Deep Dive: Utada Hikaru Part Four (Exodus)

    We are now on Utada Hikaru's fourth studio album, and first primary English language album, Exodus. That title has meaning in several different ways. The first being that this was essentially a second debut for her for an English audience. The second being that this was a reinvention of her artistry as an experiment and was the second chapter of the bible of her career after her debut. She explains this in the album's intro, "Opening," which was also a first for us on an Utada record. And we're immediately hit with new sounds that have a Bollywood feeling, cascading backing synths, trends that are very relevant to the year 2004, and some different vocal styles from Utada. Put on your listening ears and let's deep dive!

    I could not find the music video or any official videos for this album from Utada's Youtube channel, and I am thoroughly disappointed. I feel like this Deep Dive is starting off on the wrong foot. I'm sad.

    Anyway! I have always found this album, its corresponding era, and its lore to be super fascinating. Utada did a song called "Blow My Whistle" for Jackie Chan's Rush Hour film series, and she attracted the attention of several American record labels. She and her father, Utada Teruzane, eventually got her signed to Island Records. Where she prepared and made her debut to English speaking audiences. Apparently American labels were fighting over her, which I can believe as she was THE artist of Japan during this time. I've also read over the years that they all promised to make her a big star in the States. But... This album and its singles had little to no promotion. She received no push which is such a shame. Admittedly and unfortunately, Western artists were not ready for pop stars or mega artists of Asian decent like they are now. Even now they're reluctant to fully embrace them. Famously, Matsuda Seiko, Nakamori Akina, and Dreams Come True had attempted to cross over before Utada. All of them made significant contributions to their home market's landscape, but none of them could break into the Billboard charts with moderate success. 

    Which made me wonder what is up with that? I find it most unfortunate in Utada's case as she is bilingual, and lacks nothing that her musical peers here have. Most of her influences are worldwide sensations themselves. I had a theory that the label was hoping that this album would catch on with audiences that already knew Utada and they would help push it up, but in a time where the internet did not connect people, this would have been practically impossible. Utada, herself, has been surprised by the chart success of her Japanese-language releases post hiatus. As a couple reached the top 10 on iTunes. 

    The label changed her style, appearance, and even name for this album. Picking just "Utada" instead of both her family and first name, or even just her first name, "Hikaru." She later dropped this stage name, and released all of her music under her own name and same label she is signed to for her Japanese releases. This album along with her second English-language venture, This Is the One are treated like the ugly step-children by Utada. She completely ignored them when her other records got the remastering treatment and vinyl re-releases. Which is a shame. There's a lot to love here about Exodus. Because without it, we would have not gotten any of her future albums including the experimental electro-wonderland, Ultra Blue, and the unique and cherished Heart Station. Or even her post-hiatus comeback, Fantôme. 

    Utada explained in an interview around this era that she tried a lot of new things on this record, and that she needed it because she essentially felt bored and wanted to experiment. And that she did. Utada, herself, contributed the most to the album, but she teamed up with Timbaland (of Justin Timberlake and Nelly Furtado fame) and Danja (of Britney Spears's Blackout fame) for the first time. They helped mold the album too. They're all over it in the production, but the one factor that brings it all together into a cohesive, unique body of work is Utada and her touch. 

    The album's second track and single, "Devil Inside," is devilishly flirtatious. It was the album's most successful single and was a club hit. And it has that written all over it. Sonically, I have not found much that compares to it. The guitars on it are pure genius. Her vocals almost yodel in places which we had not heard from her previously. She completely threw the rule book out the window in every way and took risks. On Exodus, we get new themes (like prostitution, good versus evil, and sex), new sounds, and pretty much a new Utada vocally and attitude-wise. It's a treat and an adventure if you're a fan of her specific work. 

    We then come to another single and the third track, "Exodus '04." The slightly-distorted violin sample makes the song. It's foretelling and beautiful. It essentially describes how this album came to be in song/story form. The hook is unique, and this is one of the album's only songs that I could see on a Japanese release. The vocals are very pretty here too.

    We then come to "The Workout," which I describe as kinda trippy. I honestly think it's ahead of its time as we got songs like this around 2012 a lot. And I think a lot of Exodus was ahead of its time, and it still holds up and sounds fresh as a result. Which many Timbaland productions do, though I think Utada's stands out the most. I also like how Utada wasn't afraid to embrace her Asian identity on this album as it is featured on a lyrics here about "how people from the far east get down." The lyrics in general for the album are clever, quirky, and downright smart. The King Tut reference here is a standout moment.

    We then come to lead single, "Easy Breezy." This song has divided the fandom like a cracked window. I'm a lover of it. I really am. It's quirky. It's fresh. It's bouncy. The lyrics are cheesy, and that "you're easy breezy/and I'm Japanese-y" hook makes you side eye. But that's what makes it memorable. Which is important for a debut offering. You hear that line once and you never ever forget it. But! I do wonder if this was the best choice for a debut lead single. "Devil Inside" would have probably been the better choice. Though, the album really, really, REALLY needed a genuine radio hit to get it up off the ground, I think. I think that's the one thing this album and its promotion lacked. 

    Which leads me to this next point, I think at times that "Simple and Clean" should have been the last song on the set and pushed as a lead single. Then at other times I think she didn't need to chase commercial success and rely on past hits with this release, and that it will eventually be a cult favorite that is appreciated for the body of work that it is. "Simple and Clean" had a commercial tie in for a coveted brand where she found an audience. It's not exactly a radio-friendly song, but maybe it could have caught on there as it is still a beloved song. Or even if they just pushed it and left it off of the album and made it a breakthrough. Then the other singles would have found success. The album needed more promotion in the West even though it was a chart-topper that eventually sold over a million copies in her native market. Which is probably where the label was expecting it to make the most money anyways, so signing her was a win win. If she didn't make it big in the west, she would still rake in money from the second largest music market in the world. 

    

    They did deploy a similar tactic like I was talking about with her second English album, This is the One, where they added "Sanctuary (Opening)" and "Sanctuary (Ending)" as bonus tracks. Even though those songs didn't really fit the top-40 R&B vibe of the album. "Sanctuary" still wasn't pushed though.

    I could talk about what-ifs all day, but we're still talking about an impressive body of work. "Tippy Toe" is trippy and lush with instrumentals and vocal effects. The thumping beat hits hard, and Utada covers the theme of lust here. 

    "Hotel Lobby" is one of my favorite Utada songs. It's fun to sing along with. The music is immediately likeable. It feels like a dance track (as much of the album is) that has been painted with a clear J-Pop finish. It also borrows influences from Indian music which makes it just a cool track. Lyrically, this song shows what a great songwriter and storyteller Utada is. It's about prostitution from the point of view of the woman. We didn't get tracks like this too often back in the day, so you can really appreciate Utada gifting this to us. 

    "Animato" is one of the album's most experimental moments. It's like video game music and reminds me of the soundtrack from Chaos Angel Zone from Sonic Advance 3. Which is just super cool. We all know the Sonic series has amazing music. "Animato" is just cool. It's a cool listen, and a song that will never get old. Her vocals are jovial here, and the marching band beat sounds like you're going into battle. Utada is really blazing a trail here. The outro name-checking Elvis and Led Zeppelin is just so damn cool!

    This is a great mid-way point for the album because we get a refresher for the album's latter half with "Crossover (Interlude)." She reiterates her intentions here that she set in stone during "Opening." You could about mash the two into a complete song, and it would fit in with the rest of the material. 

    The track that this interlude leads into, "Kremlin Dusk," is the other song on this album that is the most experimental as it competes with "Animato." The sound is just indescribable. You have artists chasing to try to make this now. This is the stuff that important critics fawn over. It's ingenious yet feels so natural to Utada that you might overlook it because it fits in so well with the rest of the album. Though this track has always garnered praise. It opens up into something organically beautiful in the second half that is just so bone-chillingly cool. And we get the second bit of rock-tinge here. It's a multi-genre song. 

    "You Make Me Want to Be a Man" was inspired by her then husband. It's quirky in the same vein as "Easy Breezy," and I've always felt a parallel between the two songs. Also breezy and bouncy. Yet more serious and less fun. Just so matter-of-fact. Almost like a back story to "Easy Breezy" that completes the overall story between the two songs. Lyrically, it's a brave stance and bold declaration from a female singer that is also relatable. "Man" also has some hard hitting beats to it too. It was released as the album's final single in the UK.

    "Wonder 'Bout" is the album's first sign of winding down. Though it's still just as jovial and whimsical as the album's other tracks. Her vocals during the voices blend in a little too much, but then they open up during the chorus and we're missing a lot of the vocal harmonies we've come to know and love. Though they still happen during various points. Which creates a different atmosphere from the other tracks. 

    "Let Me Give You My Love" also gives you that "we're winding down here" feeling. But it's groovy and danceable, so we like it. And she calls out to her heritage again. AND drops a humorous line about mixing gene pools. Which if you've followed along with the deep introspective lyrics of previous albums, you might be a little shocked to hear this from Utada. Though she did also say "I want your baby" before on Distance. So then again, maybe you're not. *Shrugs*

    Album closer, "About Me," wraps it up really well on an extremely high note. It's a ballad, and really the only non-danceable club-friendly song. But it's still upbeat enough to not feel like a downer. It's a great song. It also just feels like a natural conclusion. Its sing appeal is high. Her vocals sound the most comfortable here, and she lets her voice fly. I immediately gravitated to this song after my first listen of this album. The guitar is just too pretty.

    Overall, you can hear and feel Utada's excitement for these tracks. It's highly ambitious. She should be applauded for not trying to phone it in and create an album that is blatant with its top-40 sensibilities. Exodus can be enjoyed by casual music listeners that just like good pop, or it can be for the serious listeners that need that avantgarde taste. So pretty much what you get with every Utada offering. 

Rank: A Rank. You make me want to be a fan, Hikki! (And I very much am)

Recommendation: I like listening to this album during the morning for some reason. It just seems like a commute album to get you pumped for the work day.

Standouts:

    The first half for sure.

    Animato 💣

    Kremlin Dusk 🔥