Photo: YouTube/Hikaru Utada
entertainment

Hikaru Utada announces new album, streaming concert

13 Comments
By SoraNews24

Hikaru Utada has pretty much reached the ideal situation in terms of creative freedom for a musician, with so much star power that no one can pressure the singer into writing new songs, but if and when the mood does strike, recording companies, sponsors, and other creative partners are always patiently waiting to be a part of the latest project.

And now Utada is ready to release a whole new album.

It’s been more than three years since Utada’s album, "Hatsukoi," came out in the summer of 2018. The singer doesn’t seem to have had much trouble finding the musical muse during the pandemic, though, having written and recorded a number of new numbers since the start of the COVID crisis, even filming videos for them entirely at home or with the help of a young family member.

A partial track list for the album confirms that it will contain “One Last Kiss” (theme song for "Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time"), “Pink Blood” (theme song for To Your Eternity), “Time,” “Face my Fears,” “Find Love,” and “Kimi ni Muchu,” in addition to other new songs. Utada will also be performing a “streaming concert” to commemorate the album’s release, with filming for video to be incorporated into the event already taking place in London, where the singer currently resides.

▼ Video for “One Last Kiss”

The album’s title is yet to be revealed, and its release window is still nothing more specific than “spring of 2022.” It is available for digital pre-purchase through the iTunes Store and Spotify as of Nov 12, though, and more details are coming on Dec 9.

Source: Ongaku Natalie via Otakomu

Read more stories from SoraNews24.

-- J-pop megastar Utada Hikaru’s haunting new music video for “Pink Blood” is here!【Video】

-- J-pop megastar Utada Hikaru releases new music video directed by Evangelion creator Hideaki Anno

-- J-pop singer Utada Hikaru releases first album in 8 years and a new Kingdom Hearts song!

© SoraNews24

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13 Comments
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Another beautiful face to wake up to and a nice track to listen on a great Saturday morning! “Thanks!” JT for often featuring Hikaru Utada and some pleasant “Entertainment” news.

3 ( +10 / -7 )

Utada is a wasted talent. She's a natural born American, great vocals, western educated but was never able to break into the western market.

0 ( +7 / -7 )

Love her music, great talent, and one of the best modern day singers and song writers in the world.

0 ( +6 / -6 )

I like it, even though it sounds nothing like Conrad Birdie's song.

3 ( +7 / -4 )

Utada is a wasted talent. She's a natural born American, great vocals, western educated but was never able to break into the western market.

Depends how you look at it. Producing material in English places you in a much larger pool, but it also has a lot more competition. The Japanese market is relatively closed, sure, but also a largely captive audience, and one that's often loyal to the point of fanaticism. Those who can break through to the top tier here stand to make a very good income.

Either way, I think "wasted" is a bit much. Blame American audiences for not appreciating the talent, if anything.

5 ( +10 / -5 )

Poor quality music.

This

1 ( +8 / -7 )

It sounds very generic and disposable. Each to his own, and of course musical likes are an individual thing, but claims of immense talent in this case are over the top.

3 ( +8 / -5 )

Blame American audiences for not appreciating the talent, if anything.

You can’t blame anyone for not buying it.

4 ( +9 / -5 )

She's lords above most J-pop artists and music, and does her own thing. She DID take the usual J-pop idol route of announcing retirement to HUGE media coverage and then make more albums, but hey.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

Ouch, that video hurt: bad lip-syncing, washed out colors, edits on the off-beat.

-2 ( +2 / -4 )

Musically, instrumentally, vocally, basically at every level despite the somewhat gimmicky nature Band-Maid create far more advanced compositions, are amazing world class instrumentalists and are as true to sound live as they are in studio.

Their only "problem" is they don't write the typical J-pop drivel.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

John NounNov. 13  04:49 pm JST

Poor quality music.

This

She's got the musical voice (and videogenic looks) to go far. This song is a bit generic but passable. But she can sing fine on her own naturally. That DAMN autotune totally spoils everything. Whoever invented autotune is a musical son of Satan. I hate it!

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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