Utada in 2/28 Billboard Magazine
Utada is featured in the latest issue of Billboard Magazine. The full text of the article can be read after the jump.
‘One’ Love
Japanese Superstar Utada Aims To Conquer The States
By Rob Schwartz
What do you do when you’re a J-pop superstar in Japan, and a native English speaker, but have failed to take off with your first U.S. release?
Try again, of course. Japanese phenomenon Utada will release her new English-language record, “This Is The One,” March 24 on Island Def Jam, with all parties predicting greater success the second time around. Her first English-language record, 2004’s “Exodus,” peaked at No. 160 on the Billboard 200, selling 55,000 copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan.
“My first English album was a very experimental, mad-scientist-in-a-laboratory kind of album,” Utada says. “It was a bit of a mess on my side as well as on the record company’s side. I didn’t know how to [express] myself to the public.”
This time, Island Def Jam Music Group president/COO Steve Bartels says the label is “extremely committed to breaking Utada in the United States.” Kimitaka Kato, president of Universal International in Japan, says, “Utada’s talent has been recognized by [IDJMG chairman] L.A. Reid, which led to this launch. We believe that the moment has come for the world to embrace Utada as a true global superstar.”
She’s already achieved that status in Japan, despite being born and raised in the States, until she was 14. Her 1999 debut album, “First Love” (Toshiba EMI), is the best-selling album in Japanese history, selling more than 7.5 million copies, according to SoundScan Japan. All but one of her subsequent six releases have moved more than 1 million copies.
Managed by her father, Teruzane Utada, on both sides of the Pacific, her star status at home is such that she has separate deals for her Japanese repertoire — which appears on EMI under her full name, Utada Hikaru –– and English language releases, which come out through Universal under the name Utada. “Exodus” has sold more than 1 million copies in Japan, and “This Is The One” is due there March 14. But Utada says she remains committed to Japanese repertoire and is already working on her next Japanese album.
As for “This Is The One,” she says it’s “an album made for the purpose of [being] mainstream,” having enlisted top songwriter/producers with U.S. track records and strong ties to IDJ, including the-Dream, Stargate and Tricky Stewart.
“For this project, Utada wanted to work with some of the hottest producers on the charts right now,” Bartels says, “but more importantly they wanted to work with her. The-Dream, Tricky Stewart, Stargate and many others are big fans of hers, and all of us know what the U.S. and Europe are soon to find out — Utada is a star.”
Bartels says Utada’s American “sensibilities and sound” set her apart from other Japanese artists seeking stateside success, noting early press supports from Nylon, the New York Times and Vibe. A slot is also booked on CBS’ “The Early Show,” with more TV appearances to be scheduled.
Utada had her longtime hair and makeup artists fly in from Japan for key U.S. promo work after feeling her image wasn’t presented correctly in the States on “Exodus.” The artist says she’s feeling more confident about how she’s perceived this time around.
“I feel very comfortable about all the promotional work I’ve been doing,” she says. “probably because there is less of this hype about a Japanese pop star making a breakthrough that I struggled with last time.”
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[...] I actually got this one from U.blog and since I can’t find the original article, go read it here on U.blog! But there’s not much new to read in the article though, but if you have nothing [...]
Billboard magazine Utada exposure « PlayScape added these pithy words on Feb 26 09 at 5:40 am[...] dip it in the violet sauce [...]
Utada in 2/28 Billboard Magazine « YourHollywoodNews.com added these pithy words on Mar 14 09 at 9:07 pmVANITY added these pithy words on Feb 25 09 at 7:39 pmThanks for another great article!
Alex0821 added these pithy words on Feb 25 09 at 7:43 pmLove the fact that TV appearances are scheduled… lots of people watch The Early Show, even if it’s typically a slightly older audience. I also appreciate the fact that she’s willing to admit that Exodus was more or less a disaster.
camouflage added these pithy words on Feb 25 09 at 7:52 pmGreat article, but I’m curious about the title. Is it just supposed to be a mesh of “This Is The One” and “First Love,” or something else? I think I’m looking too far into this, lol.
Anixe added these pithy words on Feb 25 09 at 7:54 pmI do agree that Exodus was very, very experimental. I really hope that “This Is the One” will be able to make up for that. =]
darkesaint added these pithy words on Feb 25 09 at 7:54 pmFinally! An article that is very matter of fact with its assessment of Utada’s work. Not to mention Exodus actually exists to them, and lots of strong quotes and information to enjoy. Ahh, this is what good journalism tastes like…
vmoriyama added these pithy words on Feb 25 09 at 7:57 pm“A slot is also booked on CBS’ “The Early Show,” with more TV appearances to be scheduled.”
This is what I’m talking about!!! Can’t wait!!! Wonder what other shows she’ll be on!!
tobutori added these pithy words on Feb 25 09 at 8:00 pm“Utada had her longtime hair and makeup artists fly in from Japan for key U.S. promo work after feeling her image wasn’t presented correctly in the States on “Exodus.” The artist says she’s feeling more confident about how she’s perceived this time around.”
GOOD.
Ghostdog added these pithy words on Feb 25 09 at 8:00 pmIs there an actual link to the article on the site?
gantzman246 added these pithy words on Feb 25 09 at 8:04 pmTV appearances, finally!
xHeartStation added these pithy words on Feb 25 09 at 8:12 pmThat first sentence of the article really blows……sorry x_x Thats just rude
vmoriyama added these pithy words on Feb 25 09 at 8:17 pm^agreed with you on that xheartStation…but the rest of the article was good.
Not Fade Away added these pithy words on Feb 25 09 at 8:17 pmsoo exciting!! It sounds like Utada’s 2nd English Album (though technically third) will be extremely successful, however, we still need higher numbers for her radio spins!
naritai added these pithy words on Feb 25 09 at 8:18 pmI love it, it’s from Billboard and the article sounds great. Waiting for the upcoming month!
soulsteelgray added these pithy words on Feb 25 09 at 8:19 pmNot rude if it’s the truth.
Alex0821 added these pithy words on Feb 25 09 at 8:57 pm“Not rude if it’s the truth.”
Couldn’t have said it better myself. Facts are facts.
ruka27 added these pithy words on Feb 25 09 at 9:08 pmYAY YeaH !!
U-tada! U-tada! (like O-bama)
toriaezu added these pithy words on Feb 25 09 at 9:11 pmcan i request scans for this article?
barried added these pithy words on Feb 25 09 at 9:19 pmAll you need to do is just wait & see. She know what’s she doing
RJ added these pithy words on Feb 25 09 at 9:19 pm^ Sorry, no scanner. It’s a half page spread, with the purple promo pic.
kinghikari009 added these pithy words on Feb 25 09 at 9:46 pmOMG, this is so AWESOME, it came out of left field and I never imagined her getting into here this early b4 even the album’s release but that’s Utada for you! Hopefully she’ll get a Rolling Stone, Entertainment Weekly, or New York Times Review by the 24th in the U.S. as well, because it doesn’t look like were gonna get any live performances anywhere here in any form before then…
kinghikari009 added these pithy words on Feb 25 09 at 9:49 pmI have a Barnes ‘N’ Noble gift card, I should probably go ahead and splurge some of it becasue this is something commemorative you want to remember when she breaks out big (I liked how she described both albums this go-around, this was one of her most honest and candid interviews as of late, w/out all the Questions seeming to follow a template)!
kinghikari009 added these pithy words on Feb 25 09 at 9:53 pmYeah guys, remember facts are facts, its not that they’re condemning her or anyhting, evryone (including Utada) realizes the mistakes in the promotion and creation of EXODUS and its singles, and of course its overall international commercial and critical performance (although since it sold a million units in Japan and debuted @ #1 on the United World Chart, I really don’t label it as a ‘misstep’ or failure but that just my assessment)…Everyone makes mistakes, all that REALLY matters is how you respond and learn form them!
kinghikari009 added these pithy words on Feb 25 09 at 9:59 pm^Oh woaw, srry for quadruple posting, I skipped over that part about the The Early Show and the New York Times and Vibe buzzes, all she needs is an interview and performance in any of these and she and the album are GOLD! (literally–but lets hope for longterm impressions sake its multiplatinum!)…I got a feeling we’ve got an a huge wave of wonderful suprises on the horizon, for us AND Utada!
tattoosonthesky added these pithy words on Feb 25 09 at 11:06 pmGood stuff is all I can say. I’ll be waiting for her next Japanese album…yeah, that part struck me as the most interesting tidbit.
InnerRise added these pithy words on Feb 26 09 at 12:04 amI’d just like to put some advice out there because this has been ridiculous for a very long time now and I’m surprised no one else has said anything: READ THE WHOLE BLOG ENTRY BEFORE COMMENTING and if you know you comment on other people’s messages READ ALL OF THEM BEFORE COMMENTING AS WELL because the MULTIPLE POSTING was old and annoying months ago. Thanks.
And I agree Tattoosonthesky. The part that struck hardest for me was the “Working on the Japanese Album” bit, although being that we know she’s working on her next Japanese Single, we basically already knew that, but it’s nice to see it in wording nonetheless.
As as for those TV Appearances, unfortunately not stated as “Performances”, I will skip class if I have to to see them being that all of my School Days start very early in the morning. Wasn’t expecting that at all though. And people have been saying how they wanted “Exodus” recognition and boy did they get it here. Ha. Maybe a little too much for some huh? Hehe. At least Exodus wasn’t stated to be a failure or disaster or something because that it was not. Anyway. Good stuff.
Xcapist added these pithy words on Feb 26 09 at 12:04 amomg i hope its not on monday and wednesday morning wen she appears on tv becuz i have classes those days…I WANT TO SEE HER!!
FanFan86 added these pithy words on Feb 26 09 at 12:07 amIt appears they are going for a soft release… meaning that regardless if the first single is a instant hit, it will still be released and still generate enough buzz/word of mouth to sell steadily. Recent example of this was Lady Gaga, whose first single didn’t hit number one until 9 months after it was released.
vmoriyama added these pithy words on Feb 26 09 at 12:18 amI think so too FanFan86. But IDJ has nothing to worry about. Even if it doesn’t go as well here in the states, IDJ know fans in Japan will support Hikki. I think it’s better to release it then wait to make sure the single becomes a hit…because who knows how long that’ll take.
DinoDesigner added these pithy words on Feb 26 09 at 12:44 amCan Someone Email me when they get updates on when these TV appearances will be?!
Fannboyie added these pithy words on Feb 26 09 at 12:47 ami can’t miss the CBS morning news >.<” somebody plz upload it on youtube just incase if i miss it… xD
kinghikari009 added these pithy words on Feb 26 09 at 1:09 am^As always, we apprreciate you stating your unasked-for two cents, but you can keep that piece of advice for yourself Innerise; I’d like to reserve and practive my Constitutional rights of freedom of speech and others as a U.S. Citizen w/out anyone else’s interference, thank YOU, have a nice night (or day whenever you read this)…
kinghikari009 added these pithy words on Feb 26 09 at 1:15 am^BTW Fannboyie, don’t worry if you miss any T.V. Appearances, those will all somehow make their way to Youtube or somewhere else online indefinitely by some date w/ the kind of networking and technology fans have going on worldwide, and it won’t be long waiting nowadays…And WORKING on a new Japanese album doesn’t mean she necessarily recording or writing songs or anything, it could just mean she’s penciling in possible release dates and an overall theme, I can’t imagine her releasing it this close to an upcoming English record and w/out @ least two new separate single releases before than…(It’d be kind of nice if one of her new Japanese projects turned out to be that overdue Single Collection Vol. #2!)
vmoriyama added these pithy words on Feb 26 09 at 2:01 am^Lets all be friends here okay…No fighting please..I am one of those who double post from time to time, but what can I do when I can’t go back and edit my comment. I have no problem with other double posting…I’m just happy to know that people are actually commenting. I say double post if you have too and don’t if you don’t want too. I’m sure if there are ways to fix this thing were we don’t need to double post, then there wouldn’t be any……anyhow I do ageed with kinghikari009 that Hikki’s Single Collection Vol. #2 is so overdue. She really needs to release that. There are artists like EXILE who had released Single Collection albums which had add up to/close to the number of albums they had released…Hikki really is the type who doesn’t reuse her stuffs unless she has too like for Kingdom Heart…but I would like a Single Collection Vol. #2 or a new MVs collection even though some of her recent MVs weren’t all that.
hiritofatsuge added these pithy words on Feb 26 09 at 2:24 amI HOPE SOMEDAY MS.UTADA WILL INVADE AGAIN THE PHILIPPINES FOR HER MUSIC ONCE AGAIN ^_^
InnerRise added these pithy words on Feb 26 09 at 2:51 amI’d say Utada needs at least one or 2 more Japanese Albums before releasing another Singles Collection. Being that she’s already at work on a new Single and her upcoming Japanese Album, I hope she doesn’t jam a random Singles Collection up in there somewhere. I don’t care for them anyway. They’re more for New Fans and those collectors who must have every single thing an Artist puts out.
scott_o_k added these pithy words on Feb 26 09 at 3:36 amI’m guessing she hasn’t debuted on Pop Airplay yet?
kami-sama added these pithy words on Feb 26 09 at 6:49 amVery good article, that one.
You can see it’s not done by kids.
sexyDJ_2012 added these pithy words on Feb 26 09 at 8:42 amhopefully on the early show we will get a live performance! it would be a amzing to hear CBTM live!
wadester1990 added these pithy words on Feb 26 09 at 10:14 amI would guess if she’s going to be on the Early Show, she’ll be on that Saturday morning Cafe music thing.
Ghostdog added these pithy words on Feb 26 09 at 2:03 pmI thought she expressed herself fine in her Exodus album, I can’t believe she called it a “mess”.
She has been really disappointing me lately in a big way.
Bluevilla added these pithy words on Feb 26 09 at 2:09 pmGhostdog, I think she meant “Exodus” was a mess in terms that it wasn’t cohesive. She was experimenting, and each song had a different sound. I don’t think she’s disappointed in it. It wasn’t mainstream and it wasn’t supposed to be.
vmoriyama added these pithy words on Feb 26 09 at 2:35 pmI loved Exdous too, but hated the fact that she was all doll up.
Ghostdog added these pithy words on Feb 26 09 at 2:47 pmI’d rather see her all dolled and sexy then what she looks like now.
gantzman246 added these pithy words on Feb 26 09 at 2:52 pmUtada likes the way she looks now she didn’t feel like herself with all of the make up back in the Exodus days.
vmoriyama added these pithy words on Feb 26 09 at 3:10 pmI think Hikki looks very pretty the way she do now. I love her natural look! In Asia natural beauty is true beatuy.
kinghikari009 added these pithy words on Feb 26 09 at 3:22 pmYeah, your right Vmoriyama, no use in fighting over something really that petty, but personally, I love Greatest Hits collections becasue for one, they always bolster an artists’ regular sales and present publicity and its ALL THEIR BEST SONGS on a single or multi-disc format, how could a fan or new one NOT enjoy that? Its not like Utada overdoes them or anything like Koda Kumi or Ayu, realeasing “Ballad, Dance, or Upbeat/Dark Song” collections around the annual clock like bad summer blockbuster sequels and what not. ANYTHING Utada does will ahve some special significance because she always gives her best effort and never tries to outdo herself, present ability, and especially anyone else. Anything w/ her name on it musically or otherwise is @ least worth looking and persusing @ if nothing else, she’s an incredible musician and fascinating person to talk to and learn about, really!
InnerRise added these pithy words on Feb 26 09 at 3:22 pmEven though I’m against every female cutting her hair generally, Utada’s hair has grown on me. I feel as if I’ve known her longer with her shorter hair than anything else. I don’t mind her looks. She looks nice to me. Definitely didn’t like the “Easy Breezy” look. She looked like a Shiny Asian Bobble Head.
kinghikari009 added these pithy words on Feb 26 09 at 3:26 pm^I like her look a lot now, and really always have, it shows growth, maturity, and confidence in how she feels about herself right now. I do hope she goes back to longer styles in the future on some occasions but if she doesn’t, she’s still a beautiful girl (by any ethnic, physical, or age standards) no matter what critics or other detesters have to say about her, especially because she is assertive enough to keep her clothes on, produce sexually explicit lyrics/performances, and not be a “conforming” idol singer like many of her peers in Japan and elsewhere!
Lvng added these pithy words on Feb 26 09 at 3:29 pmDid anyone else notice that her myspace now only has a clip of CBTM?
ncwoo added these pithy words on Feb 26 09 at 3:38 pmwhat clip……the site still has the audio for CBTM
ncwoo added these pithy words on Feb 26 09 at 3:39 pmohhhhh nvm the 30sec previewww
Ghostdog added these pithy words on Feb 26 09 at 3:54 pmCheck this out guys:
Yahoo Japan’s site now has listed the times for the tracks.
Only 2 songs on the album break the 4 minute mark, 5 songs are under 3 minutes and 31 seconds.This Is The One total track time: 35 minutes.
Exodus total running time: 55 minutes.More disappointing news
vmoriyama added these pithy words on Feb 26 09 at 4:05 pmAhhh agreed Ghostdog!
Ghostdog added these pithy words on Feb 26 09 at 4:09 pmFirst Love: 54 minutes
Distance: 64 minutes
Deep River: 54 minutes
Exodus: 55 minutes
Ultra Blue: 56 minutes
Heart Station: 56 minutes
This is The one: 35 minutesWow, just wow.
kami-sama added these pithy words on Feb 26 09 at 4:12 pm35, only?!
…
kami-sama added these pithy words on Feb 26 09 at 4:13 pmAs long as the music is good I don’t give a damn
InnerRise added these pithy words on Feb 26 09 at 4:13 pmYeah, I was disappointed when I saw that earlier as well. I thought I only saw just 1 song over 4 minutes though being “Apples & Cinnamon”.
kami-sama added these pithy words on Feb 26 09 at 4:14 pmAnd it will be for sure.
Ghostdog added these pithy words on Feb 26 09 at 4:14 pmUnless you are counting the remixes which don’t really count:
~This Is The One~
JP：3/14
USA：3/2401） On And On 3:17
02） Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence – FYI 3:49
03） Apple And Cinnamon 4:38
04） Taking My Money Back 3:12
05） This One (Crying Like A Child) 4:30
06） Automatic Part II 3:00
07） Dirty Desire 3:51
08） Poppin’ 3:31
09） Come Back To Me 3:56
10） Me Muero 3:25
ncwoo added these pithy words on Feb 26 09 at 4:19 pmdo you guys have to make such a big deal if the album is 35minutes long, as least the song won’t drag on forever… As long as the tracks are good its fine with me..
InnerRise added these pithy words on Feb 26 09 at 4:21 pmOh yeah, that’s right. Hopefully some extra OOMPH! went into “This One (Crying Like A Child)” being that it’s title after the Album and it’s one of the longest ones.
Maybe this will mean not many more if anymore Ballads other than “Come Back To Me” being that “Come Back To Me” is one of the longer ones as well and everything else is relatively shorter besides the forementioned 2.
itaikoon added these pithy words on Feb 26 09 at 4:28 pmas long as the songs are good..then im fine…i love this interview,and i hope there will be more live interviews and performances to come!ahhhh…..the days seem to go on forever…
FanFan86 added these pithy words on Feb 26 09 at 5:06 pm^^ I definitely would not mind if her album is 35 minutes long… better to have a good album with great songs than filler.
Bluevilla added these pithy words on Feb 26 09 at 5:08 pmWho cares about the length of the song?! As long as the album is damn good pop music, I’ll be thrilled. Bear in mind, Utada said this is a mainstream album, and to appeal to radio stations (so they can fit more songs in their rotations), singles are usually 3 minutes or less. Maybe every song is a potential single!
I’d rather have a strong pop album that’s 30 minutes than one that has filler and overstays its welcome.
FanFan86 added these pithy words on Feb 26 09 at 5:09 pmIn her most recent interview she said she wanted to move away from experimental sounds cause she wanted to go to more R&B/pop songs.
kinghikari009 added these pithy words on Feb 26 09 at 5:18 pmI don’t know, I’m not used to Utada doing shorter albums or singles as long as running time is concerned, but hey, if the music’s great and memorable it’ll be of greater worth than the price of the CD, NOT to mention, this album has a much greater chance of commercial success in the U.S. and elsewhere beyond Japan, and of being better received critically over EXODUS as well @ the very least, if not some of her Japanese repetoire. Bob Dylan’s “Highway 61 Revisited”, Michael Jackson’s “Thriller”, Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On”, and Stevie Wonder’s “Innervisions” featured 10 tracks or less and I’ve yet to hear or read no less than a stellar, classic review and assessment of all of them!…
kinghikari009 added these pithy words on Feb 26 09 at 5:21 pmIn conclusion, a 35 minute album from Utada can only mean one of two things: no stooped filler and all potential hit singles; and really, those are the best kinds of albums from anyone, the ones that DON’T overstay or overwhelm their playtime (the only exceptions I personally can think of to that is Songs in the Key of Life and Sign ‘O’ The Times by Stevie W. and Prince respectively)…Can’t really ever envision Utada releasing a double disc of any studio LP though!
vmoriyama added these pithy words on Feb 26 09 at 5:51 pmAgreed! As long as the album is good then the length shouldn’t matter. I also hate albums that has 14 or more tracks with only 3 or 4 tracks being good.
JPM8688 added these pithy words on Feb 26 09 at 5:55 pmOK, some of you “fans” are So petty and rediculous when it come to an ablum that YOU DIDN’T EVEN HEAR YET! I don’t understand why people are complaining about the length of a song. MOST songs here in the US are only 3- to 3 and half minutes long. I hate to break it to you guys, but some songs in Japan (like Hamasaki Ayumi’s songs) while they are really good, they can be too long. People need to get over the small petty stuff, like the cover, and the lenght/ title of the song, and wait for the album to come out before you say you are dissapointed or not…that would make the MOST SENSE. I’m not tryin to be a jerk but some of you are WAY over reacting. Why get all worked up over an album that you have yet to hear? Remember, what matters is quality not length.
I rest my case.
JPM
InnerRise added these pithy words on Feb 26 09 at 5:58 pmAlbums with a longer running time also exist out there that have no filler and Utada has proven that it’s possible to make a longer Album containing top quality songs. SO the whole argument of, “I’d prefer a short album with top quality, than a long Album with filler” as if if the Album had more than 10 songs it would be crappy songs doesn’t fly with me. Making excuses for Utada isn’t cute.
kami-sama added these pithy words on Feb 26 09 at 6:10 pmNo InnerRise, it’s more like shorter can also be good, or it can be even better. No one said that Hikaru has made albums with filler songs.
ruka27 added these pithy words on Feb 26 09 at 6:13 pmGoOD POiNT JPM8688 !!! ^-^
InnerRise added these pithy words on Feb 26 09 at 6:18 pmYou missed the point Kama Sama, but that’s alright. :/
rahvin added these pithy words on Feb 26 09 at 6:19 pmUtada basically describes the concept of the album as being ‘mainstream’. What a terrible goal to try to achieve. That is definitely NOT I want to hear one of my favourite artists saying. For a single, yes. Not a whole damn album. She shouldn’t be aiming everything to be generic. There’s just no need for that kind of…and I will say this: LAZINESS!! 10 songs!? LAZY. 35 minutes? LAZY! Couldn’t be bothered with any experimenting? LAZY. I don’t care what the fan-boys say, my anticipation for this album just plummeted. Yes the melodies and her voice may be great, but even if it is, She can do more. And I really hope she gets some success by the way, that’s the main thing for her right now I understand. But as a long time fan I want much more.
If the Utada of Exodus was trying to hard, this new one is too laid back she’s lying down. Good luck to her!
gantzman246 added these pithy words on Feb 26 09 at 6:26 pmShe has not been lazy.
kami-sama added these pithy words on Feb 26 09 at 6:27 pmLaziness to someone who doesn’t have her new album released, and is promoting it, but is already working on a nem album?
Come on, it’s not like she needs the money, I think.