Forum - View topicINTEREST: Hikaru Utada Adds Concert in Japan, Pepsi Ad, Twitter
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littlegreenwolf
 Posts: 4796 Location: Seattle, WA |
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Seems the only people who know her here outside of a few anime fans are Kingdom Hearts freaks. I think she got the most North American exposure through those two game theme songs than her English albums ever got.
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FeralKat
Posts: 402 |
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Well, it didn't help that her first English album was absolutely terrible, and the second, forgettable. Seriously, in both albums, some of the lyrics were so cringe worthy... 
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crunchycat
I do Marketing for Anime Companies
Posts: 138 |
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I am a big fan of her original work, newer stuff is forgettable.
I debated about going to her Los Angeles show back a few months ago, but opted not to go because I was hearing it was going to be only english songs apparently it was half half so im kinda mad i missed it |
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vapwaazu
 Posts: 115 Location: Sydney, Australia |
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B-b-b-but how else would we know she was Japanesey! |
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kakoishii
Posts: 741 |
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I have to admit, I loved utada's pre-exodous stuff but I'm not gonna lie if not for Simple and Clean and Kingdom Hearts I would never have discovered her almost 8 years ago. Though her pre-exodous stuff is my fave I really did enjoy her Ultra Blue album as a throw back to before she decided to go all experimental and balady (no offense to people who liked it but Heart Station just wasn't my cup of tea
) I'll miss her during her indefinite time off though hopefully it doesn't last too long and during that time she finds that new growth she is looking for.
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Patachu
Past ANN Contributor
 Posts: 1325 Location: San Diego |
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I remember right around the Exodus era when I was discussing with a [then-]friend about how great Hikki's first three albums were and she said, "Well, that's only because she has good producers." But having those producers meant everything--because as soon Utada as became consumed by her overwhelming commercial success (thus entering the state of Everyone In Japan Will Buy Her Single Even If It's Just Her Belching The Alphabet) the musicians around her decided to lay off and let her do whatever, because Hey It's Hikaru Utada And It's Going To Sell. A little constructive criticism of her wandering melodies, or her sloppy English lyric writing, would have helped a lot. This is like when J.K. Rowling rode the wave of the first few Harry Potter novels and then her editors became too afraid to tell her "Hey maybe Harry, Ron and Hermione shouldn't GO CAMPING IN THE WOODS FOR 150 PAGES."
(Part of me also blames her marriage to her cameraman for the sudden shift in quality.) So I still keep Automatic, Distance and Deep River close to my heart, as they were the perfect crossroads of an incredible young talent meeting experienced industry veterans and creating some of the most unforgettable J-pop ever made. And if she's seriously leaving forever after 2011, I'm really glad I went to see her L.A. show. |
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maxxjulie
Posts: 192 |
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Her concert DVD Utada United 2006 is still
my favorite concert ever. Watched it like 5 times from start to finish. |
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Deacon Blues
Posts: 401 Location: Albuquerque, NM |
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Most people consider her lyrics cringe worthy because:
A). They don't understand the meaning behind them (See: Easy Breezy and You Make Me Want to be a Man) B). They have become so desensitized to anything other than mainstream American pop lyrics and rap that they can't tell creativity if it ran them over. I grew up with Utada from the very beginning, so perhaps I'm a bit more in tune with her growth through the years lyrically as well as melodically. |
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littlegreenwolf
Posts: 4796 Location: Seattle, WA |
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Oh, I've been with Utada since I stumbled across her cover for Fly Me To The Moon way back in 2000, which I think is still pretty early for an American fan, and that's not going to stop me from admitting her English lyrics are about as clever as mud. Please, anyone who tried to defend the lyrics of something like Easy Breezy as "deep" and hiding some secret meaning while at the same time criticizing rap doesn't know what they're talking about. (Japanesy... yeah, that's not a cheap attempt at all to rhyme. Lady Gaga has more depth to her lyrics, and they're 80% of the time about clubs). We're just seeing it for what it is, crappy pop with mediocre dance beats. |
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