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![[Artist] Utada Hikaru](http://www.jpopasia.com/img/forums/topics/1/802-dkzjjwv8hg.jpg "[Artist] Utada Hikaru")
Hikaru Utada (宇多田 ヒカル Utada Hikaru, born January 19, 1983), known by her stage name Utada (/uːˈtɑːdə/) in America and Europe, and sometimes referred to as Hikki (ヒッキー, Hikkī?) in Japan, is a Japanese-American singer, song writer, and producer.
Since the release of her debut album First Love, which went on to become the best-selling album in Oricon history, Utada has had three of her Japanese studio albums in the list of Top 10 best-selling albums ever in Japan ...
Read more (560 words more)Hikaru Utada (宇多田 ヒカル Utada Hikaru, born January 19, 1983), known by her stage name Utada (/uːˈtɑːdə/) in America and Europe, and sometimes referred to as Hikki (ヒッキー, Hikkī?) in Japan, is a Japanese-American singer, song writer, and producer.
Since the release of her debut album First Love, which went on to become the best-selling album in Oricon history,[1][2] Utada has had three of her Japanese studio albums in the list of Top 10 best-selling albums ever in Japan (#1, #4, #8) and six of her albums (including two English-language and one compilation) charting within the 275 Best-Selling Japanese albums list.[3][4] Utada has had fourteen number-one singles on the Oricon Singles chart, with two notable record achievements for a female solo or group artist: five million-sellers and four in the Top 100 All-Time Best-selling Singles.[5][6] Utada Hikaru has an estimated 50 million albums sold worldwide.
She was described by Time Magazine as a "Diva On Campus," a reference to her having attended Columbia University for a brief, career-break semester in 2000.[7][8][9] In 2009, she was considered “the most influential artist of the decade,” in the Japanese landscape, by The Japan Times.[10] In 2003, Utada was ranked #24 in the survey of Top 100 Japanese Pop Artists of All Time by HMV,[11], #10 in HMV's Top 30 Best Japanese Singers of All Time in 2006.[12].
Additionally, Utada made two theme song contributions to Square Enix and Disney's collaborative video game series Kingdom Hearts: "Simple and Clean"[13] for Kingdom Hearts and "Passion" for Kingdom Hearts II (later re-recorded with new English lyrics as "Sanctuary" for the North American and European releases of the game).[14] In 2007, her single "Flavor of Life" reached #2 in worldwide digital download yearly single chart with over 7.2 million downloads,[15] and contributes to 12 million digital sales for her over the same year.[16]In the United States, the song Come Back to Me has peaked at number 5 on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play in 2009.
Early life and beginnings
Utada Hikaru was born in New York City as the only child of Teruzane Utada, a Japanese record producer, and his wife Junko Utada, an enka singer, performing under the stage name "Keiko Fuji". Her mother and grandmother were blind shamisen players (瞽女, or goze). Utada made her first professional recording at the age of twelve. She did her recordings with her mother, releasing songs under a band named “U3” (also known as Utada 3) until 1996 when she started her first solo project, "I'll be Stronger." The "Cookin' With Moses Vocal" from this project was called the "Cookin' With Gas Vocal" on the promotional release.
"I’ll Be Stronger" was the first song Utada wrote. It was released under the artist name "Cubic U," a mathematical reference to her being the third Utada 'power,' which was Hikaru's pseudonym before becoming a superstar in Japan. The song was not released in the United States, and in 1997, she started her next project, though at first she was hesitant. Cubic U released her debut single "Close to You", which was a cover of The Carpenters' song. She then released her debut album Precious, which was not released in the United States due to restructuring issues with Capitol Records.
She released Precious in Japan on January 28, 1998, and then later re-released it on March 31, 1999 to much better success. It has sold 702,060 copies to date in Japan.
Personal life
On September 7, 2002 Utada married Kazuaki Kiriya, a photographer and film director who was fifteen years her senior and who had directed several of her music videos. After four and a half years of marriage, the couple announced their divorce (which became official on March 2, 2007), citing personal changes, different viewpoints on the future of their marriage, and lack of communication due to the nature of their jobs. close
Hey everybody! Everybody loves Utada right? Well, I need some help trying to find some of her music to jam to. So c'mon and give me some tips and some of her albums.
Nice to meet a new Hikaru fan well I recommend all her albums
-First Love
-Distance
-Deep River
-Utada Hikaru SINGLE COLLECTION Vol.1
-Ultra Blue
-Heart Station
If you wanna hear most of her hits are on the single collection.Her singles are really good I recommend:
-Beautiful World
-Traveling
-Mov'in on without you
-Sakura Drops
-Colors
-Heart Station
-First love
-Making Love
-One Night Magic ft.Yamada Masashi
-This is Love
-Blue
-Nichiyo no Asa
-Kairo
-Prisoner Of Love
-The Flavor of life
-Can you keep a secret?
-Dareka no negai ga Kanau koro
-Time Limit
-Fight the Blues
-Celebrate
-Tokyo NIGHTS
-Addicted to you
and Lastly
-Wait & See.
These are my most favorites,these are a lot but worth the listen,and try to watch her Utada United 2006 concert you'll love her there.
Hahaha, i agree with you sis, I have all utada song, and my favorite one is keep tryin', try it
i recommend you to look for her songs on imeem
..yeah, imeem is something helpful to find her songs~!
..but utada's songs are all nice but i mostly like flavour of life^^
thats an okay song
...aww utada hikaru has such powerful voice~! i love her flavor of life really and the simple and clean and the and the and everything~! wuahahahahah~! 
i love her flavor of life, simple and clean, kiss and cry and Prisoner of LOVE!!!
she's the best!!!
i love utada hikaru's song prisoner of love!!!
That song totally rocks my socks :laugh:
:D i igree with you 100%
me too. But it repeats to much. ' I'm a prisoner of love'. When will that single be out. Anyway, the tunes she did in the beginning for kingdom of hearts and the sakura drops one are good
i'd say Flavor Of Life is her best, it's soo sweet..:RBhalo:
i also like simple and clean,prisoner of love isnt bad, first love is also good..:)
i love Utada, she's really good!!!!^^
Hikki is awesome! I like Flavo(u)r of Life, Passion, Hikari and Uso Mitaina I Love You.
i like her version of boulevard of broken dreams
I love her album Ultra Blue...probably one of my favs
she's ok
first time i heard her on kingdom hearts i was like....Whoa :laugh:
then i listen to more songs and looked her up,i got hooked on her voice :love:
she is talented
i love her "flavor of life" and "prisoner of love"!!!!
be my last is very emotional.
and i also recommend keep tryin.
HAYOTOCHIRI (remix)
has to be her best song ever..
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| Real name | Hikaru Utada |
| Gender | female |
| Birthday | 19 January, 1983 |
| Debut | 28 January, 1998 (hiatus) |
| Main occupation | singer (hiatus) |
| Official website | http://www.emimusic.jp/h... |
| Official Twitter | utadahikaru |
| Official profile | |
| Bookmark | Create account or login |
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