AMIT Posted January 17 Posted January 17 2 minutes ago, Suilen said: An iconic song Not @AMIT serving homophobia. Tbh I forgot all about this track and could not be bothered to play it again for the rate considering it's from this... album. I played Taking My Money Back again and it was SO much worse than I originally thought that I got scared for the rest and gave this good sis a 1 just because. 1
Graves Posted January 17 Author Posted January 17 HIGHEST SCORE: 8.2 x 1 (scenekiller) LOWEST SCORE: 3.5 x 1 (Meloetta Carey) MY SCORE: 6 Yeah, your fave might have two songs of the same name, but do they have two songs of the same name in different languages? Unless they're Shakira, I doubt it! Hatsukoi, meaning 'First Love', from the album Hatsukoi, meaning 'First Love' - not to be confused with First Love from the album First Love. Released in May 2018. It's the title track, the fifth single, and a tie-in song for... a couple of different things. Hold on, let's see here... Used as a theme song for the drama Hana Nochi Hare ~Hanadan Next Season~, the same show that she'd given Flavor of Life as a theme ten years prior. It was later used in 2022, alongside First Love, for the drama ...First Love. Huh. This song is nice. It's nice, you know? Like... pleasant. Um. I dunno. I'll be honest here, reading about it's use as theme song akin to First Love and Flavor of Life makes a lot of sense to me. In that they're all hella bland. Sorry. The more I researched this song, the less I liked it. Hikaru has written some brilliant musings on love during their career, but this ain't one of 'em. This is probably better than the other songs I mentioned above, but not by much. At least I like the "I need you" parts... they're pretty. I also might be a little pressed that this got a nicer video than Anata... The only comment I got was this panning from Curaga: "Not my fav melody, but not bad. Super repetitive theme — I was annoyed by the end."
AMIT Posted January 17 Posted January 17 Yeah the "I need you'' chants are pretty, but other than that it's mid just like the original First Love. 1
Suilen Posted January 17 Posted January 17 4 minutes ago, AMIT said: Tbh I forgot all about this track and could not be bothered to play it again for the rate considering it's from this... album. I played Taking My Money Back again and it was SO much worse than I originally thought that I got scared for the rest and gave this good sis a 1 just because. Welp Regarding the song, Utada beautiful, Hatsu: koi 1
Graves Posted January 17 Author Posted January 17 What a day! @AMIT next door passed away! HIGHEST SCORE: 10 x 1 (AMIT) LOWEST SCORE: 1 x 1 (Hey Dude) MY SCORE: 5 Another Timbaland production... and I have to be honest here, he didn't do that bad on this one. Dare I say, the production is probably doing a lot of the heavy lifting for this track. Apparently this song was written on the spot? Hm. I'd believe it. Could've done with a revision or ten. I'm usually a fan of Hikki's quirky lyricism. For instance, I can forgive some of Easy Breezy's sins because of the bouncy & silly feel that the track has, but this is trying to be smooth and sexy... and those lyrics are anything but! My neighbor is DEAD. I don't want to wait another day. I want sex NOW! Click here to see my まんこ! Out of all of the tracks on Exodus, this one feels like it would most easily slot into place on the This Is The One. That was not a complement. A conversation starter, this one! Curaga pans the opening but has hope yet: "That first verse 💀 But this melody/chorus has potential." AMIT takes solace in the groove: "Timbs came through, which is not surprising since he was on fire throughout this whole decade basically." Ewan Chaos stans a cold open: "Cmon she's a lyrical genius for this song, at the very least for the opening line!" bestfiction is another admirer: "I still can’t wrap my head around the fact that she went from “young boy passed away” to “can we start mixing gene pools”. It takes a lyrical genius to pull this off if you ask me!" 3
Ewan Chaos Posted January 17 Posted January 17 1 minute ago, Subomie said: My neighbor is DEAD. I don't want to wait another day. I want sex NOW! Click here to see my まんこ! You're a menace 1
Graves Posted January 17 Author Posted January 17 Some fun facts! 1. Three albums are currently untouched - Deep River, Ultra Blue & Fantome. One of them is losing a track next. 2. The next track was also released as a single.
AMIT Posted January 17 Posted January 17 Listen this is messy but I'm convinced the label had her take on a freaky demeanor for this album so they could market it close to an Orientalist vibe, I know it's so messy but tell me it does not make sense considering what we got. 2
AMIT Posted January 17 Posted January 17 2 minutes ago, Subomie said: Some fun facts! 1. Three albums are currently untouched - Deep River, Ultra Blue & Fantome. One of them is losing a track next. 2. The next track was also released as a single. I know which specific album and even which specific song I want this to be about, but lemme wait and see.
poki Posted January 17 Posted January 17 I can't believe Hikaru's DAD worked on this album and heard these lyrics 5
Curaga Posted January 17 Posted January 17 (edited) Taking a moment to appreciate the alternate cover for Exodus that doesn’t feature an ungodly amount of contrast Edited January 17 by Curaga 4
Graves Posted January 17 Author Posted January 17 2 minutes ago, Hey Dude said: I can't believe Hikaru's DAD worked on this album and heard these lyrics Teruzane Utada outside the recording booth: 2
Graves Posted January 17 Author Posted January 17 4 minutes ago, AMIT said: I know which specific album and even which specific song I want this to be about, but lemme wait and see. 1 minute ago, Suilen said: Well I hope that my 1 comes through. You witches will have to wait another day for that sabotage to come through! HIGHEST SCORE: 10 x 1 (scenekiller) LOWEST SCORE: 3 x 2 (bestfiction, Reverie) MY SCORE: 7.5 Dareka no Negai ga Kanau Koro, literally meaning 'When Someone's Wish Comes True'. This ULTRA BLUE track actually predates the record by over two years. Released in April 2004 as a single to accompany the Kazuaki Kiriya directed superhero film 'Casshern', Hikaru supposedly wrote the song based on an early draft of the script. Not entirely dissimilar to how they would go on to write Sanctuary / Passion for Kingdom Hearts 2. Now I've never seen Casshern, but wiki tells me that it's an adaption of the 1973 anime series of the same name. Neat. Considering Kiriya's involvement in Utada's career up to this point, directing great videos for her and being in charge of the stellar album cover imagery, it only made sense for the favor to be returned and for Hikaru to write a song for her husband's films. Of course, being a peak-era Utada single, this was another easy #1 for them. Not a monster-seller like some of the other hits, but a year end #14 position means that it was a big nonetheless. The video was also directed by Kiriya and, as expected, is another great visual. Black and white and really pretty, it has Hikaru playing the piano too, which I was surprised to learn that they also play the piano on the track itself! Neat x2. To be honest, this has always felt a little out of place on ULTRA BLUE to me. Maybe I'm biased in saying that, since I know it was originally included on a different project entirely, but the very pared back piano ballad style is a bit incongruous on this track listing. At least to these ears! I imagine that might be why it's crashed out so soon. Shame, as it's a nice, pleasant listen - I adore the opening vocalisations! - but it's also nothing I venture back to all that often. Mixed feelings on this! Curaga mildly uses: "Good, not my fav." AMIT also needs it to hit different: "I have to be in a certain mood for it, but when it clicks I find it enjoyable." Tea. 1
Suilen Posted January 17 Posted January 17 Well not what I expected but definitely not my favorite from UB either.
AMIT Posted January 17 Posted January 17 2 minutes ago, Curaga said: Taking a moment to appreciate the alternate cover for Exodus that doesn’t feature and ungodly amount of contrast Sooo good, I love it so much! My fave of hers along with Distance's. 1
AMIT Posted January 17 Posted January 17 I'm gonna say that there are definitely worse songs in still, but whatever.
Graves Posted January 17 Author Posted January 17 HIGHEST SCORE: 8 x 2 (nostalgic, Reverie) LOWEST SCORE: 3 x 1 (bestfiction) MY SCORE: 7 Starting from the beginning: Hayatochiri was born as the B-side to the Wait & See single in early 2000, but by the time the album rolled around a year later it might've seemed a little tired. (And also it was quite a dull track to begin with, so...). Utada's solution? Remix it and give it a pun title (Hayatochiri = Hayatochi-remix... get it?). Did it work? Well, this little remix managed to outlast one of the album tracks proper so I'mma give that a tentative yes! That little quirky piano is so cute, coming in over Hikki's cut-up vocals and giving the R&B ballad a new identity. Personally I tend to prefer this album when at it's most unhinged, but I still enjoy this track as a quaint closer to the album. Better this than another dull ballad, right? I graciously spared you guys from listening to the original on the playlist for the rate. You're welcome! Mx. Curaga spreads a little misinformation here: "Love the title of this one since it seems to be a play on 早とちり [hayatochiri] and doesn’t seem to actually be a remix. Dinky piano is weird, but not bad." You fool! Meanwhile, AMIT might be the only Hayatochiri truther in existence: "the original is better than the remix." And because good things come in pairs~ HIGHEST SCORE: 9 x 2 (AMIT, Cruel Summer) LOWEST SCORE: 3 x 1 (Curaga) MY SCORE: 5.5 Together on the tracklist, together on the chopping block Throughout their career, Utada has included many interludes on their albums. You'd have heard them all if you used the Spotify playlist I made, hehe. They're nice! They usually add a little spice to the album's soundscape, or at least make for a nice intro into the next track! Of all of these little interludes, the interlude on First Love, brilliantly titled: Interlude, was fortunate enough to be developed into a full song on the next album. A big honor, right? Kotoba ni Naranai Kimochi, or 'indescribable feelings', is... definitely a song that used to be an interlude. I'll say that much. Okay, nah, it's not that bad really. A pleasant listen for sure, with some fun production quirks to keep it from getting too tedious. It is repetitive in parts, though. It kinda blows that the least interesting interlude of their career was the one that got the full song treatment, though. And it does sound like it could've fit in towards the end of First Love too, for better or worse... Curaga throws shade on two girls at once, leaving me wigless: "Terrible instrumental. Kinda reminds me of Exodus." Only AMIT remains to fight in this song's corner, saying that "this one takes a bit to get going, but when it does it is absolutely worth the wait, great moody song." 1
AMIT Posted January 17 Posted January 17 Quote Mx. Curaga spreads a little misinformation here: "Love the title of this one since it seems to be a play on 早とちり [hayatochiri] and doesn’t seem to actually be a remix. Dinky piano is weird, but not bad." You fool! scrihming sad to see Distance taking two hits at once, but I get it. 1
Ewan Chaos Posted January 17 Posted January 17 I love Distance but. Yeah. Meh for these 2. At least they weren't stuck in the middle of the album with Endlessly or Drama, would have been WAY too long of a snooze. Ready for something juicy Unless it's something I stan then I'll be mad, but I doubt it's my 11........ 1
Curaga Posted January 17 Posted January 17 Sorry for my ignorance about the original Hayatochiri mix. I hope we can move past this but I’m pretty sure I have more damning comments coming 1 1
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