Hatsukoi (Utada Hikaru album)

Hatsukoi
Studio album by Utada Hikaru
Released June 27, 2018 (CD, Digital download)
November 7, 2018 (Vinyl)
Recorded 2017–2018
Genre
Length 53:33
Label
Producer Utada Hikaru
Utada Hikaru chronology
Fantôme
(2016)Fantôme2016		 Hatsukoi
(2018)
Singles from Hatsukoi
  1. "Ōzora de Dakishimete"
    Released: July 10, 2017
  2. "Forevermore"
    Released: July 28, 2017
  3. "Anata"
    Released: December 8, 2017
  4. "Play a Love Song"
    Released: April 25, 2018
  5. "Hatsukoi"
    Released: May 30, 2018

Hatsukoi (初恋, Hatsukoi, lit. "First Love") is the seventh Japanese-language studio album (tenth overall) by Japanese–American recording artist Utada Hikaru. It was released on June 27, 2018 as her first album under Sony Music Japan sublabel Epic Records Japan. The release coincided to the commemorations of her 20th Anniversary as an artist in Japan. A national tour was announced to support the album, in November. The five previously released songs were confirmed in the album tracklist, for a total of twelve songs, including the title track "Hatsukoi" and the Kingdom Hearts III theme song "Chikai".[1]

Hatsukoi debuted at the top spot of the Oricon Weekly Albums Chart with 203,787 copies sold on its first week or release.[2] This makes her overall tenth number-one album in the chart, but this became her lowest first-week album sales to date since Utada Hikaru Single Collection Vol. 2 (2010).[3] The album also debuted at the top spot of the Oricon Weekly Digital Albums Chart with 38,185 downloads, making it so far the highest first-week download record in the chart's history.[4]

A 2 LP vinyl version will be released on November 7, 2018, under the request of fans. It's her first vinyl release in 16 years since Deep River. It has a different mastering by Chris Bellman of Bernie Grundman Mastering Hollywood and a limited serial number.[5]

Commercial performance

The album debuted at #1 in 6 different digital stores in Japan. Internationally, the album reached the peak in 7 different countries in the iTunes store, such as Finland, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Macau and New Zealand. The album peaked at #4 in the United States, #5 in Canada, Mexico and Australia, #2 in Spain and Brazil, #9 in France and #11 in the United Kingdom. The album charted in top 10 in 22 different countries and charted for a total of 32 countries.[6] In Japan, the album debuted at #1 in Oricon daily chart, selling more than 79,000 copies in the first day alone. It maintained the #1 spot on the second day selling more than 50,000 copies. According to Billboard Weekly, the album sold 204,000 copies in the first week physically and 38,000 digitally.[7][8] Hatsukoi was the second best selling album by Sony Music globally in the second quarter of 2018.[9]

Promotion

Although the album did not receive any live performances prior to its release, it is set to spawn up to five singles prior to its release; of which all five have reached the top 10 on the Billboard Japan Hot 100.

Two performances are set to be exhibited at Japanese TV: On June 30, 2018, she performed "Play a Love Song", "Anata" and "Hatsukoi" at NHK's SONGS. On July 14, she performed "Hatsukoi" at TBS's Ongaku no Hi 2018. A TV documentary produced by NHK showing Utada's recording and producing process of the album was aired on June 16.[10] In September 17, she performed "Chikai" live on Music Station Super FES 2018.[11]

Singles

On 10 July 2017, the album's first single "Ōzora de Dakishimete" was released as a digital download. The song was used as a tie-in for Suntory Water campaign starring Utada, starting on June 10.[12] The album's second single "Forevermore" was released as a digital download on July 28, along with its music video. The song was used as a tie-in for the TBS dorama Gomen, Aishiteru, her first single used in a drama of a commercial TV station since "Eternally - Drama Mix-" in 2008.

On 8 December 2017, the album's third single "Anata" was released as a digital download along with its corresponding promotional music video. The song was used as a tie-in for the movie Destiny: The Tale of Kamakura,[13] and has been featured in a Sony campaign to promote a wireless headphone line, in which she herself also appeared.[14]

On 25 April 2018, the album's fourth single, "Play a Love Song", was released as a digital download. It was being used as a tie-in for Tennensui Suntory Water.[15] Shortly afterwards, the album's fifth single and title track "Hatsukoi" was released on May 30. The song has been used in the dorama Hana Nochi Hare ~Hanadan Next Season~ as an image song. It is the second song Utada delivers to the Hana Yori Dango drama series, after "Flavor of Life" in 2007.[16]

Other songs

"Chikai", along with its English-language counterpart "Don't Think Twice", will serve as the theme song to the upcoming Square Enix video game Kingdom Hearts III.[17]

"Good Night" will be featured on the soundtrack to the film Penguin Highway.[18]

Track listing

All songs are written, composed and arranged by Utada Hikaru, except "Too Proud" (composed by Utada & Ellis Jevon and arranged by Utada & Nariaki Obukuro) and "Phakchi no Uta" (composed by Utada & Nariaki Obukuro). Strings arrangement by Simon Hale in songs 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 10, 11 and 12.[19][20]

No.TitleLength
1."Play a Love Song"4:12
2."Anata (あなた, You)"4:37
3."Hatsukoi (初恋, First Love)"4:41
4."Chikai (誓い, Oath)"4:33
5."Forevermore"4:54
6."Too Proud" (featuring Jevon)4:41
7."Good Night"4:22
8."Phakchi no Uta (パクチーの唄, Pakuchī no uta, Coriander Song)"3:43
9."Nokoriga (残り香, Remaining Scent)"3:38
10."Ōzora de Dakishimete (大空で抱きしめて, Embrace Me Under the Big Sky)"4:34
11."Yūnagi (夕凪, Evening Calm)"4:44
12."Shittosarerubeki Jinsei (嫉妬されるべき人生, A Life to Be Envied)"4:46
Total length:53:33

Charts

References

  1. ↑ "HIKARU UTADA is releasing her 7th original studio album, "HATSUKOI (meaning: First Love)" on June 27th 2018, just in time to celebrate her 20th Anniversary of her debut!". utadahikaru.jp. Utada Hikaru Official Website. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  2. ↑ https://www.oricon.co.jp/rank/ja/w/2018-07-09/
  3. ↑ https://www.oricon.co.jp/news/2114832/
  4. ↑ https://www.oricon.co.jp/rank/dia/w/2018-07-09/
  5. ↑ "Hikaru Utada's Album 'Hatsukoi' to Receive Limited Edition Vinyl Release With Serial Numbers". Moshi Moshi Japan. UMoshi Moshi Japan. Retrieved August 17, 2018.
  6. ↑ "【宇多田ヒカル、新AL『初恋』が国内・海外チャートを席巻" (in Japanese). Billboard Japan. June 28, 2018. Retrieved June 28, 2018.
  7. ↑ "【オリコン】宇多田ヒカル、女性ソロアーティスト初のCD&デジタルアルバム同時2冠" (in Japanese). Oricon. July 3, 2018. Retrieved July 3, 2018.
  8. ↑ "【オリコン】宇多田ヒカル、1stから7作連続首位 今年度ソロアーティストのアルバム最高初週売上" (in Japanese). Oricon. July 3, 2018. Retrieved July 3, 2018.
  9. ↑ "SONY MUSIC REVENUES TOPPED $1.9BN IN THE FIRST HALF OF 2018, UP 11% YEAR-ON-YEAR". Music Business Worldwide. July 31, 2018. Retrieved July 31, 2018.
  10. ↑ "Utada Hikaru, EXILE, Perfume, DA PUMP, and More to Perform on Ongaku no Hi 2018". Arama JAPAN!. June 29, 2018. Retrieved June 30, 2018.
  11. ↑ "「ミュージックステーション　ウルトラFES 2018」にて『誓い』を歌唱！". Hikaru Utada Official Website. September 13, 2018. Retrieved September 17, 2018.
  12. ↑ "First single release titled "Oozora de Dakishimete" will be available for download worldwide on Monday, July 10!". Yahoo! Japan. Utada Hikaru Official Website. Retrieved June 10, 2017.
  13. ↑ "New Single "Anata" Chosen As Main Theme for Film "DESTINY Kamakura Monogatari"". UtadaHikaru.jp. Utada Hikaru Official Website. Retrieved September 24, 2017.
  14. ↑ "Utada Hikaru Shoots Commercial For Sony Noise Cancelling Headphones + Releases Preview For "Anata"". JPopAsia. Aysohmay. Retrieved October 2, 2017.
  15. ↑ "Hikaru Utada To Appear in New Commercials For "Suntory Minami-Alps Sparkling" Digital Single "Play A Love Song" (CM Song For "Suntory Minami-Alps Sparkling") To Be Released On April 25". Utadahikaru.jp. Utada Hikaru Official Website. Retrieved April 18, 2018.
  16. ↑ "Hikaru Utada debuts new song "Hatsukoi," Image Song for TBS Drama "Hana Nochi Hare ~Hanadan Next Season~," On Sale 5/30". U.Blog. U.Blog. Retrieved April 17, 2018.
  17. ↑ Ashcraft, Brian (February 10, 2018). "Listen To Kingdom Hearts III's Theme Song By Utada Hikaru". Kotaku. Retrieved February 10, 2018.
  18. ↑ "Utada Hikaru's "Good Night" announced as the theme song for the animated feature film "Penguin Highway"". Neotokyo. May 16, 2018. Retrieved May 16, 2018.
  19. ↑ "宇多田ヒカル - 初恋". Retrieved June 6, 2018.
  20. ↑ "Utada Hikaru - 初恋". Retrieved June 23, 2018.
  21. ↑ Le Top de la semaine Top Albums Téléchargés - SNEP (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Retrieved July 3, 2018.
  22. ↑ "Oricon Daily Albums Chart". Oricon Style. 29 September 2016. Archived from the original on 2016-09-29. Retrieved 2016-09-29.
  23. ↑ "【オリコン】宇多田ヒカル、1stから7作連続首位 今年度ソロアーティストのアルバム最高初週売上" (in Japanese). Oricon. July 3, 2018. Retrieved July 3, 2018.
  24. ↑ "宇多田ヒカル、『Fantôme』がオリコン1位獲得！". Rockin' On. 4 October 2016. Retrieved 2016-10-04.
  25. ↑ "【オリコン】宇多田ヒカル、1stから7作連続首位 今年度ソロアーティストのアルバム最高初週売上" (in Japanese). Oricon. July 3, 2018. Retrieved July 3, 2018.
  26. ↑ "ja:オリコン週間 デジタルアルバムランキング 2016年10月31日～2016年11月06日". Oricon Style (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved 2016-11-16.
  27. ↑ "【オリコン】宇多田ヒカル、女性ソロアーティスト初のCD&デジタルアルバム同時2冠" (in Japanese). Oricon. July 3, 2018. Retrieved July 3, 2018.
  28. ↑ "Oricon Monthly CD Albums Chart (June 2018)" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved 2018-08-13.
  29. ↑ "2018년 31주차 Album Chart (국외)". Retrieved 2018-08-09.
  30. ↑ "Billboard World Albums July 7, 2018)". Billboard. Retrieved 2018-07-03.
  31. ↑ "Utada Hikaru Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved 2018-07-06.
  • Hatsukoi on Hikaru Utada's official web site
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.