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/
Flavor Of Life
宇多田ヒカル Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
*「ありがとう」と君に言われると なんだか切ない
"arigatou" to kimi ni iwareru to nandaka setsunai
「さようなら」の後の溶けぬ魔法 淡くほろ苦い
The Flavor Of Life The Flavor Of Life
友達でも 恋人でもない 中間地点で
tomodachi demo koibito demo nai chuukan chiten de
収穫の日を夢みてる青いフルーツ
shuukaku no hi wo yume miteru aoi FURU-TSU
あと一歩が踏み出せないせいで
ato ippo ga fumi dase nai sei de
じれったいのはなんで
jirettai no wa nande
*「ありがとう」と君に言われると なんだか切ない
"arigatou" to kimi ni iwareru to nandaka setsunai
「さようなら」の後の溶けぬ魔法 淡くほろ苦い
"sayounara" no ato no tokenu mahou awaku horo nigai
The Flavor Of Life The Flavor Of Life
甘いだけの誘い文句 味気のない毒
amai dake no sasoi monku ajike no nai doku
そんなものには興味はそそられない
sonna mono ni wa kyoumi wa sosorarenai
思い通りにいかない時だって
omoi toori ni ikanai toki datte
人生捨てたもんじゃないって
jinsei sutemon janaitte
「どうしたの?」と急に聞かれると 「ううん。何でもない」
"dou shita no" to kyuu ni kikareru to
"uun nan de mo nai"
さようならの後に消える笑顔 私らしくない
sayounara no ato ni kieru egao watashi rashikunai
信じたいと 願えば願うほど なんだか切ない
shinji tai to negaeba negau hodo nandaka setsunai
「愛してるよ」よりも「大好き」のほうが 君らしいじゃない
"ai shiteru yo" yori mo "dai suki" no houga kimi rashii janai
The Flavor Of Life
忘れかけていた人の思いを 突然思い出す頃
wasure kakete ita hito no omoi wo totsuzen omoi dasu koro
降り積もる雪の白さを思うと 素直に喜びたいよ
furi tsumoru yuki no shirosa wo omou to
sunao ni yorokobitai yo
ダイヤモンド よりもやわらかくて あたたかな未来
DAIYAMONDO (Daimond) yori mo ya warakakute
atatakana mirai
手にしたいよ 限りある時間を 君と過ごしたい
te ni shitai yo kagiri aru jikan wo kimi to sugoshitai
*「ありがとう」と君に言われると なんだか切ない
"arigatou" to kimi ni iwareru to nandaka setsunai
「さようなら」の後の溶けぬ魔法 淡くほろ苦い
"sayounara" no ato no tokenu mahou awaku horo nigai
The Flavor Of Life The Flavor Of Life
The lyrics of "Flavor of Life" by Utada Hikaru are about the mixed emotions that one feels when having to part ways with someone they care about. The song begins with a bittersweet feeling when someone says "thank you" or "goodbye" to the singer, leaving them with mixed emotions. The "flavor of life" is referred to as a magic that lingers after the moment of parting and leaves behind a faintly bitter and nostalgic feeling.
The second verse refers to the relationship between two people, somewhere between friends and lovers, and the singer feels stuck in the middle, dreaming of better days past or the promise of a bright future. The chorus returns with the titular phrase and the recurring theme of the magic of parting. The bridge touches on the idea of advertising and false advertising, finding no interest in empty promises of a better life.
The final verse returns to the central theme of parting, with memories of a smile that doesn't quite fit alongside the phrase "goodbye," the singer wishing they had a warm and soft future with the other person. The song acknowledges that even when things don't go as planned, there is more to life than just giving up.
Line by Line Meaning
「ありがとう」と君に言われると なんだか切ない
When you say "thank you", it feels a bit sad
「さようなら」の後の溶けぬ魔法 淡くほろ苦い
The fading magic after saying goodbye is bittersweet
The Flavor Of Life The Flavor Of Life
This is the flavor of life
友達でも 恋人でもない 中間地点で
Neither friends nor lovers, somewhere in between
収穫の日を夢みてる青いフルーツ
The blue fruit dreaming of harvest day
あと一歩が踏み出せないせいで
Because we can't take that last step
じれったいのはなんで
Why does it feel so frustrating
甘いだけの誘い文句 味気のない毒
Sweet words of seduction, but poisonous and bland
そんなものには興味はそそられない
I'm not interested in things like that
思い通りにいかない時だって
Even when things don't go as planned
人生捨てたもんじゃないって
Life is not something to throw away
「どうしたの?」と急に聞かれると 「ううん。何でもない」
When someone suddenly asks "what's wrong", I say "nothing"
さようならの後に消える笑顔 私らしくない
The smile that disappears after saying goodbye is not like me
信じたいと 願えば願うほど なんだか切ない
The more I wish to believe, the more it hurts
「愛してるよ」よりも「大好き」のほうが 君らしいじゃない
"I love you" sounds less like you than "I really like you"
The Flavor Of Life
This is the flavor of life
忘れかけていた人の思いを 突然思い出す頃
When I suddenly remember the feelings of someone I had almost forgotten about
降り積もる雪の白さを思うと 素直に喜びたいよ
When I think of the whiteness of the falling snow, I want to honestly feel happy
ダイヤモンド よりもやわらかくて あたたかな未来
A soft and warm future, more precious than diamonds
手にしたいよ 限りある時間を 君と過ごしたい
I want to spend my limited time with you
「ありがとう」と君に言われると なんだか切ない
When you say "thank you", it feels a bit sad
「さようなら」の後の溶けぬ魔法 淡くほろ苦い
The fading magic after saying goodbye is bittersweet
The Flavor Of Life The Flavor Of Life
This is the flavor of life
Contributed by Arianna N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@na-tn1ub
0:10
ありがとうと君に言われると なんだかせつない
さようならの後も解けぬ魔法 淡くほろ苦い
The flavor of life
The flavor of life
0:43
友達でも恋人でもない中間地点で収穫の日を夢見てる 青いフルーツ
1:04
あと一歩が踏み出せないせいで
1:14
じれったいのなんのって baby
1:21
ありがとう と君に言われると なんだかせつない
さようならの後も解けぬ魔法 淡くほろ苦い
The flavor of life
The flavor of life
2:03
甘いだけの誘い文句 味っけの無いトーク
そんなものには興味をそそられない
2:25
思い通りにいかない時だって
人生捨てたもんじゃないって
2:41
どうしたの?と急に聞かれるとううん なんでもない
さようならの後に消える笑顔 私らしくない
3:02
信じたいと願えば願うほど なんだかせつない
「愛してるよ」よりも「大好き」の方が
君らしいんじゃない?
The flavor of life
3:25
忘れかけていた人の香りを突然思い出す頃
降りつもる雪の白さをもっと素直に喜びたいよ
4:03
ダイアモンドよりもやわらかくて あたたかな未来
手にしたいよ 限りある時間を君と過ごしたい
ありがとう、と君に言われると なんだかせつない
さようならの後も解けぬ魔法 淡くほろ苦い
The flavor of life
The flavor of life
@user-nw4vu8nz4n
ありがとう、と君に言われると
なんだかせつない
さようならの後も解けぬ魔法
淡くほろ苦い
The flavor of life
友達でも恋人でもない中間地点で
収穫の日を夢見てる 青いフルーツ
あと一歩が踏み出せないせいで
じれったいのなんのってbaby
ありがとう、と君に言われると
なんだかせつない
さようならの後も解けぬ魔法
淡くほろ苦い
The flavor of life
甘いだけの誘い文句
味っけの無いトーク
そんなものには興味をそそられない
思い通りにいかない時だって
人生捨てたもんじゃないって
どうしたの?と急に聞かれると
ううん、なんでもない
さようならの後に消える笑顔
私らしくない
信じたいと願えば願うほど
なんだかせつない
「愛してるよ」よりも「大好き」の方が
君らしいんじゃない?
The flavor of life
忘れかけていた人の香りを 突然思い出す頃
降りつもる雪の白さをもっと 素直に喜びたいよ
ダイアモンドよりもやわらかくて
あたたかな未来 手にしたいよ
限りある時間を 君と過ごしたい
ありがとう、と君に言われると
なんだかせつない
さようならの後も解けぬ魔法
淡くほろ苦い
The flavor of life
@TY-fh5lb
NHKの病院ラジオを観て号泣して視聴しました。今聞いても泣ける…
5年生存率が15%の女性が番組に投稿したリクエスト曲として紹介されてました。人生の最期に「ありがとう」と言われたくない。悲しくなるから。最期は「愛してる」といってほしい…という本人が夫へ涙ながらに掛ける言葉とこの音楽が涙を誘いました
ダイヤモンドよりも柔らかくて暖かな未来
手にしたいよ、限りある時間を君と過ごしたい
という歌詞と2人の人生を重ねてしまって涙が止まりません…
どうか1日でも長く幸せでありますように
@user-rv4wc8pm6w
どしゃ降りの雨の中で牧野が道明寺に別れを告げる切なすぎるシーンが思い浮かぶ
@user-tl7wo3lw7m
あれは泣いたガチ切ない
@user-nm3np8sv9b
あの時、俺を一人の男として見た事があるかって潤くんが真央ちゃんに言うセリフ泣きすぎた…
@fufu7457
@@user-nm3np8sv9b
世の女性達「容姿とお金目当てだってことが道明寺にバレてもうたわ…」
@user-bx5yp7cq9u
何話か分かる人います…?
@user-xq3yg2ub6e
@@user-bx5yp7cq9u
シーズン2の9話やったと思いますよ
@user-hi1kp7wu6b
花男って今の恋愛ドラマと全然ちがう。
なんだかこう、自分の恋愛じゃないのに胸がギューってなるような感じ…
だから宇多田ヒカルさんの歌がすっごいぴったりなんだよね。
花男以上のドラマはないと思う。
@cafelatte2522
言いたい事全部言ってくれてありがとう
@cafelatte2522
あれは松潤と真央ちゃんの演技力がそうさせてる気がする。演技の中に本当の気持ちがこもってる気がして、だからリアルでも2人の恋愛を応援したくなる!
そこに宇多田ヒカルの表現力…号泣ですわ。
@user-wf2xe5mq2y
演技もそうだが結局は顔と身長!あれが普通もしくは言い方悪いがブスだったら
誰も見てくれないであろう