%20Def%20Jam%20pimp%20a%20ho.jpg "Hikaru Utada gets pimped by Def Jam | Utada: The best")
Alongside Hikaru's awesome Single collection vol. 2, a collection of her 2 Def Jam releases will hit retail on the very same day: Utada: The best. The title is all kinds of misleading and we all know which of the compilations is the one worth bothering with, but whatever.
Everything about this release seems so half arsed, rush, budget and also pointless. They took the image from her "Exodus '04" single cover, desaturated it and ruined it with nasty font. The lack of care and consideration concerning this release is glaring. So much so that Hikaru took to Twitter to put Def Jam on blast and explain how she is not happy about the release what-so-ever. Rightly so. The compilation sucks. Def Jam could have fit both Exodus and This is the one on one disc! But by releasing it at the same time as her Single collection vol. 2, it's bound to sell moderately well. I won't be buying it. But I'm sure some stans will, just to say they have, and protest that they love a bitch more than everybody else who claim to be fans.
"Simple and clean" not featuring amongst the tracklist is just a damn shame. The one song which got her recognition and notice in the West is not even included - yet somebody claims this shit is the best of Utada!? I'm sat here kissing my teeth at this mess.
I'm sure Def Jam will probably drop Hikaru after this releases. I doubt she'll care. I wonder why they bothered signing her in the first place when they weren't going to make any effort with her. Exodus and This is the one were far from perfect and weren't a patch on her Japanese language albums, but they featured some great songs and potential smash singles.
- Come back to me
- Easy breezy
- Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence - FYI
- You make me want to be a man
- This one (Crying like a child)
- Exodus '04
- Apple and cinnamon
- Automatic (Part II)
- Devil inside
- Kremlin dusk
- Sanctuary (Opening)
- Sanctuary (Ending)
- Exodus '04 (JJ Flores double J radio mix)
- Devil inside (RJD2 remix)
- Come back to me (Tony Moran & Warren Rigg radio edit)
- Dirty desire (Mike Rizzo radio edit)
Everything about this release seems so half arsed, rush, budget and also pointless. They took the image from her "Exodus '04" single cover, desaturated it and ruined it with nasty font. The lack of care and consideration concerning this release is glaring. So much so that Hikaru took to Twitter to put Def Jam on blast and explain how she is not happy about the release what-so-ever. Rightly so. The compilation sucks. Def Jam could have fit both Exodus and This is the one on one disc! But by releasing it at the same time as her Single collection vol. 2, it's bound to sell moderately well. I won't be buying it. But I'm sure some stans will, just to say they have, and protest that they love a bitch more than everybody else who claim to be fans.
"Simple and clean" not featuring amongst the tracklist is just a damn shame. The one song which got her recognition and notice in the West is not even included - yet somebody claims this shit is the best of Utada!? I'm sat here kissing my teeth at this mess.
I'm sure Def Jam will probably drop Hikaru after this releases. I doubt she'll care. I wonder why they bothered signing her in the first place when they weren't going to make any effort with her. Exodus and This is the one were far from perfect and weren't a patch on her Japanese language albums, but they featured some great songs and potential smash singles.
I was surprised by the announcement, but at the same time I guess it wraps everything up before she goes on hiatus. It's a shame Utada had no part in it though, as I'm sure she would've put some her of love into it if she had a part in the making of it.
ReplyDeleteThe exclusion of Simple and Clean does hurt the tracklist considerably (could've easily replaced one of the Sanctuary versions) but I actually like the rest of it. I do think it covers her best hits from her English albums, and the first 2 remixes included are amoungst my favourites from hers.
Also, as lazy as the cover art is, I also do like it. Yet again I love the photoshoots she did for Exodus (US and UK), they contain some of my favourite pics of her.
I'm pretty sure Def Jam isn't releasing this, but EMI. It's only scheduled to be released in Japan, not America.
ReplyDeleteMatthew said...
ReplyDeleteI'm pretty sure Def Jam isn't releasing this, but EMI. It's only scheduled to be released in Japan, not America.
Yeah I think that's correct. I've read the same. These kinds of releases happen all the time though.
I don't know, i don't think EMI would wanna piss her off like that, at this point Def Jam hasve no reason to keep her sweet.
ReplyDeleteThe could have at least got a hot cover...
She does say in her blog or tweet that it is Universal Japan putting out the thing. I can understand how she feels but this is a business and they have the right to release an artist material how they see fit.
ReplyDelete