Recently, singer Hikaru Utada, affectionately known as "Kumako", released his solo album "SCIENCE FICTION", which is also the first album released by Hikaru Utada since his official debut in December 1998.
"When asked about my musical style, I often hesitate and don't know how to answer, science fiction is basically very impressive in movies and literature, but music actually has this genre, and I think it's like a fantasy of the reality I know now and the future in the near future, and something that takes me somewhere, and my songs can resonate like that." ”
▲戳图收听《SCIENCE FICTION》专辑
This selection album features a total of 26 songs, all of which were hand-picked by Hikaru Utada. This is not a simple arrangement of past songs, but a new breath of new life, such as: 3 songs are remastered from scratch, 10 songs are remixed, and the new song "Electricity" is used as an advertising song for the well-known company ITOCHU Corporation.
Hikaru Utada admits, "Overall, my 25-year-old songs have been reborn, and when I listen to these upgraded songs again, I feel that each song has been infused with soul, emotion, and physical strength, and I am shocked that it has really been completed, and I would be happy if everyone could feel this way." ”
For some listeners, it was because of "First Love" that they began to know and like Hikaru Utada. This song was included in Hikaru Utada's album "First Love" released in March 1999, and according to the Oricon chart, the album "First Love" sold more than 765W copies in Japan, making it the highest-selling music work in history. This huge success is also known in the Japanese music scene as "Utada ヒカル myth (Utada Hikaru myth)", you know, Utada Hikaru was only 16 years old at this time.
And in the TBS drama "The Witch's Condition" starring Nanako Matsushima and Hideaki Takizawa, which aired in 1999, the song "First Love" was also used as the theme song. This "The Witch's Condition" won the "Best Work Award" and "Cast Award" at the 21st Japanese Drama Academy Awards, and Hikaru Utada also won the "TV Drama Theme Song Award" with "First Love". Later, the song was also covered by singers such as Yoshisuke Kuwata, Hoshi Nakanishi, Hideaki Tokunaga, JUJU, and Koji Miyamoto.
In 2022, the romantic drama "First Love" co-starring Hikaru Mitsushima and Takeru Sato will be broadcast, and the inspiration for this drama is the famous song from Hikaru Utada, producer Kazutaka Sakamoto said, "Once when I was taking a taxi, I happened to hear "First Love" playing in the car, and I thought of what happened when I was 16 years old, and this is how the story began. ”
In addition to the famous song "First Love", this "First Love" also appeared in the promotional image of Hikaru Utada's album "First Love" released on June 27, 2018. These two songs are very important to Hikaru Utada, so she included "First Love (2022 Mix)" and "First Love" in this selection album.
This song "Ho Se でもない花 (Colorless Flower)" was written and composed by Hikaru Utada, and was used as the theme song of the TV series "Jun が心をくれたから (Because You Gave Me Your Heart)" starring Mei Yu, and at the same time, this is also the first time in 23 years that Hikaru Utada sang a song for the Tsukijiu drama (Fuji TV's 9 o'clock Monday night drama). Producer Daisuke Kusayaya said, "I can't think of anyone other than Hikaru Utada who is more suitable to sing the theme song." ”
This is a very frank love song, with a gentle melody and Hikaru Utada's delicate voice, telling the strong love in her heart, just like the line "I'm in love with you" she sings in the song, which is extremely affectionate. When talking about the mood of writing the song, Hikaru Utada said, "I can't remember the last time I wrote such a straightforward love song, and I hope this song can bring warmth and strength to everyone." ”
The melody of the other song, "Electricity", is very emotional, creating a psychedelic atmosphere, and at the same time, the saxophone incorporated into the song is even more soulful. In response, Hikaru Utada said, "I express the invisible energies and fluctuations that I feel from my heart, from others, from the universe and the earth, and their mysterious and powerful connections", which once again shows her boundless imagination in music.
This "SCIENCE FICTION" is Hikaru Utada's latest work released in honor of the 25th anniversary of his debut, and it is also a surprise gift for all fans. By the way, Hikaru Utada will be holding a "SCIENCE FICTION TOUR" tour in the future, what songs would you like the singer to perform on the scene?