It isn't simple to choose top ten, it changes from time to time, because songs I used to dislike grow on me and eventually become my fauvorite... Same goes for albums. I listened to them in reversed order: Heart Station & This is the One, then Ultra Blue, Exodus & Deep River, and at last, her earliest LPs. Each of them brings different emotions. I'm not going to write much about every LP, there is a thread about it after all, I just wanted to explain why it's hard to pick the best album. Deep River, Ultra Blue and Heart Station are equal for me, true masterpieces, gems of j-pop. I still can't believe that just one person ws able to write so many so beautiful and memorable songs. I'm not very sentimental person if it's about life, but I'm very sensitive if it's about music. That's why my final decision is obvious: Heart Station. Every song is bittersweet: upbeat music with emotional and meaninful lyric. Just like Hikki was trying to cheer us up while she needed cheering herself up. After all, it's the first album by Utada I listened, so Heart Station is special for me.

Now, let's rant about songs:

1. Show me Love (Not a Dream) - It's amazing, the way she mixed my two fauvorite instruments: piano and guitar. Slow ballad appears to be powerful rock song. Nice lyrics, despair, hope, chasing after dreams, being weak but realizing there's nothing wrong about it, such a deep song. Utada is so flexible in writing songs! Whole Single Collection vol.2 was a big suprise: pop, rock and even jazz. SML beats everything.

2. Take 5 - I don't understand people who complain about abrupt end. it makes song 10 times better, and fits text. "Today is the best day, I want to become transparent like the sky". Another successful experiment.

3. Passion - who doesn't love this song?! pure poetry hiding in lyrics, melody seems to be taken right out of fairytale. Reversed lines showing up here and ther, giving "Passion" even more ethereal feeling .A Perfect to close your eyes and dream.

4. Deep River - Such a shame it wasn't a single. Much better than "traveling" or even "Hikari". At first I thought: "calm, a bit boring". But something in this track made me play it once again. And again, and again... Japanese people love comparing life to a river, don't they? In Kalafina's "Mune no Yukue" and Mikuni Shimokawa's "KOHAKU" similar metaphor is used. However, Utada's comparision wins. "Deep river" is underrated.

5. Beautiful World - Memories! If this song didn't exist I doubt I'd ever get to know about Utada Hikaru. This is the reason why I'm here. Addicting, upbeat but in fact pretty sad song. I remember that I was listening to nothing else but only this song for, like, a month. 7.08.2010, the day when I became Hikki's fan. "Beautiful World" just had to appear in this countdown.

6.Kremlin Dusk - Utada United 2006 performance . Explains everything, doesn't it? I love the way this song gets faster and faster. "By the door, you said you had to go, couldn't help me any-anymore". That part "any-anymore" owns. Definetely the best moment of EXODUS.

7. Play Ball - again, underrated song is underrated. Simple but not letting go one. Reminds me of summer. And another weird association: fighting with my own shyness. Though utada seems to be self-confident in this song. When I hear that song I want to become a bit stronger as well.

8. Kettobase! - I love the "Screw-the-rest-It'll-be-fine-so-don't-give-up-and-forget-about-sadness" feeling it brings. Energy of this song always wakes me up. I guess it's the most memorable song from DISTANCE era.

9. Kairo - Find me one person in the world who can write so weird, yet so beautiful things. I only regret it was never performed live. This song deserves much more attention, especially because you have to listen to it a few times to really appreciate "Kairo".

10. Keep tryin' - and finally 10th place. Funny PV, catchy melody, great lyrics... I can't help but smile whenever I hear this song.