If there’s anything I’m following closely nowadays it’s Hikaru Utada’s trek through the jungle that is the American music industry. Who is Hikaru Utada, you say? Well… Utada (her U.S. stage name) is one of the best-selling artists in Japan. And to put that into perspective, her debut Japanese album, First Love, is the biggest-selling album in Japan to date, with over seven million physical sales. She also holds the number four (this album, Distance, sold three million copies in the first week) and number eight spot on that Top 10 list.
26-year-old Hikaru Utada. Image courtesy of Island Records.
With her gargantuan success in the Japanese music world, I thought, “Why release in America?” But the answer’s clear to me now. She wants to keep things fresh. Here’s what she said in a press release.
“It’s true that I could have stuck to my throne and taken the easy way, but I felt that my creativity, my humanity would be endangered by staying in that position. I don’t want to just be this crazy artist who lives in la-la land, I want to be in touch with the real world and stay humble. And I like it when something feels scary—I see fear as a guiding light.”
Don’t jump to any conclusions about Utada before listening to her music and really checking her out. She’s really unlike what many people expect popular musicians to be. She can be a little shy, rarely dresses up unless it’s for an important occasion, went to Columbia University in New York, the city where she was born, and speaks both English and Japanese fluently. And she’s a pretty formidable tetris player, I hear.
But as far as her journey here in the States, she’s releasing her first single, “Come Back To Me,” on Feb. 9, and I think it has a chance in the mainstream world. The music is nothing too complex, but her vocals are impressive, as usual. It’s catchy and has a story to it, so I’m looking forward to seeing how it will fare.
She’s released in America before, with 2004’s Exodus, but it didn’t do so well for a variety of reasons. I personally liked the tracks “Kremlin Dusk,” “Exodus ‘04″ and “You Make Me Want to Be a Man,” but the rest weren’t for me. The album was quite a step for her though, so I don’t regret her making it and trying what she wanted. She takes her job seriously, and she writes all her lyrics. She also plays a big role in composing and arranging a bunch of ‘em.
I can’t compare her music to anyone else I’ve listened to because it really is unique. Unique in the sense that it’s Utada’s music and also in the sense that her songs can’t really stay within the confines of a genre.
Still, she sees her new album, This Is The One, which drops Mar. 24, as her real debut here. She worked on it with Stargate and Tricky, and so far we have only four confirmed tracks: “Come Back To Me,” “Apples and Cinnamon,” “Me Muero,” and “F.Y.I.” but the names are already piquing my curiosity. (The Spanish was a nice touch might I add *Spanish-major alert*)
We’ll see what happens as time goes by, but I’m really on the edge of my seat. And I wonder what the video for “Come Back To Me” will be like… hmm.
For more Utada news you can keep up with U.Blog, Utada United and Ningin.com.
- Bradley
Filed under: A&E Beat , Bradley, hikaru utada, Music, utada
I just watched Coraline tonight. It was very impressive and I was really wowed by the endless imagination of the artists who put it all together.