Finally, “This Is The One” comes out in the US today via digital download. We’ll still have to wait until May 12 to buy the hard copy CD. Don’t ask me why. I mean, the CD has already been released in Japan! While we wonder, you can download the sultry “Come Back To Me” video for free in the iTunes Store right here. (It’s like an arty version of “Easy Breezy”… is that good or bad? Download and decide!)

I’ve had the album in heavy rotation in my iPod and my conclusions are as follows:

Come Back To Me – I <3 this song. I've listened to it so much that when I listen to the rest of "This Is The One", "Come Back To Me" feels like a good oldie track.

Me Muero — Title Translation: “I’m dying”. Sad lyrics matched with upbeat samba. A very un-Jpop sound here. I like it.

Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence - FYI — I don’t know how you can go wrong with this hook from the Ryuichi Sakamoto classic. Everyone seems to love it. Me? You would think that I’m Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence’d out. I’ve got the original on 4 different compilation CDs at home. I’ve got the original 12″ vinyl pressing of Watergate’s trance remix from the 90s. I’ve even got a pounding hardcore rave version on some Shibuya dj mix cd! And yet I’m still loving Utada’s version. I have to admit it’s damn catchy when Utada goes “mp3, mp3″!

Apple And Cinnamon — Tied for my fave on the album. I like the stripped down arrangement of a big fat kick drum with piano on top.

Taking My Money Back — Could we call this song “electronic RnB” or “RnB electronica”? I like the minimal arrangement cause it really lets Utada’s vocal talents shine. Like “Apple and Cinnamon”, it’s got a fat kick drum with piano. The synth sounds that most people would expect in a trance track work really well in this slow groover. Fave line: “Cause the sex was so good and the talk was so smooth”.

This One (Crying Like A Child) — Tied for my fave on the album. I could see someone argue that it’s such a typical pop ballad, blah blah blah. I don’t care. It’s a great song. What surprises me is how well Utada pulls off lyrics with “A hundred JPEG files fillin’ up my heart” and “Honey, I’ve got your ringtone on my Blackberry”. Then again, she was the first person I know to sing “photoshop on our bad memories” in “Come Back To Me”.

Automatic Part II – A callback to the earlier RnB sounds of the “Automatic”, her first single oh so long ago in Japan. It took me a little while to warm up to the retro New Jack Swing sound, but the lyrics won me over: “Hello, my name is Utada, like la-dee-da-dee-dai-da”, “Find out all more me on MySpace and my newsletter, I’ll be glad to add you but I won’t give you my number”, “Do you like the way I rhyme? It’s pretty darn clever.”

Dirty Desire — This might be the new “Easy Breezy” track for me. (”Easy Breezy” made me cringe with its chorus.) I’m not sure about hearing Utada sing about “from 9-5, I’m thinking 6 to 9″. But I am sure that the first 10 seconds annoy me.

Poppin’ — This Girl Power song about teasing the boys by going Paris Hilton commando reminded me lyrically of something off Coco Lee’s American album. But better.

On And On — The club track of the album. Not earth shattering but I’m always a sucker for dance tracks. This would work nicely in the typical NYC hip hop and RnB club mix on a Saturday nite.

Even tho a couple songs don’t hit me 100%, this album is going to please a lot of people — especially the American pop RnB crowd. The entire album is top notch music. Utada once reminded me that she’s both the singer and the songwriter for all her own songs. Her American reinvention with “This Is The One” should finally lay to rest any doubts of how incredibly versatile her talent is, transcending the borders of both American and Japanese pop.
Bottom line: Utada’s finally here, America!