Remember Utada? Fans of J-Pop would cut me in the face for asking that question, of course – Utada is the simply a moniker for Hikaru Utada, a New York born Japanese pop superstar. Fans – me included – were thrilled that she released her first American album Exodus in 2004, but it didn’t really make any waves in the United States: A mix of bad marketing, a conscious decision to alienate the American fans of her thriving J-Pop career (I’ve never seen her in a bikini for a music video, until now) and some shady production values (Bjork like electronica tracks mixed with two tracks from producer Timbaland at the end) had her peak at #160 on the US Billboard Charts. Honestly, I found myself playing her follow-up Japanese album ULTRA BLUE on my iTunes more often, and I don’t understand a word of Japanese.
Utada’s at it again, though, working on her untitled fifth Japanese-language studio album and second English album simultaneously. In addition, she just did a collaboration with R&B star Ne-Yo for his single, Do You.
Ne-Yo? The guy from “Sexy Love?” Really? At first I thought it was another misguided attempt at putting Utada in an R&B market, but from her website it looks like the single will be released in iTunes Japan only, as an attempt to promote Ne-Yo worldwide.
As for the song itself, here’s a YouTube video:
Hmmm. I’m not sure if I’m feeling this. Her voice is a little too… warbly. Sorry, Hikki, I like your stuff otherwise.
