Originally Posted by merman
Shinji, I'd just like to remind you no one was comparing her lyrics to Ringo's. Apart from the Honnou mention, which anyway wasn't "Ringo Japanese vs. Utada English" comparison, but an example of good lyrics with sexual content in Japanese.
|
That's one thing.
But then the discussion presented other arguments, mainly the fact that people may be looking at Utada's lyrics in a wrong perspective. Expecting them to be as "mature" or "complex" as the lyrics by other artists. One example I gave was Ringo's lyrics compared to Utada's. Utada talks about "Sipping Chardonnay on all working hours" or "Reading old e-mails on her pajamas" or how the way she rhymes "Is pretty darn clever". She's more "explicit", I guess. Like Katy Perry for example. She goes and says she kissed a girl and she liked it and there's no other way to see it. Ringo lyrics, on the other hand, are more about Benji smacking her head with his guitar.
Different artists mean different approaches to music and their lyrics. So people shouldn't label the lyrics as "bad" just because they are "slutty" and/or "silly". You don't label a comedy film bad because it made you laugh, or a drama film because it made you cry. I think the same can be applied to music. (You also shouldn't label a comedy bad if it makes you cry or vice-versa, btw.)
I understand that people may not like "slutty" lyrics or don't indentify at all with Utada's songs. But that doesn't necessarily mean the lyrics are bad, it just means you don't like the "category" they fit in. Unless I'm completely wrong and all these years Pop and R'n'B was not about love, break-ups, sex and parties.