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I agree that Utada wouldn't open up for an American band, but for different reasons. I just don't think she likes touring enough to commit to working with a completely different band. Hikki clearly feels more at home in the studio than on the stage, and I feel like she's made it pretty clear over the years that other than short concerts, she's not really a fan of full-on touring. Lots of great artists are like that. Enya's never had a tour in her career.

The problem is that if Utada is going to reach a wider American audience, she HAS to do more promotional activity at a wider range of places. The list she had for the in-store stops back in April would have been amazing for her commercially, and it's really the worst of luck that she came down with tonsillitis. I know nothing can be done about that, but she needs to resume promotion ASAP, and I think a petition could urge her to do that, since I think that if there's one thing Utada hates more than touring, it's letting down her fans.

And, I'll be honest, this has kind of become a matter of pride for me. I would really, really hate to see the Wonder Girls' career take off so easily when Utada has been working her arse off and put out two whole albums and still can't seem to get any recognition. The Wonder Girls don't even write their own stuff. They're just manufactured J-Pop music boxes with pretty faces (how fitting that they should be working with the Jonas Brothers). No offense to any Wonder Girls fans out there, but Utada has more talent than any of them in her right pinkie finger, plus at least some sense of artistic integrity. It's not actually the popularity I care about : fame is shallow. I just want Utada to be recognized here as an artist who could actually breathe some new life into this perpetually boring musical wheel we're dealing with in America.

But anyway, yeah, start a petition! I'll sign it. <3

Shuri/Eli