Search - Hikaru Utada :: Keep Tryin'

Hikaru Utada back in Japan ... and better than ever!

J. Lund | SoCal, USA | 04/01/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I've previously written reviews supportive both of Hikki's Japanese-language cuts and of her USA debut EXODUS (2004). Post-EXODUS, she is back recording in Japanese for that market. Interestingly, her musical style picks up directly from her pre-EXODUS recordings (such as the 2002 album DEEP RIVER), with sophisticated melodic ballads with an underlying contemporary production (e.g., synth programming), but no hint of EXODUS's electronica-dance elements which divided her existing fans via being quite a departure from her previous music.



The lyrics are sung in Japanese once again, unlike EXODUS. For those who think highly of her DEEP RIVER-era music, this single is highly recommended for the two new tracks "Keep Tryin'" and "Wings" (there is also a karaoke version of "Tryin'" to round out the CD5). Or else, wait to see if the tracks show up on an upcoming full-length album."

Utada Hikaru returns in style

Ernest Alba | Cambridge, MA | 04/17/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Since her return to Japan, Utada has taken a bold new direction in her compositions. Keep Tryin', in particular, exhibits her command of musical conventions and her imagination in creating melodic phrases. This ranks as one of her most ingenious creations yet. Though, with her recent slew of massively popular songs, including Passion and Be My Last, it appears that the 23-year-old writer is just beginning."