Utada is a third culture singer, composer, arranger, and record producer working in Japan and the United States. They have sold an estimated 52 million albums worldwide. Utada is fluent in both English and Japanese as they were raised in both New York and Tokyo. They’re most notable in the west for composing and singing the main themes for Kingdom Hearts 光 (Hikari) and Simple and Clean, as well as the theme songs for Kingdom Hearts II, Passion and Sanctuary.
Utada Hikaru was born on January 19, 1983 in New York City to Japanese parents who both had roots in the Japanese music industry; their father, Teruzane Utada, was a producer, while their mother, Junko Utada, was an enka singer (she performed under the stage name 藤圭子/Keiko Fuji). Utada has been recording since 1993, creating their first professional recording at the age of twelve. They released their first album comprised of all English songs, Precious, in 1996 under the pseudonym Cubic U. The album led to their career overseas. In an MTV interview (MTV's You Hear It First, October 2004), Utada 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."
While much of Utada's earlier work borrows from the stylings of 90s Western R&B, their music has shifted to incorporate more pop/experimental tones over time. This R&B sound was what brought them so much attention with their first release in Japan; Automatic/time will tell, stood out among the crowd, as there were no other artists with their distinct style.
Utada was once-married to famed director Kiriya Kazuaki, who directed the movie CASSHERN, where they sang the main theme song Dareka no Negai ga Kanau Koro.
After their first singles compilation album Utada Hikaru Single Collection Vol.1 was released in March 31st, 2004, Utada moved back to New York to work on their second English album Exodus, which was released in the US on October 5th, 2004. Due to lack of promotion by their record label Island Def Jam and a lack of precedent for third culture artists at the time, however, the album was met with indifference in the US market. The second single from this album, "Devil Inside," managed to become a club smash in the US despite this and topped the Billboard Hot Dance/Club Airplay charts. Devil Inside also had a notable appearance in the 2000s LGBT serial drama Queer as Folk.
Utada moved back to Tokyo after a year of promotion for Exodus, and returned to the Japanese music scene. Despite flogging sales overseas, they released three albums over the span of 2 years: Ultra Blue and Heart Station, both certified of selling one million for shipments by the RIAJ, On October 20, 2008, their song "Eternally" from their 2001 album Distance was used as the theme for the drama Innocent Love. The song was later released as a digital single. By the end of the year, Utada was also voted the "#1 Favorite Artist of 2008" by Oricon's annual readers poll, making it their second consecutive year, and third time overall, to win the vote; their previous years being 2004 and 2007.
According to Utada's blog, on September 25th, 2007, Utada began speaking to Island Def Jam about their second English-language album. There was no set schedule, as Utada's tone suggested that they were in no rush. On October 23rd, 2007, Utada said that they had already made several demo tracks for not only the upcoming English album, but also their fifth Japanese album and was scheduled to record some of the songs on that afternoon.
On November 14th, 2007 it was announced that Utada would be featured on a download only version of Ne-Yo's song Do You. The song was released in Japan on November 21st.
Utada released their second English album, This Is The One, on March 24th, 2009 in the United States electronically. A physical copy was released later, on May 12th, 2009. The main single "Come Back To Me", which they dubbed them "breakout song" during an interview with KiwiBox, was released for airplay on February 9th, 2009. Despite their previous English album's lesser success, Utada was confident about this one. "I don't want to do experimental stuff. I just want to make a really good pop album," they told the interviewer. "This is the one, you know?"
Hikaru Utada hasn’t released anything under the “Utada” pseudonym since their last effort in 2009.
Official sites:
www.utada.com
www.emimusic.jp/hikki
www.u3music.com
On And On
Utada Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Go ahead and make my day Mister DJ
Honeys if you're gay
Burn it up like a gay parade
Honeys if you're straight
Pump it up, take it all the way
Intoxicated, emancipated, unapologetic
Light me up
Make the night go on and on and on
You know we go on and on and on
Make the night go on and on and on
I'm living up my life until the day I die
Don't need a lullaby
Music got me sweating hard I feel my heart
Thumping like an 808 uh huh OK
If you wanna mess with us
Sink you with a counter-punch
Honeys if you're gay
Burn it up like a gay parade
Honeys if you're straight
Pump it up, take it all the way
Intoxicated, emancipated, unapologetic
Is what I am today
Light me up
Make the night go on and on and on
You know we go on and on and on
Make the night go on and on and on
I'm living up my life until the day I die
Don't need a lullaby
The lyrics of Utada's song "On And On" are an anthem to living life to the fullest and dancing through the night. The song is addressed to the DJ, who is implored to keep the music going "on and on and on", and to keep the energy of the party high. The lyrics also acknowledge and celebrate the diversity of the crowd, encouraging both gay and straight individuals to dance and enjoy themselves without judgment or ridicule.
The line "Intoxicated, emancipated, unapologetic, is what I am today" is particularly powerful, speaking to a sense of self-liberation and empowerment through dance and music. The verses also feature references to physical sensations - sweating hard, feeling the heart thumping like a bass drum - which combine with the music to create a visceral, immersive experience.
Overall, the song's message is one of joy and liberation. It invites listeners to forget their troubles, let go of inhibitions, and simply dance and enjoy themselves. It's a testament to the power of music to bring people together and uplift spirits, even in difficult times.
Line by Line Meaning
I just wanna dance the night the night away
I desire to dance throughout the night without any break
Go ahead and make my day Mister DJ
Play some amazing music and make my day perfect, Mr. DJ
Honeys if you're gay
Ladies if you're homosexual
Burn it up like a gay parade
Celebrate like a gay parade with all your enthusiasm and spirit
Honeys if you're straight
Ladies if you're heterosexual
Pump it up, take it all the way
Increase the pace and party to the fullest
Intoxicated, emancipated, unapologetic
I'm under the influence of the music, feeling independent and unashamed
Is what I am today
This is the current state of my mind and body
Light me up
Energize me with your music and vibe
Make the night go on and on and on
Let the night last longer with the never-ending joy and music
You know we go on and on and on
We keep going and party harder
I'm living up my life until the day I die
I'm making the most of my life till the very end
Don't need a lullaby
I don't want to sleep yet, I want to continue the celebration
Music got me sweating hard I feel my heart
The music is making me sweat and my heart is beating fast
Thumping like an 808 uh huh OK
My heart is beating with a strong, deep sound like a bass drum
If you wanna mess with us
If you want to provoke or interfere with us
Sink you with a counter-punch
We will respond aggressively and defeat you
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: TERUZANE UTADA, HIKARU UTADA, SEAN HALL, CHRISTOPHER STEWART
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind