[Utada Hikaru] Japanese music waits in despair for the Goddess's return in her 44th thread

[KremlinChaos]

Originally Posted by CoriKaru

You're missing all the action underneath my navel.

Don't you mean table? Or is it a joke that I'm not understanding lol.

[CoriKaru]

Originally Posted by KremlinChaos

Don't you mean table? Or is it a joke that I'm not understanding lol.

Ha. I know. I just like "Navel" and first thought that was what she was saying when I first heard it. Had a whole different meaning for me when I thought it was "Navel." ('O')

I also thought she was saying, "Everybody wants me to be their RANGER."

The sad thing is that literally just weeks ago, I finally found out I was wrong. I NEVER understood what being a "Ranger" had to do with anything for all these years, but then again it was "Exodus" and there were a few other things I didn't understand and I was young so I just sung it and trusted Utada knew what she was talking about.

My first Utada Album was "DEEP RIVER" and I hadn't even heard one song yet.

[Paparazzi]

Originally Posted by CoriKaru

Ha. I know. I just like "Navel" and first thought that was what she was saying when I first heard it. Had a whole different meaning for me when I thought it was "Navel." ('O')

I also thought she was saying, "Everybody wants me to be their RANGER."

The sad thing is that literally just weeks ago, I finally found out I was wrong. I NEVER understood what being a "Ranger" had to do with anything for all these years, but then again it was "Exodus" and there were a few other things I didn't understand and I was young so I just sung it and trusted Utada knew what she was talking about.

My first Utada Album was "DEEP RIVER" and I hadn't even heard one song yet.

I also always thought she was saying "Ranger" until i goggled the lyrics but it just didn't make sense to me, lmao.

[ahtka-chan]

Originally Posted by Paparazzi

I also always thought she was saying "Ranger" until i goggled the lyrics but it just didn't make sense to me, lmao.

I think Hikki meant that everyone wanted her to be their shoulder to cry, to be someone to lean...

[Maemi]

Originally Posted by CoriKaru

My first Utada Album was "DEEP RIVER" and I hadn't even heard one song yet.

[Keiichi_JPU]

I know I keep bringing this up but is there any news whatsoever about In The Flesh? Are people tweeting her about it? Is she even tweeting still?

I desperately need that concert in my life.

[zellyx]

Originally Posted by amorphose

...when EXODUS came out I was only 10 so I really liked it back then and it's got a "classic" feeling now.

I was 10 too!

Nearly 7 years ago?? I'm young but I remember buying that album like a year after it's release in a music store.....

Exodus is a little too experimental for my taste. Its aged well, though it doesn't compare to her Ultra Blue & Heart Station. It's good, but for a Utada album it's not phenomenal, IMO.

[ストロボ・EdGE]

I'm listening to About me and giggling. The comment about the datedness of Exodus does /not/ apply to this song.

[Zahara]

I was 18 when it came out. I feel so old now lol.

[Keiichi_JPU]

I've always said Exodus is a brilliant album and I'm glad more people are starting to agree. It's definitely one of my favorites. If it was released 7 years ago, I was 12 when it came out but I remember buying it when I was 14. It was my first j-pop album. (Well, album of a Japanese artist)

[NintendoHTF1242]

^ Lol Exodus and ULTRA BLUE were my first actual CD purchases by her too! Funny.

[bluegie]

^Why???? DR is literally her best album.

LOL. I heard the word ranger until she sang the song on a Japanese show (MS?).

Originally Posted by Zahara

I was 18 when it came out. I feel so old now lol.

I feel even worse... I was 24 when it came out... I'm old..

[Minttulatte]

You're talking about Exodus? I still remember how I hated it back in 2005-2006 when I first heard it. It was too experimental but nowadays I really, really adore it just like every other Hikki album. I have learned that Exodus is good because it was so different at the time. I wonder what might have happened if it was released today instead too. :3 Oh well, my favorite Exodus songs are About Me, Tippy Toe, Hotel Lobby, Animato, You Make Me Want To Be A Man, Kremlin Dusk, Devil Inside, Let Me Give You My Love and Exodus '04.

[KremlinChaos]

@CoriKaru: That must have been awkward when you first listened to it lmao. Devil Inside would be so perverted if it was "navel."

EXODUS was my first Utada album and I still love it <3. I think it's her most creative work.

[Polyrhythm]

Exodus is also the first Hikki CD I bought. I actually co-owned it with my sister but she was like, damn the lyrics in this album suck and most of the songs are boring. I only keep it cause her face is on it and because its the first Utada CD I've ever found. Otherwise it would have ended up at the bottom of some box in my garage, along with that crappy BoA US album I threw out.

[Not Fade Away]

Hahaaa, I actually can't stand 'Easy Breezy' on that album. When she put it out as the first single, I literally shook my head. Don't get me wrong, I love Utada, but there are definitely some 'skippable' tracks on her albums for me. It's funny because I read a lot about Utada (swear I'm not obsessed lol) and even now I find out new things about her or her discography.

Like I didn't realize 'Drama' on Distance was a collaboration between her and Takuro from Glay. I don't know if they actually worked on it together, or if she sampled a guitar piece from one of Glay's songs, but I still think it's awesome.

-- Not to side-track from the Exodus conversation, but does anyone know if any famous JPop/KPop artists attended her concerts?

I am always curious about this, because we know that Gackt & Namie went to Ayu's, and we all know Namie is familiar with Utada (her cover of 'Kettobase') and we saw Koda Kumi singing along to Utada's songs on that Heyx3 CD singles countdown thing or w/e it was.

[amorphose]

Originally Posted by Not Fade Away

I am always curious about this, because we know that Gackt & Namie went to Ayu's, and we all know Namie is familiar with Utada (her cover of 'Kettobase') and we saw Koda Kumi singing along to Utada's songs on that Heyx3 CD singles countdown thing or w/e it was.

Is there a clip of that? I'd love to see! haha

[Polyrhythm]

Kazutoshi Sakurai from Mr. Children and Koshi Inaba from B'z attended.

[Not Fade Away]

I just can't get over how Elton John was talking about her at the time ) ....It's sad that no one else recognized her talent.

Geeeeeeeeeeeeeeez if Utada had had a good marketing team she would have dominated in the States. Hopefully now that EMI will handle her English-language releases she'll have more success. I feel like they do an AMAZING job promoting her in Japan (her face is everywhere when she has a new release), so they probably would do an equally amazing job in the US.

I really hope she doesn't take longer than a year, because I've already burned out the new songs on Complete Singles Collection Vol 2. I'm now relying on Namie to get me through.

It's even more frustrating because I felt like she was getting back to the R&B/Rock roots that was First Love/Distance/Deep River. Not that I don't like her techno-y stuff, but she belts more when she does r&b and I love it haha.

As for that clip, amorphose (sorry I don't know your real name, lol) the person that posted it took it down, but I will try my hardest to find it! (Also because I love it myself lol)

[Not Fade Away]

Sorry for the double post!!!

I found it:

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x6i...2007-hey_music

It's really blurry though, so I'll try and find an HQ version -- you can see Kuu singing along at the 2:30 mark (Later she sings along to Addicted to You haha)