Utada Hikaru (Japanese: 宇多田ヒカル), born January 19, 1983, in New York City, U… Read Full Bio ↴Utada Hikaru (Japanese: 宇多田ヒカル), born January 19, 1983, in New York City, United States, also known by her fan-nickname "ヒッキー" (Hikki), is a third culture singer, composer, arranger, and record producer in Japan and the United States. Hikaru's music is primarily pop and R&B and sometimes incorporates other musical elements such as rock and electronica among others.

Hikaru Utada was born to Japanese parents who both had roots in the Japanese music industry; her father, Teruzane Utada, was a producer, while her mother, Junko Utada, was an enka singer (she performed under the stage name Keiko Fuji (藤圭子). Utada Hikaru has been recording since 1993. She made her first professional recording at the age of twelve, and recorded her first album, Precious, in 1996 under the pseudonym Cubic U. This album led to her career overseas. In an interview for MTV's, You Hear It First, Hikaru said: "Someone in Japan heard it, at a Japanese record company, and he said, 'Oh, can't you write in Japanese? You speak Japanese.' And I didn't want to say no, so I had to try it."

Hikaru moved to Tokyo in late 1997 and attended Seisen International School, and later the American School in Japan while continuing to record on a new contract with Toshiba-EMI. Unlike other pop stars at the time, she was more focused on becoming a singer and songwriter while other Japanese female singers were attempting to become idols. Leading up to the release of her Japanese debut album "First Love", Hikaru released two successful million-selling singles: "Automatic/ time will tell" and "Movin' on without you". "Automatic/Time Will Tell" sold over two million copies. Backed by her singles, First Love went on to sell over 7 million units in Japan alone (with an additional 3 million overseas, bringing it to a sum of at least 10 million units), becoming the highest-selling album in Japan's history.

After a two-year break, Hikaru released her follow up album "Distance", garnering first-week sales of 3 million units sold. Backed by her singles — "Addicted to You", "Wait & See ~リスク~", "For You / タイム・リミット" and "Can You Keep a Secret?" — Distance became the best-selling album of the year, with almost 5 million copies sold in Japan alone. Additionally, "Addicted to You" became Hikaru's best-selling single, selling one million in its first week. Hikaru went on to release a single which was dedicated to the female victim of a murder case in Ikeda, Osaka, titled "Final Distance".

Leading up to the third album, "Deep River", Hikaru released "traveling", "光", and "SAKURAドロップス"; all the songs reached the top of the charts. Deep River sold 2.35 million copies in its first week. Oricon reported that sales eventually surpassed 3.6 million, making Utada the only act in Japanese music history to have three consecutive albums surpass the three million mark. The album was cited by many fans and critics as Hikaru's most acclaimed work, as well as achieving the Triple Crown at the 17th Golden Disc Awards in Japan. Later, she attempted to break into the US market under her stage name Utada with her album Exodus.

A year after the release of Exodus, Hikaru moved back to Tokyo and started work on her next album. Leading up to the release of her fourth album, "Ultra Blue", Hikaru released a string of successful hit singles: "COLORS" (no. 1), "誰かの願いが叶うころ" (no. 1), "Be My Last", (no. 1), "Passion" (no. 4), and "Keep Tryin'" (no. 2). The digital single "This Is Love" was released to promote the album, netting around one million digital downloads. Ultra Blue sold 500,317 copies in the first week, lower than that of the previous album, although it still topped the Oricon Daily, Weekly, and Monthly charts. Ultra Blue gave the artist her fifth consecutive chart-topping Japanese album (excluding her English album) to sell in excess of 500,000 copies for first-week sales. On July 13, Toshiba EMI published a report stating that Ultra Blue had sold over one million copies worldwide and four million digital ringtones already making it one of EMI's 10th best-selling albums of the past year.

A tour of Japan, "Utada United 2006," commenced on June 30th, 2006 (Two weeks after Ultra Blue's release) and ended on September 12th, 2006, after Hikaru Utada's performances at Yoyogi. Ticket sales started on May 28th, 2006, with the majority of venues selling out in less than two hours.

Hikaru Utada released the single "Flavor of Life" on February 28th, 2007. Her next single, "Beautiful World / Kiss & Cry", was released in Japan on August 29th, 2007 - A track which also doubled as the theme song to the anime movie "Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone".

On February 20th, 2008, she released her 20th Japanese single, HEART STATION/Stay Gold which reached #1 on Japan’s weekly radio charts, which was followed shortly after by her 6th Japanese studio album, HEART STATION released on the 19th of March 2008. Hikaru intended to go for a "simpler" approach for the album; she stated, "From the beginning, I had always intended to make this album easier to listen to so anyone can enjoy it. I always aimed for a simple melody, simple lyrics and a simple message rather than over-complicating it all. But overall, I had a lot of fun making this album." Utada then returned to the US market, releasing This Is the One. She also went on tour with 'Utada: In the Flesh', playing in cities around the world, such as Los Angeles, New York, and London.

On August 9, 2010, Hikaru announced on her personal blog that beginning in 2011, she would go on an indefinite hiatus, citing fatigue since her debut 12 years previously. She also stated a need for rest, to study new things and learn more about the world, as well as see to some personal matters. It was unclear as for how long this break would last and if she would ever return to the music scene. Before the hiatus began, she said that she would go "full throttle" on her artistic activities, and soon after her site was updated, a new compilation album, "Utada Hikaru Single Collection Vol. 2", was announced, with a release date of November 24, 2010. This new album would include all her Japanese singles from "誰かの願いが叶うころ" to "Prisoner of Love" on disc one, as well as an extra EP, featuring five new tracks.

From November 24, 2010, first-week sales for Utada Hikaru Single Collection Vol. 2 were 231,000 units according to Oricon album daily charting. On April 10, 2011, Utada won the award for "Best Conceptual Video" in the SpaceShowerTV Music Video Awards for the PV for "Goodbye Happiness", which also marked her directorial debut. An announcement was made that Utada would perform a two-night concert titled Wild Life at Yokohama Arena to promote the album, her first Japanese concert since 2006's Utada United.

On August 8, 2016, her sixth Japanese album's title was released: "Fantôme", French for "ghost". Following its release on September 28, Fantôme was commercially and critically successful. It debuted atop the Oricon Albums Chart and stayed there for four consecutive weeks, the most of any Utada studio album since First Love. It was awarded Album of the Year at the Japan Record Awards and received positive reviews from media outlets. Musically, Fantôme is a collection of tracks that emphasize acoustic and stripped-down instrumentation, alongside influences of pop, electronic, and R&B music. The lyrical content delves into themes of grief, sadness, love, and death, mostly influenced by the death of her mother, her second marriage, and the birth of her son in 2015.

Hikaru's seventh album, "初恋", was released on June 27, 2018. The release coincided with the commemoration of her 20th anniversary as an artist in Japan. A national tour was announced to support the album in November 2018, "Laughter in the Dark 2018", her first Japan concert tour in 12 years. It is currently available on iTunes for digital download and Netflix for streaming.

Hikaru released her eighth album, "BADモード" on January 19, 2022. It features production from musicians such as Skrillex and A. G. Cook.

Official sites:
www.emimusic.jp/hikki
http://www.u3music.com/

夕凪
宇多田ヒカル Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

鏡のような海に
小舟が傷を残す

全てが例外なく
必ず必ず
いつかは終わります
これからも変わらず

こんなに穏やかな時間を
あなたと過ごすのは
何年振りでしょうか

落とさぬように抱いた
小さくなったあなたの体

真に分け隔てなく
誰しもが変わらぬ法則によります
急がずとも必ず

全てが例外なく
図らず図らず
今にも終わります
波が反っては消える

全てが例外なく (波が反っては消える)
必ず必ず (波が反っては消える)

何処かへと向かいます (波が反っては消える)
これまでと変わらず

Overall Meaning

In these lyrics, 宇多田ヒカル reflects on the transience of life and the inevitability of change. The lyrics begin with the imagery of a small boat leaving a mark on a mirror-like sea, symbolizing the scars and traces we leave behind in the constant flow of time and events. The repetition of "必ず必ず" (unavoidably, definitely) emphasizes the certainty that everything will come to an end eventually.

The next verse expresses the singer's appreciation for the peaceful and calm moments spent with someone special. They reflect on how long it has been since they last experienced such tranquility, suggesting that life's challenges and busyness have kept them from enjoying such peacefulness. The line "落とさぬように抱いた　小さくなったあなたの体" (I held your small, diminished body tightly so as not to let it go) portrays a tender embrace and a desire to protect their loved one.

The following lines introduce the idea that everyone is subjected to the unchanging laws of the world. There is an inherent fairness that affects everyone equally, regardless of who they are. This suggests that we are all bound by the same rules and constraints that govern our lives. The words "急がずとも必ず" (without rushing, but definitely) imply that despite the necessity of change, it doesn't always have to be rushed or forced. Change will happen in due time.

The lyrics circle back to the idea of everything being subject to change. The repetition of "波が反っては消える" (the waves come and go) further emphasizes the transient nature of life. Just as waves break and disappear, things will come to an end. However, the closing line assures that despite the changes that may occur, the singer's feelings and connection with the person mentioned will remain unchanged. This reinforces the idea that despite the impermanence of life, there are certain bonds and emotions that can withstand the test of time.

Line by Line Meaning

鏡のような海に
In a sea that resembles a mirror

小舟が傷を残す
A small boat leaves behind scars

全てが例外なく
Everything, without exception

必ず必ず
Without fail, without fail

いつかは終わります
Will eventually come to an end

これからも変わらず
Will remain unchanged from now on

こんなに穏やかな時間を
To spend such peaceful time

あなたと過ごすのは
With you

何年振りでしょうか
After how many years

落とさぬように抱いた
Holding onto you so as not to let go

小さくなったあなたの体
Your body that has become smaller