All About Utada

This chick is (to me) one of and if not the best damn singers I've ever heard next to Mariah Carey and Christina Aguilera(if your talking in terms of power). In any event she is the best singer in Japan right now and has many albums and multiple singles. The woman I'm talking about is Hikaru Utada! This page has articles and stuff.

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Date	What I Added
4/5/04	Bio From http://www.jpopmusic.com/hikki/
2/29/04	A poorly translated bio from http://members.tripod.com/hwk01/hikaru.htm Article is from http://hikaru-online.net/news.html
2/11/04	Short Bio From http://www.sakura-drops.net/hikki/about.html
12/27/03	Found A Much Better Bio From http://www.geocities.com/p_51_baby/hikki_bio.html
12/13/03	Article from http://metropolis.japantoday.com/biginjapanarchive299/276/biginjapaninc.htm Added My Discography
11/23/03	Bio From http://www.asiafinest.com/japanese/utada.htm Article From http://www.time.com/time/musicgoesglobal/asia/mhikaro.html

Bio

 

This bio came from: http://www.jpopmusic.com/hikki/

 

English name: Hikaru Utada
Date of birth: January 19, 1983
Height: 5' 2 " / 158cm
Weight: Frequently changing =)
Blood: Type: A
Birth Place: New York City
Hobbies: Painting, Eating, E-mailing
 

Utada Hikaru, born in New York in 1983, grew up immersed in music. Recently she's earned much praise for her musical sense and for her talent as singer-songwriter. Everything started with the single "time will tell," which registered on numerous FM charts more than a month before her official debut "Automatic." That release also did well on the charts, and since then, she's followed it up with more and more songs, many of them entering the charts at the same time! Utada won the "PowerPlay" on dozens of nationwide FM stations. It is still freshly remembered that on the week of its release, her single set the record of ranking No.1 in frequency of airplay on FM and AM stations in both the Kanto and Kansai regions (203 times per week a 1998 record). And it's a well-known fact that "Automatic/time will tell" (released Dec. 9, 1998 as both 12cm and 8cm discs) amazed everybody, achieving the extraordinary distinction of being ranked highly on various sales charts for both 12cm disc and 8cm discs, including the Original Confidence (Ori-Con) chart. Her following second single "Movin' on without you" (released February 17, 1999 ), a commercial song for Nissan Terrano, earned the top position as it appeared in the Original Confidence chart. And her debut album, "First Love" (March 10, 1999 release), sold out at record stores prior to its official release date. In addition to instantly ranking No.1 on the Ori-Con chart, it also set new records for "Highest Initial Points for a Debut Album," and "Highest Initial Points for an Original Album." In the May 10 issue of Ori-Con, it became No.1 on the All Albums Chart. In the space of a mere five months after her debut, Utada climbed to the top of the Japanese pop music scene. After the title track of "First Love" (released April 28, 1999) became the main theme for TBS network's weekly drama "Majo no Joken" (To Be a Witch), it was released as a single. Together with the drama the song continues to give heart-throbbing excitement to all viewers. The first live performances as "Utada Hikaru" were held on April 1 (at Umeda Heat Beat, Osaka) and April 2 (at Zepp Tokyo, Tokyo) with a full invitation system. Each host radio station was swarmed by applications from fans. Each stage was one consolidated groove when everybody and everything in the hall became as one amid the highest excitement, as Utada voiced, "Live is great and fun...!"
 

Bio 2

 

This Bio was from http://www.asiafinest.com/japanese/utada.htm

Date of Birth: Born in New York on January 19, 1983
The same birth date as Yuming, a colleague in the same company; writer/poet Edgar Allan Poe whom I fell in love with in junior-high school; Ogai Mori, a writer of Japan's literary history; and dear Mr. Udo Suzuki, another person Japan is proud of. Please let me know if anyone you know is born on the same date.

Height: 158 cm It's my height, honest. It hasn't changed since my debut. I wonder if that means my growth is totally over?

Blood Type: A Well! True born type!, 'cause both of my parents are A. It's a common type among Japanese, isn't it?

Hobbies: Literature remains my eternal passion! I've been missing Japanese literature so much of late. I rushed into a bookstore which sells books in Japanese, and bought about 15 books in one swoop... I stay at home and have been grappling with the books like a hungry beast. Buying furniture, collecting furniture and interior goods Though I said I've been growing my hair long, I've had it cut. Ou, la, la. (Girls who had their hair short once would know this feeling?) Of course email is a tool indispensable for business and private life, but cruise the Net too. I learned about several sites from Toshiba EMI's engineer the other day. They are awesome -- quite interesting, Mesdames! I recommend first of all two of them, Modern Living and otogaiworld-------. Visit them late at night, then they'll be further to the point.

Specialties: To evade saying "I suppose it's OK"*To puzzle others*Independent action of my left little finger*Basketball*Cleaning. Really, I have confidence at it. I get strangely obsessed about the cleanliness of my house. If I suddenly disappear from the music world, you might see Hikaru Utada working as a helper at some inn in Atami.

Favorite Movies: Shawshank Redemption, Meet Joe Black, Godfather Part 2 (I like Robert De Niro), Good Will Hunting, Baghdad Cafe, The Jerk, Unbreakable, Orlando, Amadeus, Sleepy Hollow

Favorite Writers: Kenji Nakagami, "Izoku," "Kishuben"; Ryunosuke Akutagawa, "Rashomon," "Kappa"; Yasunari Kawabata ,"Kanjo Soshoku," "Yukiguni"; Ogai Mori, "Takasebune"; Soseki Natsume "Kokoro"; Kenji Miyazawa (poetry); Yukio Mishima"Kinkakuji"; Ryotaro Shiba "Sekigahara";
Hermann Hesse. Read "Siddhartha" and "Happiness" and "Steppenwolf" as finale, then you'll be fully satisfied! (I recommend the translation by Kenji Takahashi)
Roald Dahl, "Tales of the Unexpected"; Shel Silverstein, "Where the Sidewalk Ends," "A Light in the Attic";Edgar Allan Poe; Elie Wiesel, "Night"; John Berendt, "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil"; F. Scott Fitzgerald, "The Great Gatsby.

Favorite Artists: I have many many more favorite artists than listed below. I have too many, in fact, and they are constantly increasing. Anyhow, here are some...
Freddie Mercury (Queen), Yutaka Ozaki, Bjork, Janet Jackson, Minnie Riperton, Slash (Guns 'n' Roses), Joe, Lauryn Hill, Maxwell, Craig David, Garbage, No Doubt, GLAY, Guru, Enigma, Blink182, Miles Davis, Mozart, Blue Man Group, At the Drive-in, Erykah Badu, Jimi Hendrix, Bela Bartok, Edith Piaf.

Places I Want to Go: Italy, Mexico, Machu Picchu, Sahara Desert, my ancestral home in Yamaguchi Pref. (I've never visited before, and would like to visit as soon as I can.)

Things Hooked on Recently:
*Hoop-shaped pierced earrings (again) and accessories with silver and gold mixed, though I used to focus on silver only before (does that mean that I've grown a bit?)
*Stimulant seasonings such as tabasco, sesame oil with chili peppers, vinegar and wasabi.
*I'm into long baths lately. Throughout the world, whether at home in New York, in Japan or in a hotel in Europe, I'm indebted to Japan's famous hot spring bath powder from Tsumura. My father said he likes it, too. Don't you think I have fairly composed daily schedule, though my looks may be quite far out....
*It's a fairly recent thing but I've become very fond of making drinks myself. I bought an espresso maker and coffee maker and make them myself every day. I also discovered a cute teacup set at DKNY and I make Japanese tea often and drink it. I squeeze oranges every morning to make juice... Are these things so common that everybody does them? For me who doesn't cook, it's great progress!

My Favorite Words:
kinomi kinomama (with only the clothes one happens to be wearing); shogyo mujo (All things are in flux and nothing is permanent); kechon kechon (completely); charappoko (no sweat); gakeppuchi (cliff edge); ikkaku senkinn (quick money, fortune at a stroke) (--laugh);
February; maybe; love;
"Most people are as happy as they make up their minds to be" - Abraham Lincoln;
"Instead of tug o'war, let's play hug o' war" - Shel Silverstein;
"Turn a negative into a positive picture" - Lauryn Hill

Utada Hikaru announced her marriage to 34 year old photographer Kiriya Taniwa. They met in winter 2 years ago and have continued a relationship ever since. She too plans to have a child in the near future and is puting her singing career on hold for a short period of time to settle into her new life.

 

Bio 3
 

A poorly translated bio from http://members.tripod.com/hwk01/hikaru.htm

 
Hikaru Utada or Hikki is the biggest name of Japanese music pop at the moment and it it was born and it was created in New York, United States in day 19 of January of 1983 and it is son of the musical producer, Teruzane Utada and of the singer of "enka", very popular Keiko Fuji in years 70. The style of the music of it is the R&B, what it gives to the sound of it an American flavor. Beyond bonanza singer (I confess that it is the best Japanese singer that already heard) it is also responsible for the letters of musics.


With only 7 years of Hikki age, already she was part of the band "U3", that she was composed for it and the parents of it (the name of the band is a reference to the three Utadas), then later the band passed if to call "cubic U". They sang in English and had launched three singles and one album in the United States and the Europe. In 1997 single "Close was launched you the You" and album "Precious" in the United States, but now Hikki was only the integrant one of the band then, modified the name that passed if to call "Cubic U" to differentiate of the old band who was formed together with the parents of it.



Single "Close you the You" and album "Precious" had been launched in Japan in 1998 and 8 a thousand copies did not venderam more than. Following the suggestion of the producer of it, Hikki started to write songs in Japanese and artisticamente to use the proper name of it, Hikaru Utada.

Everything started with music "Teams Will Tell" who well before the official launching of single of estréia, "Automatic/Time Will Tell" in December of 98, already was distinguished in the stops of the Japanese radios. "Automatic/Time Will Tell" was launched in the versions, 8 cm and 12 cm and if it became great hit, vendendo 2 million copies more than. This single was vendido of the first semester of 99 in Japan. It is the start of the phenomenon Hikaru Utada.


As single of it, "Movin ' on without you" was launched in day 17 of February of 1999, also in two formats and was subject of the advertising of the "Nissan Terrano". "Movin ' on without you", was 4° single more vendido in the stop of the Oricon and can be said that it consolidated the success of Hikki.


In March album "First Love" is launched, that in the first week of launching it only vendeu more than 2 million copies! In May, "First Love" if becomes album vendido of all the times in Japan, with 6 million copies more than vendidas, breaking the previous record that belonged the B'z band, who vendeu 5,2 million with album "Best Pleasure"! Beyond this record, Hikaru Utada also broke of album of estréia more vendido in all the times, that band GLOBE belonged, of famosíssimo producing Tetsuya original Komuro and of album more vendido of all the times.



First shows of the Hikaru Utada had occurred in days 1 and 2 of April in the cities of Osaka and Tokyo.



In day 28 of the same month, single of it, the gorgeous ballad was launched third, "First Love". Particularly I consider this best single of it and the best launching of all the year of 1999. "First Love" was used as song subject of the novel "Majo in the Joken" (You the Be the Witch) of the TBS.


Hikki does not appear very in TV programs and nor makes many shows, because it prefers to concentrate itself in the studies in the American School in Tokyo, since it intends to attend a course the University of Columbia in New York. However it possesss a program all sixth in radio FM 802, of one hour of duration. Although excellent singer leaves a little to desire as DJ in the radio, since sample that still is only one girl of 16 years, therefore its colloquies the times arrive to be well infantile, but this can be alone my point of view *. In the future, Hikki says that she intends to make of its activities as two total different artists, "Hikaru Utada" in Japan and "Cubic U" in the United States.

For the launching of single "Addicted it you you" launched in day 10 of November of 99, Hikki it changed its appearance, it painted the hair of colored chestnut, it scraped sombrancelha for leaves it finer and many had compared its new appearance with the one of Kaori Motida of the band Every Litlle Thing. "Addicted you you", was written by the proper Hikaru Utada and was produced by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis
consecrated producing that already had worked for Janet and Michael Jackson. This song is subject of advertising "RED HOT" of Sony.



Most recent single of Hikki "Wait & See ~Risk~" was launched in day 19 of April of this year and to vary it estreou in the first position of the Oricon. Beyond the band heading, single also comes with musics: Hayatochiri and Fly me you the moon (In to other words). In the photo of the layer of this single super Hikaru this similar one to the singer Suzuki Ami, but this is alone an impression mine therefore the cut of hair of the two sufficiently is seemed.



Hikki also goes to make its first tour that "BOHEMIAM SUMMER 2000" will be called and will cover of July the August nine Japanese cities. This will be first the great chance for the fans of the singer to see it to the living creature, therefore in the two first shows of it the ingressions had been distribuidos by means of promotions and drawings.
 

Bio 4

This short bio came from http://www.sakura-drops.net/hikki/about.html

Hikaru Utada
Hikaru Utada/Utada Hikaru, is a famous singer from the country of Japan. She was born in the United States and currently is attending college there, at Columbia in New York. Hikaru has had many hits over the years in Japan and this fall she will be taking a bigger step, releasing an English album, which we all hope does well. Hikaru can sing and talk English prefectly and she won't have a weird voice like some Japanese singers do when the sing in English. She become to be known as the "Britney Spears" of Japan, but that's just wrong. Hikaru writes all of her songs, (with some help), and she doesn't run around half naked. A lot of people also say, "Hikaru Sucks Compared to Ayumi Hamasaki". Well I don't even think the two should be in the same category because they sing differently. Ayumi is all techno and Hikaru is pop/r&b, so they can't be compared. Hikaru has released a total of 4 albums, well kinda. She first released an album under CubicU, which went kinda downhill, but she didn't give up and later had a smash hit with Automatic. Since then she released 3 other albums, First Love, Distace(my fav), and Deep River. I hope this gave your some information on Hikaru, if you didn't know who she is. I hope it interested you enough to purchase one of her CD singles or albums.
 

Bio 5

This Bio came from http://www.geocities.com/p_51_baby/hikki_bio.html

Hikki's Biography



Utada Hikaru was born in Manhattan, New York on January 19th, 1983, to Utada Teruzane and Utada Junko (aka Keiko Fuji). Both of her parents had musical backgrounds, her father being a musician and now her producer and manager, and her mother was a famous enka singer in the 1970s. Hikaru inherited much of her talents from her parents, and took voice lessons as a child (apparently she plays the guitar and piano well too!). When she was still relatively young, she would accompany her parents to the music studios in New York and began to compose her first songs at the tender age of 10. Before she made it big in Japan, Hikaru already had some experience in the studio. She and her parents formed a group called U3 and recorded some minor albums (Japanese debut entitled "Star"), with Hikki on backing vocals. U3 eventually became cubic U and did more minor recordings in Europe and America. Hikaru later used this name, Cubic U, to make her first attempt at a US debut with the album "Precious" (1997) and released the single "Close to You". The album did not gain so much hype, though it did attract the praise of Lenny Kravitz.

It was only in late 1998 that Hikaru's career blossomed. After being discovered at a talent show, she was signed onto Toshiba-Emi label. She released her Japanese album "First Love" along with her single "Automatic", and later followed with the hugely successful follow-up single, "First Love". This album sold 2 million copies just in the first two weeks (WOW! don't think Britney did that well in the context!) and changed the face of Jpop. The cd sold out weeks even before it's release in Japan (Rumours have it 1 out of every 4 Japanese person owns a copy of "First Love).The following release to this album was "Distance", which produced other successful singles like "Wait & See", "Can You Keep a Secret?", and "Addicted to You". It was during this phase of her career that she saw many changes in her life personally and musically. She began attending Columbia University. She also released a track "Blow My Whistle" with Foxy Brown for the Rush Hour 2 soundtrack. After a tragic incident that occurred at an elementary school in Japan where children were murdered, Hikaru remade a song on her last album to commemorate one of the students who was a fan of hers. The song was entitled "Final Distance" and the music video featured the talents of Kiriya Kazuaki. Following this she released "Traveling" which was to be featured on her next album.

2002 was to see many changes for the young Hikaru. In March 2002, she signed a contract with Island Def Jam Records (US label) to release her first English debut in the States. Hikaru also released two more singles to accompany her third album like "Hikari" (For Kingdom Hearts, an RPG game) and "Sakura Drops". She also put her post-secondary education on hold to focus on her musical career. In April, she fell ill and went into surgery to remove a benign tumor from one of her ovaries and struggled to recover. Nevertheless, she did and in June, her third album "Deep River" was released. There was also a great change in her personal life too. On September 6th, Hikaru (19) announced her marriage to her music video director, Kiriya Kazuaki (34) which shocked all her fans (including me!).

Her latest release up to date is "Colors" which came out in January of 2003. She is currently working on her English debut album (rumours have it it'll be out early 2004). At 20 years old, Hikaru's musical career seems promising, though she intends to retire young. Her music has seen dramatic changes from R n B to a more mature influence and her song writing capabilities seem to get better with each new release. Where will her career lead her next? We'll just have to "Wait and See".
 

 

This Article is from http://hikaru-online.net/news.html

 

We have gotten tons of new information from the NYLON JAPAN issue with Utada's interview. Here are some highlights:

- According to Hikaru, the release date foor the album should be prior to summer, most likely around May.

- At the time of the interview, she had 100 songs completed. These were all created by Hikaru herself, with the help of her father Teruzane and producer Goh Hotoda. The last 2 songs (for a presumeable total of 12 songs?) will be produced by someone else.

- She made a promise with Island Recordss tthat she would be done recording by the end of February.

- When asked if she was conscious of herr AAsian roots, she explained that she's very interested in the notion that people know she's Asian when they see her, but are unable to tell when she's singing. Similar to her debut in Japan, where the media placed much attention on her "Americannees," Utada wants the US media to latch onto her Japanese background.

- The main points for her new songs weree &"Intelligence and humor"

- The reason she chose the tiger for herr llogo was because "the tiger is considered the strongest animal in Asia."

- The current promo pics for Utada were acctually taken way back in May of 2003. Island Def Jam was very keen on getting something Utada related, since no songs were completed at the time.

Other interesting points:

She began programming and arranging all of her songs herself after her DEEP RIVER album. However, this solo-mode prohibited Utada from growing as a musician, and it felt as though she was rehashing everything over and over again. And if she were to create a 4th or 5th album in this same manner, the fans, as well as Hikaru herself, would become bored with the music. So when she started making her English album, she was pleasantly surprised at the new and different thoughts that came out of her mind.

She had many offers from the very beginning (since she was able to speak English fluently). However, she never really thought about it too seriously. She became very much interested in Japanese words, and was able to try different things within her Japanese career. She says that this transition to English isn't a real "change," rather a natural progression of her life as an artist. She never feels like, "Japan is the best!" or "I want to sing in America!"

She was asked if there were any producers she wanted to work with. Her answer, "Not really." She was afraid that if she were to work with certain individuals, it would become their style and not her own. That would go against what she wanted, which is to stay true to her own style. When asked if there was anything new she tried on this album, she responded: "Originality." She didn't pay much attention to different Japanese artists, but when it came to American artists, she would listen and think, "Oh, I should come up with something more interesting!"

She doesn't feel like, "I'm going to succeed!" or "I want to succeed!" She just wants someone to listen to her music.

If she had to be placed in a category, she said she'd want to be considered "pop." She wants to create music which will seem natural to everyone who hears it. If she thinks the lyrics will be hard to understand, then she would make the music very "pop." She's tried to balance the difficult lyrics with the ease of pop music.

She says that she wants people to hear her music as soon as possible, and that she will do her best.