JudgeJamster wrote:
It's really funny, because back when I was still kind of new to Utada's music, I remember always hearing people talk about how terrible EXODUS was....now it seems like everyone loves it! Which is a good thing of course, I'm so happy to see people appreciate what Utada did with it.

Sadly though, I am going to have to go with This is the One. As much as I absolutely love EXODUS, This is the One feels a little more natural to me, and I love how she went back to her roots with the R&B style, like with Precious and First Love. On and On, FYI, Apple and Cinnamon, Me Muero, heck, pretty much every song I cannot get enough of. And even though they are just bonus tracks, having Simple and Clean and Sanctuary there is just the big juicy cherry on top.

cantneverdidnothing wrote:
I love both for different reasons. They are the complete opposite of each other, which just goes to show her immense talent.

Exodus is clearly experimental, full-on head-dive into electronica. She did some very mind-blowing beats there, some moments of brilliance ("Devil Inside", "Hotel Lobby", "Animato") and we were introduced to her quirky lyrics. For those who really don't understand Japanese like me, it was great to listen to something by her that I could "get", know what I mean? It's abstract, sexy, silly, thought-provoking, mind-blowing all at the same time. Truth be told, I became very intrigued with Utada's music with that album.

This is The One, however, was the complete turning point for me. That album officially turned me into a huge fan. The fact that she worked with some hip and of-the-moment producers and ended up still sounding like her, it takes a real talent to do that, really. Stargate's production is mostly banal and repetitive, but their only weak production was only on "Come Back to Me", which actually is far from bad thanks to Utada's vocal performance and quirky lyrics. "Apple and Cinnamon" and "Crying Like a Child" are above-average from what they usually do (those two are also among Utada's most soulful performance...), while "Popping" and "Me muero" (this one particularly... ) are some of their best because they really did step out of the box there. This is The One has the heart and soul of Utada, which I hadn't been exposed to for quite a while. It's fresh, youthful, playful, hip, fun but still, quirky at the same time.

Added to that is the fact that 2009 was quite a scarce year for great music, This is The One was easily my "album of the year."

All in all, I can't quite decide which one I like best because both speak volumes to me. So there you go...