Source: Bounce.com
Utada Hikaru will release a new single, “Be My Last”, on Sept. 28. The title track serves as the theme song for the movie, Haru no Yuki. Two editions of the single will be released simultaneously — a regular CD-only edition and a limited CD + DVD edition containing a promotional clip for the song. It’s been 17 months since the release of Utada’s previous Japanese-language single, “Dare ka Negai ga Kanau Koro”, which also served as the theme song for the movie Casshern.
Source: Bounce.com
Utada Hikaru will release a new maxi single, “Exodus 04”, on June 21. The Timbaland-produced track has been remixed by the likes of Josh Harris, Peter Bailey, JJ Flores, and Kriya vs. Velez. The single is expected to include 10 versions of the song.
Source: Bounce.com
Following the success of her remixed first single, Utada Hikaru teams up with remixer Richard “Humpty” Vission on her next single, “Exodus ’04”. Vission’s remix of Utada’s “Devil Inside” topped the Billboard Hot Dance Tracks chart in October 2004, and the new single scheduled for a January 2005 release includes a remix by the Madonna producer. No release date for Japan has been scheduled. Utada released her US debut album, Exodus, in September.
Oh, man, I bet the fans hate this album.
Japanese artists attempting to crack the US market have all seemed to run under the assumption their latest work is the one that needs to be performed in English.
The assumption, of course, is the latest work is the most representative. But history is full of such assumptions — Pink Lady, Matsuda Seiko, Nakamori Akina, Dreams Come True — all of which failed.
Creativity, more often than not, follows a wave pattern with crests and troughs, rather than a trajectory. And when it comes to bad timing, these Japanese artists tried to break into the US during a creative trough.
It’s somewhat murky whether Utada Hikaru has followed the same pattern.
One thing is for certain on her English-language debut, Exodus — she and her producer dad have drastically remade her sound.
Exodus is buried under a lot of bizarre synthetic sounds, some complex beats and a really heavy-handed production. And Timbaland shows up on the two most straight-forward tracks on the album!
Exodus is also the most dissonant work Utada has every produced. If some of those synthetic sounds were transcribed to orchestral instruments, it would probably sound like a mistranslation of Bela Bartok or Igor Stravinsky.
“Hotel Lobby” is a case in point. A song about prostitution, the bass line forms a dark interval, and the hesitant beat never quite marks the start of a measure.
A sample of what sounds like wind through a congested tunnel threads itself through “Animato”, while a synthetic chorus spells out a chord progression that sounds almost classical. Maybe some of Shiina Ringo’s Karuki Zaamen Kuri no Hana has rubbed off on Utada?
Check out “About Me” — acoustic guitar accompanies Utada during the verses, but on the chorus, the pop beats come in, only to dissolve.
It’s heartening to see Utada really stretch, but some of those experiments fall a bit flat. That weird sound that punctuates “You Make Me Want to Be a Man” is annoying, and “Kremlin Dusk” seems to take forever before it really develops.
Her single-worthy material, however, is missing in action.
Nothing on Exodus matches “Wait and See ~Risk~” or “Hikari” in terms of hooks. “Devil Inside” comes pretty close, and “Tippy Toe” seems to have a bit of the Utada golden touch on it.
But the rest of the album isn’t her strongest writing, and as such, the heavy production feels like it’s attempting to mask those shortcomings.
Utada is poised for a breakthrough on the level of Absolute ego-era ACO or pre-Tokyo Jihen Shiina Ringo — just not with Exodus.
Source: Bounce.com
Utada Hikaru will release a DVD single for “Easy Breezy” on Oct. 6 in Japan. The song is the first single off her English-language debut, Exodus. The DVD also includes a short feature about the making of the video, which was directed by Jake Nava. Nava’s credits include Beyonce’s “Naughty Girl” and Usher’s “Burn”. Utada’s official site posted photos from the video shoot. The site also announced the track listing of the album, plus an image of the album’s cover.
Source: Bounce.com
Island Records has set Oct. 5 as the US release date for Utada Hikaru’s English-language debut, Exodus. The album arrives in Japan a month earlier on Sept. 8. “Devil Inside” is the first remix single from the album, while “Easy Breezy” will be released to US radio.
As previously reported, the album includes production work by Timbaland on three songs — “Exodus ’04,” “Wonder ‘Bout” and “Let Me Give You My Love” — while the Mars Volta drummer Jon Theodore makes a guest appearance on “Kremlin Dusk”.
Source: Musicwhore.org staff
Utada Hikaru releases her English language debut, titled Exodus, on Island Records this fall, according to the singer’s official English language web site (utada.com). The Mars Volta drummer Jon Theodore makes a guest appearance on the track “Kremlin Dusk”, while Missy Elliott producer Timbaland helms the tracks “Exodus ’04”, “Wonder ‘Bout” and “Let Me Give You My Love”. Utada and Timbaland also contributed “By Your Side” to the Olympics-themed album, Unity, which hits US stores in August. Island sponsored a listening party for the album on June 8 at 5Ninth in New York City.
Source: Bounce.com
Utada Hikaru will release a live DVD of on July 28, the singer’s official web site announced. Titled Utada Hikaru in Budokan 2004 Hikaru no Go, the DVD documents Utada’s February 2004 performance at the popular arena. The total running time of the DVD is 131 minutes, including special features. Limited edition pressings of the disc include a replica of the concert program.
Source: Bounce.com, Billboard
Utada Hikaru is one of many international artists appearing on Unity, an official compilation for the Athens Olympics. Billed only by her family name, the pop singer teams up with Timbaland and Kiley Dean on the track, “By Your Side”. Sixteen artists from 15 countries participate on the album, including Sting, Avril Lavgine, Moby and Brian Eno. Proceeds from the sale of the album benefit UNICEF’s HIV/AIDS programs in South Africa. Unity goes on sale in Japan on July 7, with a release date of Aug. 10 for the US.
Source: Bounce.com
An album collecting Utada Hikaru’s first 15 singles hits stores on March 31, the singer’s web site announced. The collection includes her very first single, “Automatic”, all the way to her most recent release, “Colors”. The tracks are being remastered by Ted Jensen, who has worked with Fiona Apple and Santana.
The site also announced the delay of her next single, the theme to the movie Casshern. The new release date is April 21.
Utada’s official US site for her forthcoming debut album on Def Jam has also launched at Utada.com.