Utada Hikaru has become a household name in Asian territory, and has had a small cult following of RPG geeks and geekettes in the U.S thanks to Kingdom Hearts. Hikaru has released two English albums, none of which has garnered the attention needed in order to get the same fan base as she does in Japan. Although her album Exodus did get generally good reviews back in 2004, there was barely any promotion, and personally, I didnt know about the album until a couple of months ago, and I must say, it was heavily slept on. Hikaru is planning to try to take the bull by the horns with her third English album, This is the One, in the hopes of finally getting the success she deserves, all while taking a substantial change in musical direction from her J-Pop roots to a more R&B/Pop sound as she states is what happening right now in music. With the Stargate produced lead single Come Back to Me showcasing what Hikaru is capable of, hopefully it gets some attention around the R&B/Pop crowd.
With the Chris Tricky Stewart opening track On and On, the album immediately picks up as the beat uses a catchy 808 bass and chants in the background accompanied with synths. It gives of the perfect party vibe without going overboard with the synths and the 808, and Utadas vocals on the track are simple, matching smoothly with the track. It is very obvious that this song is for parties as Utada says that I just wanna dance the night away while being intoxicated emancipate and unapologetic. The chorus, while mostly consisting of one line, grabs at you, and takes you along for the ride as Utadas voice clip of her singing on and on in the background manages to burrow its way inside your head, making this song definitely repeat worthy.
Utada also sticks to her Japanese roots on the album while still managing to mesh with a R&B sound. The Stargate produced Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence-FYI uses a lot of oriental style piano chords and instrumentation. The song is very serene, and Hikarus voice rides effortlessly on the track. The song is also a sample from a song by Ryuichi Sakamoto which shares the same name. The song shows a lot more of her sensual side as she wants to stay up all night and make sounds. The next track Apple and Cinnamon goes into the aspect of when someone wants to know what the hell is going on with their relationship. The title of the song relates to how something goes together like apple and cinnamon. Its 808 bass and simple piano keys with light synths are really engaging, and Utadas vocals are very soft and trembles a bit, which gives off a sense of vulnerability. Another testament that shows that perfect vocals are not needed in every song. Its the emotions that carry sometimes that makes it appealing, which Utada clearly shows.
Taking My Money Back goes into the euro-pop territory with its trance-like synths and 808 bass and electric guitar near the end of the song. The subject while being unoriginal in itself is still very refreshing, and its a good anthem for her female audience. There are a lot of sorry men out there that just wants to hang out with your boys and get high while someone else has to pick up the slack. This One (Crying Like A Child), although being another Stargate produced track, has Utada playing the role of vulnerability again, and this time, really sells it. The song is very radio-friendly with the guitar chords and piano keys and synths, which is commonly used on this album, but is switched up for new results. Utada show she could never love another and would give anything for just one more night together. The song is very relevant, and moments like these definitely have people crying like a child. This song is the most R&B out of all the tracks, and is sure to grab your ears.
Automatic Part II sounds like one of J. Los throwaways from her Brave album, and its not in a good way. The song doesnt really set well, and it sounds like a song from a Disney Channel Original Movie. The song talks about how she just loves to sing and its automatic. When she loves a song, and when she likes it, she doesnt hide it. This song is the weakest out of all the songs, and kind of drags the experience a tad bit. The horns and trumpets are not really engaging, but annoying, and her voice on the track is not as clean as it should be. Dirty Desire is by far one the best songs on the album, as it shows that Utada is not just a pretty face, but turns out she has some Tweet-ish erotic fantasies. In the pre-chorus of the song she says that when shes alone at night, she fantasizes about 6 and 9s and loving you long time. The songs 808 bass and bongo like percussion with synths are very euro-pop, but it is very engaging, and is very erotic in a way. The song also has some great moments, best example being the end of the song when the synths keep increasing in tempo and frequency, with a voice transformer distorting her chanting desire. She then pulls a Janet Jackson at the end of the song while chanting Bring That Beat Back. This song is one of the standouts, and is great for parties, or when your in the car with a group of friends.
Poppin is by far one of the most creative and imaginatively engaging songs in a long time, with its James Bond-ish 60s vibe. The song is very nice, and Utada says a line that is quite debatable. She says Girls, you know we have it better than the boys. Most guys would disagree, but the track is great for the girls. Although the material may come off kind of sluttish with lines like, Sexy stiletto boots, tight jeans, no panties on, some guys and girls are into that kind of thing. The song could make for the most visual engaging video out of all her songs, especially when she goes into talking halfway into the song with the line Yeah, you heard me right, Theyre all mine, the stars in the sky, But I can share if you like, Would you like that?
The lead single of the album Come Back To Me is your typical Stargate produced song, but Utada carries it well, and she goes into a subject that most women really do not admit. THAT WOMEN CHEAT TOO! The song again shows her being very vulnerable, and the piano opening gives a clear indication that this is not a happy song. The song is good, but the beat will kind of turn you off unless you are really dedicated to Utadas work, because for the 5 Millionth time, Stargate creates a beat that they have already used. Im starting to think that they are the most unoriginal production team, surpassing that of even dare I say it Polow Da Don. The last track Me Muero although being another Stargate producton, makes up for Come Back To Me in originality. The 808 bass is the same as some of there other songs, but the 50s beach music actually works very well, and Utada again delivers. The beat is the most original on the album, and Utadas melody is flawless.
This album is one of the better R&B albums out, and is also a good stand alone Pop record as well. The only real drawback is that the experience is short-lived, and is less than 40 minutes long. If she had two more songs, it could have been a really ecstatic album, but the song Automatic Part II would have to be replaced with something else though. Its a shame that this album is not going to get that much promotion, because its a great record, and is actually better than some R&B veterans albums. I hope the lack of promotion does not prompt Utada to not make another English album because she is a beautiful circle in an industry full of squares, and the sheer fact that the she co-wrote and co-produced the entire album really shows how talented she is. I hope to hear more from her in the future.
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