Hikaru Utada to release re-mastered versions of Exodus and This Is the One on vinyl on 24th June

Somebody grab the fireworks and burn it up like a gay parade. Because it’s actually happening y’all. We are getting Exodus and This Is the One on vinyl.

This was bound to happen eventually. Between Hikaru Utada releasing all of their Japanese language albums on vinyl, continuing to work the sound of Exodus more and more into their Japanese albums, their Japanese studio album Bad Mode featuring English songs and the Hikaru Utada Live Sessions from Air Studios including “Hotel Lobby” and “About Me” in the setlist. Now the day has finally come.

Exodus and This is the One have both been remastered for their vinyl re-releases, which will also see a re-release on CD and digital. Both will also include remixes, which is great news for Exodus — as that album had a couple of great remixes, not all of which are widely available. I stay wearing out the Scumfrog Remix of “Devil Inside” and the JJ Flores Remix of “Exodus”. And whilst I’m not a fan of it, I know that there is a lot of love for the Bloodshy & Avant Remix of “You Make Me Want to Be a Man”.

Hopefully whatever contractual foolishness there may have been which resulted in these albums releasing under ‘Utada’ has lapsed and both albums will be released under ‘Hikaru Utada’. It would make no sense in the year of our Lord Kuma for these albums to be put up on streaming services under ‘Utada’. Girl, just put them under Hikaru Utada. It’s be great if the covers for both albums were changed to also include ‘Hikaru Utada’. The greatest move would be making both albums textless, especially This is the One. The font on that album was so fucking ugly anyway. But this is me and my wishful thinking.

The re-mastered versions of Exodus and This is the One will both be released on 24th of June. Info on what exactly both albums will include and what will be done to commemorate the release will likely surface as the release date nears. But my prediction is that we will get Tower Records live DJ sets — heavy on songs from both Exodus and This is the One. And that we will get 4K uploads of music videos for “Easy Breezy”, “You Make Me Want to Be a Man” and “Come Back to Me”. I know that some fans are still holding out that we will get a release of the New York Exodus showcase, but I just cannot see it happening. That shit is vaulted. We ain’t ever seeing it. But if there were ever a time to release it, it would be to commemorate the vinyl release of Exodus. Put your copies of Ultra Blue, Heart Station and Exodus in a circle of candles and pray y’all.

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💿 Albumkaru Reviewtada: Precious | First Love | Distance | Deep River | Exodus | Ultra Blue | Heart Station | This is the One | Fantôme | Hatsukoi | Bad Mode | Science Fiction

🎧 Spotifykaru Playlistada: Slaykaru Queentada | Hikaru Utada: R&B | Hikaru Utada: Ballads | Hikaru Utada: Bops | Hikaru Utada: Remixes