Hikaru Utada’s “HEART STATION” PV

Hikaru Utada has been hyping her new single HEART STATION for the past month already and the looming February 20 release date is creeping up slowly…ever so slowly. The world finally gets a glimpse of the PV tonight and all I can offer is a disappointed sigh. The song is brilliant, that much is for certain; Utada has been incapable of releasing anything less than “pretty good” since Deep River in 2002, and this is coming from someone who used to hate the woman. It’s art-poppy and nostaligic in the saddest, most brilliant possible way, with minimal synths and breathy vocals, the same season Ami Suzuki is releasing “Bitter…” to promote the upcoming album DOLCE and at what point does it stop being coincidence?, and frankly, I’m just satisfied those whiney winter ballads are finally out of the way (thanks denominational holiday). But for a song so rich in elegance, wherefore art thou meaningful promotional video?

Utada is depicted wearing white amidst a crowd painted black to resemble shadowed, non-entities. Ooh. Symbolismmm.

Seriously, this is the entire promotional video. Utada struts around, making seemingly longing glances toward the camera, occasionally popping her eyes in a freaky attempt at imploring the viewer, who is for all purposes, a fellow rider who just can’t stop staring at the lady lip-synching to her headphones for all of four minutes and thirty-three seconds.

“Can you hear me? Say something,” she whispers between choruses. Or do something.

Utada takes her headphones off and exits the train, which has cleared considerably since the beginning of the ride. The closure we’re waiting for in regards to the opening shot of dramatically paning out of her eyeball is never offered. Dreariness of the mundance, everydayness of life? Longing for a destiny beyond our control? The world will never know and the world will cease to care shortly after. Hey guys, remember this little gem? Exactly.

HEART STATION PV ░ [ View ]