Passion (and a bonus!) - Utada Hikaru

Hikaru is her first name. Utada is her last name and the sole moniker she goes by in the States. Hikaru is one of a small group of Japanese pop stars who had the good fortune to spend their formative years in the United States but this hasn't yet translated to strong U.S. sales. Nor has it translated to strong English language music as you can see here.

The song is in Japanese and is lovely, as is the video, but the English version (which, oddly enough, was written first and titled "Sanctuary") is clunky in its lyrics although it is brilliant compared to her first U.S. release, "Easy Breezy" which made her most hardcore American fans weep and everyone else laugh in her face. That's worth a post in and of itself.

And, you know what? As much as I love her, you have to hear Easy Breezy. It's hilarious...and still not half as bad as some of the music coming from the post-Mickey Mouse Club era of Disney Teen Moppets (TM Disney.) Utada is young and talented. Here's hoping she finds a way to break into the American market without caving to bland pop or becoming tethered to the anime fandom.

Not that we'd mind having her...