Mass wig snatching in 2014. Hikaru Utada to celebrate the 15th anniversary of First love with a re-release and unreleased material.
To celebrate the 15th anniversary of Asia's best selling album of all time - Hikaru Utada's First love - a special anniversary re-master of the aforementioned album will be released on March 10, 2014. The re-release will be available in a standard and deluxe edition, which should be re-named basic and money edition and you'll soon find out why.
The basic edition will come with a CD of the album itself, re-mastered by Grammy award winning chief mastering engineer Ted Jensen of Sterling sound - who also mastered Hikaru's fifth Japanese studio album Heart station. The basic edition will also come packed with a DVD featuring footage of Hikaru's 1999 LUV LIVE concert in Tokyo.
Fans who have been pining for something new from Hikaru will want to cop the money edition, because it comes with 2 additional discs: One featuring karaoke / instrumental versions of select songs from the album and another featuring previously unreleased material and all of Hikaru's B-sides from her First love era. The money edition does not stop there. It will also come with a hardback book featuring previously unreleased photos, handwritten lyrics and little personalized treats and trinkets. The money edition will be limited to just 10,000 copies. This is 5,000 more than was originally planned, due to almost all 5,000 copies of the money edition being snatched up as pre-orders the second it was made available. If you want the money edition and you live outside of Japan, you need to either start wishing on stars, sacrifice an animal and do a ceremonial dance in black robes or be prepared to pay extortionate prices on eBay.
In terms of promoting this re-release, nothing has been said by Hikaru or her blabber mouth father Teruzayin' Too-much Utada. I'm not expecting Hikaru to do any kind of promo for this album what-so-ever. She will tweet about it and Instagram a picture of Kuma the bear with a copy of the money edition, which is about as much promo as we will get from her. I will be starting a prayer circle this Sunday if you would like to join and put your hands together for Hikaru doing a one off gig with the Japanese philharmonic orchestra for a live orchestrated rendition of "Automatic" and "First love", along with a special first ever performance of "Sakura nagashi". I would die if such a thing happened, in which case I would want one of you to send me the money edition of First love to my next of kin so that I could be buried with it.
Hikaru has marked her date. Any act other than AKB48 or Morning musume will push their release back if they know what's good for them. If Ayu had any plan to release anything in March, then she needs to change that release date to TBC until Hikaru is out of the charts. Even Namie wouldn't dare touch a week when Hikaru Utada is dropping something. She knows Hikaru's chart game is adamantium.
First love is the only Hikaru Utada album which I do not own, so I will be picking up this anniversary edition for sure. I love Hikaru Utada more than members of my own family. But I can't be making myself broke and fucking up my credit for the money edition, so I'll be about the basic edition.
Album reviews: Deep river | Ultra blue | Heart station | Exodus | This is the one
The basic edition will come with a CD of the album itself, re-mastered by Grammy award winning chief mastering engineer Ted Jensen of Sterling sound - who also mastered Hikaru's fifth Japanese studio album Heart station. The basic edition will also come packed with a DVD featuring footage of Hikaru's 1999 LUV LIVE concert in Tokyo.
Fans who have been pining for something new from Hikaru will want to cop the money edition, because it comes with 2 additional discs: One featuring karaoke / instrumental versions of select songs from the album and another featuring previously unreleased material and all of Hikaru's B-sides from her First love era. The money edition does not stop there. It will also come with a hardback book featuring previously unreleased photos, handwritten lyrics and little personalized treats and trinkets. The money edition will be limited to just 10,000 copies. This is 5,000 more than was originally planned, due to almost all 5,000 copies of the money edition being snatched up as pre-orders the second it was made available. If you want the money edition and you live outside of Japan, you need to either start wishing on stars, sacrifice an animal and do a ceremonial dance in black robes or be prepared to pay extortionate prices on eBay.
In terms of promoting this re-release, nothing has been said by Hikaru or her blabber mouth father Teruzayin' Too-much Utada. I'm not expecting Hikaru to do any kind of promo for this album what-so-ever. She will tweet about it and Instagram a picture of Kuma the bear with a copy of the money edition, which is about as much promo as we will get from her. I will be starting a prayer circle this Sunday if you would like to join and put your hands together for Hikaru doing a one off gig with the Japanese philharmonic orchestra for a live orchestrated rendition of "Automatic" and "First love", along with a special first ever performance of "Sakura nagashi". I would die if such a thing happened, in which case I would want one of you to send me the money edition of First love to my next of kin so that I could be buried with it.
Hikaru has marked her date. Any act other than AKB48 or Morning musume will push their release back if they know what's good for them. If Ayu had any plan to release anything in March, then she needs to change that release date to TBC until Hikaru is out of the charts. Even Namie wouldn't dare touch a week when Hikaru Utada is dropping something. She knows Hikaru's chart game is adamantium.
First love is the only Hikaru Utada album which I do not own, so I will be picking up this anniversary edition for sure. I love Hikaru Utada more than members of my own family. But I can't be making myself broke and fucking up my credit for the money edition, so I'll be about the basic edition.
Album reviews: Deep river | Ultra blue | Heart station | Exodus | This is the one
"Hikaru has marked her date. Any act other than AKB48 or Morning musume will push their release back if they know what's good for them. If Ayu had any plan to release anything in March, then she needs to change that release date to TBC until Hikaru is out of the charts. Even Namie wouldn't dare touch a week when Hikaru Utada is dropping something. She knows Hikaru's chart game is adamantium."
ReplyDeleteTHE SHADE!! THE MOTHERLOVING SHADE!! I do love me some Hikki tough, so I will definitely be crying myself to sleep wanting this album (but copping a download when it pops up on two seconds before it's officially released on JpopSuki). I will laugh if there are all of two releases in all of March because every nigga in the game is scared of how bad their release will get raped on the charts. You know Ayu will be keeping that annual album she drops out of her ass under her bed till September; homegirl has already been bitchslapped on the charts by BENI, Namie, *and* Kumi; Lord knows she don't need her to slapped by the true kween.
"I love Hikaru Utada more than members of my own family." Absolute truth. I would not give a dollar to my broke-ass cousin, but if Utada wanted to drop four minutes of silence on me? Let's go.
ReplyDeleteHer First Love era is my second favorite, so I am all about this life. Now, if only I could figure out what to sacrifice to get my hands on that money edition...
I'm not particularly too fond of her old(er) stuff but I do think this re-release would be a good way to slowly get back in touch with the general public.
ReplyDeleteMaybe do one little appearance afterwards and drop a line or two in a small interview and then bit by bit head up to release the next album sometime in late 2014....After having put out a "Flavor of Life" 2.0 type of single before, that is.
And for the very first time Pamyu has the sympathy of any room instead of the shame.
ReplyDeleteOld Material, Don't Care.
ReplyDeleteEven if it is Utada.
Hopefully her mother helps her. Wonder if that had anything to do with this release.
I love this album :'( How much is the money edition??
ReplyDeleteIt's like 320 bucks. GOT DAMN.
ReplyDeleteI love Utada, but this release stinks of Slavex.
ReplyDeleteOkay totally not buying it LOL
ReplyDeleteLOL right there with you. I love Utada, but there's no way in hell I'm spending 300$ unless I get to meet the bitch.
ReplyDeleteUtada knows she's wrong for this. Japan won't buy Ayu's shit at 200 yen, but Utada releases 15 year old material at literally like 200 times the price and it sells out instantly. I'm convinced that Dimesion Point is actually a secret mission by Avex to destroy Ayu and rid themselves of her for good. Namie and Utada are currently sat at Namie's office at Avex's headquarters contemplating ways to destroy her further, while Kuu waits on them and pours their glasses of wine while thinking she's in on the plan.
ReplyDeleteOh how much I want this to be true...
ReplyDeleteThere's something fishy going on... Anyways, this shit better sell well because if it does poorly by her standards AND after being in a hiatus for a while... It'd be sad. No one's safe from declining though, unless you're from the 48/46/Arashi family. I secretly wish for Arashi, B'z or AKB48 to release something in the same day/week to see if Utada is still relevant enought (we know she's more relevant than Ayu or BoA for the matter, and she's only twitting) but going 'head to head' with the top dawgs in the japanese industry should be something *entertaining* to watch.
ReplyDeleteAt least Kumi might release her new album by early February... Or just cancel it.
No new material and she's been on hiatus for like 3 years. The limited edition will be sold out but I don't expect the normal edition to sell a lot of copies.
ReplyDeleteWell the basic edition comes with never before released concert footage. Also, I highly doubt the younger generation is as familiar with this album, so maybe they will pick it up as well in addition to hardcore fans.
ReplyDeleteAt the current exchange rate it's like $160
ReplyDeleteYeah, I was looking at Amazon prices.
ReplyDeleteI looked at this video and noticed KAT-TUN was in the back. Kazuya Kamenashi looked checked the fuck out (wouldn't look up from the floor? Was he meditating?), while the other members looked like they couldn't wait for the interview to be over, but were at least more engaged (in hopes of it being over) every now and then. Too funny. Everyone in that room tried very hard to be "fascinated," lol.
ReplyDeleteI can't stand the music video but the live makes it tolerable for some odd reason. I had a feeling Perfume was going to have a shitty song eventually.
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting... I didn't like Sweet Refrain when I first heat it either... but as with the reviewer, I got sucked in... and now really like the song... and cannot get it out of my mind either... power of three young girls... and odd visuals of their PV...
ReplyDelete"If you want the money edition and you live outside of Japan, you need to either start wishing on stars, sacrifice an animal and do a ceremonial dance in black robes or be prepared to pay extortionate prices on eBay."
ReplyDeleteLOL I can't get over how funny you are, don't ever stop blogging!