I’ve been a fan of Japanese music for several years now but only just now decided to look into Utada Hikaru’s music. Of her albums preceding Ultra Blue, this is by far my favorite work of hers. I was pulled in by the nostalgic and bittersweet sound of Sakura Drops and then immediately hooked by the catchy tune of Traveling. The album continued to exceed my expectations, with Letters and Final Distance being my personal favorites. Even the tracks I was not super fond of at first (ASAP, Shiawase ni Narou) significantly grew on me after a few listens, and now I thoroughly enjoy every track on the album. And of course, Hikari/Simple and Clean is a great final track. If you are a fan of Utada or just 2000’s J-pop in general, I highly recommend this.

Some of her best work. She really makes music that I can feel in my soul. It’s so beautiful and magical. I actually have lyrics from Sakura Drops on the tops of my feet because they helped me through a rough time in my life. My greatest dream is to see her perform live. Sadly I live in the states and she rarely performs.

This without a doubt, is my favorite album from her. Love all the different beats and rhythm of every song on this album - in true Hikki fashion!