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/
Show Me Love
宇多田ヒカル Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
湖の底へゆっくりとまた沈んでく
二兎を追う者 一兎も得ず
矛盾に疲れて 少し心が重くなる
逃げたら余計怖くなるだけって (inside my lavender dreams)
分かってはいるつもり
心配しなくてもいつかきっと なんて言えない
自信の無さに甘えてちゃ見えぬ
私の内なるパッセージ (show me love)
内なるパッセージ (baby, show me love)
It's all in my head (can you shoe me love)
It's all in my head (not a dream)
紫の信号が点灯って思考停止
不安だけが止まらない
私は弱い だけどそれは別に (inside my lavender dreams)
恥ずかしいことじゃない
実際 誰しも深い闇を抱えてりゃいい
時に病んで もがいて 叫んで叫んで
痛みの元を辿って (show me love)
元を辿って (baby, show me love)
It's all in my head (can you shoe me love)
It's all in my head (not a dream)
築き上げたセオリー忘れよう
山は登ったら降りるものよ
実際 どんなに深い愛も 完璧じゃない
自分でしか自分にしてあげられない
自分を認める courage (show me love)
認める courage (baby, show me love)
実際 夢ばかり見ていたと気付いた時
初めて自力で一歩踏み出す
私の内なるパッセージ
内なるパッセージ
It's all in my head
It's all in my head
These lyrics convey a sense of struggle and self-discovery. The first verse captures the feeling of suppressing something within oneself that cannot be erased, comparing it to slowly sinking to the bottom of a lake. The second verse talks about the frustration of chasing after two rabbits but not catching either, leading to exhaustion and a heavy heart. The lyrics go on to express the fear of running away, as it only makes things scarier, yet there is an awareness that this is something the singer is trying to understand.
The chorus reflects a mixture of uncertainty and a desire for love. It acknowledges the lack of confidence and the difficulty in expressing that someday everything will be okay. The internal passage refers to the singer's inner self, calling for someone to show them love. The mention of the color lavender in the lyrics represents a dreamlike state where these thoughts and emotions reside.
The second verse delves deeper into the singer's insecurities, highlighting the idea that everyone carries their own darkness and struggles. It talks about moments of despair and pain, and the need to trace the origins of that pain. The bridge suggests letting go of established theories and embracing the fact that even the deepest love is not perfect. It emphasizes the importance of self-acceptance and finding the courage within oneself to acknowledge and love who they are. The final lines reveal a moment of realization where the singer understands that dreaming alone is not enough, prompting them to take their own first steps.
Line by Line Meaning
抑え込んだ其れは消えず
Suppressing it doesn't make it disappear
湖の底へゆっくりとまた沈んでく
Slowly sinking back to the bottom of the lake
二兎を追う者 一兎も得ず
Those who chase two rabbits catch neither
矛盾に疲れて 少し心が重くなる
Tired of contradictions, my heart becomes a little heavier
逃げたら余計怖くなるだけって (inside my lavender dreams)
I know that running away only makes it scarier (inside my lavender dreams)
分かってはいるつもり
I intend to understand
心配しなくてもいつかきっと なんて言えない
I can't say for sure that everything will be fine, even if you don't worry
自信の無さに甘えてちゃ見えぬ
You can't see if you rely on your lack of confidence
私の内なるパッセージ (show me love)
My inner passage (show me love)
内なるパッセージ (baby, show me love)
Inner passage (baby, show me love)
It's all in my head (can you show me love)
It's all in my head (can you show me love)
It's all in my head (not a dream)
It's all in my head (not a dream)
紫の信号が点灯って思考停止
When the purple signal lights up, my thoughts stop
不安だけが止まらない
Anxiety is the only thing that doesn't stop
私は弱い だけどそれは別に (inside my lavender dreams)
I am weak, but that's not a big deal (inside my lavender dreams)
恥ずかしいことじゃない
It's not something to be ashamed of
実際 誰しも深い闇を抱えてりゃいい
In reality, it's okay for everyone to have deep darkness
時に病んで もがいて 叫んで叫んで
Sometimes being sick, struggling, screaming and screaming
痛みの元を辿って (show me love)
Follow the source of pain (show me love)
元を辿って (baby, show me love)
Follow the source (baby, show me love)
It's all in my head (can you show me love)
It's all in my head (can you show me love)
It's all in my head (not a dream)
It's all in my head (not a dream)
築き上げたセオリー忘れよう
Let's forget the theories we have built
山は登ったら降りるものよ
Once you climb the mountain, you have to come down
実際 どんなに深い愛も 完璧じゃない
In reality, no matter how deep the love, it's not perfect
自分でしか自分にしてあげられない
You can only be yourself for yourself
自分を認める courage (show me love)
Recognize yourself, courage (show me love)
認める courage (baby, show me love)
Recognize, courage (baby, show me love)
実際 夢ばかり見ていたと気付いた時
When I realized I was just dreaming
初めて自力で一歩踏み出す
I take my first step on my own
私の内なるパッセージ
My inner passage
内なるパッセージ
Inner passage
It's all in my head
It's all in my head
It's all in my head
It's all in my head
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Hikaru Utada
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@user-ci1nd5sp8p
本当に病んで、もがいて、叫ぶ。そして叫ぶことを自分も経験して今です。経験値少し上がった。と思います🙂🌈☀️
@user-jx8io1yy3i
カッコ良すぎてヤバいよ、ヒカルちゃん。サイコーー💓
@ToshisGarden
Underrated song, and truly one of my favorites of Utada’s. It's really empowering! Thanks for the upload!!
@Noahutadafanpage
Pleasure! ^^
@takareuen
再登場^^ イチローさんもいってました、自分の弱さを知ってるものが本当は強いらしです。これでコメントはしませんがしばらく聴いています^^
@4071816
Thank you for the translating and upload (with the live version). One of her most underrated and under-appreciated work... When I look at her releases during that period (which are some of my top favorites), particularly studying the lyrics, I immediately understand why she needed a hiatus back then. And looking back now, I'm so glad she had that break.
@yukihlro9012
この歌詞は何万回聞いてもいい歌ですねこれからも身体に気を付けてYouTube活動頑張って下さい👊
@Noahutadafanpage
心から感謝します 😊
@user-se7vx2fb3p
かっこよすぎてため息しか出ない、
@EDlearncraft
yes, she can sing any kind of song.