_ready?]

so did anybody read that tabloid translation about Miliyah's boyfriend up at arama?
that he was married when met Miliyah and divorced his wife because of her, but during the dating period with Miliyah (They have been dating for 2 r 4 years smth) he actually married again but another woman (maybe because he made her pregnant)???
I hope the news are false.
because it doesn't show her in a proper light. like she's desperate or stupid or has low self-esteem.

[blackmage]

After a few good days of listening to Utopia on repeat almost 12 hours a day while editing photos, I have to say aside from 3 or 4 songs that really grabbed my attention, on first listen I was a bit sad (don't want to say disappointed, I didn't have expectations), but as I listened to it the second time around it wasn't bad.. especially when I gave into the fact that it was mostly ballad/slow songs. I think now after growing on me more, I really appreciate the tone of the album and that it is really relaxing, but as someone said sophisticated. If one song were to be cut from the album I think 永遠 would be the song to cut. I don't mind it, I don't hate it, but the whole.. what, the 50's(?) vibe/influence just doesn't fit the album. By itself though it reminds me of a Pizzicato Five song, just really toned down.

Originally Posted by orbitalaspect

Utopia feels like it was all recorded during a week of rainy weather.

I read this and thought it was really fitting to the album, at least more so the rainy weather part. It really has that feel and I kind of wish it was raining while listening to this this album.

少女時代, Utopia, MOON, Triangle and Let Me In where my initial favorites from the album, probably listen to these tracks the most.

[Chiharo]

Originally Posted by ayu_ready?

so did anybody read that tabloid translation about Miliyah's boyfriend up at arama?
that he was married when met Miliyah and divorced his wife because of her, but during the dating period with Miliyah (They have been dating for 2 r 4 years smth) he actually married again but another woman (maybe because he made her pregnant)???
I hope the news are false.
because it doesn't show her in a proper light. like she's desperate or stupid or has low self-esteem.

Yeah. Well, when you look at the lyrics of the recent songs she's been writing, it is probably true that she is/was having an affair with a married man. Honestly, I feel like it's not my place to judge and that this can happen to practically everyone (no matter how much we feel like it can't). For what it's worth, I don't feel any different about her because of this issue, although I never really care about the personal lives of my favorite artists. Whatever they do is their business and I'm not the one to judge because I know that people are not two dimensional. Miliyah is a human being who is not perfect, after all. Just like all of us.

Honestly - I'm a lot more concerned about the fact that she looks like she definitely might have an eating disorder.

I guess people don't want to discuss this because... well, it wouldn't be a pleasant discussion because everyone has a different opinion - some people feel strongly about the issue, some don't... some have personally experienced them. In any case, maybe it's better not to discuss it, lmao.

What I'm more surprised about is how open she is about it - apparently appearing everywhere with this guy and writing songs about it.

[ayu_ready?]

Originally Posted by Chiharo

Honestly - I'm a lot more concerned about the fact that she looks like she definitely might have an eating disorder.

yes, I feel she looks sick, to be honest, very frail.
on another note, Utopia is a very very boring album, imo. all ballads collide into one long song

[280301]

Originally Posted by orbitalaspect

I agree. I think if Miliyah had decided to record Utopia and LIBERTY at the same time, these would have been an impressive double album. I think, however, separate from each other by a year, Utopia is a huge step down from where Miliyah went with LIBERTY.

I think it is a step down, but I think what the major factor was that impacted the album for me personally was the inclusion of entire singles - Ai no Kuni, Maboroshi, and I AM were unnecessary imo. If she had included three other (preferably non-ballad) album-only tracks instead, I feel this album would have been just as great if not better than LIBERTY.

It's been happening a lot in jpop actually, the inclusion of b-sides on albums. It irks me somewhat, they're b-sides for a reason.

[Toniayu123]

Need to say this. Only because a person is slim doesn't mean it has to be sick.

If that news about the affair are true, then the last single she released makes perfectly sense.

[Chiharo]

Originally Posted by Toniayu123

Need to say this. Only because a person is slim doesn't mean it has to be sick.

Of course that's true, but just by looking at her you can tell that she is a little bit too slim. I mostly didn't think anything of it until she posted her weight - I forgot how much it was now (It was around 36-37-38 kg, not sure really), but I checked on the Japanese bmi and she was definitely underweight. I'd understand that she'd weigh that much if she was 140 cm or something, but she's 151 cm if we trust the internet.

Besides, she wasn't always like this. Look at how she looked back in the ROSE and Diamond Princess era. Plus a lot of her songs deal with low self esteem. And if the latest rumors are true... I don't know. It seems more likely to me that she does have an eating disorder (sadly!) than that she doesn't.

[x-megumi-x]

I was so disappointed by Utopia when I listened to it for the first time. After listening to it a few more times, it really has grown on me and I can say it's a good album (but really far from her best).
My favorite tracks are Shoujo Jidai, Triangle and Let Me In. Others tracks are ok, except Eien which is awful to me. I really don't like and I will probably skip it everytime I listen to the album, eww


Regarding the affair gossip, I don't really care if it's true or not, I'm not that interested in the private lives of artists. I just hope she will be okay in the end.
But I agree she looks really skinny lately (and a bit unhealthy sometimes to me). She looked much better in Diamond Princess and Tokyo Star era, imo.

[Corvina]

Originally Posted by Chiharo

Of course that's true, but just by looking at her you can tell that she is a little bit too slim. I mostly didn't think anything of it until she posted her weight - I forgot how much it was now (It was around 36-37-38 kg, not sure really), but I checked on the Japanese bmi and she was definitely underweight. I'd understand that she'd weigh that much if she was 140 cm or something, but she's 151 cm if we trust the internet.

Besides, she wasn't always like this. Look at how she looked back in the ROSE and Diamond Princess era. Plus a lot of her songs deal with low self esteem. And if the latest rumors are true... I don't know. It seems more likely to me that she does have an eating disorder (sadly!) than that she doesn't.

Yeah, this pretty much.
She was always on the thin side, but it got worse the last years. And if you're following her on Instagram - her workout program seems to be insane for such a small person. I just really hope she is ok.

And the album sadly didn't grow on me. At least not so far. I do really like Triangle as well now though.

[chocopockymaster]

I'm pretty underwhelmed by the album and I echo the sentiment that it sounds pretty melancholy. Shoujo Jidai is easily the best track but it's so personal I feel like listening to it is almost an invasion...it legit feels like I'm sneaking a peek at a page from her diary.