Sonja Denise (![[info]](http://www.insanejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} sonjadenise) wrote,@ 2008-04-26 13:32:00 |
 |
|||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Heart Station
I've been out of the J-pop loop for the last two months, so I just got around to hearing Hikaru Utada's new album, Heart Station. And, well, I have to gush, because I adore this woman. (You'll see I now have 5 icons of her. What? The short hair's cute!)
Utada began dabbling in electronica on her English album, Exodus, and I was loving it. So I was pretty happy when she continued on that path with Ultra Blue, but at the same time, I thought she could go further, since the album didn't feel quite as cohesive as it should with acoustic numbers interrupting.
What do you know, she answered my wish with Heart Station! Sure, it's not mind-blowing, but it's still a fantastic album and despite being electronica, it's differentiated from Ultra Blue - I can't imagine any of these songs on that album. Her music is definitely becoming more experimental, and, maybe this sounds odd if you don't listen to much J-pop, but she seems to have combined the essence of both American and Japanese pop music. "Prisoner of Love" wouldn't sound out of place on the radio here, while "Nijiiro Bus" is so J-pop, it's almost scary. But other songs - such as "Fight the Blues" and "Celebrate" - are a combination of musical sentiments from each culture.
I always love Utada's vocals. She's a definite alto who really utilizes the lower end of her range and there's that "darkness" to her voice that's present even in the upbeat numbers. And in the past couple of years, her technique keeps improving (it's very obvious in her live performances).
So I'm extremely excited about her next English album; I have a feeling it will be very different from Exodus, and be a little more Japanese as her Japanese music has become a little more American, meeting halfway. And I shall continue to cross my fingers and hope for her to come tour over here. (Because seeing Utada live? One of the few things I'd kill for.)
There's a US release for Heart Station coming on April 29, listed for $21 on Amazon, but it's also available to download on Amazon and iTunes. Good move, EMI.
I've been out of the J-pop loop for the last two months, so I just got around to hearing Hikaru Utada's new album, Heart Station. And, well, I have to gush, because I adore this woman. (You'll see I now have 5 icons of her. What? The short hair's cute!)
Utada began dabbling in electronica on her English album, Exodus, and I was loving it. So I was pretty happy when she continued on that path with Ultra Blue, but at the same time, I thought she could go further, since the album didn't feel quite as cohesive as it should with acoustic numbers interrupting.
What do you know, she answered my wish with Heart Station! Sure, it's not mind-blowing, but it's still a fantastic album and despite being electronica, it's differentiated from Ultra Blue - I can't imagine any of these songs on that album. Her music is definitely becoming more experimental, and, maybe this sounds odd if you don't listen to much J-pop, but she seems to have combined the essence of both American and Japanese pop music. "Prisoner of Love" wouldn't sound out of place on the radio here, while "Nijiiro Bus" is so J-pop, it's almost scary. But other songs - such as "Fight the Blues" and "Celebrate" - are a combination of musical sentiments from each culture.
I always love Utada's vocals. She's a definite alto who really utilizes the lower end of her range and there's that "darkness" to her voice that's present even in the upbeat numbers. And in the past couple of years, her technique keeps improving (it's very obvious in her live performances).
So I'm extremely excited about her next English album; I have a feeling it will be very different from Exodus, and be a little more Japanese as her Japanese music has become a little more American, meeting halfway. And I shall continue to cross my fingers and hope for her to come tour over here. (Because seeing Utada live? One of the few things I'd kill for.)
There's a US release for Heart Station coming on April 29, listed for $21 on Amazon, but it's also available to download on Amazon and iTunes. Good move, EMI.