Keiko Utsumi -- Chiisana Touhikou（小さな逃避行）

Once again, I've found another singer from the 1990s who I had never heard about but I've managed to pick her out of the bottom 9/10ths of the music iceberg.

This is Keiko Utsumi（宇都美慶子）from Mie Prefecture who debuted in 1990 and has thus far released 10 albums and 15 singles. Her 4th album "Renai Shosetsu"（恋愛小説...Love Novel）from September 1992 provided this bubbly pop treat, "Chiisana Touhikou" (A Little Elopement).

The reason that I picked this one out is that "Chiisana Touhikou" was written and composed by Etsuko Yamakawa（山川恵津子）, a songwriter who can concoct some very nice pop songs. And this one has got quite a nice skippy hook to it...rather whimsical, I can say. Yamakawa's lyrics have Utsumi singing about a woman who is at a party (perhaps it's a shower before the wedding or a party early in the marriage with friends) and seriously/jokingly thinking whether to flee elsewhere...sans hubby/fiance. Perhaps she's thinking that the prospect of settling down is not all that it's cracked up to be. However, considering the upbeat tone of the melody, I think it's more of the not-so-serious What If type of situation. The guy ought to be grateful.

According to her website, Utsumi's influences include Diana Ross and Whitney Houston, and is currently into The Corrs and Natalie Imbruglia.