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2000s

First Love (Majo no Jouken's theme song) has been one of the biggest selling Japanese albums, receiving excellent reviews from critics and the general public and getting to sell more than 10 million copies sold. (it sold 7 million in Japan) This album was followed by Distance and Deep River and among them many singles, all in Japanese. In 2003 she was on sick leave for medical reasons (a non-malignant ovarian tumor). After releasing her latest Japanese single (Dareka no negai kanau koro, translated as, "When Someone's Wish Comes True"), Utada needed a drastic change in his career. She left Japanese songs behind to embark on the Exodus project, an English-language album that she would later release in the US.

It debuted with strong sales in Japan. It reached #1 spot for several weeks, American sales were are not as successful like they were in Japan, the album barely reached #160 in the US Billboard 200 chart. She returned to Japan a year later after her English album debut to once more make something in the Japanese music scene. She released the highly anticipated fourth album, Ultra Blue, the first two singles from the Ultra Blue album reached #1 spot. Toshiba EMI later reported that the album as a whole sold one million copies worldwide. Critical reception was mixed and didn't have much of an impact on music sales.

Her fifth album, Heart Station was a return to form for many fans and critics, it was moderately successful, around the same time she started to work on recording a new English album. She assured her fans that this new English album would be her "breakout album" in America. This Is the One was released on May 12, 2009, boasting pop and R&B influences, Utada Hikaru's intention was to show with this album a more mainstream sound with a wider appeal. Music critics described its production and songwriting as top-notch with a few misses. The album sold below expectations once more.

2010s

On August 9, 2010, Utada announced on her personal blog that starting from 2011 she would go on a hiatus; she considered the fatigue she felt after her debut as the main cause for her to make that decision, there were some personal matters involves as well, such as her mother's suicide. She reassured to her fans that the hiatus would only last between two to five years. Her fans were in utter shock by this announcement.

On July 3, 2015, she wrote on her blog that she had given birth to a son and was working on a new album, which was primarily written while she was pregnant. September 28, 2016, Fantôme was released to the public, the album received critical acclaim, and it was a huge success. The album contains influences of pop, R&B, and even electronic music, the lyrical content of the songs delves deeper into themes of sadness, grief, love, death, and motherhood.

June 27, 2018, Utada's seventh Japanese album Hatsukoi was released. It was also reported on September 28, that Utada would release a new single titled "Face My Fears" as a theme song for Kingdom Hearts III. The song is produced by herself and American musicians Skrillex and Poo Bear. It will also be her first release with original English songs since the release "This Is the One" album in 2009.