J-pop diva Utada Hikaru's long-awaited US debut Exodus has finally arrived, bringing funky and refreshing songs to the stale world of American pop.
New York-born Utada is no stranger to those familiar with the Japanese pop scene. Her 1999 debut First Love, was followed by two bombastic follow-ups: Distance and Deep River. The trio of best-selling albums demonstrated her talents in crossing over between traditional J-pop and American R&B, creating a new identity in the heavily commercialised pop scene.
Utada wrote all the songs on Exodus, which seems tailor-made for the American market. The odd disco beats on Devil Inside come as quite as a shock while the electro beats on The Workout are Bjork-esque.
But Utada is best at creating catchy tunes. Exodus '04, The Workout and Easy Breezy are terrific pop songs with a touch of J-pop. This album carries catchy melodies that flow eloquently, making Exodus a very addictive album.
