Bad Mode

Last updated • 4 min readFrom Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia

Bad Mode
Utada Hikaru - Bad Mode.jpeg
Digital and standard cover
Studio album by
ReleasedJanuary 19, 2022
Recorded2018–2021
Genre
Length73:36
Language
Label
Producer
Hikaru Utada chronology
One Last Kiss
(2021)
Bad Mode
(2022)
Hikaru Utada Live Sessions from Air Studios
(2022)
Singles from Bad Mode
  1. "Face My Fears"
    Released: January 18, 2019
  2. "Time"
    Released: May 8, 2020
  3. "Dare ni mo Iwa Nai"
    Released: May 22, 2020
  4. "One Last Kiss"
    Released: March 9, 2021
  5. "Pink Blood"
    Released: June 8, 2021
  6. "Kimi ni Muchū"
    Released: November 26, 2021
  7. "Bad Mode"
    Released: January 19, 2022

Bad Mode (Japanese: BADモード, Hepburn: Baddo Mōdo) is the eighth Japanese-language studio album (eleventh overall) by Japanese-American singer-songwriter Hikaru Utada. It is the singer-songwriter's first bilingual album release, with songs recorded in both Japanese and English. The album was released on the Sony Music Japan sublabel Epic Records Japan digitally on January 19, 2022, the day of Utada's 39th birthday, and was released physically on CD and limited CD-DVD-BD format bundle on February 23. It marked her first album release in four years since Hatsukoi (2018).

Contents

Six previously released songs were confirmed for the album, including title track "Bad Mode", the Shiseido commercial theme song "Find Love", the Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time theme song "One Last Kiss" and the Kingdom Hearts III theme song "Face My Fears". [7] The album includes collaborations with a variety of producers, including Skrillex and Poo Bear, A. G. Cook, and Sam Shepherd. [8] Describing the record's themes, MTV wrote that Bad Mode is largely about growing up, self-love, self-partnering, and acceptance". It utilizes various musical styles including pop, jazz, electronica and R&B.

Bad Mode received critical acclaim from music critics, with The Japan Times calling it a career highlight. [6] It was named one of the best albums of the year by various music publications including Pitchfork and Slant Magazine , while "Somewhere Near Marseilles" was ranked within the top 10 on both publication's lists of Best Songs of 2022. Commercially, the album received a gold certification from the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ) within a month of its release with over 100,000 copies sold.

Background and packaging

The CD + DVD + Blu-ray release comes with the regular audio CD, five music videos ("Time", "One Last Kiss", "Pink Blood", "Kimi ni Muchū" and "Bad Mode") and the full recorded concert "Hikaru Utada Live Sessions from Air Studios". [9] The concert was recorded at London's Air Studios, with bassist Jodi Milliner as the bandmaster. Sound engineer Steve Fitzmaurice worked in sound recording and mixing, and David Barnard in the video direction. [8] Hikaru Utada's son, who is six years old at the moment of the album's release, participated in the album, having violin credits in "Bad Mode" and vocal credits in "Not in the Mood" under the name The Artist's Son. He also appears on the album cover. [3]

Composition

In contrast to her past albums, Bad Mode revolves around Utada's relationship with herself. [10] She states that most of the songs were written during the COVID-19 pandemic and containing reflections on being a mother, surviving through difficult times, and working to improve her own state of being and relationships with other people. [11]

Promotion

Despite having no tour to promote the album, Utada performed for the first time in the famous Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival on April 17, 2022, being a part of the 88rising label block, singing some old hits and "Face My Fears" from Bad Mode, and a new song called "T", released after the concert ended for streaming, in the 88rising's EP Head in the Clouds Forever . [12] Due to fans request, the concert Hikaru Utada Live Sessions from Air Studios was released on June 9, 2022, for streaming in Netflix and as Utada's first ever digital live album. [13]

In September 2022, Utada performed "Somewhere Near Marseilles" live at the Yokohama Hakkeijima Sea Paradise zoo. An accompanying video of the performance was released exclusively to Spotify in part of their five-year anniversary celebration of the service launching in Japan. [14]

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
The Japan Times Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svg [6]
Pitchfork 8.0/10 [2]
PopMatters 8/10 [4]
SputnikmusicStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [15]

Accolades

Bad Mode on critic lists
Critic/PublisherListRankingRef.
Beats Per Minute Top 50 Albums of 202237 [16]
Gorilla vs. Bear Top 50 Albums of 202219 [17]
NME The 25 best Asian albums of 20228 [18]
NPR (Lars Gotrich)Top 10 Albums of 2022Placed [19]
NPR (Sheldon Pearce)Top Albums of 2022Placed [20]
Pitchfork The 50 Best Albums of 202231 [21]
The Skinny Top Albums of 202217 [22]
Slant Magazine The 50 Best Albums of 20229 [23]
Tokyo Weekender Top 10 Best Japanese Albums of 20229 [24]
Songs from Bad Mode on critic lists
Critic/PublisherListSongRankingRef.
Gorilla vs. Bear Top 50 Songs of 2022"Somewhere Near Marseilles"5 [25]
Pitchfork The 100 Best Songs of 202210 [26]
Resident Advisor The Best Tracks of 2022Placed [27]
Slant Magazine The 50 Best Songs of 20226 [28]
The Fader The 100 Best Songs of 202242 [29]
NPR The 100 Best Songs of 2022"Bad Mode"32 [30]
PitchforkThe 100 Best Songs of the 2020s So Far"Somewhere Near Marseilles"18 [31]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Hikaru Utada except where noted.

Bad Mode– Standard edition
No.TitleProducer(s)Length
1."Bad Mode" (BADモード) (written by Utada, Jodi Milliner)5:03
2."Kimi ni Muchū" (君に夢中)
4:18
3."One Last Kiss"
  • Utada
  • Cook
4:10
4."Pink Blood"3:17
5."Time"
  • Utada
  • Obukuro
4:58
6."Not in the Mood" (気分じゃないの)
  • Utada
  • Shepherd
7:28
7."Darenimo Iwanai" (誰にも言わない)
  • Utada
  • Obukuro
4:40
8."Find Love"
  • Utada
  • Obukuro
4:38
9."Face My Fears" (Japanese version) (written by Utada, Skrillex, Jason "Poo Bear" Boyd)
  • Utada
  • Skrillex
  • Poo Bear
3:38
10."Somewhere Near Marseilles" (Somewhere Near Marseilles -マルセイユ辺り-)
  • Utada
  • Shepherd
11:55
Total length:54:05
Bad Mode– bonus tracks
No.TitleProducer(s)Length
11."Beautiful World (Da Capo Version)"5:58
12."Kireina Hito (Find Love)" (キレイな人)
  • Utada
  • Obukuro
4:38
13."Face My Fears (English Version)"
  • Utada
  • Skrillex
3:39
14."Face My Fears (A. G. Cook Remix)"
  • Utada
  • Cook
5:22
Total length:73:42

Personnel

Musicians

Technical

Charts

Sales and certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Japan (RIAJ) [38] Gold166,698 [39]

Release history

Release dates and formats for Bad Mode
RegionDateFormatLabelRef.
VariousJanuary 19, 2022 [40]
February 23, 2022 CD
April 27, 2022 LP

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