Japan Pop culture nerds need on introduction to this artist. I'm pretty sure their name has come up due to a certain video game or anime theme song. They have provided songs for soundtracks to dramas and films in Japan as well. I'm not going to make too much of a fuss about her new album because They seem like a very low key person who just so happens to still hold the title of Queen of Jpop when other Japanese singers have fallen off over the coming years..... Her eight album is titled Bad Mode and you pretty much heard most of it before it hit the selves. She came out as non Binary last year. Hence the use of "They" in this post.
BADモード
君に夢中 (Kimini Muchuu)
One Last Kiss
PINK BLOOD
Time
気分じゃないの (Kibunja Naino)
誰にも言わない (Darenimo Iwanai)
Find Love
Face My Fears by 宇多田ヒカル (Hikaru Utada) & Skrillex
Somewhere Near Marseilles (マルセイユ辺り)
Beautiful World (Da Capo Version)
キレイな人 (Kireina Hito) (Find Love)
Face My Fears (English Version) by 宇多田ヒカル (Hikaru Utada) & Skrillex
Face My Fears (A.G. Cook Remix)
I'm going to be completely straightforward; Bad mode - at least in my opinion is her weakest album of her new era. No. It's not because Bad mode is an awful album. It's actually the other way around when you take in the record as a full body of work. Bad Mode is just boring if you're a listener expecting an album that will have you blown out the water. Utada is an artist that was always defined by her strong need of self expression in Their songs. No matter if it's their self defining lyrics, the darkness in their voice, or the production in her music that only They and Their team can seem to create. Production was the key element that really made Bad Mode that amazing album that it is. Songs on the album merge Sync-pop with Jazz and other elements as heard on the stand out track on the album titled same as the album. I loved the little things in this track like the running water sound and the constant key changes in the instrumental. The song called time also has a great defining moment during the transition at the last half of the song. Vocally is where the album is a sleeper. Utada is known for writing catchy hooks or at the most songs that make fans want to raise their hands and sing along. Bad Mode doesn't have many moments like this to look back on. We as fans can appreciate Utada continuing to be artsy- especially seeing her perform the songs live with all the musicians who added all those different components to the tracks. I'm just not as impressed as I was in the pass. Not to mention most of the album was the singles they released already. I had to warm up to these tracks when they came out and now, I love them for the more part. Pink Blood's lyrical meaning hit home for me more than the song itself. The new tracks also are warming up to me after a few listens because I wasn't too interested in tracks like Find Love at first. I'm finding it in me appreciate Utada's vision when they made this album though. Sometimes I'M JUST NOT IN THE MOOD! [Insert me laughing]
They're the only artist in Japan that could sell thousands of albums with a cover of them in a sweat hoodie in her home(?) as their son(?) runs in the background........
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