[Utada Hikaru] ☆ Utada Hikaru: The 46th Thread ☆

[Minttulatte]

Why can't Maemi think Hikki is better if she feels that way? It's okay not to agree to anything Ayu fans say. This is a Hikki thread so you should expect Hikki fans to defend their queen. It's a matter of taste anyway. You can argue but it doesn't change it anyway.

Oh, me? I have no opinion on their live vocals because I like both a lot (but Kuu will always be the best for me and that's not going to change) and they both has had their ups and downs but it's not a crime imo.

[Maemi]

Originally Posted by drdolce

Why can't Maemi think Hikki is better if she feels that way? It's okay not to agree to anything Ayu fans say. This is a Hikki thread so you should expect Hikki fans to defend their queen. It's a matter of taste anyway. You can argue but it doesn't change it anyway.

Oh, me? I have no opinion on their live vocals because I like both a lot (but Kuu will always be the best for me and that's not going to change) and they both has had their ups and downs but it's not a crime imo.

His problem is that I stated it as a fact. I guess I should correct myself, but that doesn't change anything. I honestly can't see how Ayu improved and I listened to a couple of Hikki's latest lives and can't see how she deteriorated. I love both of them and both of their voices in a different way, but when someone asks me whose voice is better, my answer will always be the same. I know what I hear and I know what is pleasant to my ear. No technical proof will change that.

[emi♡]

@dolce: it's not that she can't...it's just that, at least I think, isthisLoL prefers to look at it from a more objective point of view in terms of vocal technique...which is not really a matter of taste.

Personally, I prefer hikki's voice over Ayu's...but does she have better technique? ouch, I don't think so.

We're all hikki fans in here. No one said people have to agree with Ayu fans, it's not even about that. And no one said it was a crime to not have perfect vocals.

But if people want to say that hikki has a better whatever...you just need some more proof.

I personally can see where isthislol is coming from, cause I've seen what he means with Ayu, and I see what he means with hikki.

As far as what Maemi said...I'm not so sure it's obvious that hikki has more power, but I think it is obvious that ayu is more "annoying" cause what I said about the ~pleasantness~ of her voice.


@vini: poor mika! lol

[relmy]

I've always (subjectively) liked Ayu's vocals more than Hikki's, but in some cases - like Sakura Drops or something, nothing but Hikki's voice would work. Which is... how it's meant to work.

This may sound really bizarre, but Hikki's vocals sound significantly worse to me in English. I guess it's because I know what the words are meant to sound like, I can understand how they fit together and work to create the song, how the structures of the words work for the song... and how her voice just doesn't work at times.

Until I listened to her English work, I thought she was REALLY good (the typical opinion of her, basically), but then when I heard her in English I was just like...wow, she's kinda average, she just makes good songs and sounds interesting.

It's odd :/

[emi♡]

Originally Posted by relmy

This may sound really bizarre, but Hikki's vocals sound significantly worse to me in English. I guess it's because I know what the words are meant to sound like, I can understand how they fit together and work to create the song, how the structures of the words work for the song... and how her voice just doesn't work at times.

Until I listened to her English work, I thought she was REALLY good (the typical opinion of her, basically), but then when I heard her in English I was just like...wow, she's kinda average, she just makes good songs and sounds interesting.

It's odd :/

her english stuff is just odd all around I think lol and then coupled with some of the weird lyrics she sings lol idk, it sure is unique though.

About her vocals...idk it always seemed like they weren't as important as like...the music. Sometimes I feel like she doesn't mind how gritty her vocals get because it can give a different effect...but I'm sure she does anyway...

[relmy]

Originally Posted by emi♡

her english stuff is just odd all around I think lol and then coupled with some of the weird lyrics she sings lol idk, it sure is unique though.

I like her English music more than her Japanese, even if I go wtf at it a lot. I really like the weirdness in it.

I can't get into a lot of her Japanese music. ):

[AyuBlackwind]

?? They are both great vocalists. They have completely different styles though, apples and oranges here. lol.

[Lady~Deviance]

Please take the "Hikki vs Ayu" fan war somewhere else. Seriously. It's always the usual trolls adding more fuel to the fire. *major side eye*

But on a serious note, I do feel that Hikki seems to lack technique with her vocals as of late. I'm a huge Hikki fan, as loyal as they come but I do feel that homegirl could use more vocal training. Also, maybe her change in vocals has to deal with the fact that she used to drink alcohol regularly (which she admitted to) heck, she probably still does for all we know. Alcohol has a tendency to dry out the vocal cords and cause a change in sound.

Agree to disagree and take my opinion with a grain of salt.

[ayu_ready?]

^ I do not read your posts about vocal, just because. sorry.

[Not Fade Away]

Whoever said 'Blue' was a hot mess during 'Wild Life' was right haha....I have to skip past that song every time.

I feel like Utada needs to get back into her R&B stuff because she can hit those notes.

When it comes to a lot of her Japanese songs, she goes higher than she can on some notes, and while she DOES get those notes out, it's obviously a struggle. A struggle in both studio form and live form.

As weird as a lot of her English-language songs are, she does a better job hitting those notes (ie: The verses in Exodus '04, Devil Inside, The verses in FYI, The verses in Taking My Money Back...etc...)

For some reason...she feels the need to go a few notes higher in the choruses of most of these songs...I don't know why.

In terms of technique, tone, quality...w/e on Ayu's part...I just find myself going "whaaat?"

As much as I love her, the last live that I thought was pretty solid from her vocal-wise was Rock N' Roll Circus, and even a lot of that was improved due to technology.

Despite Kuu going crazy with the vocal pyrotechnics at times, I think she probably knows her range the best out of anyone.

[ayu_ready?]

Originally Posted by Not Fade Away

Despite Kuu going crazy with the vocal pyrotechnics at times, I think she probably knows her range the best out of anyone.

I agree 100%

[amorphose]

Her cover of Lovin' You

[CoriKaru]

I'm sorry, but that's a flickted cropped picture right there in that Youtube Clip.

Cover was really good though. I actually expected her to go for the whistle notes. Aww. Maybe someday in a song.

[Andrenekoi]

Êrn... I don't think Hikaru ever hit a whistle note...

[Zahara]

Does anyone know what hikki's range is now? I know her voice deepened a few years ago, but I was alwys curious about her vocal range and type.

[Andrenekoi]

This blog has a post about her voice:
http://www.divadevotee.com/2011/10/u...ile-range.html

It's very short and I don't know how accurate it is, but it covers her range...

[isthisLOL?]

The range should be fine. Though it doesn't make a difference between chestvoice and headvoice. And the inclusion of the chestvoice G5 is weird since it's not really sang or pronounced out, she's just peaking there for a tiny part of a second. But overall the article seems right.

[Zahara]

Thanks guys!

[Pieces_of_SEVEN]

Listened to a few hikki songs today, include sakura drops and Show Me Love (Not A Dream), and man...at least she went out with a bang. SME (NAD) is just...epic.

[CoriKaru]

^I was so about to listen to "SAKURA Drops" today as I passed by it on my iPod. Haven't listened to it in ages. Went straight to Brown Eyed Girls instead. I shall be punished.