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Re: Utada or Utada Hikaru?
#20
Hikki Obsessed
Joined: 2010/3/12
A/S/L
Posts: 332
Well

Simple and Clean was written before she officially debuted in the US.
Posted on: 2010/4/15 16:02
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Re: Utada or Utada Hikaru?
#19
Hikki Fanatic
Joined: 2008/9/29
A/S/L 16 / M / Palembang
Posts: 111
Quote:

quincye93 wrote:
(I misread this whole thread at first and now I voted wrong. )

I prefer Hikaru Utada because she has a larger body of work and she seems freer with her music. She experiments with her ever sound and it evolves from album to album. Her music is a reflection of herself in the moment.


Utada is great too. Utada is a LOT more bold, I'll give her that. But she is just a LITTLE too concerned with her image at the moment, because she isn't established like Hikaru is in Japan. Disregarding Exodus for a moment, which was much more like Hikaru Utada in my opinoin, her American music is what she thinks others want to hear. For instance, I'll admit it, most of the songs on TITO have really awkward lyrics. It's not because she is bad at song-writing in English. It's because she was trying too hard to sound commercial. Think of "Simple and Clean" or "Sanctuary". Those songs were originally written in Japanese and were later rewritten in English at moments when Utada was not concerned about her American image. The lyrics in these songs seems a lot more natural than those on other Englsih albums. Sometimes Utada tries too hard rather than letting "it" come on its own...


I think it's not about trying to sound commercial.
She has Sanctuary/Passion and Hikari/Simple and Clean. Those songs are commercialy written for. She wrote them based the KH storyline. Another example are Flavor of Life that actually written for HYD 2. Those songs are not naturally written but still, those songs have good lyrics.
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I'm a prisoner of love in a heart station. It's making me stay gold to see a beautiful world with a kiss & cry.
Posted on: 2010/4/9 2:47
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Re: Utada or Utada Hikaru?
#18
Hikki Fanatic
Joined: 2008/9/29
A/S/L 16 / M / Palembang
Posts: 111
Quote:

quincye93 wrote:
(I misread this whole thread at first and now I voted wrong. )

I prefer Hikaru Utada because she has a larger body of work and she seems freer with her music. She experiments with her ever sound and it evolves from album to album. Her music is a reflection of herself in the moment.


Utada is great too. Utada is a LOT more bold, I'll give her that. But she is just a LITTLE too concerned with her image at the moment, because she isn't established like Hikaru is in Japan. Disregarding Exodus for a moment, which was much more like Hikaru Utada in my opinoin, her American music is what she thinks others want to hear. For instance, I'll admit it, most of the songs on TITO have really awkward lyrics. It's not because she is bad at song-writing in English. It's because she was trying too hard to sound commercial. Think of "Simple and Clean" or "Sanctuary". Those songs were originally written in Japanese and were later rewritten in English at moments when Utada was not concerned about her American image. The lyrics in these songs seems a lot more natural than those on other Englsih albums. Sometimes Utada tries too hard rather than letting "it" come on its own...


I think it's not about trying to sound commercial.
She has Sanctuary/Passion and Hikari/Simple and Clean. Those songs are commercialy written for. She wrote them based the KH storyline. Another example are Flavor of Life that actually written for HYD 2. Those songs are not naturally written but still, those songs have good lyrics.
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I'm a prisoner of love in a heart station. It's making me stay gold to see a beautiful world with a kiss & cry.
Posted on: 2010/4/9 2:47
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  •  Jiremi
      Jiremi
Re: Utada or Utada Hikaru?
#17
Hikki Obsessed
Joined: 2008/7/23
A/S/L "I can't wait to see you in the FuTuTuRe - Utada~"
Posts: 475
Let's not forget that the original Utada Hikaru started out influenced by r&b music which showed on First Love. So, this "Utada" that many of you don't like as much, all I have to say is that that's the original. FACT: Her changing happened in her Japanese music not English. And to be honest, she's not changing when she goes from Japanese to English but showing her versatility.
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Posted on: 2010/4/8 20:38
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Re: Utada or Utada Hikaru?
#16
Hikki Obsessed
Joined: 2007/4/20
A/S/L Not something you need to know
Posts: 205
i feel like... it doesn't matter. hikki makes goot music under all her names.
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Posted on: 2010/4/8 18:45
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Re: Utada or Utada Hikaru?
#15
Hikki Obsessed
Joined: 2007/2/10
A/S/L 18/GQ?/CA
Posts: 431
Quote:

Jiremi wrote:
Quote:

Dark_Armed_Dragon wrote:
Who do you like better? I know they are the same person, but both are different labels. The rest should be self explanatory. If you don't know the difference, you aren't a true fan lol.

Like a lot of people, I like Utada Hikaru better. Utada is okay, but it's only a completely different person outside of Japan. When in Japan, Utada Hikaru is super popular, everyone knows her, and is super excited to see. When in the US, it feels like Utada is a nobody compared to a lot of other people. It feels like when debuted in the US, her Utada Hikaru personality wasn't there, but only the newly Utada was. Similar story to TITO, but she could feel a little more or less like Utada Hikaru here because of Automatic Part II, and that some songs could be a little more personal. It is like she has been reincarnated as another person, but still is Utada. She said herself that Exodus was only the beginning, and she has "grown up" after that. TITO wasn't as great as Exodus IMO, but it's only the 2nd album. I predict we will see Utada's 3rd English album in 2014, if the pattern continues. The Utada Hikaru Japanese album, I predict next year for some reason. Maybe 1 more Japanese album before the English one.

Edit: I accidentally picked Utada, I wonder if a mod/admin can fix that lol.


Hahaha, you're wrong. you're not a true fan unless you like Utada Hikaru for Utada Hikaru. Just because her stage name changes, doesn't mean she does.

I must disagree. Of course Hikaru Utada is Hikaru Utada regardless of what label she records under or what language, the OP clarified this as well, but that doesn't mean that there is no stylistic variation between the artists "Utada" and "Hikaru Utada." Even Utada herself has been open about how she perceives herself differently when recording (predominantly) English-language work for IDJ and when recording (predominantly) Japanese-language work for EMI, making such statements as that she feels she can be more open about her sexual appeal when recording for her English-language audience, whereas in Japan she feels she has a different kind of voice and a different message to convey. Or, on a more basic level, her comments that she essentially crossed over to America in the first place in order to kind of re-imagine and challenge herself, as opposed to remaining firmly seated on her throne in Japan- you can't challenge yourself if you just do the exact same thing.

Besides, for the sake of discussion, it's nice to ponder this potential split in identity which is very specific to Utada, or Hikaru Utada, whichever you prefer. What other artist is able to toy with different modes and inspirations as easily as she can? She's very lucky for that.
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Posted on: 2010/4/8 17:55
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  •  quincye93
      quincye93
Re: Utada or Utada Hikaru?
#14
Hikki Fanatic
Joined: 2009/3/21
A/S/L 23/M/USA
Posts: 167
Quote:

Jiremi wrote:
Quote:

Dark_Armed_Dragon wrote:
Who do you like better? I know they are the same person, but both are different labels. The rest should be self explanatory. If you don't know the difference, you aren't a true fan lol.

Like a lot of people, I like Utada Hikaru better. Utada is okay, but it's only a completely different person outside of Japan. When in Japan, Utada Hikaru is super popular, everyone knows her, and is super excited to see. When in the US, it feels like Utada is a nobody compared to a lot of other people. It feels like when debuted in the US, her Utada Hikaru personality wasn't there, but only the newly Utada was. Similar story to TITO, but she could feel a little more or less like Utada Hikaru here because of Automatic Part II, and that some songs could be a little more personal. It is like she has been reincarnated as another person, but still is Utada. She said herself that Exodus was only the beginning, and she has "grown up" after that. TITO wasn't as great as Exodus IMO, but it's only the 2nd album. I predict we will see Utada's 3rd English album in 2014, if the pattern continues. The Utada Hikaru Japanese album, I predict next year for some reason. Maybe 1 more Japanese album before the English one.

Edit: I accidentally picked Utada, I wonder if a mod/admin can fix that lol.


Hahaha, you're wrong. you're not a true fan unless you like Utada Hikaru for Utada Hikaru. Just because her stage name changes, doesn't mean she does.


I disagree. The music released under "Utada" sounds distinctly different from the music released under "Hikaru Utada".
Posted on: 2010/4/8 17:35
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  •  Jiremi
      Jiremi
Re: Utada or Utada Hikaru?
#13
Hikki Obsessed
Joined: 2008/7/23
A/S/L "I can't wait to see you in the FuTuTuRe - Utada~"
Posts: 475
Quote:

Dark_Armed_Dragon wrote:
Who do you like better? I know they are the same person, but both are different labels. The rest should be self explanatory. If you don't know the difference, you aren't a true fan lol.

Like a lot of people, I like Utada Hikaru better. Utada is okay, but it's only a completely different person outside of Japan. When in Japan, Utada Hikaru is super popular, everyone knows her, and is super excited to see. When in the US, it feels like Utada is a nobody compared to a lot of other people. It feels like when debuted in the US, her Utada Hikaru personality wasn't there, but only the newly Utada was. Similar story to TITO, but she could feel a little more or less like Utada Hikaru here because of Automatic Part II, and that some songs could be a little more personal. It is like she has been reincarnated as another person, but still is Utada. She said herself that Exodus was only the beginning, and she has "grown up" after that. TITO wasn't as great as Exodus IMO, but it's only the 2nd album. I predict we will see Utada's 3rd English album in 2014, if the pattern continues. The Utada Hikaru Japanese album, I predict next year for some reason. Maybe 1 more Japanese album before the English one.

Edit: I accidentally picked Utada, I wonder if a mod/admin can fix that lol.


Hahaha, you're wrong. you're not a true fan unless you like Utada Hikaru for Utada Hikaru. Just because her stage name changes, doesn't mean she does.
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On Sunday, October 17, at 7:53 PM, Utada Hikaru replied to me on Twitter! ♥
Posted on: 2010/4/8 16:27
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Re: Utada or Utada Hikaru?
#12
Hikki Obsessed
Joined: 2010/3/12
A/S/L
Posts: 332
Quote:

Hikkis1in1million wrote:
Quote:

Dark_Armed_Dragon wrote:
U*STAR and Cubic U don't count since both of them weren't official.

U*STAR is An Album...And It Wasn't just Hikaru-San, It Was Hikaru-San's Mom And Dad Too. The Band Was U3 ^And I Would Count Them As Official As they Released Several Albums And Singles In Japan,They Released About 5 All Together And Hikki Released 5 Singles/Albums Too. Source - Hikki Forever
Any Way. I Prefer Utada Hikaru, As..Her Stuff As Utada (Except Exodus) Was Pretty Lame And Didn't Get me Going As Much. But Her Japanese Works Always Make Me Feel Welcome.


I meant officially released. U*STAR wasn't really released, it's too rare. Cubic U wasn't officially released because of copyright issues.
Posted on: 2010/4/8 15:00
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Re: Utada or Utada Hikaru?
#11
Hikki Obsessed
Joined: 2007/2/10
A/S/L 18/GQ?/CA
Posts: 431
Quote:

Salomonis wrote:
I have to vote for Utada Hikaru mainly because of the song Hikari. It was the first song I heard by her and the reason I became a fan.
To be honest I don't like her English music as much as her Japanese music, and the names Cubic U and Utada make me think of them.
It also doesn't help that I dislike R@B in general and it seems "Utada" wants to go in that direction.

Except that Hikaru Utada has always been an R&B artist, starting with "First Love" and moving all the way into "Heart Station" (albeit a slightly more ethereal and ballad-oriented style catering to an electronic/synth effect, it is still at its heart R&B as best epitomized in the song "Prisoner of Love"). That's what Hikaru Utada does. It's what Utada does as well. If you don't like R&B, you're at a bit of a loss as a fan of either "version" of the artist Hikaru Utada.

Then again, I'm getting the feeling you don't actually know what R&B is. You're probably thinking of the ethnologically-stereotypical "black man singing with a phat beat" type stuff (even then, it's incontestable that the majority of Hikaru's earlier works, including her greatest hits to date ("First Love", "Automatic", "Can You Keep A Secret"), fit perfectly within that context). R&B, however, is a much wider genre of music that serves, essentially, as the predecessor and foundation for pretty much every popular form of music today (rock, pop, rap/hip hop), and then some.

Anyway, in regard to the original question, it's a hard decision for me. In terms of sheer wealth of material, I would have to say Hikaru Utada. It's harder to judge Utada accurately because up until this point we've only seen two albums (the "first" album which usually serves to introduce an artist more than to define them, and the "sophomore" album which can either make or break an artist as they begin to solidify their roots and styles). However, with Utada, the "first" and "sophomore" albums are so different and set apart from one another that it's hard to clearly encapsulate what kind of artist Utada is within those two examples.

Which is why, ultimately, I have to say I think Utada is my "favorite." Whereas Hikaru Utada seems to be following a rather traditional (and successful) pattern of progress as an artist (and don't get me wrong, I like the music she does), Utada seems perfectly willing to do more or less whatever she wants. It almost seems like the superhero/alter ego type situation; Hikaru Utada has a certain image, reputation, and standards to uphold in order to maintain her role, whereas Utada does not and can, therefore, be whoever or act however pleases her- there's more freedom, as I see it. Even TITO is proof that Utada is willing to do the unexpected in going back to the basics- the absolute LAST thing anyone expected from her. That probably wouldn't fly so well in Japan, where Hikaru Utada is constantly expected to pull out the next masterpiece and reform the standard of music for the entire country (which is why, I think, many people felt let down by "Heart Station"; it's undeniably a solid, good album, but the trend of Hikaru Utada up to that point had been to consistently rethink and re-imagine what pop music could sound like, and "Heart Station" was more of a "normal, predictable" kind of album, at least by those standards- although I should note that it's one of my favorites of hers thus far).

Plus, I don't know, I think "Exodus" speaks for itself. It is, in my opinion, the best of the bunch even counting Hikaru Utada's repertoire, so I'd have to say Utada shows much more potential in a certain respect. On the other hand, Hikaru Utada is just as talented and capable- my only fear for her is that she's locked into a system she doesn't quite know how to wedge herself out of (or, perhaps, can't), and that's precisely why Utada is such a precious identity for her; she can be successful and famous in Japan as Hikaru Utada, and then come to America as Utada and all the pressure's off. As an artist, she's in a very unique and, ironically, blessed situation to have that kind of opportunity, and I've been thinking that's one of the reasons she's been reluctant to boost herself too much in the U.S.; I think she actively ENJOYS the way she can work without boundaries or limits or, most importantly, expectations. To be honest, I really enjoy that, too.
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Posted on: 2010/4/8 14:30
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