Biography
Who is Hikaru Utada?
Early life and family
Hikaru Utada was born on January 19, 1983, in New York City. Their mother, Keiko Fuji, worked as an enka singer, and their father, Teruzane Utada, was a record producer. The family lived in the Upper East Side of Manhattan, often traveling to Tokyo because of their father's career. At age ten, the future star began writing lyrics and music. When they were eleven, the family moved permanently to Tokyo, Japan. Before their solo career, they recorded songs with their mother in a group called U3. In 1996, they launched a solo project under the stage name Cubic U. This early phase included the release of the single I'll Be Stronger and a cover version of The Carpenters track Close to You, which appeared on the debut album Precious.
Rise to musical fame
After moving to Tokyo in 1998, the artist attended Seisen International School and later the American School in Japan. During this time, they signed a contract with Toshiba-EMI. They quickly emerged as a prominent figure in a new wave of singer-songwriters in Japan, moving away from the dominance of idol singers. Before releasing their first major album, they found success with the million-selling singles Movin' On Without You and Automatic/Time Will Tell. The album First Love arrived in 1999 and became the highest-selling record in recent Japanese history, selling millions of units. This release secured their status as a major force in the music industry.
Record-breaking album releases
Following a two-year hiatus, the second album Distance was released in 2001. It achieved big first-week sales of three million units, making it the fastest-selling album in Japan at that time. Key singles such as Addicted to You, Wait & See, and Can You Keep a Secret? All received multi-platinum certifications. The momentum continued with the 2002 album Deep River, which featured popular songs like Hikari and Sakura Drops. This album marked the third consecutive time an album by this artist surpassed the three-million sales mark in Japan. By the end of the 2000s, The Japan Times recognized them as the most influential artist of the decade within the Japanese music scene.
International work and recent projects
Beyond their domestic success, Hikaru Utada gained international attention for their contributions to video games. They wrote and performed four theme songs for the Kingdom Hearts series developed by Square Enix and Disney. These tracks include Simple and Clean, Sanctuary, Don't Think Twice, and Face My Fears, which featured the American producer Skrillex. In 2004, they released the English-language debut album Exodus under the name Utada. This project was a foray into the North American market. In 2022, they released Bad Mode, an album that combined both Japanese and English tracks and topped the charts upon release.
Personal life and education
The artist briefly attended Columbia University in New York City starting in 2001 but left after less than a year of study. In 2021, they publicly identified as non-binary, becoming one of the first major Japanese public figures to do so. Over the course of their career, they have sold more than 40 million records. With twelve number-one singles and ten chart-topping albums, they remain a top-selling recording artist in Japan. They were previously married to Kazuaki Kiriya, who directed the film Casshern, for which the artist provided the theme song Dareka no Negai ga Kanau Koro.
Birthday and age
Hikaru Utada was born on January 19, 1983, which makes Hikaru 43 years old today. That birthday falls under the Capricorn sign. Hikaru shares the date with 27 other famous people.
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