I can definitely attest on this one. Not only was I introduced to SR through Utada, once I heard Ringo, Utada didn't seem quite as gifted anymore.

I think some of it has to do with what you're looking for in music. If you like Japanese ladies with a microphone but you aren't into the bubblegum pop that makes up a lot of Jpop, you'll like Utada. She is edgier, more experimental, and has more complex arrangements than most, and she's so ridiculously popular (especially a few years ago) that you WILL run across her.

That said, if you like any of those things, well, SR has her beat.

I don't like the complete discography for any artist. People regard Shouso Strip to be the greatest of Shiina's solo stuff and I still don't really care for the album. I don't like majority of Utada's Distance and First Love albums, but I don't feel any less of a fan of either.

But I do own a most of AI, Gackt and BoA that I don't listen to often anymore. If I'm in the mood for it I will but hardly happens. I did at one point own all of the Beat Crusaders stuff. Terrible band I feel. Another Day Another Story is the only song I like.

I feel like I get a very different experience from them both. I don't feel like they are as easily comparable as other artists.

Eg. MEG vs Aira Mitsuki ; Koda Kumi or Hiyori Lee vs Namie Amuro

Utada and Shiina aren't as easily identified as a particular genre to say one excels at something the other does as well.

If you simply like Shiina more though that's cool. We all grow out things.

To what Canti said a page ago >.>

Yeah, I'm a native from Unet ^^ And since I was introduced to Shiina by Canti...so it's not really as if I found shiina because of Hikaru...I just happened to get involved in a conversation that was going around...I guess XD

And I've never listened to an artist with a "perfect" discography. To me before there were any other artist...there was Hikaru. Sure there might be songs that don't "rub" me the right way, but doesn't this happen with everyone? Take some of you for example...I've read that some of you don't like O.S.C.A, but I love that song, as it was the first SR/TJ song I listened to ^^

As for Hikaru's attitude. I really don't see anything wrong with her...I for one like how she sometimes expresses herself harshly XD everyone has their "quirks." But to each their own, right?

And I also believe that Hikaru is very talented or "gifted" ^^ To me she doesn't sound like the "regular" J-poper, she's more than that. Because if she weren't, well, I would have most likely never bothered becoming a fan of hers or going out of my way to drive for 6 hours non-stop to see her in Vegas :P

I'm also not going to say that I became a fan of Ringo because I thought she was more than Hikaru, more like; I became a fan, because like Hikaru...Shiina possesed something more than the average muscician ^^ I didn't find out that Hikaru and Shiina had collaborated in a song untill I found out in Utaite Myouri. At first, Hikaru's voice sounded way more powerfull to me and at first I felt that Shiina didn't compare much. But I can't really say one is better than the other now, it'b be just wrong to do so. Because both ladies have such DIFFERENT styles :) and that's what I really love about them both XD

All in all...even though I've become a fan of Shiina and her TJ work...I will always have a special place for Hikaru :)

You'd need to post Marunouchi Sadistic on the Utada fansite with a poll that said "do you like this?" yes or no. And then for a controlled test repeat on a forum that listens to white noise.

When I was in Japan I remember First Love being everywhere, orgel style (played with a music box, just like this) in department store, and I kind of greeted it as a guilty pleasure I really liked without knowing who it was, but then I also like music boxes in general. That makes me sound like I have the music taste of a two-month old infant, but those kind of sounds sort of turn up on SR demos and the Stem single as well… And they’re a nice crystal blue / white colour synesthesically.

Automatic was also the first Japanese song I ever sung at karaoke after first hearing it in my ex’s car. So I’m kind of a natural somewhat random fan of Utada’s melodies, because I would always have to get past a “this is too mainstream music for me to really like” barrier. But actually a lot of SR was like that as well to start with. Exodus was the other big one when posters of it came out over here, like a piece of Japan memory, and Easy Breezy is a tuuune, so for those reason in particular I wished it were more successful. Living in Japan without being able to read or speak very well, the most visible and easy to understand parts of my generation’s culture had a lot of meaning and I remember Utada, Ayumi Hamasaki and Namie Amuro very well (didn’t know SR at all though!!)

I don’t know why but SR and Utada do kind of seem to compare to each other, there’s probably quite a strong 90s indie and R&B influence to both of their earlier albums, but while I’m very, very into SS or KZK, SR is very complicated melodically. That’s a good thing and her melodies are why I’m a fan, but you can’t exactly chill to them. Comparing to SR, something like this jazzy Acoustic version of Automatic feels like “breathing” again, if that makes sense.

So anyway, I like this theory. And I miss the days when I thought of SR as an “experimental” artist…

At the risk of sounding negative and depressing...

Utada and Ayumi Hamasaki are both seppuku-inducing music. Utada has this rotten, plastic R&B sound that's no different than Western pop singers'.

I have a feeling that Ringo's music would weird out most of Utada's Japanese fans.

One of them is an EMI queen, and the other is an Avex queen. I can sigh about how the market elevates those women to that status, but I can't blame any particular record label for offering something they know is acceptable to consumers.

I like both to an extent. That's all there is.

I guess you haven't listened to Ultra Blue and Heart Station then. both are great album that are quite different to her early R&B stuff and are much more pop. about half of Deep River is also great

Yeah they're pseudo-experimental elevator music in vein of Faye Wong. (I'm Chinese Canadian and I avoid insipid mandopop like that at all cost) Maybe there's exotic (image) appeal...but come on, she's basically the Japanese version of Celine Dion, except she writes her own lyrics.

Don't take my words 100% seriously though, because I only like crazy chicks...

Her mother Keiko Fuji however is one of the greatest enka singers.