Quote:
|
Originally Posted by divarication
i don't keep up with pop/rap/r&b styles of music much anymore. does kiley dean fall into that category? if so.....*shudder*...my mental image of utada just fell a few notches.
now playing: Evanescence - Whisper
|
I've completely abandoned rap/pop/rock stateside as well (except for the classics) so I can't say I've heard anything beyond what snippets I've seen from her official site (kileydean.com).
The song I heard 'Make me a song' reminds me of Aaliayah... Aaliyah... ? Forgive me, I was never a huge fan of hers, and she sounds R&Bish. Well, given that Timbaland is a hip-hop producer... :lol: Anyway, the lyrics are laughable.
I'm on a mission/Sun is out/My skin is glistenin/Got my jeans on/Tank top, chillin/With my girlfriends/Looking fabulous/My tan is just amazin/Turn it up/That song is blazin
Her voice sounds like Aaliyah's as well to me. Which translates to typical R&B voice. :lol: Sorry if I sound harsh, but since I don't listen to much R&B - er mainstream R&B - they all sound alike. And the only reason I'm using Aaliyah is because she mentioned her in the song and steals the whole 'Rock the Boat' melody/tune/lyrics/ect.
I actually like Timbaland's stuff, (but this song... *shudder*) along with Missy. They're the only rappers I'll give my ears the time of day. Three of Utada's songs are going to be produced by Timbaland. Anyway, American Utada is not going to sound like Japanese Utada. Her 'sound' was called 'hardcore dance' I think... whatever that is. My friend said its basically dance with a stronger bass beat, which just translates into rap beats for me. :lol:
Here's an article I stole from the Hikki forums
-snip-
As Japan's biggest pop star- who is also just a normal student in Manhattan- Utada Hikaru has the best of both worlds. But for how much longer?
By Jeffrey Rotter
Nylon Magazine; June/July 2004
The woman in this picture led a double life. In New York City, her hometown, she's a Tolstoy fan who just took a leave of absence from Columbia University. She's unassuming, even a bit bookish. She shops at Gap. But in Japan she's got more fans than Yugi Oh. She sells out stadiums, and she did an MTV Unplugged.
Her name is Utada Hikaru, and she's one of Japan's biggest pop stars. Hikaru's debut album, First Love, sold about 10 million copies. A recent deal with Island Def Jam may put an end to her stateside anonymity. The singer-songwriter's first big US effort has a lot going for it. For one thing, Hikaru has reenergized her sound- gone is the precious pop of her Japanese releases, replaced by aggressive beats and an air of dance-floor sexuality that's strung with sonic gewgaws. For another thing, she called a Top-40 expert for a few of the tunes. Ten days in Miami with the can't-miss producer Timbaland resulted in three of the funkiest numbers on the record. "The whole time, I couldn't believe I was working with him," she says, obviously a bit star struck. "He said, 'You know, Utada, you're pretty dope.' I said, 'Thanks. You're pretty dope, too.'"
But the singer's trump card is her Japanese-American identity- a singular perspective in pop music. In "The Workout," Hikaru sings, "I was dancing with a dirty blond Texan/I showed him how people in the Far East get down." She's well aware of her transcultural allure, and she works it. "Yeah, well, it's so fun to!" She says, "It's natural, because it's a big part of what I think about in my daily life. And it's something I can really take advantage of. It's a bit of a reaction- sometimes with their second album, people write songs about how they're famous but they haven't changed. But I already have this position that I can react to: I am Japanese, and it's really fun to be Japanese right now. I flip through the channels and I see all the old animes that I use to watch when I was really small- and I think, 'They're playing this in the US?'"
The singer has an excellent pop pedigree. Her mom, Keiko Fuji, was one of Japan's most beloved singers in the 1970s. Her father, producer Teruzane Utada, gives her guidance in the studio and manages Hikaru's career.
By any measure, Utada has it good. She can enjoy Xtina-scale adulation in Japan, but back home in Manhattan she can live like a normal twenty-something. So, why would she ever want to raise her profile on these shores? "My mom has actually asked me, 'What are you going to do if you do get famous here?'" She says, "Part of me is like: 'Yeah, right.' Then part of me is like: 'What if I do get famous?! I can't just walk into a deli at night wearing my pajamas!'"
Still, Utada insists that American provides a kinder climate for fame. "I feel a bit freer here," she says. "Japan is the kind of place where if you get caught with weed, your records get taken off the shelves. I feel like there's a bit more room to find your own position here." And if American fame starts to drive her crazy? "I can go to Fiji or someplace.
-end snip -
I'm a bit weary now of her release, but I'll still buy, if not for the novelty. :lol: My main question right now is this - Will she turn into the American stereotypical slut image?