Biography
A 15-year-old Japanese girl appeared on stage for an audition with Toshiba-EMI. Her eyes were big, intelligent and expressive and she was slightly chubby-cheeked too. She may not be the most good looking Japanese girl who walked the earth or even close to being one, but she had been pre-determined to change Japan?s music scene forever. Her name is Utada Hikaru or fondly known as Hikki to her fans and friends. Born in Manhattan, New York on January 19, 1983 this talented young lady penned her first song at the age of 10. Perhaps her innate talent was inherited from her father Utada Skingg Teruzane a music producer who now works on her albums and her mother Keiko Fuji a retired enka singer. Playing both the piano and guitar reasonably well, she also attended vocal class during summer breaks in New York. By 12, she moved back to Japan and continued her studies at American Japanese International School (AJIS). Now, she commutes between the two countries, as she is a freshman at Columbia University, N.Y. Because Utada was born and bred in America but also raised occasionally in Japan, she is fed with both the eastern and western cultures. She is the Asian girl who reads Japanese literature listening to Pearl Jam or Metallica. Someone who hangs out at Time Square and Shibuya. It is because of this that Utada made a difference to the music industry in Asia. Utada released her Japanese debut First Love in 1999. It resulted a tidal wave in Japan and some major parts of Asia. It sold close to 10 million copies in Japan alone making it the best selling album in Japan?s history. Her second album Distance released on March 28, 2001 sold about 5 million copes in Japan and the rest of Asia on the first week of its release. These staggering sales figures may raise a doubt as quantity does not necessary mean quality. However, this time quantity is quality. At the audition, Utada who speaks and writes fluent English and Japanese (although the Japanese media critiqued her Japanese as being Americanized) impressed the producers and directors of Toshiba-EMI with her rendition of Sukiyaki. It was when she sang one of her own compositions that made the listeners fall off their chairs. Never has Japan been hit by someone so unique and superlative. Writing songs has become second nature to Utada. As her father-cum-producer was quote saying, I don't force her to write any song. In fact, I don?t force her to do anything she doesn?t want to do. But, once she has written a song and she seeks my advice, I would then offer her some assistance. Or else, it's her hard work. Popular for mixing R&B groove into her compositions, Utada concocted a special breed of music. She doesn't want to be a rubber stamped artist and rather have her music associated to her name than genres. Listing artists like Aretha Franklin, Miles Davis and Maxwell to Jimmy Hendrix and Blink 182 as her favorites, one can expect her compositions to derail from any fixed music category. Well, let's just call her music Utada Hikaru style.As much as Utada's songs are in Japanese, her composition style is quite exclusive. It's more about feel, soul and groove unlike most Japanese music, which concentrates on the melody and harmony. Nonetheless, her music career sparked off and is burning bright as her music is widely accepted by all. The singing, writing, arranging and producing Utada is not afraid to say what?s on her mind. Miyake Akira, the other producer of her albums said in an interview, With Hikki, it's not a normal producer / talent relationship where the producer is in full control. The talent merely follows instructions. Hikki is different. Since young, she is confident and bold and will tell you if she dislikes something. She is independent and has control of her music. This is not surprising for a straight-A student who skipped one grade during high school at AJIS for obtaning excellent academic results. Being the first Japanese artist to be chosen for the MTV Unplugged series in Japan, it proves that Utada's vocals is not to be dismissed as a common teenager with squeaky innocent pre-adolescent voice. She emanates soul, emotion and sultry huskiness that you don't usually find in someone as young as her or even those in their late 20s. She exudes so much charm during live performances that many artists lack and she is not the type who would dance to choreographed movements. Hikki is a natural performer. She sings and sways according to her sentiments.
Staying as remotely far as possible from being a pop tart and teen bopper, Utada is well known for her song writing skills and her aching emotive vocals. There is nothing so diva-ish about her because she is friendly, smiles and laughs a lot and is very much a normal person at heart. A serious worker, the focus has always been on her music and not her looks and image. Although, some diehard fans find this annoying as it is virtually impossible to find a poster of Utada on sale. Utada intends to cross over to the Western market. Her attempts to penetrate into America is seen when Jimmy Jam & Jerry Lewis produced two hits, Addicted To You and Wait & See for her. Later, Rodney Jerkins a.k.a Darkchild was pumping the beats on another song Time Limit. Recently, she paired up with gangsta-rapper Foxy Brown oozing soulful urban R&B on the English track Blow My Whistle produced by The Neptunes, which she co-wrote. It was featured on the Rush Hour 2 soundtrack. Obviously, Utada is fairly well equipped to break the east and west barrier and make it international. She speaks perfect English, can write her own songs, impressive soulful vocals, young and a freshman at Columbia University. N.Y. But the task is not easy. For starters, her name has to be switched around. ?Utada? being her family name will have to be put at the back. So it now reads Hikaru Utada. The ability to converse and write in English is not enough. To make it international, Utada cannot be another Asian singer who tries to be American. There were many fiascos when Asian artists bleached their hair blonde, dressed in ghetto outfits and still flopped flat on their face. Maybe the world is waiting for someone who has both the east and west identities. Someone who is a unique product of both cultures. Someone who would not pretend to originate either from Asia or America but a mixture of both. Someone by the name of Utada Hikaru or Hikaru Utada.
Profile
Date of Birth
Born in New York on January 19, 1983
The same birth date as Yuming, a colleague in the same company; writer/poet Edgar Allan Poe whom I fell in love with in junior-high school; Ogai Mori, a writer of Japan's literary history; and dear Mr. Udo Suzuki, another person Japan is proud of. Please let me know if anyone you know is born on the same date.
Height
158 cm
It's my height, honest. It hasn't changed since my debut. I wonder if that means my growth is totally over?
Blood Type
A Well! True born type!, 'cause both of my parents are A. It's a common type among Japanese, isn't it?
Hobbies
*Literature remains my eternal passion! I've been missing Japanese literature so much of late. I rushed into a bookstore which sells books in Japanese, and bought about 15 books in one swoop. I stay at home and have been grappling with the books like a hungry beast. *Buying furniture, collecting furniture and interior goods *Though I said I've been growing my hair long, I've had it cut. Ou, la, la. (Girls who had their hair short once would know this feeling?)
*Of course email is a tool indispensable for business and private life, but cruise the Net too. I learned about several sites from Toshiba EMI's engineer the other day. They are awesome -- quite interesting, Mesdames! I recommend first of all two of them, Modern Living and otogaiworld-. Visit them late at night, then they'll be further to the point.
Specialties
*To evade saying "I suppose it's OK"*To puzzle others*Independent action of my left little finger*Basketball*Cleaning. Really, I have confidence at it. I get strangely obsessed about the cleanliness of my house. If I suddenly disappear from the music world, you might see Hikaru Utada working as a helper at some inn in Atami.
Favorite Movies
Shawshank Redemption, Meet Joe Black, Godfather Part 2 (I like Robert De Niro), Good Will Hunting, Baghdad Cafe, The Jerk, Unbreakable, Orlando, Amadeus, Sleepy Hollow
Favorite Writers
Kenji Nakagami, "Izoku," "Kishuben"; Ryunosuke Akutagawa, "Rashomon," "Kappa"; Yasunari Kawabata,"Kanjo Soshoku," "Yukiguni"; Ogai Mori, "Takasebune"; Soseki Natsume "Kokoro"; Kenji Miyazawa (poetry); Yukio Mishima"Kinkakuji"; Ryotaro Shiba "Sekigahara"; Hermann Hesse. Read "Siddhartha" and "Happiness" and "Steppenwolf" as finale, and then you'll be fully satisfied! (I recommend the translation by Kenji Takahashi) Roald Dahl, "Tales of the Unexpected"; Shel Silverstein, "Where the Sidewalk Ends," "A Light in the Attic"; Edgar Allan Poe; Elie Wiesel, "Night"; John Berendt, "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil"; F. Scott Fitzgerald, "The Great Gatsby.
Favorite Artists
I have many many more favorite artists than listed below. I have too many, in fact, and they are constantly increasing. Anyhow, here are some. Freddie Mercury (Queen), Yutaka Ozaki, Bjork, Janet Jackson, Minnie Riperton, Slash (Guns 'n' Roses), Joe, Lauryn Hill, Maxwell, Craig David, Garbage, No Doubt, GLAY, Guru, Enigma, Blink182, Miles Davis, Mozart, Blue Man Group, At the Drive-in, Erykah Badu, Jimi Hendrix, Bela Bartok, Edith Piaf.
Places I Want to Go
Italy, Mexico, Machu Picchu, Sahara Desert, my ancestral home in Yamaguchi Pref. (I've never visited before, and would like to visit as soon as I can.)
Things Hooked on Recently
*Hoop-shaped pierced earrings (again) and accessories with silver and gold mixed, though I used to focus on silver only before (does that mean that I've grown a bit?) *Stimulant seasonings such as tabasco, sesame oil with chili peppers, vinegar and wasabi. *I'm into long baths lately. Throughout the world, whether at home in New York, in Japan or in a hotel in Europe, I'm indebted to Japan's famous hot spring bath powder from Tsumura. My father said he likes it, too. Don't you think I have fairly composed daily schedule, though my looks may be quite far out. *It's a fairly recent thing but I've become very fond of making drinks myself. I bought an espresso maker and coffee maker and make them myself every day. I also discovered a cute teacup set at DKNY and I make Japanese tea often and drink it. I squeeze oranges every morning to make juice. Are these things so common that everybody does them? For me who doesn't cook, it's great progress!
My Favorite Words
kinomi kinomama (with only the clothes one happens to be wearing); shogyo mujo (All things are in flux and nothing is permanent); charappoko (no sweat); gakeppuchi (cliff edge); ikkaku senkinn (quick money, fortune at a stroke) (laugh); February; maybe; love; "Most people are as happy as they make up their minds to be" -? "Instead of tug o'war, let's play hug o' war" -
Shel silverstein; "Turn a negative into a posititve picture" - Lauryn Hill
First Love Lyrics
In your final kiss I could taste the flavor of tobaco It was a bitter and painful smell At about this time tomorrow I wonder where you'll be I wonder who you'll be thinking of You are always gonna be my love Even if someday, you fall in love with someone else I'll remember to love You taught me how You are always gonna be the one For now, it's still a sad love song Until I can sing a new one When I stop moving I try to move on It's nothing but things I don't want to forget At about this time tomorrow I'm sure I'll be crying And I'll probably be thinking of you You will always be inside my heart Because it's a place that will forever be yours alone I hope that I have a place in your heart too Now and forever you are still the one For now, it's still a sad love song Until I can sing a new one You are always gonna be my love Even if someday, you fall in love with someone else I'll remember to love You taught me how You are always gonna be the one For now, it's still a sad love song Until I can sing a new one Now & forever.
Promise
Promise me Promise me Promise me Promise me That your love will never change Don't start actin' strange People can make commitments they can't keep But we know we aren't that cheap Can you promise me That you won't ever never ever Make me weep Why can't you feel the way I do Love and cherish me I will be there for you If you'll be here for me And I will do all I can To be your everything Please don't say maybe Just make me your baby Promise me Promise me That your love will never change Don't start actin' strange
Promise me Promise me That your love will never change My love's not a game Your love is there for sure As the sky above But I can't afford to lose This love This special love Why don't you say that it's true Say you'll always be there for me For me I will be there for you If you'll be here for me And I will do all I can To be your everything Please don't say maybe Just make me your baby Let me know from your heart This love of ours is special You're the one I'm waiting for Tell me you want me I've been true from the start But I can't wait forever Promise me Promise me Promise me your love Promise me Promise me That your love will never change Don't you start actin' strange Promise me Promise me That your love will never change My love's not a game Just holdin' your hand Seein' your smile I can't live without you
