Song Spotlight: Utada Hikaru's "GOLD -Mata Au Hi Made-"

Let's get one thing straight, dear Readers. We love Utada Hikaru. I might be showing my age, but they were one of the first Japanese artists I ever heard and ever loved. I find so many parallels between Utada and the artists that inspire them. I find their output to be a more accessible, slice-of-life-flavored take on Björk-meets-Matsutoya Yumi. Which is a high compliment. Utada possesses a musicality that is unmatched. They stay in their own lane, do their own thing, do it well, and experiment and push their sound into interesting, uncharted territory. Case-in-point, the song we will be discussing today: "GOLD -Mata Au Hi Made-." Utada's latest single which dropped this past summer. Let's put the spotlight on this song!

"GOLD" reminds me of a cross between the sonic landscapes of last year's crisp, cold water in a dry desert, BAD Mode, and 2018's string-filled, orchestral heaven, Hatsukoi. Those two albums had a bouncing baby, and that baby is "GOLD." BAD Mode is such a career high for Utada. It's a no skip album for me. The house-influence carries over to this single which is very welcome. It pairs with the string-filled beautifully tragic ballads from Hatsukoi. This creates a power ballad that builds with piano and infectious beats. Utada matured through Hatsukoi, she brought the fun experiments back with BAD Mode, and she has proved she can marry the two to an excellent result. "GOLD" is great fun to sing along to. 

    Something that's fun and amazing about Utada is that you can't see how a song will fit on the album until it's out. The songs always work well and flow together. It can entirely change your perspective and opinions of her singles when this happens. If this is the direction that is being taken for the next record, it's going to be beautiful, guys. Thanks for reading, fellow normal dudes!

Rating: A Rank! This song glitters because it's gold!