[orbitalaspect]

Well, here are my thoughts and personal ratings:

01. Dokomademo ~How Far I'll Go~ (どこまでも; Anywhere) - 6/10

I like the song, but it just feels like a b-side. It doesn't feel like the kind of song to lead off an album. I also feel like this song feels like a redo of H.I.K.A.R.I.

02. Tabibito (旅人; Traveller) - 5/10

This is Justin Bieber's Love Yourself. I'm sorry. I can't unhear the similarities.

03. Let Me In - 5/10

This is typical fare for a Miliyah ballad.

04. Saikouna Shiawase (最高なしあわせ; Supreme Happiness) - 5/10

Again, typical fare for a Miliyah ballad.

05. Shoujo Jidai (少女時代; Girlhood) - 9/10

I love that Miliyah raps on this track. The entire atmosphere and rhythm is on point. I love this track. Something memorable for me. It's like Miliyah's version of MIKA NAKASHIMA's Birukaze Swimming School. I love that she experimented with this and threw it on the album. Not a song I'd choose as a single, but it's a good album track.

06. Utopia - 5/10

I love the old school 90s R&B feel. Apart from that, I just feel this track is weighed down by the previous 5 songs, none of which were much different from this one.

07. Ai no Kuni (愛の国; Country of Love) - 1/10

This is the one song I hoped wouldn't be on the album. It's just headache-inducing to me. It sounds so bland and uninspired. I really think the melody could have been used on a better song.

08. MOON - 4/10

At this point, I feel this album is barely crawling along. I would probably appreciate this song much much more if it wasn't following SEVEN other songs with near similar pacing. I do think the 80s-inspired synths make this feel like a cool throwback.

09. Eien (永遠; Forever) - 4/10

I actually couldn't get through this whole song. The bells were driving me nuts.

10. BE - 4/10

This song should have actually started at 0:38. And I really wish she would have built something better on that rhythm. The rest of the song is really difficult to listen to because I keep thinking the beat during the verses is more catchy and has much more momentum than the bridge or chorus. The strings really ruined it for me, which is difficult to say because I really feel the verses could have made for one hell of a song.

11. I AM - 3/10

This is slightly more tolerable than Ai no Kuni, but it's still one of those songs I wish wouldn't have been released. I wish this was just a demo tape created when she was experimenting for different ideas on Utopia.

12. Triangle - 8/10

Triangle really cuts through the monotony leading up to it. It's a ballad, but it's more attention-grabbing than its siblings on Utopia. I think part of the reason is that it's not following the same production style as other songs. This is more reflective of ballads within the last 10 years, whereas other songs on Utopia are more or less 90s- and 80s-inspired. Compared to a lot of these other songs, this one feels like it's got the right length.

13. Maboroshi (幻; Phantom) - 7/10

A far better ballad than Ai no Kuni or Saikouna Shiawase. I just wish this wasn't at the end of the album.

14. Subarashiki Jinsei (素晴らしき人生; A Wonderful Life) - 6/10

An OK, nostalgic-sounding song to end the album with. It definitely doesn't stand up to other final tracks on Miliyah's albums. It's leagues under Owari Naki Kanashimi (終わりなき哀しみ; Never-ending Sadness) from HEAVEN, which is in my opinion one of the best ending tracks to any Japanese album.

OVERALL RATING: 5.14/10
THOUGHTS:
Utopia is another example of this recent trend in J-Pop to create an entire album of songs that are almost indistinguishable from each other. In contrast to LIBERTY, Utopia feels like it was all recorded during a week of rainy weather. This is a HUGE step down from LIBERTY for me. It's a HUGE step down from even LOVELAND or TRUE LOVERS, which are both a step down from HEAVEN. I think Miliyah missed it with this album. But considering we've had similar problems with MIKA NAKASHIMA, lecca, and Koda Kumi this year, I'm not as disappointed as I would be if my other favorite artists had released better records. :/

Maybe it's time for another break. A couple years helped Miliyah deliver one of the best records she's ever recorded. I think it would help her a lot to spend more time on a concept and interesting collection of songs.

To me Shoujo Jidai is to Utopia like lecca's Looking for U is to High Street, like MIKA NAKASHIMA's Birukaze is to TOUGH, like W FACE and Promise you are to Koda Kumi's newest albums. It's the one song that reflects what the artist does incredibly well. But it's also almost the only song on the record really worth revisiting in the years ahead. I was really excited for this whole season of new releases from J-Pop artists, and I've been thoroughly disappointed to a large extent with everything. Everyone lacks the versatility of years before. A lot of this music sounds uninspired and poorly planned. It's like a lot of the spark has disappeared from these artists' focus.