I met Utada Hikaru when I was 7 years old.

I don?t have such a good memory but I can remember of a game called Kingdom Hearts. When I saw the game for the first time, I heard the opening theme, called ?Simple And Clean?. To be real, it was the first time one voice could move me at that point! I shivered every time I heard the song! And I didn?t know it but this was the beginning of a brand new era for me. What I mean is that I was completely addicted to her voice, and to this song. It was a remix of one other original song (actually, the ending theme of the ?Kingdom Heart? game), and I also thought the real version was a good one too!

I had asked my cousin (Delphine) to write the lyrics of this song, for me. Yeah, I remember I wasn?t that good in English, since I was speaking French all the way, but I had some very little basis to start understanding the song!
It wasn?t that hard to translate and I remember I listened to this song at the time I used to look up in the dictionary every single word I didn?t know. I built up my vocabulary, back then!
And then, I knew the song by heart, I remember I only thought about this song and later, I thought about finding out who the artist was. I took the booklet of the game, Kingdom Hearts. I remember I was also pretty worked up by the story of the game, because Kingdom Hearts itself is a very interesting game. And then, to come back to the booklet, I went to see the credits and I read ?Utada Hikaru. TOSHIBA-EMI Limited?. I was like: ?The hell? She sings in English and she has a Japanese name? Yeah, but she?s Japanese, nah??. There were so many questions in my head. Fortunately, I got to look it up in the internet! And I have found out she?s American and she sings both in English and Japanese! I was stunned! It was when I was 9, or something, but in fact, I believed American people only sings in English! And Japanese couldn?t be American. Yeah, I was stupid, but come on, I was a child! xD


Other than that, I had listened to her Japanese song, hereafter! I thought she had a powerful voice both in Japanese and in English. I loved her voice ever since? In fact, my cousin had ordered a couple of CDs of Utada, I remember I headed out to school, she had a strange cardboard box, and I was wondering what were inside it! When I saw it was Utada, my eyes were wide open! =O Because I thought we, French people, could not have Japanese CDs xD Please forgive my foolishness, I?m a bit crazy at times! ;)

Well, what happened next? I got myself into learning Japanese, in order to Japan, someday. But also to talk with Utada someday! Yeah! It was my craziest dream, in the old days!
Anyway, I learned all of her songs by heart and from there; I became crazy in love with her. I remember the song that moved me the most, in her Japanese work, was ?Shiawase Ni Narou?, a wonderful song, I really shiver every time I listen to it! =O


I listened to ?Exodus?, once my cousin bought it, in 2004/5, I can?t remember exactly, but in any case, I listened to Utada?s American accent. I loved it so much! I was really into it! And I have enjoyed very good songs, as for examples ?Exodus 04? and ?Kremlin Dusk?? But the other songs were also very good, ?Devil Inside? is a very catchy songs, but nothing compared to ?Easy Breazy?! I loved this album (as I love every other Utada?s) and my favorite song inside was ?Exodus 04??!
I started to learn English very intensively in order to understand everything she said, and yes, I admit her songs were a start for me! =O

I started to sing at this time, even if I knew Utada a special vocal signature which I didn?t own, because I am a guy, and then, it is normal to realize I didn?t have a good voice to sing her songs! Of course I was a little pained to know that but never mind! I never loved her less for so! I continued to listen to her songs! I think I was 13 when the album Heart Station released! I remember I was so psyched! First, I heard the song on a website radio ( Hikkiforever, French database about Utada Hikaru ). I could listen to Stay Gold, Flavor Of Life and Boku Wa Kuma, but not the whole songs. I was eager to listen to the whole album! And my waiting was rewarded! I could listen to the whole album when it released! I also went to a cybercaf? in order to see the Heart Station clip! I shivered for so many times when listen to each song of hers, but especially for ?Flavor of Life?, my favorite song in this album!

Hereafter, I moved to Mayotte and then I couldn?t listen to Utada?s albums anymore but fortunately, I could listen to them in YouTube. When This Is The One released, I was sure I wanted to do like Utada. And being a singer? I loved (and I still do) this album and I really recommend this to anyone eager to discover a very smooth voice upon RnB/Hip-Hop tempos! ;)

I have heard that Utada gave a last concert before starting a 2-5 years hiatus. She said she needed to focus on herself, not as an artist, but rather as a ?Human?. It?s not any good to stay unlock inside one?s own home making music until unknown hours! I admit that but still!!! I missed her a lot! It was the beginning only. Wild Life was a success and it made me realize how hard it is to be a real singer! But I didn't back down ;)

I grew up and I have known Utada held: one official website ? Oh, I have tried to message her but it seems like she never saw my messages! =O, one twitter account (I signed up on this purpose only!!!) and, one MySpace account, but I thought it was kinda hard to follow up there!
She also runs a YouTube account where every singles videos of hers are! =o I love this channel!

During the hiatus era, I have searched for Utada Hikaru?s older stuff, and there I discovered about ?Precious?! I was stunned! She was just 15 but she had a very distinguishable voice, from her old days until now! I recognized her voice. Even if I know and admit, the songs inside are not the best she could have done, but at least, she had a first experience and she was aware of the flaws for a new album! =) And inside it, I think these songs were great, in a technical point of view (for her voice!)

I also listen to the very very very old songs! ?Konya Ha Boogie Back?, ?Hear Me Cry? and ?Fly Me To The Moon?. I loved her voice. It was undeniable!

A couple of years later (2, I think), on the 16th of November, I see a tweet of Utada, saying her new song released. At first, I believed I was dreaming or it was a prank, or something like this, but it wasn?t, I figured! I went see on the internet but the new was way too fresh! I discovered the song with the video and I loved it! I was of the first 100 people to put a like button? But let?s talk about the song. Woah? Soft piano as in ?Show Me Love?, Soft voice as her Wild Life performance of Sakura Drops, same ?background vocals? (in the end of the song), as in ?Show Me Love?, same emotion felt in ?Flavor Of Life?? this song had, and there had been a while since none had, me shivering like I never did! From head to foot! It was called ?Sakura Nagashi? and it became my anthem, the song I?m going to sing for my baccalaureate!

Now, nothing of Utada, except her new radio emission: Kuma Power Hour. I wish I could understand the whole of it but I?m not good enough in Japanese. I, sometimes, figure out a couple of things but it?s kinda warped up because you have to understand the verbs? And the complex vocabulary she has all skills to use! Hopefully, she translates in English at times! =)
I prefer when she talks in English but I think it?s only because I understand it better than her Japanese speaking!

I am currently waiting for the 2 episode of Kuma Power Hour! Hope I may listen to it! On the third Tuesday of may!

I have posted a single on Soundcloud which is a song directly inspired by Utada Hikaru and the dreams she had me dreaming! :p