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I SO totally agree with this.


I think she's mentioned it at some point that she's never really had to work hard and promote. I guess she's realized that she didn't like it that much (lol). She'd rather stay behind the scenes, really.

I wish for her success but it's okay if she doesn't have it if that's not what she wants. Maybe she just wants to be acknowledged more, not as a singer only but as a musician; composer, writer and producer.

I'm sure she's happy that she's managed to fulfill both her dream of performing at small places and also her fans' wants!

(I haven't fulfilled MY want of seeing her live yet, not that I like going to places with crowds..>_>;)

Davey I agree as well. I think both albums should and would have been bigger with proper marketing. Even a collaboration or two. (Coulda shoulda woulda, right?) Still in all, with the success she had on a small scale, considering the lack of promotion she'd probably be happy with what she has.

I know for a fact we had to have made an impression upon her at the shows. It should be clear to her that she has a rather large fanbase in America, and that was just PART of it. (There were people who wanted to go, but couldn't afford/wasn't in time, or a combination of the two.)

One thing I've noticed about Utada is that she's a timid peson for the most part.

[rant]Even her more "adult" lyrics are like...adult for early 90s or 80s music. Which is why I didn't understand some of the reviews about her "whoring herself out in music and lyrics". (No comment since Sade was more sexual than that and people LOVE Sade and see her as classy) Muaic has been far more suggestive even in the 70s than Dirty Desire and that ONE line in Automatic which obviously they didn't catch the word play with. *rolls eyes* [/rant]

Anyway....sorry about the rant. She doesn't do a lot of interviews, for one. Most Artists appear on this show and that show, they not only perform but sit and talk. Some of them do like random autograph sessions. I think that has a lot to do with how she sees herself. She's humble to say the least. Meek in many ways as she doesn't see herself as popular or a star. I personally like that about her a lot.


Those steps alone would have boosted her album sales up. Like Davey said...hustling. It's the hustle up to the release. A few weeks after the release,then you relax for a few months and you get the tour dates planned. After you get about 3 singles out, you announce you're going on tour. Wait a little more, and then go on tour. Make sure you show up at like MTV, BET, VH1, Fuse, or whatever TV station at least once. Show up or call in to a radio station or two. Now this can be done with ease because you make one appearance and you're good. It's not like you have to do a WHOLE bunch of work.

What Line?

I'm gonna look up the lyrics now

Yeah, she has said that her debut in Japan, she was still in school so she couldn't promote like other artists. She was not a full time artist back then, she focused on her school work and getting into college as well. She would just do like one big interview and the whole media would take stuff off of that. She wasn't on every music related show like other artists. And of course, her father has been her manager her whole career so he probably dealt with a lot of the promotions and the such. I'm sure that she didn't think she was going to become so big in Japan.
I dont think she seeking to become so big in America. She just has the opportunity, so she is trying it out & having fun with it. Especially with the results of the "In The Flesh" tour, she's aware of her fan base here. So I'm sure she's satisfied with it. But with so much feedback & demand from her fans here, she's probably going to continue doing working on her career as Utada.

I think they're referring to the contraceptive line in Automatic Part II. Honestly, The Japan Times is just upset because their little darling is suddenly a grown woman.

I think the main problem with her TITO promotion is that she put a lot of time and effort into things catered towards people who already know her. The Sephora meet and greets, while nice for her fans, didn't help her acquire new fans. Same thing with the FYE events (although those didn't even happen). Performing on the Early Show was good; talking to Elvis Duran was great - the more interviews and live performances, the better.

If she really wants to promote TITO again, she should get on more shows to perform Dirty Desire - it sounded GREAT live, so I think it could do really well with a few live performances. She's just coming off a successful tour, so she can probably get herself onto some pretty popular shows. Make a quick music video with a hot guy, and send the song to the mainstream radio stations (not just dance stations; Gaga busted that door open). And do it QUICKLY, while DD is still charting - I think the chances of this song re-entering the charts are pretty slim.

I have to agree with everyone who says she has to hustle. I have to say she was getting up there until she got sick last year. I think that derailed her train a bit. She has to get out there and do things she hasnt done before. The media in America is out for something is scandalous. She needs to do live collabs, interview something. Yes a great music video would be great but she has market herself. Like Jay-Z "Im a businessman a business-man" She has to create the name Utada into marketable house hold name.

I hope this made sense. lol

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Daniel Robson is a hack.
He called Hikki a (censored) for the song Kettobase because of the line "I want your baby" without even understanding the context or meaning behind it because he cannot speak nor write Japanese.
And yet he continues to review Utada's Japanese albums and make a mockery of it.
I hope JapanTimes fires his ass like that UK magazine did.
Don't take what he says seriously.

I partly agree with most of you. I don't think she's emphatic about being successful in the states. I wouldn't say she isn't serious, look at the tour. It's the fine line between "I'm going to work hard and hope for the best" and "I'm going to force my success by whatever means I can." In no way do I think she isn't busy. If you heard the songs at the tour and saw how she manages time with the lack of song breaks, you'd see what I mean. In Chicago she talked a fair amount in the middle thus her breaks in between songs toward the end were less(I marvel at this ability both in singing talent and in time management. Seeing this live made me more uncertain if she is a better songwriter or stage performer).

I know you were referring to her promotion in the states, but ultimately the artist needs to be more concerned with the quality of expression (her songs). This is "old skool" thinking and the reason I love her as an artist. Plus American music industry isn't very kind to class A singers. Always keep this in mind. Marketing wins over talent in the states in general.

Before the tour she got offers from larger venues but wanted a more intimate feel (can someone please find that article and give me the link, it's somewhere on this webpage THANKS!). I just don't think she likes the way America organizes music. In Japan your not "tied down" to a certain genre. I don't want this thread to end up being "oh she's not serious." She wouldn't have bothered releasing an album and then touring is she wasn't.

If you have to be vain in order to be successful in the American music industry, then it's not worth it IMO, and just maybe she has a similar view. I'm glad she is doing this "the old way." She'd lose credability with her fanbase (Some people would say TITO is out of character, but I don't think so. R&B has influenced her since Precious, and it still has that "cryptic" feel. Off topic but posted this knowing some might rebuddle). She hasn't given up on America, and this should encourage American fans.

Have we become numb that she just toured here? Had anyone asked me 2 years ago if Utada would tour in the states, I would have said NEVER because I like some of you thought she wasn't serious about the states.

It's not just the States where marketing is more important than talent. It's the same way in Japan.
In fact most artists in Japan are popular because of their marketing, Utada's success is somewhat out of the norm in Japan.
Utada makes enough money in Japan now she really doesn't need to do anything except what SHE wants. Money is not a question for her, she HAS money, she HAS success, she's just devoting herself to being an artist. Does she even NEED new fans?

This is my opinion, I think utada, idj, and her management did the tour in order to have another "taste" of her american fanbase... kind of to see if we'd still respond after her long absence due to her illness which postponed her appearances and probably anything that could have come after that.

I think DD was released for that purpose, for the tour.. so the tour wouldn't seem completely random, in other words the tour was not really made to promote the single but only made to look like it was. Did the tour really promote the single? I honestly don't think it did, but that's my opinion. The tour sold out without promotion, and i don't think DD has had airplay in major radio stations either...

now for what comes after the tour,

The tour has ended, and by the last message utada posted... it seems as if she's going to rest for a bit... (in the mean time i think IDJ will decide on what they want to do next). utada did her part in showing idj that she does have a fanbase and that whatever happens next she will have some support...

after she got sick, I really think that utada was very insecure and unsure of what she wanted to do. I think that not only her but also IDJ thought that the prime time for her to promote the album, which was after its release had long passed. BUT before completely giving up on the album i think they wanted to have another round, to see if they could "revive" it, thus the tour.

the result is obviously positive, and now IDJ will either push to promote DD more or release another single with a lot more promotion than the previous singles... or both. I also think that this time around Utada will be more enthusiastic about promoting TITO.

In the flesh left a very good aftertaste

EDIT

I also think that her next rumored song/single "Show Me Love" isn't showing in the Goetz B. Profile, because Utada probably wants to continue promoting just a bit more for TITO before going back to Japan. I think she realizes that she probably won't be able to jugle promoting back and foward between Japan and the US.

but all of this is my opinion and predictions