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I'm stealing your sig for pojo Ammy :D

I just watched the whole thing and must say it may be the most revealing and entertaining interview Utada has ever done in English. She looked great the whole time!

The host was funny and thought up interesting small talk on the spot (and he wasn't like past interviewers comparing her to Britney Spears). I even thought he was crazy when he was asking her about the rumor about Japanese men. Lol what a crazy guy! And since Utada (and the "fans" there) were so soft spoken he needed to make it interesting. You could tell there weren't any UtadaNet members there.


The fan questions got worse as time went on though... I mean someone at the end asked what instruments she plays? Unless that was a filler or nervous question, you could find that answer online in a few seconds.

I think the best thing about this interview though is that it shows Utada is obviously not some perfect angel crafting music but a human being just like all of us... some fans tend to forget that

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Really? I still saw an angel...
But yeah, that interview was way more relaxed than her past promotional activities. I think it's because the organizers had a bit more of an idea on how to handle the arrangements. For instance, the tables. Maybe it's just me, but it seems that when there are seats people tend to be a bit more calm. I think sitting has a calming effect; when you're on your feet you feel compelled to be active and moving.

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I was already pretty sure Utada didn't want to make it big in the states. She's always seemed a bit more hesitant to me about the American media, and did you notice how she doesn't even pause to think about which fans are "crazier"? She used to say there wasn't a huge difference, but I think TITO promotion has really opened her eyes. I remember the LA event; everyone was loud and obnoxious (myself included). Whereas that probably wouldn't have phased an artist that had been working from the bottom up in America since the start, Utada never really had to do anything, even in Japan: because of how she blew up right from the get-go, her life as an artist has been slightly detached from the fans. Her appearances have always been minimal, and promotion is usually done through select television spots with studio audiences. If it weren't for her blog, I don't think we would have any clue if she was even alive a lot of the time (in fact, that's what's happening right now with this blog deficit).

But I do have to say that I don't think Utada gives us enough credit. It's easy to become star-struck and act dramatically stupid when you see someone you admire greatly for the first and possibly ONLY time in your life. Unlike her Japanese fans, we Americans don't even get to see Utada's television spots until they're posted on YouTube much of the time; so having her appear in person within a close proximity is very exciting- yes, it's blatant and irrational celebrity fanaticism, but it's also a very profound sort of affection that has been multiplied by a thousand times because of how long it has been bottled up. Just as an example, I can't express how much I enjoy Utada's work to the people around me because nine times out of ten they have no idea who she is, so when she came out through the doors in the Sephora in LA, I remember feeling a vast flurry of emotions that all came out at once in their own ways. Gratitude and deference and, sure, maybe a little bit of obsession; they were all there, and whereas from Utada's perspective it may have looked like just another screaming fanboy in a sea of screaming fans, I think that detracts from and ignores the reality of the inspiration which she instills in so many of her fans who never get to truly express it. So that's just my two cents on her opinion of Americans. Utada may think we're all crazy, but I disagree: I think we're simply deprived.

Moving on. As for her retirement plans, I know Utada has always said she wanted to retire earlier in her life, but I didn't hear her say anything explicitly about that in this interview. All she said was that she would consider having a concert in Hawaii before she retired; then she revised her statement to add that it could "possibly" take place in the near future. Seeing as she's expressed interest in collaborating with Kanye West and has said she's essentially working on a cover project, I don't think retirement is on her mind at the moment. Then again, you could be right, and I might simply be interpreting what she said differently.

Anyway, overall that was a good interview. It was nice and long and entertaining. The interviewer was a bit bold at times, but I like seeing Utada react to uncomfortable questions, because she doesn't get uncomfortable; she just laughs and kind of brushes it off. I also felt she provided a very astute perspective of the music industry and an honest opinion on why paying for music in the pirating age is important but not vital. I liked how she was given the room and time to speak her mind rather than only responding to bromidic one-track questions about her love life and whether or not she'll be touring in the states. :]

Shuri/Eli

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Wrong! Hikki is a perfect angel that crafts music.

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So true.

For those who can't view the videos for whatever reason:
http://www.youtube.com/user/CryptoMystic2

Just finished it. Very enjoyable.

Eli, it's a shame that you could not have better iterated your more than adequate commands for words to Utada concerning your disposition as a fan beyond the "screams of a rabid fanboy." If she knew, I'm sure she'd be much less intimidated and more flattered.


I have a feeling that we're not going to see much of Hikki Stateside ever again. At least in an 'official' way. Then still, in any way.

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Gosh, so true! It would have been great if someone said, "Hey Hikki, is TITO has died?"

Because it certainly seems so. I found it odd of how IDJ thought it worthy of their time and money to fly her there to do this small and very private gig.

Wassa Pojo, LoBFCanti?

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Nice pic ghostdog! She has such cute tiny hands...

Yeah it would have been nice to hear her say something about TITO's future, I mean its not like that one fan in the interview spent a week painting her album cover to give to her or anything lol

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WTF, "rabid"?

And, yeah, because I'm sure I'm the one who intimidated her. I was dressed in an effeminate, colorful blazer and my little sister was hanging onto my arm. I must have conveyed such a persona of animosity that she decided right then and there I was the reason her stateside promotions were going to fail. Boy, do I feel ashamed of myself. I mean, it's like I could have just as easily expressed my admiration for her in calm, quiet words over the screams and cries of her other adoring fans. Or maybe you think she would have been able to read my poetic lips from the other side of the room?

Give it up. Utada has overreacted to her fans overreacting. That's all there is to it. No one's to blame.

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Not to sound pessimistic, but doesn't "I'm not sure I even want to make it big in America" (paraphrased) kind of sum it up? I think Utada gave up on TITO. Not that it really matters, since I think IDJ gave up on TITO first, and without IDJ backing her there's not a lot she could have done. But we'll see. Maybe she'll surprise us.

Shuri/Eli

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There is no point in repeating yourself,it's a waste of your time and effort.As much as I may speak of what can be done to promote this album I know and agree that she gave up on "this one" :/ .Everyone needs to except this one simple truth.She still has a contract to fill though people.And once I can find a source to confirm that it was in fact 3 albums,then pull your heads out of the clouds and arses because TiTO isn't selling there either.

Yea her lack of ambition for US fame in the interview does sum it up in a way...its just sad that such a good album like TITO is wasted, I know it may sound odd but sometimes I just want Hikki to show a big determination for fame in the US, not a 'Oh I just made an album for the sake of making one' type of thing. :'(