After months of anticipation, iconic J-pop artist Hikaru Utada has released their first greatest hits album, SCIENCE FICTION, which has already ranked no.1 on iTunes. It’s not a simple compilation of the legendary performer’s most well-known works but a space-time-bending trip through their 25-year career. Utada shares new songs and revisits legendary numbers, finding new angles on them more than two decades later.
The album features recent work, “Naniirodemonai Hana (A Flower of No Color)”; a brand-new song called “Electricity”; newly recorded versions of “Addicted To You,” “traveling” and “Hikari”; ten songs in newly mixed versions, engineered by Grammy-winning mixing engineer Steve Fitzmaurice; and a special “Sci-Fi Edit” of their critically acclaimed song “Somewhere Near Marseilles” as a bonus track.
To celebrate the release of this highly anticipated album, a special video interview with Hikaru Utada about this best-of album has been shared. The interview offers fans the artist’s insights into their creativity, behind-the-scenes stories from the recording, and reflections on their legendary 25 years as an artist.
Furthermore, a special “Kuma-chan” AR (Augmented Reality) website has been launched to commemorate the artist’s 25th anniversary. Using the AR function on the website, fans can draw their message against a sky background.
After creating a message, Utada’s ever-charming teddy bear character, Kuma-chan, will suddenly appear from the wormhole. Utada themselves drew 23 new Kuma-chan illustrations for this special feature, and users are encouraged to share their messages with the hashtag #SF_KUMA.
Additionally, fans can expect additional Kuma-chan campaigns, including the AR Kuma-chan collection using the album’s back cover design as a marker, a special Kuma-chan that will appear exclusively at each HIKARU UTADA SCIENCE FICTION TOUR 2024 stop in Japan starting from July, and a Kuma-chan collaboration with Ayataka (a green tea brand operated by the Coca‑Cola(Japan)Company, Ltd.).
To watch the interview, please visit https://youtu.be/CA5ug28jlvE. To write and share your message with Kuma-chan, please visit https://sf-kuma.com. To see the guidance on the Kuma-chan AR experience, please visit https://youtube.com/shorts/bXsyiO1StCI.
Online Event SCIENCE FICTION Listening Party♪
Saturday, April 13, 2024, 9 pm (Japan Time) on YouTube
Sunday, April 14, 2024, 9 pm (Japan Time) on LOUNGE by AWA
https://mf.awa.fm/open_utadahikaru_0414_pr
Release Information
Single “Automatic (2024 Mix)” – released on March 22, 2024
https://umj.lnk.to/automatic_2024mix
Single “Somewhere Near Marseilles (Sci-Fi Edit)” – released on April 3, 2024
https://erj.lnk.to/u6NY21
Greatest Hits Album SCIENCE FICTION – released on April 10, 2024
https://umj.lnk.to/SCIENCE_FICTION
Tour Information
HIKARU UTADA SCIENCE FICTION TOUR 2024 Official Website: https://live.hikaruutada-tour-official.com/en
About Hikaru Utada
Since their debut on December 9, 1998, Hikaru Utada has achieved numerous remarkable milestones in their career. Their debut single, “Automatic/Time Will Tell,” sold over two million copies, propelling them to become one of Japan’s top artists at 15.
Just a few months later, their first album, First Love, shattered Japanese CD sales records that still stand unbroken today. In 2022, their eighth album, BAD MODE, garnered high domestic and international praise and was crowned the best album of the year by the internationally renowned music media, Pitchfork.
The Netflix series “First Love,” inspired by Utada’s eponymous single, achieved tremendous success in Japan and Asia. On December 9, 2023, they celebrated their 25th anniversary since their major debut in unbelievable style, announcing the much-anticipated release of their inaugural greatest hits album SCIENCE FICTION, released on April 10, 2024, as well as a nationwide tour HIKARU UTADA SCIENCE FICTION TOUR 2024.
Hikaru Utada Official Website: https://www.utadahikaru.jp
