Ayumi Hamasaki VS Utada Hikaru

last SG · 2002-05-25T00:23:00+00:00

eh.. if u noticed.. britney spears din get to perform in unplugged.. it’s for ppl talented.. eg harlem yu…

bing_qi_bu_fan SG

no,this is not celebrity deathmatch.They are as different as day and night but ever since their albums were released on the same date(i'm talking about 'A Best' and 'Distance' being released on 28/3 last year),people tend to compare Ayu with Hikki.
What do u think?
(pls,no insulting remarks in this discussion,i do not tolerate such infantile behaviour)

Hajime SG

Both are the icons worshipped by modern youngsters, whether in Japan or elsewhere.

Ayu is more of a visual artiste (reminding me a little of Namie Amuro) and going beyond all imagination when it comes to her ever-changing image. One thing I do not like was her releasing so many remixes, compilations, etc which seem more like a marketing ploy to attract the youngsters' money. But I guess that is not much fault of her, rather her "greedy" company cashing on her popularity.

Hikki is more Westernised and metropolitan. Her popularity may be partly due to the "worship everything foreign" mentality, which is particularly evident in modern Jap youngsters. She can relate to wider audiences with her music, given her interesting multi-cultural background. She plays less on her images, winning more appeal with her song-writing talents - a music child prodigy, that's what she is known for. She is commercialised in a different way from Ayu is that her songs are deployed in many successful serials, eg. Hero and Mo Nu De Tiao Jian ("Terms of a Witch"...what a horrid translation!). But she has lower profile than Ayu, in fact I read somewhere that she will try to avoid any form of telecasted publicity, unless it is hosted by her idol Takuya Kimura (yes, she is just like any other normal Jap girl).

Hope I have been partial...

bing_qi_bu_fan SG

u are spot on about the issue of ayu’s remix albums.By releasing different versions of Ayu’s most popular songs,avex is just trying to make a quick buck from the legions of Ayu fans all over Asia.I make it a point not to buy Ayu’s remix albums even though I’m a big fan.

chuichi SG

I admit I’m an Utada fan. Face it, Utada is more talented than Ayumi. Of course both albums, namely A Best and Distance are best-sellers and listenable. Listening to too much of Ayumi will give you an earache. Utada’s tenor and husky voice is a nice change from the usual J-pop stuff. Her music is simply American pop with Japanese lyrics. And, I never liked the fact that Ayumi seems to be selling herself rather than the CD when I see the CD covers.

Seraquiel SG

I do like ayu;s songs last time but not now . Reason being , her songs and her singing is goin down the drain . this is how i feel .

hikki well i dun really listen to her music i can;t comment coz i prefer MAI kuraki , maki yano yuki koyanagi then her

bing_qi_bu_fan SG

Indeed,Utada has more musical talent than Ayu,having come from a family with strong music background.But let's not forget that Ayu writes her own songs as well,having penned the lyrics for earlier singles like 'Poker face' as well as all the songs in her latest album 'I am...'
As for the vocal department,Hikki does have a mature and attractive voice for a girl as young as 19.But there has been talk that her voice was digitally enhanced when she was recording songs for her albums.If u watched her performance in the 'Bohemian summer concert ' VCD,u would have noticed that she sang off-key or sounded completely different in some of the numbers that she performed.Well,u be the judge.
I do admit that Ayu's voice sounds screechy when she 'gang chu dao',but she has since toned down on her high-pitched vocals.Anyway,I think Ayu's high-pitched voice is very suitable for fast-tempo rock numbers.
About the fact that Ayu selling herself rather than the her CDs,I think that to be an all-rounded artiste,marketing your talent alone is not enough.U hav to be able to give that something extra.It is a well-known fact that Ayu plays around with her image frequently to attract attention.But if u observe carefully,Hikki also plays around with her image to a certain extent.One moment she is this 'plain Jane' dishing out love ballads like 'First Love',the other and she suddenly transforms into a futuristic cool gal in her 'traveling' MTV.Having talent is never enough,but packaging can help to bring out that talent to bigger audiences.

bing_qi_bu_fan SG

It is evident that Ayu's album sales are sagging,a far cry from her heyday in 2000 and 2001.It has been quite a while since her Maxi single sales in Japan reached 1 million copies.('M' was the last single to hit 1 million).I can foresee Ayu following in the footsteps of Kylie Minogue though, transforming from a pop princess to a funky disco queen.What do u think?

Hajime SG

How about tracing Ayumi’s future path in the direction of Namie Amuro? I have always felt they are pretty similar in some sense. To be frank, Namie is my benchmark for a Jap diva. Just look at how she thrives even after being a mum.

bing_qi_bu_fan SG

No doubt,Namie was BIG in the 90s.But she can no longer compete with the likes of Ayu and Hikki.Her status as a pop diva is also threatened by a host of young pretenders such as BoA,Aya Matsuura,Yaiko and MaiK.I really cannot imagine seeing my beloved Ayu going on to become another Namie.In order to remain at the top,I think more radical changes must be introduced to Ayu's music style.Which is why I suggested the Kylie Minogue approach. Ayu's well-known high-pitched vocals would not be out of place when performing disco tunes(like Can't Get U Outta My Head).

luv~zaizai SG

Okie..To tell frankly..I dun like Ayumi hamaski..Her songs not nice..No offence..I prefer Namie Amuro better.

------------------

JacK84 SG

Namie Amuro of course when it comes to j-pop.
Ayumi?What a joke..

------------------
This message was brought to you by a $1.99 Gay Piece of Type 5 Contraband.

hana SG

hmm...i would still prefer ayu...no matter how and what...in actual fact i dun realli listen to hikki...so i should make any comments 'bout her then...i see ppl saying hikki is more talented than ayu...but that can false...as all of us know that ayu write the lyrics as well as the song...& she uses CREA as her nick when composing songs...& her songs are oso veri melodious...from here...we can see that ayu & hikki are equally talented...

------------------
hana

chuichi SG

I seriously advise everyone to try Hikki’s CD. Strongly recommend the hits First Love or Can You Keep A Secret?. Hikki does everything from composition to lyrics…for the whole album, and that is no mean feat. of course, ayu can write songs too…but personally, I think Hikki’s songs have higher standards…more nai ting. First Love is a timeless classic (as described by many) try it.

NinGNinG SG

*raise both hands to agree*!!!!! Very Happy

Hajime SG

I prefer Hikki too Smile She has a new single out isit? "Hikaru"...Not bad, but First Love is still my perennial fave, and that of many others too! Can't help, really too lovely the song... can't imagine she was only so young when she wrote the song...

NinGNinG SG

hanor hanor!! Very Happy

luv~zaizai SG

Sorry,but i dun like Ayumi Hamasaki.Esp the advertisement on tv..It's really..gross..I dunnoe who is the other singer u all are talking about,but if u let me choose,i'll prefer the othe singer than AYUMI..No offence..

------------------

luv~zaizai SG

JacK84 SG

Which ad issit?Definitely from scv right?

------------------
This message was brought to you by a $1.99 Gay Piece of Type 5 Contraband.

^FeRRoCiOuS^ SG

whats wrong with the ad? she chio mah..

------------------
*~DuN CaRe DuN GiVe a DaMn~*