黑膠電影院

循著日本眾多前輩「Pink Lady」、松田聖子、中森明菜、「美夢成真」等人腳步，宇多田也決心以英文歌闖蕩美國歌壇。其實以她從小在美國長大的背景，講了一口流利英文是她進軍美國最大的利器，也是前輩所不能企及的優點，但《Exodus》首周只有告示牌專輯榜第一百六十名的成績，讓宇多田栽了個大跟頭。

其實這不是宇多田首張以英文發聲的專輯，早在成名前，一九九八年她便以藝名「Cubic U」在美推出專輯《Precious》，收錄了十二首她創作的英文歌，及一首重唱「卡本特兄妹」（Carpenters）的成名曲《靠近你》（(They Long to be) Close to You）。不過這張專輯在美缺乏宣傳，銷售慘澹。但《Exodus》可不同了，宇多田頂著日本有史以來最暢銷藝人頭銜，在唱片公司安排下，與多位美國頂尖製作人如提姆巴蘭（Timbaland）等合作，沒想到仍是挫敗。

對我來說，聽慣了宇多田在日文專輯中的日式節奏藍調，《Exodus》取而代之的是一張充滿電子器樂、嘻哈節拍、另類搖滾的全新風格作，不見她原本擅長的轉音、飆高音，只有一堆重覆的重音節拍，聽起來有點煩悶。不過，這首電子感十足的《Devil Inside》融入鼓擊聲，雖非典型舞曲形式，但有點Drum & Bass感覺，是專輯中頗為突出之作，順利拿下告示牌舞曲點播榜冠軍。但舞曲榜一向都是紅歌不紅人，宇多田自然也無法讓美國樂迷留下深刻印象。

她出征美國的造型也很失敗，走日本風的慧黠小惡魔形象，似乎很難在強調豔麗、動感的美國歌壇中佔得一席之地。事隔五年後，她今年再度以全新英文專輯《This Is The One》挑戰，成績倒是稍好一點，拿下專輯榜第六十九名，單曲《Come Back to Me》也闖進前一百名。

《Devil Inside》
Everybody wants me to be their angel
Everybody wants something they can cradle

They don't know I burn
They don't know I burn
They don't know I burn
They don't know I burn

Maybe there's a devil (or something like it) inside
Maybe there's a devil (or something like it) inside of me
Devil (or something like it) inside
Maybe there's a devil somewhere really deep inside me
Devil inside of me
Jealous angel deep inside me

You don't know cuz you're too busy reading labels
You're missing all the action underneath my table

I'm waiting for my turn
Waiting for my turn
Just waiting for my turn
Just waiting for my turn

Maybe there's a devil (or something like it) inside
Maybe there's a devil (or something like it) inside of me
Devil (or something like it) inside
Maybe there's a devil somewhere really deep inside me
Devil inside of me
Jealous angel deep inside me

Time to make it burn
This is how I burn

Maybe there's a devil (or something like it) inside
Maybe there's a devil (or something like it) inside of me
Devil (or something like it) inside
Maybe there's a devil somewhere really deep inside me
Devil inside of me
Jealous angel deep inside me.