Introducing…hitomi

hitomi. One name, like Beyoncé. All in lowercase, like an edgy teen. For some reason, when I first discovered JPop, hitomi was the artist I saw put together with the big 4 divas- Ayu, Namie, Utada and Kuu. She wasn’t quite placed with them, but sort of below them? A comparison figure, but not quite a contemporary. And it makes sense- hitomi started her career slightly earlier than those three, and peaked a lot lower. Regardless, she’s still put out one hell of a discography and is an icon in her own right. That and she has the best album covers I’ve ever seen, so she deserves her place in this series!

Japanese Girl- (2005)

Gwen Stefani called and she wants her song back! Honestly, the mid 00s pop production of this, paired with the Japanese aesthetic Gwen adopted for the iconic Love Angel Music Baby (which nowadays woul be received so much differently, but she gave us Cool so) fit in perfectly with this Western sounding bop. As well as this, I find Japanese girl is a shift in hitomis own musical output- from the slightly moody pop rock she grew into creating in her early 20s to the dancier, electronic music she made later in her career. Electric guitars give way a static, beating synth in the second verse, which gives the song a regular, pulse like feel. hitomis vocals follow this same straight line approach, but the autotune allows her to be warped and twisted, working her way around the beat like it’s one and the same. This gives way in the pre chorus to a raw, unfiltered shouting performance, crashing into a chant chorus- just as it becomes too much and threatens on becoming boring, the bridge comes in and slows everything down- hitomi sounds like she is slowly sinking below the beat- then all of a sudden she fights back! A shout of ‘I am Japanese!’ is the climax of the song, with the final chorus seeing the guitars and synths meeting as one- a true mix of two facets of hitomi meeting. It’s a defiant, stomping show of patriotism which has a distinctly nostalgic pop feel that is familiar to anyone.

SPEED☆STAR- (2004)

The second song of this title I’ve written about- maybe it’s a Japanese thing?! A much more pop rock approach than Namie’s, this optimistic, guitar driven track is hitomi as her peak- it’s slightly longer than it needs to be, she sounds like someone’s squeezing her nose when she sings and she’s giving no energy in the video- and we love it! Lyrically, like all hitomi songs, she takes a slightly oddball perspective of life- here she seems to be pondering time, and outrunning it to change her fate. It could potentially be taken as a quarter life crisis, but the crisp, upbeat, noisy production and her cheery delivery, along with the slightly campy, slightly sexy, colourful video, suggests it’s not something hitomi is worried about, moreso a challenge she looks forward to overcoming.

Private Flower- (2011)

Taken from 2011s Spirit, hitomis first indie album, I had to hunt high and low to find a download link for it. Unfortunately there is no video for this song, but if you’re that curious I can hook you up with a download link. The first album that saw hitomi fully transition into dance electronica, this song is something of a hybrid between a Kylie Minogue disco track and something Girls Generation would’ve had on their second Japanese album. An explosion of 8bit esque noise culminates in a sexy synth, where deep moans can be heard, before hitomis hypnotising, autotuned vocal takes over, delivering what sounds like a command more than anything. A criminally underrated album, few will ever hear this true gem in her collection I fear, but I will still enjoy the pulsing, pushing feel of the song as dance music excellence.

WISH- (1999)

Now, don’t tell my Dad this, but I think I like this because it barks back to the late 90s moody white man soft rock music he likes and I listened to growing up. And I guess me liking this shows I have positive reinforcement with those memories. But dad don’t @ me it’s still crap. Anyway this song very much evokes a turn of the century Keane type vibe, with a mellow guitar and a melancholic vocal combining for a self-depreciating, wistful tone. It fits in perfectly with the lyrics, describing the heart-breaking reality of adult relationships, and going about them- getting your hopes up, having your feelings hurt and then picking yourself up. Like a lot of hitomis lyrics they aren’t a story but more so evoke a poetic mood, encapsulating a woman in her early 20s just trying to muddle her way through, not losing hope but still feeling a little down. The added usage of a harmonica is a weird, but welcome addition to make the song stand out as one of my favourites in her discography.

UpDown- (2012)

A slightly later in life dance floor revival? Very Cher lite. This over the top, auto turned to hell and back is hitomi at her most electronic dance floor crazy. With a slight Lady Gaga ‘The Fame’ feel, up down features booming synths in the verses, leading into a minimalist chorus until the chorus kicks in in full swing- the constant build up and down is matched by hitomis vocals going all over the shop, warped to high, almost nightcore levels and then dragged down to an almost demonic Esque low. More music than artist, updown is from hitomis last (for now) full album, which is a shame as it’s an interesting development in sound for an artist who mainly stuck to the rockier side of pop compared to her contemporaries in her heyday.

Candy Girl- (1995)

Not her debut single, but her first hit! Overall her biggest song, I think Candy Girl is one of those nostalgic tunes everyone knows and enjoys (I’m not sure, I’m not Japanese). Candy Girl is loud, brash, bratty and oh so fun- a sizzling electric guitar into descends into a pit of 90s pop- there’s synths, there’s drums, there’s guitars. It’s loud, banging and thrashing and a good time was had by all, most of all hitomi. She sounds truly free here, unafraid to just get behind the mic and yell, no matter what sort of sound comes out. The youthful exuberance and excitement is palpable in this one and it’s no wonder it’s her most remembered song. A perfect, catchy, mid 90s JPop bop, I love to this day!

Understanding- (2002)

Taken from hitomis second best album ‘Self Portrait’, Understanding is a breezy rock tune, with a reflective feel. The starting industrial synths sound almost like metal being scrapped before guitars and drums kick in to lighten the mood- hitomi sounds bright, hopeful and ever present, front and centre with the production lifting up her thin, high vocal, as opposed to allowing her to drown in a heavier sound. The bridge in particular fades away to just hitomi and a guitar giving an intimate, revelationary feel to a song all about coming to terms with the ups and downs of life. As well a lot of hitomi songs, lyrics that might otherwise seem dark are given an airier feel, and the sense that she takes things in her stride and just gets on with life, both the good and bad instead of letting it get her down.

I Am- (2001)

Is it just a rule that every Inu Yasha theme has to be good? An eager electric guitar riff accompanies hitomis intro, sounding like she’s bursting towards hope- that burst comes in, you guessed it, a pop rock arrangement! This is easily the happiest song on the list in terms of the evocation of pure elation, with a bouncy, very anime esque progression- this song just tows the line into being slightly OTT and schmaltzy in parts- you can tell it was made for tv and doesn’t have hitomis distinct moodiness. Regardless it’s still an excellent song and another side of her as an artist which is interesting to see.

In the Future- (1996)

Sounds like what a ‘this is what the year 2020 will look like’ exhibit from the late 90s, In The Future is the kind of industrial pop that hitomis slightly left field approach to lyrics and vocals fits in perfect non harmony with. Possesing a chanting, choir esque chorus, there is a certain urgency that seemed to be present in turn of the millennium Jpop- a questioning of what was to come. However, the verses are significantly brighter and this comes through in the lyrics, where hitomi is hoping that the monotony of her current life can change and the future is a more exciting prospect. She also rocks some banging outfits in the video, probably my favourite of hers.

KiminiKISS- (2000)

Stuck somewhere between a ballad and a mid-tempo rock song, KiminiKISS is the most early 00s J-Pop sounding song I know. Which might sound weird, given hitomis relative b list status that she of all people achieved such a thing, but well, I guess it just shows how she is of her era. Another mellowed out pop rock guitar driven song, KiminiKISS is the most calming of those listed- the energy she’s giving off is one of reflection and subdued understanding. Lyrically it’s a promise of unconditional love- even when she feels down, she’s going to do her best to be with the person of her affection, as it’s all she needs. Given hitomis long standing adoration of Madonna, it wouldn’t surprise me if this was directly influenced by the Ray of Light era and its spiritual awakenings- it feels like a rebirth, into a land unafraid of what’s to come as love is all hitomi needs.

So, when all is said and done, hitomi is something of an anomaly to me- having never had a huge smash hit single, or album, she’s somewhat of a B-tier player in the ranking of JPop divas. However, her consistency- she released generally successful albums for over ten years- is nothing to laugh at and she’s definetly worthy of her praise. Although she now seems to be content being a full time yummy mummy and beauty blogger, she left behind some really interesting, thought provoking lyrics, and is the ultimate fully fledged pop rock beauty diva of her age. I hope you enjoyed this whirlwind tour of hitomi and tune in next time!