Never was that big of a Hikaru Utada fan. I did really like "Simple and Clean"/"Hikari" from Kingdom Hearts and "Movin' On Without You" but other than that, she didn't really leave much of an impression on me. When I discovered Shiina Ringo, however, I haven't been the same since. She has turned my music world upside down.

I was always more of an Ayumi Hamasaki guy anyway. But looking back on her now, Shiina Ringo has her outclassed in every regard, IMO. Unfortunately, she does not have her number of fans. :(

Both Utada and Ayumi are great, but Utada has the more distinct voice.

Still trying to figure out WTF Exodus was all about.......

No figuring necessary, it was crap.

I dislike Ayumi Hamasaki, I've tried, on more than once occasion, to understand her appeal. Just generic J-Pop. What's the difference between Ayumi and Koda Kumi?

Koda Kumi is more R&B and scandalous. @_@

NIMH, did you mean Ringo has the more distinct voice?

I listened to Hikki before Ringo but I've only casually liked her.

:lol: Wasn't looking for an answer, was making an unflattering comparison.

No, I was comparing Utada and Ayumi.

Ringo has the *most* distinct voice out of all three of them.

I love Hikki but I'd easily get by without her music if i were forced!
Shiina on the other hand is just plain essential!! after you hear her you don't wanna go without her through the good or the bad!

utada to ringo is a realistic transition because utada works within the pop boundaries while maintaining creative control over her work and an exploratory/experimental edge. Ringo furthers that by taking her music to the limits of what is considered "pop" but still functioning as such while imbibing it a heavy dose of experimental and classical elements.

so ringo is almost like a much more extreme example of someone like utada in some senses. as for people who want to complain about utada, listen to her last two albums and tell me there is anyone out there who sounds like her? She definitely pioneered her own sound in the pop direction, just as Ringo did, albeit in another vein.

I was prepared for Ringo, her voice didn't put me off at all, it attracted me.

I'm pretty sure Faye Wong's later works prepared me somewhat. And I did listen to alot of J-Pop like TBG and Utada b4 Shiina, so the language didn't bother me. Now I don't listen to any Japanese Music except for Shiina.

I can say it happened this way for me. Although the discovery of ringo-hime had nothing to do with hikki. Hikki was the first j-artist I liked, and did not obsess over another one till ringo-hime.

Although Exodus 04 was the first hikki album I heard, I thought it was so good... Wow my tastes are very very different from secret of the nimh and cjhobbies. I do come from a r&b and rap background though. I wonder what are your thoughts on hikki's first coulple of albums???

ayu-chan's voice is so nasal and piecing (not in a bad way) that her voice is so recognizable to me... So I would definately agree that her voice is more distinct...