[she-smiles]

she rocks.
that's as simple as i can put it.

[sikhye]

Her new album sucks

I'm going to puke.

Lazy fatso.

[kongo89]

^ Well...I'm glad you put that as constructively as you can .
It has received great reviews from critics thus far, so every person to his/her own.

As for "Prisoner of Love," I do agree that the beats are a bit bland and the strings are quite predictable, but I really like it. I'm a sucker for Hikki ballads, so it shouldn't be a surprise . My favorite part of the song is "Stay with me...Stay with me..."

[sikhye]

Obsessed Utada fans love it and say it's her best album yet.
Neutral J-Pop fans say it's her worst album yet.

I'm an obssessed Utada fan yet I say it's her worst album next to Precious. Lately, she's been releasing crappy promotions and giving horrible performances. Yet, she probably knows she'll get high sales and praise all because she is Utada Hikaru. If she has time to write stupid blogs about her stuffed teddy bear, I'm sure she has time to release high quality songs- NOT CRAP THAT SOUNDS LIKE A BUNCH OF DEMOS.

If she continues to do this, I hope biased Hikki fans will realize this soon. She deserves crappy reception because she is only giving us stuff straight from her ass right now. Hopefully it's because she lost passion to continue on in the J-Pop music industry and wants to hit in big in America. If not, she'll fall. She only lives in the industry because of good music- she's not a good singer, she's a horrible entertainer and she is no personality.

[sweetsmile]

^ As much as I love Utada Hikaru, I have to agree with you about this album not being as good... and I'm also a big Utada Hikaru fan T^T

Her last album Ultra Blue was really good, so I guess I expected more from her.... I mean, I'll still listen to her new songs and all, but I don't think I'll be as obsessed with them, as I used to be with her old songs.

Her sales are going down anyways >.<

idk Ray... I still think she's a good singer, and yeah, her performances these days were .. but it's not her fault since she damaged her vocal chords or something, right? And maybe she's concentrating more on her English album right now?

I'm surprised you can say such things when you're actually an obsessed fan -__-;;

[kongo89]

Once again, every person to his/her own. Whether YOU like it or not, it's not like you have the credentials to say exactly what is "high-quality" or not (I'd rather take the word of professional critics who have been in the industry much longer than some member of Soompi who simply isn't happy). I think it's better than "UB," and although I do agree that she's not exactly the biggest, most exciting artist out there, but...Uhhhh...When was she ever an entertainer to begin with?

When it came down to performances and promotion, she has always been one to do whatever she could just to keep her career going. I am a big fan as well, and I criticize many of my favorite artists as well, but you're so overly-dramatic about the whole situation. Fans complain about her not releasing songs fast enough, and then when she churns something out quicker than usual, they complain about her not spending enough time to master each track. I am not a big fan of the electronic, synth-y style, but whatever. Her lyrics are still top-notch and at least she is still making her own music instead of turning to a production team.

Yeah, that's it...Let's just form and mold her into another Ayumi Hamasaki, Koda Kumi or BoA. Dance for us Utada, construct elaborate concerts and rainbow yourself out just to make bored fans happy! Grab a makeup artist, a promotional team, a team of producers, an acting coach, a stylist; Utada Hikaru, you are no longer your own person !

[Sk00p]

Other then the rest that we already know; i think Fight The Blues, Take 5 and Celebrate stand out!
Nice album..

[simplirain]

Omg. I'm addicted to Celebrate and PoL right now.
Sexi Lady. <333

[Aiwei]

I'm an obssessed Utada fan yet I say it's her worst album next to Precious. Lately, she's been releasing crappy promotions and giving horrible performances. Yet, she probably knows she'll get high sales and praise all because she is Utada Hikaru. If she has time to write stupid blogs about her stuffed teddy bear, I'm sure she has time to release high quality songs- NOT CRAP THAT SOUNDS LIKE A BUNCH OF DEMOS.

If she continues to do this, I hope biased Hikki fans will realize this soon. She deserves crappy reception because she is only giving us stuff straight from her ass right now. Hopefully it's because she lost passion to continue on in the J-Pop music industry and wants to hit in big in America. If not, she'll fall. She only lives in the industry because of good music- she's not a good singer, she's a horrible entertainer and she is no personality.

I don't think that's her worst album
and you might think that precious was her worst album but do you know how young she was when she composed and wrote those songs?
If you really did read her blog, you should know that she was working like day and night on this album, and posting on her blog was a way for her to rest
so many hikki fans said that she's just interessed in money so she wants to make it big in US, but actually she's really wealthy, I don't think she will bother to make an album, to work so hard on it and so on just to make money, she wants to be recognized for her music by more people and she feels that she's more american than japanese, so that's why she wants to be recognized there. Afterall, she has grown up more in the US than in Japan.
as for her personnality, everbody has its own point of view
yes you're right, she's not an entertainer at all but she doesn't need useless things, just her music so YES I'm really happy that she's not an entertainer

Overall, I think I was a little deceived by this album... It was good but I expected more... however some songs are really good (stay gold, take 5,...). Just don't really like celebrate, a little too marketable
My most favorite album was Ultra Blue
Her old albums were good too but the kind was a little too R&B, a little too marketable (even if she did really great songs like first love, deep river, final distance which is by far my fav song,... )
Looking forward to her sales! I hope she will do well ^^ !

[trashstar]

i'm still going to buy her new album despite bad reviews
besides i think people shouldn't be THAT hard on her. i mean many artists don't even write their own songs o.O

[saturn]

Even though lots of people didnt like Ultra Blue, it was my fav album from her so far .. as I havnt had the chance to listen to Heart Station yet ^^;;
I really hope the new album will be up to my expectations~~
I wonder when will they release this album in my place so that I can get it >_<



- edit -
Woot~ I own a page :D

[kongo89]

Sales for the first five days are estimated to be about 400,000, so she just needs to sell 50k for next two days and she'll break her record. I'm hoping she can do so, the weekend usually boosts up sales. No doubt that HS will already be the biggest debut week for a female in 2008 already, and I'm hoping it's the #1 female album as well -which it will probably be.

...

Thinking that she keeps releasing material just to earn money is quite ludicrous, and extremely laughable. Considering she is already one of the wealthiest Japanese citizens and she doesn't even spend that much of it (she doesn't buy high-fashion clothes, she doesn't have expensive taste for food, she doesn't travel that much, etc.,), I'm sure what she needs more of is money . If she was as money-hungry as some people assume, she would've taken the Ayumi Hamasaki/Koda Kumi/BoA route and released a large amount of music each year (especially during the peak of physical sales when she could sell phenomenal amounts in a short time), but no...She took her sweet, sweet time (25 singles in ten years, hello?!), and still...Some people just don't appreciate hard work and dedication. Meh...That's what we call superficial.

[PatrickWolf]

WOO!
Yay for Utada Hikaru
I like her new album
its pretty good.
I like
Fight the Blues
^______^

[simplirain]

Music Lover Performance.
http://www.veoh.com/videos/v6494270bK2bBAPj?c=tvsection

She's so lively and cute here!
Although she's sick, the performances are fine xD

edit;;
don't know if it's me but she seem teary eye during the end of celebration.

[loveartiste]

Just had to post in here.
I've been a fan of hers forever!!!
HSalbum is definetely a refreshing release
but I like her DEEP RIVER release just a tad bit more
nonetheless she delivers great beats
may i mention
prisoner of love& Take 5
love love love

oh & simplirain thanks for the link!
:]

[busagiboo]

I finally got around to listening to HEART STATION. I absolutely love Prisoner of Love and Take 5. But overall, I didn't really like this one, compared to her previous ones.

[combatrock76]

Fight The Blues: LOVE this song when I first heard it. It's an ear drug, I swear. The synth and the way the song flow is just amazing. One of the best songs on the album.
HEART STATION: This song is kinda repetivve but it's alright. i still ike it. xD The lyrics are nice haha.
Beautiful World: Another synth-type song! Yay!! Love the piano in this one.
Flavor of Life: Mehh. This song was cool when it was release as a single but now it's just old. And someone I would prefer if the ballad version would be placed as the bonus track.
Stay Gold: LOVE this track. The piano and tune just fits in perfectly.
Kiss & Cry:Really not feeling this track. The trumpet in the intro throws me off =/
Gentle Beast Interlude: Lol this has got to be the weirded interlude Hikki has ever made. It sounds like a bunch of materical mix in together.
Celebrate: I love the beat! Very addictive when I first heard it. The 'OW" in the middle was awesome. x]
Prisoner of Love: I have high hopes for this song because of the title xD
But the whole track disappoint me. It was really dull and bland. And it gives of this Distance feel to me. A part of the chorus reminds me of Wonder 'Bout for some reason. =/
EDIT: the only part i like about this song is the english lines.

Take 5: This song is GOD. Everything in there was good, with the backup vocals, the synth and the arrangement. But one thing that pissed me off is how it stop so SUDDENLY. I know how it deals about death and all but come on, the song can end SO MUCH better than that.
Boku Wa Kuma: I was hoping she won't place this song on the album but she did! Argh. I don't get how Take 5 (which is about death) suddenly goes to, "I am a bear, I am a bear....I must be chocolate in my last life."
Rainbow Bus: It's a really cute song haha. One of thsoe songs where I can sing along while doing my hw or whatever.

Besides the weird tracklisting and the abrupt ending for Take 5. I love the album. It's very refreshing and soothing to listen to.

As for Hikki next english album, I just hope she knows what she's doing.
She was too crazy with Exodus.

I can't wait to get my copy. I love Hikki's work. I totally agree with you on Hikki's Exodus. It was messy and all over the place. Too experimental and the lyrics to me were just not digestable for me. I only loved one song off the entire album. As much as I adore Hikki, I could not buy it on principle.

[aishiteruhoney]

I love Stay Gold, it's such a beautiful song<3

[ricepaper]

still waiting for my own copy of Heart Station to arrive.. here's my own personal opinion.

i pre-ordered Heart Station before even listening to the the album that's been going around online, trusting from what I heard in her singles that were to be included.. i loved Beautiful World, Heart Station, and Stay Gold =D what can i say? I'm a beat person, so Flavor of Life- ballad version didn't really rock my boat.. nor did the Gentle Beast

and while each one of us is entitled to our own opinion about the new album, i seriously don't regret purchasing it now =D

simplirain: wow, your review was really thorough! and i totally agree with alot of what you said

yea... i was bugged when Take 5 just abruptly ended because it's one of my fav. tracks, but after hearing what people have been saying and also from Hikki herself, i believe, i can only marvel at the amount of depth and thought she put into the track... life's really fleeting and death is so sudden and unexpected... the whole track is the very representation of the phrase "Carpe Diem"- live your life to the fullest... even to the listeners' ears, Take 5 itself is like a musical treat, like life, that ends abruptly...

i totally laughed when you said: "I don't get how Take 5 (which is about death) suddenly goes to, "I am a bear, I am a bear....I must be chocolate in my last life."" (can anyone tell me how to quote someone in your post? computer-illiterate T_T)

maybe it has to do with resurrection? and the actual song "Boku wa Kuma" is so relaxing and carefree... i mean, it's a children's song! it's almost as if to alleviate our fear of death, and we're all happy and carefree again, back to our childhood innocence....

so in conclusion, i personally applaud Hikki for another job well done.. stupid me for thinking her lyrics/ music didn't make sense.. i can only be amazed at the depth she put into it =]]] i seriously didn't understand "Beautiful World" lyrics though... anyone want to explain? T_T

[Raw Sugar]

Simplirain Thanks soo much for the Music Lover performances. I watched it and I loooved it. <33 Fight the Blues, Flavour of Life, and Celebrate. (:

The last question she was answering, she looked like she was gonna cry. ):