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Except that contracts can be made with provisions, and one of Utada's may have been a set point at which the contract would take full effect indicating a time in which, but not before which, the record company reserves the right to commission more work from her. Until then, Hikki may be free as a bird. Also, I'm not clear on the legitimacy of a record company using a music contract as a means of strong handing an unwilling musician into appearing on a television program, even if it is remotely connected with their professional sphere of influence. That's not to say I would be surprised: business is business, after all. However, Hikaru Utada is, even on a practical business level, a tenured public entertainment figure who is going to hold a lot more sway over her own professional future than some wet behind the ears pop starlet, so I'd imagine it wouldn't be so simple as EMI demanding she appear on the show and her immediately cowing down to its authority. Furthermore, Utada has worked diligently with EMI over the past ten years and I can't see them wanting to damage what appears to be a mutually healthy relationship with one of their best-selling artists (a rarity in the pop music world if there ever was one). IF Utada does this I think it would be because she wants to do it, but on the whole I think it's a false rumor. For her to have been approached I could understand as EMI, The X Factor and everyone involved simply covering their bases; for her to have accepted would genuinely surprise me.

Good job on all the research, though. I never knew EMI had been gobbled up by Citibank, but I generally just assume all major record companies are evil to begin with and extend that to any associated business syndicates.