This Is The One was Utada’s 2nd English Studio album (third in all). It was released on March 14, 2009 in Japan and reached no. 3 on the Oricon Charts with 77,832 copies sold, making it her lowest selling and charting album to date, although this might be due to little promotion and being released only 3 days prior to the end of the week. However this album did chart at no. 19 on the itunes Overall Chart, yet no. 3 on the Pop Charts. The US digital version is set to be released on March 24, 2009 while the physical release is set for May 12, 2009 with a slightly altered track list. The producers include Tricky Stewart and the duo Stargate.

Tracks:
1. On And On
2. Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence – FYI
3. Apple And Cinnamon
4. Taking My Money Back
5. This One (Crying Like a Child)
6. Automatic Part II
7. Dirty Desire
8. Poppin’
9. Come Back to Me
10. Me Muero
11 Come Back to Me (Seamus Haji & Paul Emanuel Radio Edit)
12 Come Back to Me (Quentin Harris Radio Edit)

Review:
Hikki has always had such great opening songs, so it’s no surprise that she starts the album off with the energetic On And On. This is the first of four songs produced by Tricky Stewart, that being said expect some R&B or Rap elements. Not surprisingly though is that this is one infectious dance song. The music isn’t aggressive but it does feature some claps along with the occasional percussion, and some great dance music. This song is probably best known for the lyrics “Honeys if you’re gay, burn it up like a gay parade, Honeys if you’re straight, pump it up take it all the way.” she’s getting very creative with these lyrics to say the least. Although all and all it’s a really infectious song. The chorus is to die for, seriously the melody is just that good, and the “eeooee” during the last parts of the chorus is just amazing! The only problem is the guy in background yelling “yeah.” This is going to make the night go On And On!

The second song to be featured on the album, as well as the second released is Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence – FYI. The title says it all in the song, including the origins. It turns out that Hikki actually sampled some music, namely the piano chords, from Ryuichi Sakamoto’s song of the same name. The music for this song is more of a smooth R&B with a slight hint of flavorful experimental piano chords and the occasional strings. The lyrics in this song are a little dirty, alluding to certain wild things, although not in that manner. They also mention “sipping chardonnay” and “up all night.” I really loved the verses, I mean they’re so simple and yet so astounding. The pitch in the vocals alters a little, making it exciting. The mid-tempo approach was somewhat expected but the song is still fantastic. I just wish that you could understand what she was saying during the bridge, her vocals sounded a little stressed. Other than that it was just outstanding.

I guess a lot of people have been expecting Hikki to write a song about her divorce. Well she’s done it with Apple And Cinnamon. It was the first track announced back in May of 08. It’s a straightforward synth song that resembles a ballad and that’s all about breaking up. And I really wasn’t expecting this song to be all that good, but luckily it turned out to be a heart wrenching song. The music features the lonely piano chords, the melodious synth riffs, and the chronic beats. And despite this song being sad it’s so catchy. The chorus is just so beautiful despite being so sad. Lyrics like “chemistry like Apple And Cinnamon, what we had was just to good, good to last” really set the tone for this song. And unlike the previous songs I can honestly say that her vocals were so crisp and unwavering. There was a great amount of emotion in her vocals as well as this song. It’s such a depressing song, yet you can’t help but listen, very deep in all respects.

Keeping with the separation subject is the second song produced by Tricky Stewart. Taking My Money Back sounds like it’s a little more modern and a little more complicated. The music is heavy with electronic music but still features the piano chords. The melody really isn’t all that strong to be perfectly honest with you, but the song is still catchy somehow. The chorus was a little odd, it’s a little hard to distinguish it between that and the hook. But Hikki’s really creative especially with the lyrics “give me back my heart, give me back my time” and “gettin’ high, while I worked hard to pay the rent.” Sadly I can’t say that I’m overly excited about this song, it’s catchy but it’s not to die for.

If you though Apple And Cinnamon was sad, you’ve heard nothing yet. The title track is This One (Crying Like a Child), which is truly a heart wrenching ballad. It’s not hard to figure out that this song is about the divorce and a few other things. But despite this being a ballad, the music is still modern R&B with a hint of electronic beats and various other elements such as the electric guitar and some acoustics. It’s really hard to listen to this song just because it’s downright depressing. The level of beauty and profoundness is equal to the level of sorrow. Once again her vocals were truly marvelous. There was so much emotion and strength, I especially loved how she changed the pitch occasionally. Again the lyrics were astonishing. Mention “One hundred jpeg files, filling up my hard drive,” and “How could I ever love another“. I love this song, but sometimes it’s just too depressing to listen to. And apparently there’s been some people that say this song is a little reminiscent of Rihanna’s Umbrella, I dont’ see it but others have.

It’s really a shame that after a heartfelt song she comes back with Automatic Part II. This is the third song produced by Tricky Stewart, and sadly it’s a big flop. The description of this song made it sound so good, and I was dying to hear it. But sadly I’m really disappointed in it. The melody is lacking to put it nicely in many aspects. I have to praise some of the lyrics, but they’re just so weird, come on, contraceptives??? I just I couldn’t get over the brass, which sounded so foreign and unusual. Although on the bright side it did get better towards the end.

The album’s guilty pleasure follows shortly, making up for the previous track. This is the final track produced by Tricky is Dirty Desire. This songs is really dirty to say the least, well not really, more like hot and sexy. The music is a mixture of some bumping percussion and sultry electronic music. The melody is insanely catchy, and the chorus is one hot mess, seriously it’s the hottest thing since TABOO. “I don’t want just a bite, I want the full size, tell her I’ll pay the fine, can you feel my Dirty Desire?” with lyrics like those who needs an explanation. It actually reminds me of Tippy Toe with that sense of adultery. And if that didn’t wow you the vocals will, she’s never ceases to amaze. Sadly the worst part was the end, where you get this random and ugly “desire” and “bring that beat back.”

Another song that’s not a favorite song of mine is Poppin’. It an unusual song that has a club feel to it, well imagine being a club at dancing. The lyrics really say it all, and it somewhat reminds me of a girl power theme. “Opps did I turn you on?” and “I wanna see the bottles Poppin’“, and those some of the lighter lyrics. It’s just really different from anything I’ve heard her do. Then again her vocals are different too, during the chorus they’re so high. But I did love the vocals during the bridge, sounded like she was just talking but I don’t mind. The music have such an odd arrangement with the electric guitar and some pink panther-esq music.

And now we get to the first single Come Back to Me. This mid-tempo ballads has recently debuted at no. 75 on the Billboard Pop 100, pretty good I’d say. The R&B music has grown on me a lot and it’s seems a lot better on this album than on a single. The piano chords are wonderful and the claps give life to the song. The lyrics are bittersweet and memorable. Once again Hikki displays some crisp vocals that are filed with a lot of emotion. It’s no wonder this was chosen as the lead single, and the MV that was produced for it was simple, but much better than HEART STATION.

The final song on the album is Me Muero lit. I’m Dying, in Spanish. This song has somewhat of an ethnic feeling, but I guess the scratchy music helps with that. It’s really as easy-listening song. The lyrics mention “I lie in my bed and flip through TV channels, eating Godiva.” The music justs sounds so foreign, well different for Hikki, reminiscent almost of Niji-iro Bus. The various woodwinds and claps really make it interesting, but the scratchiness gets a little annoying, but I love the piano chords. It’s different but I think it’s rather remarkable. And I loved the occasional muffled vocals, and the ad-libbing at the end. What a day Me Muero!

And now closing the album are the two remixes of Come Back To Me. The first is the Seamus Haji & Paul Emanuel Radio Edit. This is by far the better and stronger remix. The beats are slow yet the flow is just right. The music is mostly slow dance/techno. There are a few distortions, it’s basically just a slowed down dance version that actually sounds great.

The final song and remix is the Quentin Harris Radio Edit. Honestly it’s not all that exciting, more like a slower version of the previous song, with just a lot less fun and techno. There’s still a moderate dance vibe, but it’s lacking in the arrangement, it seemed like there was a cowbell during some of the sections. Not the best closing track, but not a horrific remix at the same time.

Overall Review: This Is The One was mainstream prominence! You can tell that it’s been a while since Exodus back in 2004. She’s shed her doubtful experimental ways and instead has returned with mainstream confidence. It shows that she’s evolved as an artist since her debut over ten years ago. The album has a lot of great songs, and was inspired by many events, including her divorce. There’s a lot of great mainstream music, mostly R&B but that’s what’s in now. I’m very pleased with this album, especially the lyrics. She’s gotten really creative with them, and only Hikki could write so many songs with great and humorous yet fun lyrics. The songs for the most part were just flawless, although a few could use some work. There’s not much flow with this album, but that’s really minor in the sense of things. She’s done a great job with this album. It’s so good in fact that i’m actually buying this album, which includes the music video via itunes! If any Asian’s English album can top the charts, This Is The One.

Final Grade: 97A

Come Back To Me was Utada’s 1st single from her second English album This Is The One. The song began receiving radio play on February 9, 2009 in the United States and late January in Japan. The music video was shot on January 28 and 29 and supposedly features fashion from the 1920.

Tracks:
1. Come Back To Me (Radio Edit)
2. Come Back To Me (Tony Moran Radio Edit)
3. Come Back To Me (Seamus Haji & Paul Emanuel Radio Edit)
4. Come Back To Me (Quentin Harris Radio Edit)
5. Come Back To Me (Mike Rizzo Radio Edit)
*This there is no official set tracklist for this single as the remixes are promotional.

Review:
I’m not exactly sure but I guess we got the Radio Edit of Come Back To Me. There’s no set differences from the album version yet but we’ll see once her album hits stores. At first I wasn’t really all too blown away by this song. It sounded nice and the melody was great, but it wasn’t as mind blowing as her previous songs. The barrage of piano keys was quite a unique opening and a little unexpected at the same time, and a little confusing. Afterwards things became more R&B oriented with the beats and the piano chords continuing. The vocals are good, but I really wasn’t shocked or stunned until I heard the chorus, where there was a little more emotion and power. The lyrics are bittersweet, just give them a listen. The bridge was one of the most exciting parts because it was more fast paced and a little more variety. The last part of the song was great because of the electric guitar and the ad-libbing in the background, which is something different from Hikki really.

The longest remix happens to be the Tony Moran Radio Edit. It’s a unique dance remix filled with various techno beats and electronic distortions and music, a perfect club song really. The only problem is that the music overwhelms and drowns out the vocals.

Hikki had stated on her site that the Seamus Haji & Paul Emanuel Radio Edit was one of her favorites. And I really have to agree with her. The music isn’t as heavily dance oriented, it’s more of a light club / synth, the synthesizer is used extensively. There are some techno elements though, and for some reason I can’t help but remember the Scumfrog Edit of Devil Inside when I hear this song.

Getting more club and techno oriented is the Quentin Harris Radio Edit. Honestly, it’s very similar to the previous remixes, it’s just there’s no real music, just beats, cowbell, and some some synth / techno elements; it seems like there’s hardly any real instrumentals, there are some but it’s not all that powerful. It’s mediocre at best.

The fastest remix by far is the Mike Rizzo Radio Edit. Besides featuring some obnoxiously loud beats, the music has been sped up along with the vocals. And although I really hat how it’s speed up, I do love the instrumentals, they’re still techno & dance oriented. It does stand out from all the remixes which is a good thing.

Overall Review: Come Back To Me was honestly somewhat of a letdown. I still love Hikki and her music, but this song wasn’t what I was expecting. It might just be a little too different for me. Don’t get me wrong I love her R&B music but this song wasn’t all that stunning and amazing. I love most of Hikki’s songs but I merely like this song. Compared to her other songs it’s just not as thrilling or as exciting. And I really tried to love this song, but I can’t. It’s a great release from Hikki, but it’s just not her most memorable. The remixes on were great for the most part, and it seems that the Haji and Quentin Radio Mixes will be featured on her album. Anyway to sum it all up, the song’s nice, but that’s it. Don’t hate me for saying it, i’m just the messenger.

Final Grade: 88B

Deep River was Utada Hikaru’s 3rd studio album. It was released on June 19, 2002 and reached number 1 on the charts with 2,350,000+ copies sold. In all Deep River would go on to sell over 3,605,000+ copies making in the number 8 best selling Japanese album of all time. It would also reach number 1 on the yearly charts, her 3rd album to do so. This is also her last Japanese studio album to sell over 2 million physical copies. Due to some surgery, Hikki was limited to only magazine and radio promotions. This album’s title track has a PV with it, making it her first song to have a PV and not be a single.

Tracks:
1. SAKURA Drops
2. traveling
3. Shiawase ni Narou
4. Deep River
5. Letters
6. Play Ball
7. TOKYO Nights
8. A.S.A.P.
9. Uso Mitai na I Love You
10. FINAL DISTANCE
11. Bridge (Interlude)
12. Hikari

Review:
Beginning Deep River is the sensational SAKURA Drops. This song was released as the last single, along with Letters, so you could say it ended the Deep River Era, but ironically it begins this wonderful and phenomenal album. It begins with an impressive drum roll, followed the xylophone and Hikki’s lovely vocals. Anyway, the verses here sound great, but it’s the chorus that shines through. It’s catchy, the vocals are great, and the lyric content is off the charts. And the instrumentals are beautiful as well, and the panting beforehand was incredible. It’s a truly beautiful song that goes on to mentions cherry blossoms blooming and and how they sway in time and in the wind and it talks about having the last heartbreak. I really liked the guitars playing at the end, a nice little touch.

After a heartfelt song we have the extremely up-beat traveling. It’s one of her most popular, exhilerating songs to date. Not to mention the extremely large amount of English in this song, which probably is why it’s so catchy. I mean the chorus just screams up-beat, lighthearted, and infectious. Surprisingly enough even the verses are catchy. The pop feeling in this song is light yet such a colossal force. And besides the pop music, there’s a hint of dance, although it’s not techno. Either way it’s such an amazing song, and such a fan favorite.

Following is Shiawase ni Narou, lit. Let’s Be Happy, which written when Hikki was only 17. It begins with a piano playing quite lovely. And it’s quite upbeat when it comes to the chorus. It actually sounds very R&B influenced, but not to the extent of her older songs. But it does song nice with all the beats. The verses consequently sounds very sweet, and innocent, somewhat contrasting. Her vocals here were particularly good, I loved the mix of high and low. And the ad-libbing during the bridge was so unexpected but great. And as usual, the English was phenomenal.

Time for the phenomenal, profound Deep River. This song shares its name with the album. This song is considered a ballad and a beautiful one at that. You can hear the acoustic guitar immediately. Other instrumentals include a rather Indian sounding instrument and some soft drum beats. It’s one of the lighter songs on the album that has a new vibe to it. For some reason I think of an island when listening to it. Then again the PV was shot in Hawaii. Some English can be heard between the chorus. I can honestly say that this is one of my favorite songs from this period. The chorus was just so amazing and so beautiful. Overall a mind blowing ballad.

The optimistic Letters follows shortly. The beginning sounds mystical with the acoustics and the strings. And it sounds very good, especially the drum beats. And here the chorus is actually very catchy. It’s up-beat, a little optimistic, pop sounding, and just wonderful lyrically. Another little thing is that piano keys can be heard after the chorus, a nice little treat. The music is a bit on the lighter side, and all the background vocals are great. As for the regular vocals, they rocked for the most part. I only wish there was some more diversity.

Next is a rather interesting promo track entitled Play Ball. The beat is unusual to me, but then again I’m not to used to it. However it’s a very upbeat song, but sadly that’s about it. It did use a bit of English, but it’s not her best song. The chorus was very fast paced, unlike the verses which were slow. I did like the instrumentals though, somewhat nice. Very light, nice use of the harp, strings, and some beats. Nothing more to say about this song except for the fact that it could’ve been better. But this song was used to promote the album on the radio like This Is Love, Parody, and Fight The Blues.

For some reason TOKYO Nights seems to make such a title? When Hikki told her father about the title he told her it sounded like a title her mother would make, hence the good title. Anyway, the song begins right away with some traditional instruments, very fast paced. And the verses are as equally good as they are fast. Drum beats signal the chorus, which sounds breathtaking as always. And the chorus sounds so catchy. I think it’s because of the fast music and the incredible vocals, Japanese and English. And you can even hear some English towards the end of this song, that is spoken perfect as always.

A.S.A.P. which is As Soon As Possible, in case you didn’t know. Beginning with some church bells it sounds rather ominous. And once the drums, and screeching instrumentals play it sounds somewhat scary. But than the strings play and it’s a little better. The fast moving music along with the catchy verses quickly pull you in just as the chorus begins. And the chorus is catchy with the A.S.A.P. in it and all, not to mention the English. Quite a bit on English is used in this song. I love the constant beat of this song. And there’s an almost whistling sound, or a tea kettle. I can honestly say that it’s a nicely written song. Overall a chilling yet beautiful song.

The memorable Uso Mitai na I Love You lit. A False/Unbelievable I Love You is up. Most people will remember this rock song because it has the same hook as Simple And Clean. But besides that making this song catchy, there are also some exhilerating guitar riffs. And with that familiar melody it’s easy to fall victim to this addictive tune. Hikki also exhibited some great vocals, both deep and soft, although I wish there was more English. As for the chorus, it was impressive. Very predictable but still good. It’s a nice change of genre, rock rather than pop.

And time for the final cute of Distance, FINAL DISTANCE. This song is a ballad remake of Distance, originally on the Distance album. It’s a very emotional and moving song that can bring tears to all. The lyrics are the same except for one word, and the mood is very dark and solemn rather than up-beat. The piano and the strings are the signature instrumentals, but the strings sound so beautiful during the chorus. And the chorus is absolutely breath taking and powerful. And Hikki’s vocals are so strong and filled with intense emotions. Her ad-libbing is what I loved, especially towards the end.

Easing the transition into the final track is Bridge (Interlude). There’s a constant beat, similar to a heart. The strings are very prominent in this song, an excellent edition. And with the birds chipping it sounds very similar to a forest. It then quiets back down to the beating heart, and then finishes.

Ending the album is the breathtaking Hikari lit. Light. This word shares its name with Utada, even though Hikaru and Hikari have different vowels Hikaru comes from Hikari and it means Bright, or Brightness. This song oddly enough starts off the the chorus first, something that has now become quite common. The chorus sounds so fantastic and so full of life, so full so emotion. It shares a resemblance to her 2003 song Simple And Clean, so it sounds pretty good. The verses here are so sweet and fantastic too. What a beautiful way to end Hikki’s 3rd album.

Overall Review: Deep River was a phenomenal and moving album. I think that at this point it was one of the best albums both quality and lyrical wise. It also showed a new direction as Hikki had drifted away from her R&B roots. It’s not hard to see why it was the no. 1 album of the year and the no. 8 Japanese album of all time. Some tracks could have been better but most were just outstanding. I loved how most were so new and invigorating. And the lyrical content was so beautiful and often profound. It’s easy to see why it’s one of her signature albums, not to mention the monochromatic photoshoot.

Final Grade: 100A+

ULTRA BLUE was Utada Hikaru’s 4th studio album. It was released on June 14, 2006 and reached number 1 with sales of over 500,000 copies, and remained the top album the second week with sales of 157,000+. The album would go over to sell over 1.3 million copies in total. This was also the highest studio album by a female artist in 2006. ULTRA BLUE was also her first album to show Hikki’s more experimental pop music. And this is the only album, so far, not to have an eponymous track, in other words a track with the same name as the album.

Tracks:
1. This Is Love
2. Keep Tryin’
3. BLUE
4. Nichyo no Asa
5. Making Love
6. Dareka no Negai ga Kanau Koro
7. COLORS
8. One Night Magic feat. Yamada Masashi
9. Kairo
10. WINGS
11. Be My Last
12. Eclipse (Interlude)
13. Passion

Review:
Beginning Ultra Blue is the serene This Is Love. It’s a very fast paced song that truly shows her more experimental pop side. The music is very pop oriented and rather strong. The keyboards get this song off to a magnificent start, followed by some great vocals. The synth elements create such a beautiful and calming atmosphere, while the music propels everything. I loved how the vocals sounded very calm and mild, not very dramatic or angry. The verses sounded great to my surprise, very uplifting. And the chorus was completely breathtaking. Well, it sounded great and it was catchy, the nice constant beats were a nice treat. And the ad-libbing at the end was great.

The fantastic Keep Tryin’ appears next. The lyrics are a bit humorous but that’s great. The music is very pop and synth oriented, no surprise. It’s very fitting of the wonderful winter tune. I loved the toy piano during the bridge, such a sweet edition to the song. Anyway the lyrics tell us all to Keep Tryin’, go figure. It was also her best song in terms of digital sales until it was surpassed. The chorus was so up-beat and sounded so wonderful. And the pre-chorus sounded incredible as well, must be her amazing vocals and the music.

BLUE is the closest thing there is to a title track. This song is an up tempo and up-beat song, even for a ballad. The keyboard along with the synth elements are the signature instrumentals. Again, the synth elements are really a signature thing with Hikki now, and one can see why this was her experimental pop album. The lyrics are quite interesting but are still wonderful as always. Naturally the chorus here is the best part, and it’s so catchy, a huge plus. English again is used throughout the song. The lines “Darling, darling, ah… Questions make me blue Darling, darling, ah… Tell me something good” help you get a clear idea about why the song is named as it is. And the vocals were just amazing. There were definitely some emotions present along with some power.

One of my new favorites on the album is Nichyo no Asa lit. Sunday Morning. This song also showcases some of Hikki’s more experimental tone. There is a big synth vibe, along with some great arrangement. The keyboard along with some claps are the main instrumental force. The ad-libbing in the beginning was awesome and very calming. Her vocals really sounded great too, they’re not too overwhelimg. The verses sounded great, namely because of the constant claps. But I also loved the English lines. They were whispered so sweetly and sounded great. The chorus was pretty catchy as well, although it was a bit similar to the verses, nice background vocals though. The Sunday morning refers to the Christmas of 2005.

Making a very gentle and playful entrance is the ever sweet Making Love. Beginning with the keyboard, this song quickly turns into a fast paced pop song, filled with synth sounds. The beats sound great during the verses, which sound incredible, probably due to vocals and music. The vocals were great as usual, but sounded exhilerating during the chorus. They were a lot stronger, as was the music. As for the chorus, well it was extremely catchy. The melody was wonderful and the synth-like background music was very fitting. There was such a funny bridge in this song that sounded pretty sweet. As for the lyrics, well it involves some rather adult themes, that’s all I’ll say. But it’s still great and very addictive.

Definitely the saddest and most depressing song on the album is Dareka no Negai ga Kanau Koro lit. When Someone’s Dreams Come True. It’s truly a ballad of sorrow and yet such beauty. It consists of the piano, the violins, the cello, and the acoustic guitar. The piano however is the main instrumental during the song, followed by the acoustic guitar and strings. The song as a whole is absolutely phenomenal, filled with incredible vocals and music. It had such a classical feel, minus the acoustic guitar. Hikki managed to deliver with her excellent vocals, so powerful and filled with emotion.

And now for the song that began it all, the ethereal COLORS. It was her first song to showcase her new found style of experimental pop, which is surprisingly good. The music was very synth oriented, but still contained the drums and cello. The verses were very beautiful, painting vivid pictures with the lyrics. The lyrics talk of seeing the blue sky and that COLORS seem to fade beneath the fluorescent lights, among a few other things. And as for the chorus, well it was better than ever imagined. Not only is it beautiful in its lyrical content, but it sounds breathtaking. Such a memorable track filled with various synth elements.

Also featured on this album is her first collaboration with a Japanese artist, One Night Magic feat. Yamada Masashi. This song is a lighthearted pop song with some great synth elements. Hikki’s vocals sound so deep, yet so high at various parts of the time, allowing her to display to talent to a greater extent. And those vocals sounded amazing. As for Yamada, he just sung during the pre-chorus and the post-chorus, kinda useless. The verses sounded great, deeper vocals, and majestic music. And it sounded rather catchy, which was great. The chorus was pretty catchy, despite it being a bit slow with the lyrics. You can also hear her singing “Oh baby give it up!” somewhat fast in the chorus. The bridge here was particularly good, the excellent lyrics, and superb vocals.

The last true new song on the album is Kairo lit. Sea Route. This song is amazing and truly epic, if you can call a song epic. Whenever I hear this song I think of someone sailing across the open seas. I can honestly say that I love this song, the only problem is that it is so short, and I mean it, only 3:35. This song features some beautiful strings along with various synth elements, the piano, some other minor instruments, and the sound of the wind blowing. The verses were very short and honestly, there weren’t that many lines to begin with. As for the chorus, well it was flawless. The strings propelled it into such a magnificent example of beauty. And to top it off, it sounded both epic and dramatic. Short but incredible.

Following is the laid-back WINGS. This eternally soft song is rather sweet. It’s gentle, laid-back, and quite gorgeous. The piano serves as the primary instrumental, along with some drums, and some excellent woodwinds I believe. The vocals are calm and wonderful. The lyrics are sweet talking about “heaven” and a “warm bath” among other things. The snoring was pretty adorable and worked out great with the ending. The ad-libbing was just that good.

Perhaps the most mature song on the album, Be My Last makes its debut. This acoustic ballad proved to be such a strong digital seller, and it’s no wonder. It also serves as a great example of how mature she’s become since her debut. The acoustic guitar was an impressive instrumental, and built this song. Well, that along with the stunning and emotional vocals. The verses sounded beautiful, but where out shined by the chorus. The chorus was stronger and featured a better presence altogether. I loved how she yet again used English in this song and made it fit. By far one of her more mature and strongest songs.

Enveloped in a miasma of synth is Eclipse (Interlude). It prepares you for the final track while helping ease transition from an acoustic ballad to a more synth oriented ballad.

Ending the album is the serene ballad entitled Passion. This song is infamous for being the theme song for the Kingdom Hearts 2, as well as featuring reversed lyrics. The opening itself has a magical quality with the synth music and guitar opening. The drum beats provide a constant beats keeping the song catchy. The vocals were astounding along with the melody. The chorus was just amazing as well as memorable. But my favorite part was the last stanza, so to say, not the final line. The vocals were at the peak of perfection and it just sounded epic. Such a beautiful way to end ULTRA BLUE.

Overall Review: ULTRA BLUE was a synth sensation. The album proves just how much her style of music has changed since her debut. It also features some of her most memorable songs and such beautiful scans. All of the songs featured were memorable as well as perfect for the most part. The album also had a unifying feature, it was mostly synth oriented, with some acoustic and ballad digressions. What a flawless album that’s continues to thrill listeners.

Final Grade: 100A+

Distance was Utada Hikaru’s much anticipated sophomore album. It was released on March 28, 2001 and took number 1 on the charts with 3,002,720 copies sold in the first week. This album would go on to sell over 4,469,135+ copies. This album also reached number 1 on the yearly charts making it her second number 1 album of the year. Distance is also the highest selling album of Japan in the 21st century, and the 4th highest selling album in Japan.

Some background information: both Hikki and Ayumi were some of biggest J-Pop divas, if you will, and both were releasing an album on the same day. Ayumi was releasing A BEST, her 1st compilation album, while Hikki was releasing Distance, her 2nd studio album. Now before this as they both were extremely popular each of their labels were creating a feud, if you will. This was really accomplished when Avex, Ayumi’s label, released A BEST on the same day as Hikki’s Distance. Now when the two albums were released Distance came in 1 with 3,002,720 copies sold, this gave it the highest first week sales, while A BEST sold 2,900,000 copies, making it the second highest first week sales. Both albums would reach the yearly charts with Distance at 1 and A BEST at 2.

Tracks:
1. Wait & See ~Risk~
2. Can You Keep A Secret?
3. Distance
4. Sunglasses
5. Drama
6. Eternally
7. Addicted To You [UP-IN-HEAVEN MIX]
8. For You
9. Kettobase!
10. Parody
11. Time Limit
12. Kotoba ni Naranai Kimochi
13. HAYATOCHI-REMIX (Bonus Track)

Review:
Kicking off Hikki’s sophomore album is the R&B tune Wait & See ~Risk~. It’s one of her oldest R&B songs and it’s fast paced. The music is catchy and the vocals are to die for. And like many songs from Hikki, it incorporates some English. But there are some rock elements like the guitar present. A great way to begin her album.

Ending the Distance Era was Can You Keep A Secret?. It too like distance reached no. 1 on the yearly charts. It’s another one of her R&B songs and the last one she released. It’s up-beat, extremely catchy, and repetitive with the English. But it’s a good thing in this case. The acoustic guitar in this song was pretty good too. The beats were great, although they weren’t as strong as usual, but on the bright side they were a bit different. And the vocals were amazing as usual.

Up next is the memorable title track Distance, which gives its name to the album. And although it begins with an almost childish start featuring the little twinkles, or some xylophone music, don’t let that fool you. This song has some very deep and profound lyrics. The chorus is as equally catchy as it is great, and it is. It sounds sweet with the innocent vocals and the background vocals. And although I love how up-beat this song is it’s still odd to hear this version after hearing FINAL DISTANCE, they’re mirror opposites in the music sense. Anyway, the music is great and somewhat mid-tempo and the English was so fitting. And the mini-trumpets in the song were incredible. One of the must hear songs on the album.

Making an appearance is the ever smooth Sunglasses. It’s another great R&B track that I have recently come to love. It gets off to an almost mystical start with the orchestra like instrumentals but quickly changes into a laid-back R&B tune. The beats are smooth yet infectious. The vocals are great and so soft at a few points. It’s no surprise that the song overall is addictive and that the chorus is magnificent. Not to mention catchy, those background vocals really help. And the guitar I believe, or some synth instrument, maybe a keyboard during the bridge is just liberating. And one interesting fact, a PV it seems, or some studio footage was released for this song. So it’s somewhat of one of a promo track, so listen to it!

Shaking up the album is the rock oriented Drama. It’s pretty aggressive thanks to the guitar riffs and drum beats. It has some interesting lyrics and unique vocals. At some points they’re deep at others they’re soft. At times it was hard to hear Hikki sing due to the guitar. And although I’m not too fond of this track, it sure is catchy. Especially with the all the English.

One of the few ballads on the album is Eternally. It still contains some R&B despite being a ballad but it works for the song. And the strings were just beautiful, along with the piano and the bassline. Then there’s the chorus which is rather beautiful and profound. It utilizes some English along with some strong vocals. And the English makes this song so amazing. The background vocals were great too. The song was altered and remixed for the 2008 drama Innocent Love, and might be released physically even. That being said, you know it’s good.

Even heavier in the R&B vibe is Addicted To You [UP-IN-HEAVEN MIX]. It contains some heavy beats and smooth vocals. The R&B sound is very strong, and it’s the prominent force. It’s infectious to a degree and pretty addictive. But that’s no surprise since it’s one of her oldest songs. Hikki also exhibits some great high vocals in this song.

Another R&B ballad present is For You. As I said this song really isn’t one of my favorites and it didn’t catch my attention for the most part. I did like the beats though but overall it wasn’t all that catchy. There were some points where it was strong and catchy, but it wasn’t enough. But on the bright side the vocals were strong and there were some strings. But it’s still one of her weaker tracks. The second title track was stronger. Still a good song, just not as powerful as the others.

Rocking the album is Kettobase! lit. Kick it off! It’s the last rock song on the album. The rock music with the guitar and drums are to die for. And the beginning is pretty memorable. The chorus is catchy, and that guitar playing sounds so riveting. And the vocals are perfect and powerful.

Oh no, it’s a Parody! That’s actually a loose translation, but the song is good. Parody was actually used to promote the album over the radio, much like This Is Love for Ultra Blue. The lyrics are very playful and rather humorous. Like most of her songs, English is used and for this one the English has never sounded better. The music sounds up-beat and it has that distinct R&B feel. The chorus sounds so catchy and addictive, and a little funny too lyrically. During the bridge you can hear guitars along with drums which leads into the final chorus. And in the end you can hear her singing in English, which makes it even better. Overall this is one of the best songs on the album.

A lighter R&B infused song is Time Limit. Which was arranged by Rodney Jerkins of Darkchild, hence the American sound. The music is lighthearted with some great beats. Obviously the chorus is catchy and the English is impressive. One of her better up-beat tracks for sure.

Sweeter and more notable is Kotoba ni Naranai Kimochi lit. Feelings That Can’t Be Put to Words, or Indescribable feelings. It’s mostly R&B but theres a hint of ballad in this song. The mid-tempo music sounds great with the odd beats. And the chorus in this song is the catchiest part. There really isn’t much English in this song, but that doesn’t stop this song from being good. One interesting thing is that the melody is from Interlude on First Love, and the vocals sound the same too.

Ending the album is HAYATOCHI-REMIX, which is a remix of the track Hayatochiri on Hikki’s Wait & See ~Risk~ single. This song sounds a lot better than the original with the piano opening and with the jazz-like feel. I really didn’t like the original that much but for some reason I like this song better. The song later develops more of a distinct R&B vibe. The sensational beats were smooth, and very effective in this song. The ad-libbing is amazing along with the vocals. The vocals were great due to the fact they’d be low and high frequently and intertwined. Not to mention how much English was used, even though it was mostly when she’d ad-lib. And the music is off the charts. It’s an irresistible way to end Hikki’s sophomore album.

Overall Review: Distance was R&B excellence! It’s actually my fourth favorite album from Hikki, but she only has had five Japanese albums, so that’s good I guess, but all are incredible. This is also one of her most R&B influenced albums she’s released. I loved all of the singles that she released in this period, and how they were so amazingly good. There were some songs that I didn’t like that much, well they just weren’t that good, but the ones that I liked were terrific. But overall this is perhaps one of the best albums that I’ve listened to. One of the best sophomore albums easily!

Final Grade: 100A+

Well it’s been a while since I’ve posted any actual review of Hikki, mostly because I’ve reviewed most of her material, well yeah most and by that I mean albums and singles, not sure about Cubic U album. Anyway I thought that it’d be a great time to review one of her few collaborations. This one is By Your Side with Kiley Dean and Timbaland. It was originally featured on the album UNITY which was the official soundtrack for the Athens 2004 Winter Olympics. That being said, it was done during her Exodus Era, and it’s actually good. So on with the review.

Tracks:
3. By Your Side

Review:
The only song that I’m going to review is the best on the album, By Your Side. The song begins with a rather infectious beat, then some amazing strings. The vocals in this song are off the charts. Even though Kiley’s vocals seem to overwhelm Hikki’s they’re still good. I just wish she sung a little more, Kiley was just a little too vocal if you know what I mean. The lyrics are in all English and they’re beautiful. You might even call them relate -able or profound. The verses aren’t bland and are amazing. The chorus was phenomenal, so beautiful, and so catchy. I do wish though that there was a better climax and change of music for it though. I still don’t know what Timbaland did, maybe he’s the producer? I just love this song so much, one of her best English works.