Hikaru Utada’s R&B-influenced pop was born and defined in the early 2000s but remains relevant and compelling in 2024, as is signified by their latest “best of” compilation release entitled SCIENCE FICTION. The New York-born Japanese vocalist is well into their third decade of stardom, a meteoric rise which began when they were only 15. As Utada’s 12th studio album, SCIENCE FICTION is a celebration of the star’s deep and varied tracklist which has spanned language and genres to remain a must-listen for fans of Japanese pop around the world. Here are five selections from Hikaru Utada which also feature on the album in remixed and re-recorded form.
1. Automatic (1998)
Next of the sappy titular track on 1999 debut album First Love, Automatic is a powerful, catchy declaration of Utada’s arrival on the pop scene stage with their ubiquitous blending of Japanese and English lyrics.
2. Hikari (光, “Sunlight”) (2002)
By 2001, Utada was already on their fourth studio album, DEEP RIVER, and “Hikari” is interesting for me for having all of the crooning melodrama of other American early-2000s pop and R&B, just in Japanese.
3. Michi (道, “Road”) (2016)
After a years-long hiatus from doing music full-time, this single from 2016’s Fantôme features an up-tempo, synth-driven dance beat contrasting with lyrics of walking a road alone.
4. Kimi ni Muchuu (君に夢中, “Crazy About You”) (2021)
The album Bad Mode is about maturing and finding acceptance with oneself, but the song “Kimi ni muchuu” illustrates a measured willingness to fall back into the naivete of youthful love, a familiar theme which Utada’s teenage albums captured for millions of fans.
5. First Love - 2022 Mix (2022)
Rounding out the playlist is the defining single of Utada’s early career, the one that started it all in 1999. Like many tracks on Utada’s most recent albums, the 2022 version of “First Love” on 2024’s SCIENCE FICTION feels more natural and intimate to the pop ballad that they poured their heart into as a 15 year old.
Playlists
Listen to these selections on Spotify and Youtube using the players below.
Editor's Note: Hikaru Utada uses both she/her and they/them pronouns. This article uses they/them pronouns for consistency.
Link to Hikaru Utada's SCIENCE FICTION on CD
Support Tokyo Alleyways by picking up Hikaru Utada's new album SCIENCE FICTION on Amazon through this link.
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