Utada Hikaru

Profile

Name: 宇多田ヒカル (うただひかる)
Name (romaji): Utada Hikaru
Real name: 宇多田光 / Utada Hikaru
Nickname: Hikki
Profession: Singer, songwriter, producer, and composer
Birthdate: 1983-Jan-19 (age 43)
Birthplace: New York City, New York, United States
Height: 158cm
Weight: 45kg
Star sign: Capricorn
Blood type: A
Family: Father/musician/producer Utada Teruzane (宇多田照實), mother/singer Fuji Keiko (藤圭子), and son (b. 2015-Jul-03) with ex-husband/bartender Francesco Calianno
Talent agency: EPIC Records Japan

About

Utada Hikaru was born in Manhattan on January 19, 1983. She is the daughter of Utada Junko, a well-known singer of traditional Japanese music, better known by her stage name of Keiko Fuji. Her father is music producer Utada Teruzane (Teruzane Sking). She spent much of her childhood between New York and Tokyo, always influenced by the world of music thanks to her father and mother. During her childhood, groups like the Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Metallica, The Police, and Dr. Dre were the ones that would leave a mark on her and would mark Utada's musical style. At 13, Toshiba-EMI contacted her to write pop songs in Japanese, which she would then release on her first and most successful album, First Love, at the age of 16 in 1999.

First Love 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 he 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.

On August 9, 2010, Utada announced on her personal blog that beginning in 2011, she would go on an indefinite hiatus; citing fatigue since her debut 12 years previously, as well as see to some personal matters. She said the hiatus would last anywhere from two to five years. Her fans were in utter shock by this news.

On July 3, 2015, she wrote on her personal blog that she had given birth to a son and was working on a new album, which was primarily written whilst 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 will 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 be also her first release with original English songs since the release "This Is the One" album in 2009.

TV Shows

Hero (Fuji TV, 2001, ep8) cameo

TV Show Theme Songs

Hatsukoi, image song from Hana Nochi Hare (TBS, 2018)
Forevermore, from Gomen, Aishiteru (TBS, 2017)
Hanataba wo Kimi ni, from Toto Nee-chan (NHK, 2016)
Eternally, from Innocent Love (Fuji TV, 2008)
Prisoner of Love, from Last Friends (Fuji TV, 2008)
Flavor of Life, insert song from Hana Yori Dango 2 (TBS, 2007)
Sakura Drops, from First Love (TBS, 2002)
Can You Keep A Secret?, from Hero (Fuji TV, 2001)
First Love, from Majo no Jouken (TBS, 1999)

Movie Theme Songs

Anata, from Destiny Kamakura Monogatari (2017)
Be My Last, from Haru no Yuki (2006)
Dareka no Negai ga Kanau Koro, from Casshern (2004)

Anime Theme Songs

Sakura Nagashi, from Evangelion: 3.0 You Can (Not) Redo (2012)
Beautiful World PLANiTb Acoustica Mix, from Evangelion: 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance (2009)
Beautiful World, from Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone (2007)

Videogame Theme Songs

Don't Think Twice, from Kingdom Hearts III (2019)
Simple and Clean, from Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep (2010)
Simple and Clean, from Kingdom Hearts Re: Chain of Memories (2007)
Sanctuary/Passion, from Kingdom Hearts II (2005)
Simple And Clean/Hikari -PLANITb remix, from Kingdom Hearts (2002)

Trivia

Education: Seisen International School, American School in Japan (ASIJ), Columbia University
Languages: English and Japanese
Favorite writers: Kenji Miyazawa / Kaiko Takeshi, Ryunosuke Nakagami Akutagawa/ Yasunari Kawabata / Natsume Soseki /"Kusamakura" Yukio Mishima / Junichiro Tanizaki / Hermann Hesse / "Wildfire" Endo Shusaku / Roald Dahl / Oscar Wilde / Shel Silverstein / Edgar Allan Poe / Elie Wiesel / John Berendt / F. Scott Fitzgerald / George Orwell
She has sang all the theme songs for the Kingdom Hearts game series, such as "Simple and Clean" and "Sanctuary".
She was only 10 years old when she started to wite music and lyrics.
n August 22, 2013, Utada’s mother, died by apparent suicide by jumping from the thirteenth floor of a 28-floor condominium building in Shinjuku, Tokyo.
She was married to Japanese photographer Kazuaki Kiriya from September 7th, 2002 to March 2nd, 2007 and then a bartender Franesco Calianno from May 23rd, 2014 to April 6th, 2018.
Her favorite movies are those of Hayao Miyazaki.
On her official website, Utada cites 15 musicians and composers that have influenced her the most: Freddie Mercury, Cocteau Twins, Nine Inch Nails, Jimi Hendrix, Prince, Edith Piaf, Chick Corea, the Blue Nile, Bjork, Lenny Kravitz, Bela Bartok, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Jeff Buckley Yutaka Ozaki, Hibari Misora, and then later listed Aaliyah, and Mary J. Blige.

External Links