Ahhh. What can I say that hasn't already been said about this beautiful Japanese-American siren? Her latest and third english album "This Is The One," is simply perfection at its best. Hikki does a great job blending beats with hip-hop...
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Ahhh. What can I say that hasn't already been said about this beautiful Japanese-American siren? Her latest and third english album "This Is The One," is simply perfection at its best. Hikki does a great job blending beats with hip-hop and r&b, mixing it into a cool and a very mellow drinkable concoction that tickles as it goes down. When I first initially listened to the track "Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence-FYI," I thought, "well isn't that nice? Giving a shout out to the guy that does Plankton's voice on SBSP's and Filburt Turtles' voice on Rocko's Modern Life." Then after a few more times listening to the track, it hit me like the proverbial "ton of bricks." The "Mr. Lawrence," was actually in reference to the 1983 film "Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence," or so I think. Either way, I'm not quite sure why Hikki decided to name the track so. Despite my many hours of fruitless searching as to why the track was dubbed as it was, I was nonetheless taken aback by her amazing voice. The piano and the violin intro reminded me of a lonely day in Japan, sitting under the sakura, while the blossoms bloomed all over my head. Then what is heard next is pure bliss. The piano and violin continue on while Hikki's voice croons amidst the back drop of fluid r&b beats. The lyrics are simple, sweet and flow from one word to the next. None of it seems forced and in no time I found myself boppin' my head from side to side and singing along. Nothing but the best from our dear Hikki. Some have said that this album isn't her best work. That this album is trying to cater too much to american listeners; but what most have forgotten, is that HIkki is partially American and debuted here in the States in 1998 with the album "Precious" under the name Cubic U. Granted, her earlier work is a bit too be desired, (which is mostly a matter of opinion), but she has grown in leaps and bounds in the 11 years that she's been gracing us. "Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence-FYI", as well as the rest of the album, is a real treat from Hikki as a uniquely, individual vocalist. Her voice, both in english and japanese, are something to be envied and once you listen, your hooked. I know that everyone is entitled to their own thoughts about "This Is The One," but don't let the seemingly new style fool your ears. This is the Hikki that we all know and love. Lets all give her our stamp of approval; and FYI, this song will definitely have you up all night.