Utada Hikaru Album: “Exodus”

"Exodus", the first English langauge album from Utada, is quite the work. It's much different from the Utada Hikaru that everyone is used to, but everything on the album is great, just in a different way than her older music.

Obviously, first, the songs are quite different from her Japanese music - more hip hop than her "First Love" style R&B. But each song is interesting in its musicality - songs like "Hotel Lobby" and "You Make Me Want to Be A Man" (which, by the way, probably has nothing to do with what you're thinking!) have catchy Asian beats that accent the song perfectly. "Exodus '04" is a natural standout musically as well, with production from hip hop giant Timbaland.

The lyrics are also something new - and even shocking for some old fans. Utada mentioning "sex" in any form is a new thing for the most part. But the album in no way suffers from her references to sexuality. All of her songs feature a new story: "Tippy Toe" (which feels unfriendly at first but catches on to you very quickly) is about what it is like to be the "other woman" in an illict relationship, while the aforementioned "Hotel Lobby" is about a woman who sells herself. Again, "Exodus '04" is another standout lyrically, seeming to be the most personal to Utada as she discusses the journey she made to America from the Japanese music scene.

I can't forget to mention "Kremlin Dusk", however, which could easily be called the best track on the album - but I'll leave this song a surprise.

The most important thing to note about this album is that it is different from everything that is out there right now. Utada is light years ahead of the popular songstresses of today, not because her voice is any better or worse, but because of her passion for songwriting and her zeal for doing things herself (even producing all of the non-Timbaland tracks). She is an amazing musician, and should be given nothing but praise for this daring album.

Overall, a very worthy buy, whether you're a fan of Utada Hikaru, a fan of hip hop music, or just a fan of good, interesting music in general. Pick up Exodus right now!

This album pushes the envelope to produce a unique, refreshing sound that sets it apart from all the pop music out there. The melodies are memorable, and the productions are complex. Don't expect Utada Hikaru. This music is another genre of itself. Animato is the perfect song to explain this album, as well as the most artistic and thoughtful. It's like if Bjork decided to release a pop album. It's a definate must buy!

Many of these reviews putting the album down have been comparing Hikaru Utada to other artists, whether they be Japanese or American. What you need to do is look at this album for its own merits. And it does have merits. There are some songs with real effort and meaning put into them, such as "Exodus '04," and "Kremlin Dusk." These are the kind of songs that make you cry, that make you feel. Then there's something new, and a little different: songs of Utada's that make you feel like dancing or smiling. "Easy Breezy" is catchy and fun, it may not have a lot to do with deep feeling, but it's still a good song in the respect that it is only trying to be what it is. This album is very different, but it deserves a chance and it definitely deserves more than a passoff.

For one thing I don't see how people can say that her lyrics are bad, even in her Japanese music. I've always thought her Japanese lyrics are beautiful, touching, and even haunting. Very poetic. Things like "aoi sora ga mieru nara aoi kasa hirogete" (the blue sky can be seen if you open your blue umbrella)? How are those bad lyrics...?? I seriously don't know of any bad Japanese lyrics. And have YOU ever tried to write a song in English? It's sooooooo much easier in Japanese. You can still mean a lot by saying something with a lot more or a lot less syllables. It fits to music more readily than English. Just consider Utada... Her English lyrics have never been amazing, but they've never been that bad. I really wish she had done some covers on this album... It would have made the transition easier. But as it stands, as far as I can tell, she was pretty much hurtled into this release. So I guess... give her a break, because she deserves it. She's earned it.

I really think the only reason you'd think this album is bad is either you just don't like the genre (which is pretty much club and dance) or if you were expecting something different from Utada. I know I was. I was hoping for something more intimate and open, something warmer and closer, you know? Like the version of "Loving You" she sang with just the acoustic guitar. The only thing that came close was "About Me." Indeed the huge change to the more cold sound sent me reeling for a while. But I still thought Devil Inside and even Easy Breezy were good songs.

I figure the coldness is sort of trying to protect her from failure as a crossover. As for the bad lyrics such as "You're easy breezy, and I'm Japanesey," they're pretty bubblegum pop, but think about the audience she's trying to captivate here. *Raises eyebrow* Americans. American teens most likely. So, hey, it may not be deep, but it's clever and it's the kind of thing that sticks in your head.

And the other thing that disturbs me is people who say her voice is so average. Ok, I'll admit, she doesn't have the vocal strength of an opera singer, but she has a warm, raw, intimate quality to her voice and a lot of personality and emotion can leak through with that kind of voice. Have you heard "Dareka no Negai"? It's chilling...! Or "Final Distance" or "Colors" or "Hikari"??? Maybe Utada doesn't have the vocal range of eight octaves or something, but she has something more... that not everyone sees or cares to see. I don't think she's just another J-Pop artist. Sure, it's not perfect, but I'd rather hear the real Utada than a synthesized, layered, fake but perfect version of Utada.

And we know Utada can write great, catchy songs. Remember "Simple and Clean" from the video game Kingdom Hearts? Some people played the game just to find out what that song was. I bought the game because of that song!

I think Utada just needs time to get used to writing her songs in English. I almost wish she'd make a double release with songs in Japanese and English... because I know that it's easier for ME to write songs in Japanese as apposed to English... and I'm not even Japanese.

Exodus has a new and different sound that we're not used to; It's raw, it's unpolished, but if we give it time, Utada will wow us as she always has. She has the talent, but does she have the motivation? Gambare, Hikki!

I got this cd on the heels of its release(Can you tell I'm a fan of this girl?). I've been quite the follower of Utada I love her music mostly because it's foreign, mind you I don't know a drop of Japanese. Her voice and how it marries the melody captivated me. Now with the release of Exodus, all theose feelings towards this girl has not changed. That is not a bad thing, I somehow, had a feeling that her lyrics were light hearted and cute when sung in Japanese, now its the same in English. Now as much as I hope people would have an open mind to her lyrics, not many will consider "You're easy breezy, and I'm Japanesey" a serious phrase, believe me, I was a little wierded out by that too. But if you take the time to listen to tracks like "Exodus '04" (which was produced in conjunction with Timbaland), "Kremlin Dusk" and even the light hearted "Easy Breezy", you'll know that this girl is solid.

Check out her earlier work, especially "First Love" thats the album that made her the best selling Japaese artist of all time. Find out why. And those keen enough will note that the song "Emotional" by R&B artist Carl Thomas borrows a sample melody from one of Utadas' songs ("Never Let Go"). Some one obviousley noticed.

Well you get the drift of my review, so get on with it and buy her CD.

Every single bad review you see below all come from old Hikki fans but what they don't realize is that she's Utada now. Sure she's relying heavily on her original American fan base but again understand that Japan and the United States are two totally different ball parks.

I think my mom put it best while I played "Exodus" during a car ride, "The music is really good but Americans won't like this because they only like trash music." Now if you're me you got a good kick out of your mom saying this but it's sad that it's kind of true. However, I'm positive that's there's millions of people out there who are sick of the same generic pop and hiphop songs. For those people Utada provides us with "Exodus". Her album brings English/American music with a fresh new taste of blends of everything, there's no words to use to really to describe "Exodus". But don't be fooled by her first two singles, "Easy Breezy" and "Devil Inside", to me those two tracks are possibly the weakest tracks on the album.

Utada says goodbye to her roots and foundation in Japan on track #3, "Exodus 04'", which was co-produced by Timbaland and to me the strongest track on the album. Utada's only twenty-one we can't expect her to sing the same songs as she did in her debut eight million selling album, "First Love", when she was only sixteen. I dare everyone out there to take a risk and try Utada out and I promise you that you won't be disappointed, not the best album but defintley worth checking out.

If you don't buy the album at least buy these tracks off i-tunes:

#3, Exodus 04'

#4, The Workout

#7, Hotel Lobby

#10, Kremlin

#14, About Me