There’s no denying that Utada Hikaru is one of the few artists that still writes all of her music. It seems like a lot of this “independent artist” stuff is dying, which is unfortunate to see. Today’s song of the day is off of Utada’s second English album entitled “This Is The One.” The song is entitled “Apple and Cinnamon.” More »

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Traffic on Ningin has been great! We’ve been growing every month and it’s all thanks to you guys. More traffic also means a bigger budget for prizes and giveaways. So we’re going to be dipping into our stash of albums and do something no website has done before. Starting July 1st and for all 31 days of July, we’ll be giving out a free album to a random registered user. More details after the jump. More »

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We just got word from Utada’s publicist that Utada has postponed all of her in-store appearances this week. Utada’s been diagnosed with an acute case of relapsing peritonsillitis. (I’m not a doctor but I think in simple English that means she has a tonsil infection.) We were told that under doctors orders she has to take it easy for two weeks, then she should have a full recovery. More »

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At long last next Tuesday, May 12, Utada’s “This Is The One” finally gets released in American record stores. In March (Yes, way back in March), “This Is The One” was released digitally in the US market. It debuted at #20 on the iTunes overall Album chart and #2 on the iTunes Pop Album chart. Utada became the first Japanese artist to break the Top 20 Album chart on the iTunes US Store (or is that Japanese-American artist?). More »

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With the United States release of Utada’s second English album “This Is The One” drawing closer, Utada and Myspace Karaoke have joined forces to promote the album. More »

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There’s a lot of chitchat about Utada’s new American album “This Is The One”. And not just about the music, but the album art too. Few people thought the album art for the “Come Back To Me” single would also remain the album art for “This Is The One”.

Ningin asked a few graphic designers what they thought about “This Is The One” from a design standpoint. Their musical tastes were not a factor. More »

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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: More »

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Utada has been pretty busy since we last interviewed her. Faithful Utada fans should have already seen her LA video by now. Only a few more weeks till Utada’s new album is coming out. I know I’m very excited. In the meantime, here’s a small Utada fix that will help pass the time – Utada Contest #2 for an autographed Exodus album. More »

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Utada’s been out in full force these past few weeks to get herself known in mainstream America. Island Def Jam (Utada’s American record label) sent us this cool little video of what Utada’s been doing out in LA—during the Grammys! With four weeks left to go until the release of This Is The One, Utada is out there making lots of friends — and new fans! More »

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So you’ve probably heard by now. Utada sat down with Ningin ningens David, Hoc and Megu for a casual interview 27 floors up on the West side of Manhattan. Her upcoming English language album, This Is The One, is set for a March debut and will be released in America and Japan. The second of two parts, Utada talked about how she “ought to” plan a tour, video games, and being thankful for every moment. More »

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While David was chatting away with Utada, I was sitting on the couch with Utada’s father and manager, Teruzane Utada. Oh man, is he a cool guy! It’s too bad I can’t share some of the stories he told me about Utada. Perhaps one day I can…

Thanks to Mr. Utada, we have the following autographed photo of Utada which we’ll be giving away to a lucky fan. All you have to do is send a private message to “utada_contest” with the message, “I Heart Utada” and that’s it! More »

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Utada was back in New York City this past week and somehow found the time to meet with Ningin ningens David, Hoc and Megu. No Ningin camera crew this time. Just a casual interview 27 floors up on the West side of Manhattan with Utada and her father. Utada was lounging out like it was a lazy Sunday with just a T-shirt, jeans and an ear flapped knit cap - except it was Monday. Her upcoming English language album, This Is The One, is set for a March debut and will be released in America and Japan. In this first of two parts, Utada talked about record label politics and writing her new album. More »

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