Last week, The Japan Times picked Hikaru Utada as the most influential artist of the past decade. This week, our writers ask various figures in Japan's music scene who they thought were the most influential artists of the noughties. We asked them to choose one Japanese artist and one non-Japanese artist, a task that proved to be difficult for some. Meanwhile, other musicians thought movements such as the Internet were the star of the decade rather than an actual performer. Here's what they said:
CRYSTAL KAY
SingerI think the most influential artist overseas was either Beyonce or Alicia Keys. On one hand, Beyonce, the whole world would agree, has accomplished so much and influenced so many artists. She's the ultimate. But I think Alicia is one of the greatest writers of the decade. I've seen her perform, she knows classical so you can hear that element in her songs, you can tell she is really interested in old-school soul and integrates it into her own style really well. She is a pure artist. Beyonce and Alicia are different categories, but Alicia has the newness, the oldness and her own style.
As for a Japanese artist, I'd definitely say Hikaru Utada. She is very artistic. She writes, self-produces and has created her own category of music. She is on point every time and has set some records.
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