Kiseki

http://img235.imageshack.us/img235/1756/hikki1ama6.jpg Utada Hikaru (宇多田ヒカル born January 19, 1983), also known by her fan-nickname of Hikki is a Japanese American pop singer-songwriter, arranger and record producer. She has been hailed as one of the most successful, influential, and acclaimed musicians in Japanese music history. With the release of her seven studio albums, including one compilation and two all-English, 25 solo singles (19 Japanese and 6 English) and several VHS/DVD releases, she has sold a combined estimated total of some 36,000,000 records in Japan as of 2007, making her the 9th most successful musical act ever in Japan. Her worldwide total sales of albums, singles and VHS/DVDs to date is well past 50,000,000 units. In 2007 alone, she has achieved the biggest song of her career, the most downloaded ringtone ever, and the most downloaded song in world history. She is currently working on new English/Japanese albums, to be released next year.

ooh, I don't like ''Mahaloha'' - it's quite summery, but it's quite average :( she has covered ''My Heart Wil Go On'' for a Celine Dion tribute album out soon, i think there are clips somewhere :P then how can you say Paris Hilton has talent? she doesn't even have the vocals to scream :lol:

I like 'Precious' and her song from the NANA movies :wub:

how sluttish :o BTW, is it me or does it look like someone did a bad airbrush just underneath her shoulder? :lol:

it was, I remember feeling awful when it happened. There is talk it could be suicide, which is very sad :( This article makes a good read about it if anyone is interested: http://mdn.mainichi-msn.co.jp/waiwai/face/...0dm025000c.html

I honestly cannot believe I used to like her album :mellow: im glad I grew taste :lol: Paris Hilton is $h!t. If the music is any good it is down to the producers, not her. Saying that other singers have worse voices [although the ones people like Jark mentioned ie Beth Ditto is HIGHLY debatable as she has a very good voice] is irrelevant. Some of the most iconic artists haven't had strong voices take for example Utada Hikaru, or in Western terms Kate Bush. Neither of them could be classified as amazing vocalists, but the emotion in their lyrics and their voices, the fact that anything they do musically or in any other part of the career is controlled by them, that they are able to be artistic without having a voice like Mariah Carey or Yuna Ito [who have no ability to 'sing'], and an aura of myserty or a unique personality just goes to show vocals don't always have everything to do with it. I mean, even britney had the image right. Paris has nothing, to put it bluntly. She's an emotionless, talentless, over-hyped sack of $h!t. a computerised voice over a repetitive over produced backing track is not music, it is dirge. I'm sorry, but when you like paris, I don't think you can say Beth Ditto has 'no talent what so ever' - no offence :P

:lol: ^ Ive never been in a caravan once :o

I love her! :wub: I've been following her since about 2004, her album is great, she really fought to get a label. She's currently working on her sophmore, apparently to be titled 'Just B' :mellow: Anyway, my favourite songs are Everything To Me [ :wub: ], By Heart, About Us, Heaven Baby, For A Moment, All About Me, Beautiful Transformation, Low Rider Jeans, I Believe, Tangled & Love You Both BTW if anyone has a full mp3 of Love You Both could please send it me, because ive been looking for it for literally years and never found one, and it sounds awesome: ''Daddy Please Don't Make me Choose Between The Two Daddy He's No Comparison To You'' :wub: Oh, her voice is waay better than Paris :P

I hope the 10th anniversary single wont look too bad for Maki, her new albums coming out next month, and it's following her lowest selling single ever ''secret'' - I think it's worth buying for the title itself, ''How to use SEXY'' :lol: Is there any reason NEWS sold so many? And Im the same about tommy and hikki getting me into JPop, except for me it was Tommy Heavenly6, although I prefer Feb6 now :wub: Tomoko Kawase is certainly a talented woman, although the 2 alter egos and the actual woman really confused me at first, I thought she had identical sisters :lol: OT: how good is Ayu's new song! Totally restored my faith in her making awesome music. It sounds like ''About You'' :wub:

I usually don't post stuff about music I like because it never gets any response :lol: however, I will make an exception, as I think everyone should know how wonderful this woman is. http://img478.imageshack.us/img478/2955/foreveryoupromodd7.jpg ZARD was a Japanese pop group under B-Gram RECORDS. Around the release of their third album, HOLD ME, all the band members had left except Sakai Izumi. ZARD then became the solo project of Izumi, writting all the music and lyrics herself. According to an episode of Music Station in 2005 ZARD has sold a combined total of 35,450,000 copies, making her the #8 best selling artists in Japan. ZARD was a highly renowned group in Japan, having produced some very popular songs since their debut in 1991. Their debut single Good-bye My Loneliness broke into the top 10 on the singles charts on Oricon, securing #9. Their next major hit came in January of 1993 when their 6th single, Makenaide, brought ZARD to the top at #1 and has since sold over 1.5 million copies. Around this time, ZARD became the solo project of lead singer and song writer Sakai Izumi. This quickly earned ZARD recognition at the Japan Golden Disc Awards of 1994. Another note is that ZARD's vocalist personally wrote the lyrics to every single song she sang except for a little few. ZARD has also performed several songs that have been chosen as Japanese animation themes such as Meitantei Conan (Detective Conan), Dragonball GT, and Slam Dunk. Since their debut, ZARD released 42 singles and 17 albums in total. Sakai Izumi's vocals are considered by many critics a high point of ZARD's music, which revolve around ballads. Sakai was diagnosed with cervical cancer in June 2006; the cancer went into remission, but despite this onset, in April of 2007, the cancer was on the move once again. On the 26th of May, while being treated for this cancer, Sakai fell three meters from a hospital staircase while returning to her room from a routine walk around the hospital. She was found at 5:40am. She suffered severe trauma to the back of her head (brain contusion), and on 3:10pm she died due to the cerebral contusion. The slippery surface of the staircase due to rain the previous day was blamed for her fall. Some rumors about suicide were being considered, but in the end probably discarded. an amazing woman, here are some of her hits: Makenaide kuY-Ap4OBdQ Good-bye My Loneliness D6bYCVlXfh8 TODAY IS ANOTHER DAY! X4B0LZEq5qQ not a lot of her videos are available on youtube, so sorry, but here are two videos of montages of many of her hits a6QPod1iD5Q LjCU2S-p_9s

omg, is Alec gone for good!? :o Poor Carmel </3 :(

I think if something doesn't come out in the next week or two we can assume it's been delayed. Perhaps they don't want it to be overshadowed by other releases around that time?

:wub: old news I know, but oh well :lol:

Wow, I have missed so much since not being here :o any more info ie covers?

Hello D:~

This may become the third Shakira song I dislike, along with Antologia & Lo Imprescindible :o Lil' Wanye is the most off putting rapper I have encountered :lol:

Britney Spears The lead single will be big, as will initial sales, but unless she has anything decent to follow up, her comeback will crumble. Leona Lewis Does anyone really care about her anymore? The hype train has gone imo, people will be surprised by how she'll underperform Madonna I've never liked her, and working with timbaland/JT is just jumping on a bandwagon which is nearly out of steam IMO. I don't expect anything worth a purchase, but then again with her I never have. Mariah Carey She seemed to get the balance right with TEOM; classic mixed with modern, so mabye if she advances that ie hip hop infuence but the belters are still there, her sales should remain respectable, although she could do a Janet Whitney Houston b*tch is past it Delta Goodrem This album will decide the rest of her career. I can't see her going for anything too different from what she's ever done before, so let's hope the public regain an interest in it. Anastacia Will sell double platinum perhaps? Mabye one big single Jennifer Lopez Eugh.. Desite her blatant copying of what a superior latin artist did two years ago [which was more successful and musically better to what Jen can ever hope of] I can't see it doing too much better than her last album. #1 album in the US, mabye here..but she has pretty much kicked herself with extreme overkill over the past five years, bad personal life decisions and bringing negative attention due to her fur wearing and attitude. Kylie Minogue Will be big [unfortunately] - but anything byher will be simply because it's ''Kylie'' she is a blank canvass for other people to work their magic. The Sugababes IMO they have past the sell by date. they may still be good, but not like they used to. When Mutya left they lost something..something she had. Girls Aloud as above ^^ I can't see this breaking 500K, although I haven't heard [nor do i want to] there newest single, although the dire title seems to say it all.. Kt Tunstall Will do well initially, but there is 1000 other female singer songwriters waiting to take her place

I don't think it has changed :mellow: There was a big double paged spread about it in The Independant yesterday, I could scan it later if anyone wanted.

thanks! On one hand im really not liking the singles chart, but loving the albums :lol: Do you know where BONNIE PINK is this week? Im quite gutted that the 10th anniversary momusu roups song didn't do well, I expected a top 10 at least :( Im also quite surprised at the fact Micro of Def Tech didn't snatch #1 in the albums! BoA's tour DVD debuted at #2 as well, beaten by news, which surprised me, though BoA has run out of steam imo. I'm in two minds on wether to buy the ZARD albums, isn't one fan favourites and the other her hits? I have some of her albums and singles, so I may pick them up, but isn't there another two, and a dvd lined up before the end of the year? It seems a horrible cash in on such a tragic death :( I'm really looking forward to the next few weeks of releases. Buriguri one week & hikki the next! :wub:

:mellow: They both suck, who cares? The Brilliant Green pwns all other bands <3 :lol:

I think there are big generalisations here. music is always evolving, just because a new genre has appeared, doesn't mean that theres something wrong, as the genres already in existance are constantly evolving, splitting into subs etc. Also the music of each individual country has recognizable styles e.g Britain and it's rock scene, the US with hip/hop, japan with it's enka. If you look at japan, there is such a diversity of artists, from the expected pop of Morning Musume and H!P, to real innovators of music in the world, such as Utada Hikaru & Shiina Ringo. No matter what age you are in, you'll always get the commercial tried and tested formulas. however, you'll also get the real artists keeping a respectable level of standard and trying new things.

ahh, thanks for the certifications, I always thought that but was never 100% wow akikawa, what's brought on this increase in sales? yeah I had noticed about GReeeeN's sales, I was thinking that was really good considering their first weeks, and that most artists usually sell half their units in that. hopefully more songs like this will make Oricon hurry up in allowing downloads in the chart, the including was probably frozen because of idol groups [JE, specifically, so ive heard] - I truly believe that's why people like Utada aren't shifting as many units as they used to, ever since the UB era downloads have been fierce for her.

thanks as usual :D The singles chart has been quite a topic this week, especially on jpopmusic. JE was obviously desperate for a #1 for H!S!7. Although I don't like THSK's song much more, I would've liked to see them at #1 over a jr group [with a bad song] :lol: . THSK had really good first weeks considering they are korean, did BoA even beat that in her prime?nice to see Otsuka Ai top 5 also, her sales aren't off too much from last week. ORANGE RANGE held onto sales very well imo! I expected a much sharper drop than that, and glad to see BONNIE PINK in the top 10 still, even though she fell out of the daily once or twice during the week - I think it should easily pass 100K Leah Dizon = :puke2: I just don't like her, she is awful live imo. However, im loving the momusu idea with this week, 5 of the popular members on it's anniversary releasing a song, even though it is quite dull. Goto Maki = :wub: Oh, I must ask as well, because im curious :P what are the status for gold platinum certifications, is it 100K for gold and 250K for platinum?

Well, my opinion on the subject: IMO, exams are not getting easier. There are plenty of explanations for it. a| I was discussing this with my French teacher before my AS oral, and the truth is the method of teaching is different. She said that when she was my age, she may have known more vocab than I do, but in terms of speaking and pronunciation, she wasn't as good as kids are these days at AS/A level. There is emphasis on different parts than what there used to. b| Lots of students are taking 'soft courses' ie instead of taking traditional subjects such as maths/history/english or a foreign language, are taking modern courses such as media studies and sociology. It's proven these are much easier courses, taking less intellectual demand, and now the 'market' as such is flooded with people waving a-levels and degrees in these subjects, thereby saturating fields of work. c| Exams are different Take for example, French. Wheras in the past it would totally based on the language itself, the course and exam now expands over different areas. Sure, the basis is still the language [naturaly] but students look at the language in context, keep up with the news of country. the modules themselves are about different aspects of France, and each one offers a wide selection of vocabulary etc. I mean my project this year is on the wether Sarkozy is right for France at the moment. The fact coursework exists also allows people to build up a grade before the exam, and remember that the AS mark counts as half of the A2. d| Students are taught what they need to know to pass the exams, nothing more, nothing less. Schools are interested only in the ratings given to them, and as such will try to get everyone through, they won't waste there time teaching something not on the syllabus, unfortunately. One of they reasons there are higher passes in exams. I had another point, it may come back to me later :lol: but it's not down to exams getting easier, or people getting smarter [iMO] - it is down to the fact that students are led through the course, the exams are different to what they were, and the fact that many people are taking easier soft courses than traditional subjects.

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