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/
SUKIYAKI
宇多田ヒカル Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm feeling sad and blue
You went away
Now my life is just a rainy day
I love you so
How much you'll never know
You've gone away and left me lonely
Seem to keep haunting me
Of love so true
That once turned all my gray skies blue
But you disappeared
Now my eyes are filled with tears
Im wishing you were here with me
Soaked with love all my thoughts of you
Now that you're gone I don't know what to do
If only you were here
You'd wash away my tears
The sun would shine
Once again you'll be mine all mine
But in reality
Your love I will never be
Because you took your love away from me
If only you were here
You'd wash away my tears
The sun would shine
Once again you'll be mine all mine
But in reality
Your love I will never be
Because you took your love away from me
Ahhh baby
Because you took your love away from me
The lyrics of 宇多田ヒカル's song "SUKIYAKI" express feelings of sadness, loneliness, and longing for a lost love. The singer is deeply affected by the absence of their loved one, as indicated by the line "It's all because of you, I'm feeling sad and blue." The rainy day metaphor symbolizes the gloomy state of their life without the presence of their partner.
The lyrics indicate that the singer loved their partner deeply but feels that their love was unrequited. They express this by saying "I love you so, how much you'll never know." The memories of their past love, which were once joyful and filled with happiness, now haunt the singer. The absence of their loved one has left them filled with tears and longing for their return.
The singer yearns for the return of their loved one, believing that their presence would wash away their tears and bring back the happiness they once shared. However, they also acknowledge the reality that their love will never be fulfilled, as the line "Your love I will never be" suggests. The song ends with a heartfelt lament over the loss of this love.
Overall, "SUKIYAKI" showcases the singer's deep emotional turmoil and longing for a lost love. The lyrics convey a sense of longing, vulnerability, and the lingering pain of a broken relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
It's all because of you
My current emotional state is solely a result of your actions or absence.
I'm feeling sad and blue
I am experiencing a deep sadness and melancholy.
You went away
You have left my presence or life.
Now my life is just a rainy day
Since your departure, my life has become gloomy and filled with sadness.
I love you so
My feelings of affection towards you are intense and strong.
How much you'll never know
You will never fully comprehend the depth of my love for you.
You've gone away and left me lonely
You have departed and left me in a state of solitude and longing.
Untouchable memories
Memories that remain untouched and unchangeable.
Seem to keep haunting me
These memories persistently linger in my mind, causing distress.
Of love so true
These memories relate to a genuine and sincere love.
That once turned all my gray skies blue
This love had the power to transform and brighten my previously dreary existence.
But you disappeared
However, you vanished or ceased to be present.
Now my eyes are filled with tears
As a result, my eyes are now brimming with tears.
I'm wishing you were here with me
I deeply long for your presence and wish you were by my side.
Soaked with love all my thoughts of you
My thoughts of you are completely saturated and immersed in love.
Now that you're gone I don't know what to do
Since you have departed, I am at a loss and unsure of how to proceed.
If only you were here
If only you were present in this moment.
You'd wash away my tears
Your presence would alleviate my sadness and tears.
The sun would shine
Under your influence, happiness and positivity would prevail.
Once again you'll be mine all mine
I will regain your complete affections and devotion.
But in reality
However, the truth of the matter is
Your love I will never be
I will never possess the love you once had for me.
Because you took your love away from me
You intentionally withdrew your love from me and left me empty.
Ahhh baby
Expressing my sorrow and longing for you.
Because you took your love away from me
Reiterating the fact that you purposely removed your love from my life.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Alver Alcala
Love this version, bringing the mood up and going ....
Sunnilin84
This is not Utada Hikaru. This version was singing by an old rnb group called A Taste of Honey
Denise Janine Villegas
Utada hikaru has her own version.
Kimimo Kimimo
Old song remake by utada hikaru. Arigato gozaimasu