Conversation so far:
When did Utada Hikaru try the international market?
Utada Hikaru released her English-language debut album Precious in early 1998.
Was Utada Hikaru's album Precious popular?
Utada Hikaru's Precious albumwas a commercial failure.
Was Utada Hiraku's album Precious popular worldwide or was this before her cross-over to the international market?
Utada Hikaru's Precious album was released before her cross-over to the international market.
Did Utada Hiraku leave Japan during the time she tried to cross-over to the international market?
Utada Hikaru moved back to New York in 2004.
What did Utada Hiraku do in New York?
Utada Hikaru began work on a new recording contract with Island Def Jam Music Group.
Did Utada Hikaru make albums or songs with Def Jam Music Group?
Utada Hikaru made the album Exodus from which four singles were released.
Was the Utada Hikaru album Exodus popular, too?
Exodus debuted at #1 and boasted of 500,000 copies sold in its first week in Japan. American sales were not as successful and it only reached #160 in the US Billboard chart.

Question: Was this popular in the US where she made it?
Self-contained rewrite: Was Exodus popular in the US where Utada Hikaru recorded it?