It is no surprise that music tastes in Japan differ from those in the US. Sometimes music is universal, but most of the time it is very specific to the region it was produced in. An extreme example of this is anything and everything released by Krary Pamyu Pamyu. For those who don't know who she is, I'll just leave this music video here and leave it at that. You'll get the point I'm trying to make.
Anyways, back on track to Utada Hikaru. In 2009, she released an English album: This is the One under the artist name Utada. Her first English album was released in 2004 called Exodus which had more of an underground following. This is the One, however, was absolutely catered to a wider audience. America is often known for having very avid hip hop and R&B fans, and this album reflects that. Utada aimed to make the album more relatable to a general audience in America. The main single of the album is a track called "Come Back To Me."
If you compare the track to anything she released in Japan before, it is obviously different. But I think this just adds to her music prowess: adapt to your surroundings. Even with an increased following of all Japanese things related, I feel that songs catered to a Japanese audience won't make a big splash in the US. Unlike the recent phenomenon of K-Pop, J-Pop has a very different feel. The very meanings of cute and sexy do not translate the same way in Japan as they do in Korea. There are always exceptions (Like BoA, a Korean artist who has produced numerous songs in Japanese) but the differences are apparent.
This album was unique and I think innovative. She recreated her image to fit an American audience and I think it succeeded. My favorite song on the album is "Apple and Cinnamon." It has a very catchy rhythm and with the R&B feel to the song, you can really feel the passion in her voice.
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