Utada Hikaru Album: “This Is the One”

I wasn't sure what to expect after the well-intentioned but unsuccessful "Exodus", but with this latest effort, Utada has taken it back to her roots. Those who say that she has strayed away from quirky electronic beats to produce a typical mainstream album would do well to remember that r&b/pop (with her own distinct style thrown in, of course) is how she got started in the first place.

With that being said, this album is better, MUCH better than many of the pop acts in the U.S. and should be getting way more attention than it is now. Every song is a potential single and there are no skippables.

I rarely if ever buy CDs but Utada has definitely earned my money.

I've been listening to her music for a few years now and I have most of her previous work in Japanese. Which is how I got into her music along with a song she did on the Rush Hour 2 soundtrack (with Foxy Brown/Def Jam). Regardless I really enjoyed her "Exodus" album released in 2004, it was different and had a lot of songs with different feels. I believe that's the reason it only had limited success over in the States.

Now with the released of "This Is The One" Utada brings her excellent singing and songwriting skills to everyone over here. Even after the first song "Come Back To Me" with Utada pleading for her man to give her a second chance after she cheated on him. Saying she'll do whatever you need her to. It has a sincerity and feel to that should fit right in on just about US radio station. I'm also partial to the song "Poppin'" it has a R&B, club vibe to it that is nothing like her previous efforts.

Also, "Me Muero" as well with a latin, jazz club feel to it again not something Utada does. But it is handled very well and ends up being a great song.

Beyond that i'm not able to pick a favorite as I love just about every song on the cd. It sounds cliche and everything, but its true that you can tell someone that has a love and talent for performing and Utada has it. Not only on this cd but on many of her previous albums check out "Exodus" as well if you have the opportunity. Check out "This Is The One" because it truly is just that. The one album that will get your attention and not let it go. Its only 10 songs but their are 3 extra songs on here "Simple & Clean", "Sanctuary (Opening)", and "Sanctuary (Closing).

They all hold your attention and are more than listen worthy buy "This Is The One". You won't be disappointed.

Say Utada Hikaru and the first thing most of the people who have heard of her will think is Kingdom Hearts. While I am huge Kingdom Hearts fan and I absolutely love the theme songs Hikari (and the American version Simple and Clean), and Passion (and the American version Sanctuary), Utada has a lot of good music out there. Most of her work was conducted in Japan, but this album is her second in America (and by her personal standards, her official American debut). The physical album does include Simple and Clean and two versions of Sanctuary as bonus tracks (which is just awesome because those songs are such a pain in the neck to get) but this album has so much more to offer than that. Those songs were added purely to attract the Kingdom Hearts fans and expose them to the other musical wonders this woman can do.

The music on this album is good pop with some R&B twists. It has catchy songs like Apple and Cinnamon, Come Back to Me and Automatic II. Her goal was to create something mainstream in America. Her voice and style is very different from other artists, and yet I listen to the music and I think it's something I might hear on the radio.

This album does have a downside. It has one or two songs (most notably Dirty Desire) that are a bit inappropriate, containing sexual references. I personally am not a fan of music like that so if you like it that's great. If not, don't let it intimidate you. There are way more clean songs on here than not. In either case don't show this album to a kid you know just because that kid likes Kingdom Hearts. Some of the songs on here are not what Disney is all about.

Aside from that this album is fantastic and I recommend it to everyone (except younger audiences), whether or not you're familiar with Kingdom Hearts or even if you're new to Utada. It's that good. Buy it.

When I heard her sonorous vocal on

, the melancholy 2001 ballad about a tragic schoolyard killing, J-Pop sensation Hikaru Utada made a strong impression on me with her hauntingly soulful delivery wrapped in a uniquely emotive voice. You wouldn't expect such a shallow genre to produce such an emotionally resonant singer, and she continues to top the charts in Japan. Stateside stardom has been far more elusive starting with her vapid 2004 American recording debut on Island Def Jam, the hook-heavy

, which wasted her considerable talent on flavor-of-the-month, electro-funk dance grooves.

Five years later, Utada makes another bid for mainstream acceptance here (she was actually born in New York City), and the results are only marginally better with her 2009 effort produced by Norwegian songwriting team StarGate and the über-popular Christopher "Tricky" Stewart (Beyoncé's

, Rihanna's Umbrella). Trading electronica for more of a hip-hop vibe, Utada is still bouncing on inescapable pop hooks, but this time, her voice gets more of a workout, and she flirts with a more overtly sexual attitude a la Janet Jackson's 1993

. Aside from the classical piano opening, the first track, "Come Back to Me", is genuinely catchy with more than a passing resemblance to Mariah Carey's

, and the Sergio Mendes-style bossa nova beats on "Me Muero" are fairly intoxicating.

Things start to feel more programmatic with the syncopated breathiness of "Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence - FYI", the mid-tempo "Apple and Cinnamon", and the retro-wink of "Poppin'". Utada tries to be more of a provocative poseur on "Dirty Desire", but the track is really nothing more than a Britney knock-off of

. Providing a better showcase for her supple voice are the more openly romantic songs - "This One (Crying Like a Child)", the yearning "Simple and Clean", and the fugue-like "Sanctuary" presented rather pretentiously in two parts. Slick production values aside, the disc still doesn't capitalize on the powerful voice I heard eight years ago. Hopefully, Utada will have a chance to show it off without the need for the packaging presented here.

This is a great CD! Very well done for Utada's second english CD. I think I've listened to it over 100 times now and I still love it! Got it for a friend and she loves it too. If you're a fan, you're sure to love it. It was 200% better than I expected it to be and delivery was very speedy. You won't regret buying it!