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Hikaru Utada

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Hikaru Utada is a highly influential singer, songwriter, and record producer. They are recognized as one of the best-selling musical artists in Japan. Many international audiences know Utada through the Kingdom Hearts video game series. Utada wrote and performed four theme songs for these games. These songs include "Simple and Clean," "Sanctuary," "Don't Think Twice," and "Face My Fears."

Utada Hikaru 2004
Utada Hikaru 2004

Utada was born in New York City on January 19, 1983. Their parents were both involved in the music industry. Their mother, Keiko Fuji, was a singer. Their father, Teruzane Utada, is a record producer. Utada began writing music and lyrics at age ten. They moved to Tokyo, Japan, at age 11 because of their parents' work.

Hikaru Utada in New York 20090325
Hikaru Utada in New York 20090325

Utada's professional career began with early recordings. They used the stage name Cubic U for a solo project in 1996. Their English-language debut album, Precious, was released in 1998. In 1999, Utada released their Japanese-language debut, First Love. This album leaned into R&B and dance-pop influences. It became Japan's best-selling album of all time. The album sold two million units in its first week in Japan. It eventually sold over seven million units in Japan alone.

Utada United 2006
Utada United 2006

Success continued with several record-breaking albums. The third album, Distance, was released in early 2001. It sold three million copies in its first week. This made it the fastest-selling album in Japan at that time. The fourth album, Deep River, was released in 2002. It incorporated pop folk elements and sold 2.35 million copies in its first week. Utada is the only singer in Japanese history to have three consecutive albums sell over three million copies.

Utada Hikaru 2018 (2)
Utada Hikaru 2018 (2)

Utada also attempted to reach the international market. In 2004, they released the English-language album Exodus. This was released under the mononym "Utada." The album reached number 160 on the US Billboard 200 chart. The single "Devil Inside" became a club hit in the United States. It reached the top of the Billboard Hot Dance/Club Airplay charts.

Utada Hikaru 2004
Utada Hikaru 2004

Later albums showed different musical styles. After a long hiatus, Utada released Fantôme in 2016. This album was driven by acoustic sounds. The follow-up, Hatsukoi, was released in 2018. Both albums reached number one on the Oricon albums chart. In 2022, the album Bad Mode reached the top of the charts. This was Utada's first album to include both Japanese and English.

Utada's career statistics are very large. They have sold over 40 million records in total. Twelve of their singles reached number one on the Oricon Singles Chart. Ten of their albums have also become chart-toppers. Six of their albums are among the highest-selling in Japanese history. In 2021, Utada became one of the first Japanese figures to publicly identify as non-binary.

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File:Utada Hikaru 2004.jpg
Utada Hikaru 2004.jpg
File:Utada United 2006.jpg
Utada United 2006.jpg
File:Hikaru Utada in New York 20090325.jpg
Hikaru Utada in New York 20090325.jpg
File:Utada Hikaru 2018.png
Utada Hikaru 2018.png
File:Utada Hikaru 2018 (2).png
Utada Hikaru 2018 (2).png
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