Utada: 'I don't want to be a helpless adult'
Entertainment ( 38 )
TOKYO —
Singer Utada Hikaru, 27, attended a live broadcast of “Tokyo Hot 100” at J-wave’s Roppongi Hills studios on Sunday afternoon. The singer, who has stated her intention to take indefinite leave from the music industry from next year to “concentrate on being a person,” was asked about her decision by DJ Chris Peppler.
When he joked, “Does that mean you haven’t been a person until now?” Utada explained, “I didn’t want to become the kind of 40 or 50-year-old woman who can’t do anything without her manager’s help. I want to do things for myself, like managing my finances, thinking about the cost of living and doing what normal people do. If you’re 15 or 16, it’s cute to be looked after, but I don’t want to become a pampered, helpless adult. I don’t think it looks good.”
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38 Comments
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goddog
Such a smart young women.
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tokyokawasaki
Now all we need is for the vast majority of other J-women to think the same way.
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herefornow
Three cheers for an actual candidate for a role model for young J-women. More power to her, and best of luck.
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smithinjapan
I give this woman nothing but respect. She writes her own music (mostly), can actually sing, and has a lot of world experience. I'm not sure she CAN'T do the things she wants to while being a musician, but hey. Kudos.
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Jkanda
Wow, some posters sound very positive today. Kudos for that.
Set the trend Utada for the Jwomen. It's time Jwomen got used to making money by working hard. Not just grabbing off others :).
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IronBeard
Good girl! Get out there and experience more of the world :-)
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nisegaijin
What a nice picture!
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wtfftw
Good for her for sidestepping that lame joke and replying with a serious and respectful answer.
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Gurukun
What a nice picture!
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TokyoGas
Good on her. Lots more people in the entertainment industry should take note.
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gogogo
Call me Utada
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american_bengoshi
Too late!
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wawawasuremono
Is she admitting that America/English speaking world won't listen to music by Asians?
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NuckinFutz
I wish her nothing but the best of luck and lok forward to her return to the music industry! Not only does she have talent, but she's got the brains to take care of herself! Lots of respect from me!
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dokshinshatcho
she is clever ,very pretty and sings like a bird .. massive respect to her . yes nice picture too
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NationalistRE
Wow, I only started to appreciate her work when I became an adult. As a dumb male teenager I liked the young prettier looking twin-tailed Mai Kuraki alot more. Now when I listen and compare Secret of My Heart to Automatic I reflect on how much of a dumb kid I was.
Sadly, you might be right.
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JayJayE
One of the few J-pop stars I have time for. And I don't like J-pop. But she is a genuenly talented musician, writes almost all her own songs (not just the lyrics, everything) and doesn't act like a bimbo in interviews. And she's hot. Maybe that's why she's lasted so long.
I saw an interview with her on CNN (her English is practically native). She came across as a really intellegent but humble and down to earth girl.
I wish her all the luck in the world, and it's cool she doesn't want to be sheltered.
btw, I found out one of her favorite bands is Nine Inch Nails. Wicked! Who would of thought?
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wawawasuremono
I was that dumb kid too
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wawawasuremono
That song by Ayumi was great, I think it outsold Utada for 1999.
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EbiChiri
Typical of aging knucklehead Chris Peppler to ask such a stupid question of someone whom he knows is a mile above it. Good for Utada, you go girl !
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cracaphat
She looking all woman in this pic.A rarity with the usual pop bop B.S.Good on her for taking control of her life.Most certainly influenced through her life abroad.
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elbudamexicano
I think she is cut above the rest of these J pop singers. I really wish her the very best!
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Sarge
Chris Peppler: "Does that mean you haven't been a person until now?"
Idiotic question.
I can't believe Utada is already 27. Heck, she was just 16 when she released Automatic.
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geinoutsu
Wow, she's following in the path of her mother. The parallels are just too similar... I just hope she stays grounded and finds what she's looking for.
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IAMTHE1
I have so much respect for this woman. Especially after I saw her live in concert and was able to here how she was able to converse and interact with her audience. Nothing seemed rehearsed and it seemed like she was actually speaking from the heart as well.
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DentShop
Just have to market it right. Mainstream music isnt about taste, it is about manipulation. If she started partying with Lindsay and Paris - KAAACHING!!
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JackDorff
That Chris Peppler is a zany guy. He should be in manzai.
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noirgaijin
One of the most intelligent comments I have ever heard coming from a celeb on this site. Hope it works out for her, in most cases they want you to stay ignorant to what’s happening around you.
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Wakarimasen
She always looks good. Her sentiments are a bit pathetic though.....
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pamelot
I'm going to be the fly in the ointment. I think this girl is a bit pretentious, and I am not fooled. She's had a lot of breaks in her young life, many that others have not. If she wants to move on from her career, just do it- enough with the childish insipid remarks. No wonder Chris took a whack at her.
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geinoutsu
Actually, I have to agree with NeoJamal. She's very fortunate to have found the success that she has, especially at such a young age. She doesn't need to leave her job in order to be a normal person. There are many in the music industry who are down to earth despite being in the center of all the attention.
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saborichan
I don't think it's a bad question to ask - she's obviously been asking it of herself and he's feeding her a chance to explain herself to her fans.
I love the fact that she's had such an international experience and so is removed from the 'omg i wanna be a housewife, /cutegiggle/' mindset that a lot of unambitious J-girls can get into.
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fleetwood77
I do
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Karellen
It must be nice to live in a country where smart and talented women like Utada can be role models for their young women. In America we have: Sarah Palin, Kim kardashian, Snooki, Lady Gaga and Katy Perry.
And I notice that most of the people hating on this woman are Americans, what a surprise.
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Noliving
That isn't really a surprise when you consider the fact that she was born in New York and lived in the US for the first 12 years of her life.
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Sunjovi
Did she mean doing MBA during her break.
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c17ai
I was so surprised when I knew this news. She doesn’t know it takes some cost to live apartment? How come? I guess some rich people like Utada Hikaru don’t know how to pay utilities or it is not free. I think she is better than other people because she noticed and realized she has to learn how to live without her manager’s help as like normal people do. Maybe if other people notice they don’t know about like a utility they didn’t mind and keep pretend that they already knew it! So she is going to be nicer than now:)
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c07saori
I think she had made a right decision for leaving the music industry for a while. She has started her career as a singer since she was a teenager, and as she says, I can imagine she was pampered. I read an article about her on a gossip magazine, saying that she doesn't even know how much rent she is paying for a house where she lives. I believe it's going to be a good opportunity for her to become a refined, well-mannered and sophisticated woman, and I'm looking forward to seeing her when she is back to her career again. I'm sure she will succeed again because she has got a talent as a singer.
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