Utada Hikaru at Sephora New York City

All of you know how big of a fan of Utada Hikaru I am, and I was so psyched to have an opportunity to see her in person for the Utada at Sephora New York City Listening Party. Of course I would have liked to see her in concert, but it was awesome listening to her speak in English and do a short Q&A session. She recently released a new English album This is The One. Please support it in itunes or buy the album when it comes out! My favorite song on it is Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence, FYI. Yes, some of you remember how obsessed I am with that song and even used it as Nadeshiko's Theme. :) Ah, sychronicity. Anyhow, I love the remix of the lovely tune.

Utada Hikaru probably introduced me to J-Pop in the first place, and her songs will always hold a sentimental value for me. Moreover, I admire her because she actually writes her own songs and lyrics. She started out so young too, and she's been through so much, and if there is a role model for aspiring singers, Utada Hikaru is one. She even has brains--she got into Columbia University though she took leave because she already has an awesome career going. Ah, she's only a couple years older than me, and she's already done so much in life; how inspiring!
She looked very beautiful and very petite! Click on the photos if you want to see larger quality. There was a mob of fans waiting outside and it was pretty cold. I felt very blessed to be able to see her inside. And I was lucky enough to be front of the line when she was passing by, so I have a short clip of her entering. (Kya, she was literally a hand's reach away from me!)



If you didn't know, Hikki was born in New York, so she's bilingual. In her interview, she was amazingly sweet and humble, but you can definitely tell she's a confidant, mature woamn. It seems like she likes drawing as well-- I loved the part where she said that she would haved liked to pursue art if she wasn't into music. There was a girl who asked her what advise she would give to an aspiring singer, and I loved Hikki's response. She said basically that no matter what other people say, it's important to know what you think of yourself. I'm paraphrasing, but she was met with a tremendous cheer. Of course my favorite moment was when she sang a line from Little Mermaid's "Part of Your World" when asked what were her inspirations growing up. Oh my gosh, I knew I loved her--she loves Disney too!



And of course, I was lucky enough to get a clip of that. It's in the second half of the clip. She sings a line of Metallia too. Lol. You will also hear Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence, FYI playing in the background for a while.

I got a signed poster and a little Utada bag (and a bunch of Sephora samples). Anyhow, Utada Hikaru is such an awesome individual on top of being a talented singer and songwriter, and I hope her a long, illustrious career both in Japan and internationally. And remember to check out her US album!