Extracts from The Justin Tedaldi /Jetwit interview from January 2009 (Published May)....Utada?s thoughts...relevant with the pleasure of hindsight....

http://jetwit.com/wordpress/2009/06/08/jq-interview-with-hikaru-utada-by-justin-tedaldi/

Q Tedaldi:
Where does this kind of reserve come from within you? How did you know you?d be able to deal with these things for all this time you?ve been a recording artist?

A Utada:
I guess, growing up, my mother was a very famous singer. I saw her picking jobs, or [having] to take jobs she didn?t want to do, just because of the record company making her do it, or?it just looked sad. It didn?t seem like the ideal environment for an artist, and I could see how frustrated she was and the bad effect it had on her. And then, my father was managing her in her later years as a singer, and he-as my manager-to begin with for my career as well, my father took extra care to make sure that I would have the control over what I want to do and what I don?t want to do, what I think I want to do and what I don?t need to do. And?we?ve had a very good relationship with the record companies and as management on the artist?s side, really. So I think that protection [and] freedom that came from-in the beginning, when I was too young to be aware of that kind of thing, and that?s when artists get caught up with all that, like they sign something that they don?t know what they?re signing, and they have to do all this stuff they didn?t know they had to do, and then they have all these problems with the record company later on because of their first contract and?they keep on changing management companies because they don?t get along well, and all this, but?it was sort of the same feeling and ideas about what the artist wants to do, and fortunately I?ve never had that problem, because my father has been the manager from the beginning.

Q Tedaldi:
What goals do you have in music, in life, anything else, in the future, and how do you want to be remembered?

A Utada:
Goals and?I really don?t have goals [laughs]. I never have goals or plans for the future.

Q Tedaldi:
It?s not a huge thing, basically, for this album to become the greatest thing that?s ever happened to the U.S.?

A Utada:
Well, that would be great if it happened, but it?s not something?I?ll do what I can on my part to try to make this happen for this project but?I think it?s silly to plan ahead-if you don?t know what?s going to happen tomorrow, then that might change everything, so what?s the point of planning? I just don?t have any life planning in me, because everything happened so unexpectedly, and things never happen the way you expect them to, and to me its better that way; I love that about life...................

But I do, eventually, want to take a long break and have kids and play with them for a while, that kind of thing, some time, but I don?t have any specific idea of when or where I want to live, or career-wise, what I want to do in the future?I have no idea.

Q Tedaldi:
And being remembered, is it the same?

A Utada:
Remembered?I?d like being remembered more as an artist than a celebrity, and an intelligent artist with integrity, honesty, an honest artist.

Comments and thoughts welcome ?