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/
Letters
宇多田ヒカル Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Kanashii shirase no todokanai umibe e
Kimi ga inakutemo taiyou ga noboru to
Atarashii ichinichi no hajimari
Kyou eranda amidakuji no sen ga
Doko ni tsuzuku ka wa wakaranai
Namakemono na watashi ga mainichi hataraku riyuu
Ude ni arashi wo
Ah~ kimi ni o wakare o
Ah~ kono umibe ni nokosareita no wa
Itsumo ookii tegami
Ah yume no naka demo
Denwa goshi demo
Ah~ koe o kikitai yo
Ah~ kotoba kawasu no ga nigate na kimi wa
Itsumo ookii tegami
Isogashita renraku
Tama ni wasurechau kedo
Dare ni datte ichi, nido wa aru koto
Kyou hanashita toshiue no hito wa
Hitori demo daijoubu da to iu
Ikudashige na watashi wa mada kangaeteru tochuu
Ah hana ni namae wo
Hoshi ni negai wo
Ah~ watashi ni anata wo
Ah~ kono madobe ni kazararete ita no wa
Itsumo ookii tegami
Ah sukoshi dake demo
SHATSU no ue demo
Ah~ kimi ni furetai yo
Ah~ oboete iru? Saigo no ichigyou wa
Kanarazu kaeru yo
Ah yasuragu basho wo
Yume ni tsuzuki wo
Ah~ kimi ni okaeri wo
Ah~ kono sekai no dokoka kara watashi wo
okuritsuzukeru yo
Ah yume no naka demo
Denwa goshi demo
Ah~ koe o kikitai yo
Ah~ kotoba kawasu no ga nigate nara
Kondo kyuu ni inaku naru toki wa
Nan ni mo iranai yo.
Tell me that you'll never ever leave me
Then you go ahead and leave me
What the hell is going on
Tell me that you really really love me
Then you go ahead and leave me
How the hell do I go on...
These lyrics are from the song "Letters" by Japanese singer Utada Hikaru. The song speaks about the feeling of longing and the difficulty of letting go of a loved one. The opening lines talk about walking along a warm beach, towards an unreachable sorrowful message by the sea. The singer then talks about how, although the sun will rise every day, it doesn't necessarily make the start of a new day any easier, especially when she is faced with the mundanity of her everyday life. She describes her own laziness and the fact that she works every day without a clear sense of purpose.
In the chorus, the singer expresses her desire to be able to touch the sky and feel the wind to forget the pain of separation. She talks about how even if she can't be with the person she loves physically, she will leave big letters wherever she can, in her dreams, on phone calls, or on her favorite beach.
The second verse talks about how being busy can make someone forget to reach out to loved ones, but emphasizes how important it is to show someone you care. It then touches on the issue of feeling like a burden and struggling to express yourself.
Overall, "Letters" speaks to the longing and sadness of missing someone and the desire to hold on to memories and stay connected despite physical distance.
Line by Line Meaning
Atatakai suna no ue o arukidasu yo
I begin to walk on the warm sand
Kanashii shirase no todokanai umibe e
Towards the beach where sad news does not reach
Kimi ga inakutemo taiyou ga noboru to
Even without you, the sun still rises
Atarashii ichinichi no hajimari
The beginning of a new day
Kyou eranda amidakuji no sen ga
Today, I chose a winning lottery number but don't know where it leads
Doko ni tsuzuku ka wa wakaranai
I don't know where it leads
Namakemono na watashi ga mainichi hataraku riyuu
I am a lazy person but work every day for some reason
Ah ryoute ni sora wo
I hold the sky in my hands
Ude ni arashi wo
I embrace the storm
Ah~ kimi ni o wakare o
Ah~ Saying goodbye to you
Ah~ kono umibe ni nokosareita no wa
Ah~ What I left on this beach
Itsumo ookii tegami
Is always a big letter
Ah yume no naka demo
Ah~ Even in my dreams
Denwa goshi demo
Even over the phone
Ah~ koe o kikitai yo
Ah~ I want to hear your voice
Ah~ kotoba kawasu no ga nigate na kimi wa
Ah~ You who have trouble exchanging words
Isogashita renraku
I was busy and forgot to contact you
Tama ni wasurechau kedo
Sometimes I forget, but
Dare ni datte ichi, nido wa aru koto
There is always one, two people that I can rely on
Kyou hanashita toshiue no hito wa
The adult I talked to today
Hitori demo daijoubu da to iu
Says that it's okay to be alone
Ikudashige na watashi wa mada kangaeteru tochuu
I am still thinking about it, even the reckless me
Ah hana ni namae wo
Ah~ I name flowers
Hoshi ni negai wo
I make wishes to the stars
Ah~ watashi ni anata wo
Ah~ You belong to me
Ah~ kono madobe ni kazararete ita no wa
Ah~ What was decorated by this window
Ah sukoshi dake demo
Ah~ Even for just a little bit
SHATSU no ue demo
On top of my shirt
Ah~ kimi ni furetai yo
Ah~ I want to touch you
Ah~ oboete iru? Saigo no ichigyou wa
Ah~ Do you remember? Our last conversation
Kanarazu kaeru yo
I will definitely return
Ah yasuragu basho wo
Ah~ A place to rest
Yume ni tsuzuki wo
A continuation of a dream
Ah~ kimi ni okaeri wo
Ah~ Welcome home to you
Ah~ kono sekai no dokoka kara watashi wo
Ah~ From somewhere in this world
okuritsuzukeru yo
I will continue to send myself
Nan ni mo iranai yo.
I don't need anything else
Tell me that you'll never ever leave me
Please tell me that you'll never leave me
Then you go ahead and leave me
But then you leave me anyway
What the hell is going on
What is happening here?
Tell me that you really really love me
Please tell me that you truly love me
Then you go ahead and leave me
But then you leave me anyway
How the hell do I go on...
How am I supposed to continue like this?
Contributed by Isabella V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@l.c.7052
暖かい砂の上を歩き出すよ
悲しい知らせの届かない海辺へ
君がいなくても太陽が昇ると
新しい一日の始まり
今日選んだアミダくじの線が
どこに続くかは分からない
怠け者な私が毎日働く理由
ああ 両手に空を 胸に嵐を
ああ 君にお別れを
ああ この海辺に残されていたのは
いつも置き手紙
ああ 夢の中でも 電話越しでも
ああ 声を聞きたいよ
ああ 言葉交わすのが苦手な君は
いつも置き手紙
忙しいと連絡たまに忘れちゃうけど
誰にだって一、二度はあること
今日話した年上の人は
ひとりでも大丈夫だと言う
いぶかしげな私はまだ考えてる途中
ああ 花に名前を 星に願いを
ああ 私にあなたを
ああ この窓辺に飾られていたのは
いつも置き手紙
ああ 少しだけでも
シャツの上でも
ああ 君に触れたいよ
ああ 憶えている最後の一行は
「必ず帰るよ」
ああ 安らぐ場所を 夢に続きを
ああ 君に「おかえり」を
ああ この世界のどこかから私も
送り続けるよ
ああ 夢の中でも 電話越しでも
ああ 声を聞きたいよ
ああ 言葉交わすのが苦手なら
今度急にいなくなる時は
何もいらないよ
Tell me that you'll never ever leave me
Then you go ahead and leave me
What the hell is going on
Tell me that you really really love me
Then you go ahead and leave me
How the hell do I go on...
@mktn5829
間違いなく宇多田の神曲のひとつ
@sarisa009
一番好き。
暖かくて、切なくて、焦がれてて、諦めてるのに、愛に溢れてる
@l.c.7052
暖かい砂の上を歩き出すよ
悲しい知らせの届かない海辺へ
君がいなくても太陽が昇ると
新しい一日の始まり
今日選んだアミダくじの線が
どこに続くかは分からない
怠け者な私が毎日働く理由
ああ 両手に空を 胸に嵐を
ああ 君にお別れを
ああ この海辺に残されていたのは
いつも置き手紙
ああ 夢の中でも 電話越しでも
ああ 声を聞きたいよ
ああ 言葉交わすのが苦手な君は
いつも置き手紙
忙しいと連絡たまに忘れちゃうけど
誰にだって一、二度はあること
今日話した年上の人は
ひとりでも大丈夫だと言う
いぶかしげな私はまだ考えてる途中
ああ 花に名前を 星に願いを
ああ 私にあなたを
ああ この窓辺に飾られていたのは
いつも置き手紙
ああ 少しだけでも
シャツの上でも
ああ 君に触れたいよ
ああ 憶えている最後の一行は
「必ず帰るよ」
ああ 安らぐ場所を 夢に続きを
ああ 君に「おかえり」を
ああ この世界のどこかから私も
送り続けるよ
ああ 夢の中でも 電話越しでも
ああ 声を聞きたいよ
ああ 言葉交わすのが苦手なら
今度急にいなくなる時は
何もいらないよ
Tell me that you'll never ever leave me
Then you go ahead and leave me
What the hell is going on
Tell me that you really really love me
Then you go ahead and leave me
How the hell do I go on...
@user-tz6bx7uo3h
この曲を若い時に作れるのは凄すぎる....
@user-wp2ti8mm2d
宇多田ヒカルが好きでアルバムをMD（古いね）にうつして、沢山聴こう！と思ってた時に離れて住む父が亡くなった連絡がきて新幹線で父の元に向かう時に聴いてました。しばらく、アルバムの曲を聴くと悲しくて聴けなかったんですが今はこのアルバムを聴くと懐かしいし父の事を思い出します。
15歳の時に亡くなった父。あれから17年。父と過ごした年数を超えました。
6月になると父の事をいつも以上に思い出し、このアルバムを無性に聴きたくなります。
@user-wp7ru6ig1h
ある人の帰りを待ってる感じが伝わってきて泣けてくる
@user-nf8li2tq4z
お母さんの帰りを待ってたの凄く分かるから歌うと涙出てくる
@user-js3fx1dw9y
藤圭子さん、ふらっとどこか行っちゃうって言ってましたもんね😢
@user-js3fx1dw9y
何回聞きたろう。情景浮かんできて、泣きそうになる。
@user-xc3bd2ds1r
普通に両親に見守られて生きてきた私。私の方が、宇多田ヒカルさんより、年上なのに、なんかこの歌詞の内容を聴くと心がせつなく、涙が出そうなくらい哀しくなる。今、片思いの恋愛をしている人、訳ありの恋愛だとしても、泣けてしまうような曲だなぁ～😢