Heart Station (song)

Last updated
"Heart Station"
Hikaru Utada - Heart Station cover.png
Single by Hikaru Utada
from the album Heart Station
ReleasedFebruary 20, 2008 (2008-02-20)
Recorded2007
Genre Pop
Length4:37
Label EMI Music Japan
Songwriter(s) Hikaru Utada
Producer(s)
Hikaru Utada singles chronology
"Stay Gold"
(2008)		"Heart Station"
(2008)		"Prisoner of Love"
(2008)
Music video
"Heart Station" on YouTube

"Heart Station" is a song by Japanese musician Hikaru Utada, which was released as a double A-side single alongside her song "Stay Gold" on February 20, 2008. [1] The title track for her album Heart Station , the song was heavily promoted on radio stations, for three weeks it was the number one song on the newly established Billboard Hot Top Airplay chart, despite only managing to reach number two on the Billboard Japan Hot 100.

Contents

Background and development

In February 2007, Utada released "Flavor of Life", the theme song for the drama Hana Yori Dango Returns , which became one of her most commercially successful singles, selling over eight million downloads and becoming the second most digitally successful song of 2007 globally. [2] [3] This was followed by a second single in 2007, featuring the songs "Beautiful World", the theme song for the animated film Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone , and "Kiss & Cry", a song used to promote Nissin Foods' Cup Noodles. [4]

In October 2007, Utada's song "Stay Gold" was unveiled in Kao Corporation's Asience shampoo commercials. [5] It was released as a ringtone on December 7, managing to be downloaded 250,000 times a month after its release, and was promoted at radio stations in mid January 2008. [6]

During the process of writing the song, Utada decided to make the song have a theme of "heart electric waves", likening emotional signals to radio signals. She decided on this because she felt that radio stations had a hand-made, analog, loving and warm feeling to them, which resonated with the song matter. [7]

Promotion and release

The song was used in commercials for cellphone music store Recochoku from late January 2008, which featured Utada dancing in a bear suit fastened in the shape of her stuffed teddy bear, Kuma Chang. [8]

Due to the radio theme of the song's lyrics, the advertising campaign for the song focused on FM radio airplay. It was released to radio stations across Japan on January 21, and a special website was created for the song in order to make it easier for people to request the song on the radio. [9] [10] In later February, the song reached the top of the Billboard Hot Top Airplay chart, and manage to stay there for a total of three weeks. [11] [12] Despite this, the song peaked only at number two on the composite Japan Hot 100 chart, behind boyband Arashi's "Step and Go". [13]

In February, Utada went on a promotional campaign to promote the song, appearing on several music programs to perform the song: Hey! Hey! Hey! Music Champ on February 18, [14] Music Station and Music Fighter on February 22, [15] [16] and at Count Down TV on February 23. [17] She was featured in many music and fashion magazines in Japan to promote the single, including issues of Pia, Patipati, CD Data, What's In? and Pop Teen. [18]

Music video

The music video for the song was released on February 4, 2008. It was her first video in a year since "Flavor of Life (Ballad Version)" to feature herself personally (after animated videos were released for her other 2007 singles, "Kiss & Cry" and "Beautiful World"). [19] The video was directed by Masashi Mutō, [19] a director who had worked with such musical acts as Mika Nakashima and L'Arc-en-Ciel, however had not worked with Utada before.

The music video featured Utada wearing white headphones as she rides a subway train. Surrounding her are other subway users, who are immobile, and are either shown as black silhouettes or fast blurs. Mutō and Utada gave the video a theme of "gaze", and tried to focus on Utada's expressions and mannerisms as she rode among the other subway patrons. [19]

Critical reception

CDJournal reviewers were positive, praising in particular the song's backing vocals reusing the melody line (described as having a "tender floating-feeling"), and Utada's arrangement. They felt that the song expressed sweet, sour and painful emotions, and praised the lyric "kokoro no denpa todoitemasu ka?" ("Do my heart's radio waves reach you?") in particular as "touching the heartstrings", as if a hand were stretching out and softly touching the listener. [20] [21] Takayuki Saito of Hot Express felt the work established Utada further as a sound creator, and praised her vocals, lyrics and the general "high level of perfection". [22]

Listen.jp reviewer Shigefumi Koike praised how the song showed off Utada's "adventurous spirit" while remaining an easily listenable pop song. He felt that the most notable aspect of "Heart Station" was how Utada's raw, unprocessed vocals created a strong feeling of warmth. Koike felt that both "Stay Gold" and "Heart Station" were a "magnificent" display of Utada's "futuristic" abilities as a sound creator, and that both songs showed off the emotive qualities of Utada's vocals and had great "ambient sound arrangements". [23]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Hikaru Utada

"Heart Station" / "Stay Gold" single
No.TitleLength
1."Heart Station"4:37
2."Stay Gold"5:15
3."Heart Station" (original karaoke)4:38
4."Stay Gold" (original karaoke)5:15
Total length:19:45

Personnel

Personnel details were sourced from "Heart Station" / "Stay Gold"'s liner notes booklet. [24]

Chart rankings

Weekly charts

Charts (2008)Peak
position
Japan Billboard Japan Hot 100 [13] 2
Japan Oricon weekly singles [25]
  • "Heart Station" / "Stay Gold"
3
RIAJ Reco-kyō ringtones Top 100 [26] 9

Year-end charts

Chart (2008)Peak
position
Billboard Japan Hot 100 [27] 13

Sales and certifications

ChartAmount
Oricon physical sales [28]
  • "Heart Station" / "Stay Gold"
77,000
RIAJ cellphone download certification [29] Platinum (250,000)
RIAJ PC download certification [30] Gold (100,000)
RIAJ physical certification [31]
  • "Heart Station" / "Stay Gold"
Gold (100,000)

Release history

RegionDateFormatDistributing labelCatalog codes
JapanJanuary 21, 2008 [10] [32] Ringtone, radio add date EMI Music Japan
February 20, 2008 [1] [33] [34] CD single, digital download TOCT-40200
South KoreaDigital download Universal Music Korea
TaiwanAugust 31, 2008 [35] CD single Gold Typhoon 5099920619220

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hikaru Utada</span> Japanese-American pop singer and producer (born 1983)

Hikaru Utada, also known by the mononym Utada, is a Japanese-American pop singer, songwriter and producer. Utada is one of the most influential and best-selling musical artists in Japan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Be My Last</span> 2005 single by Hikaru Utada

"Be My Last" is Hikaru Utada's 14th Japanese single, released on September 28, 2005. It was used for the 2005 film Spring Snow, an adaptation of the 1966 Yukio Mishima novel of the same name.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">First Love (Hikaru Utada song)</span> 1999 single by Utada Hikaru

"First Love" is a song by the Japanese-American singer-songwriter Hikaru Utada. It was released on April 28, 1999, as the third Japanese language single from her second studio album, First Love, which was issued a month previously. It was certified double platinum for 800,000 copies shipped to stores in Japan.

<i>Ultra Blue</i> 2006 studio album by Hikaru Utada

"Ultra Blue" is the sixth album by Japanese–American singer Hikaru Utada, released on June 14, 2006 by EMI Music Japan. It is the first original Japanese language album under Hikaru Utada's name in four years since her third album Deep River (2002). While the arrangements for her album Deep River were done collaboratively, all but one of the songs on Ultra Blue were written, composed, and arranged solely by Utada, who also did the programming herself.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hikaru Utada discography</span>

The discography of Japanese-American R&B and pop singer Hikaru Utada consists of eleven studio albums, three compilation albums, eleven video albums and numerous singles and promotional singles. Utada began as a musician in the early 1990s as a member of U3, a family unit made up of her, her mother Junko Utada, also known as 1970s enka singer Keiko Fuji, and her father, musical producer Teruzane Utada. U3 released their debut album Star in 1993, with the hope to debut in America. In 1996, the group was rebranded as Cubic U, an R&B project focusing on Hikaru Utada, resulting in the English language album Precious in 1998 with record label Toshiba EMI.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beautiful World (Hikaru Utada song)</span> 2007 single by Hikaru Utada

"Beautiful World" is a song by Japanese American musician Hikaru Utada. It served as the theme song for Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone, the 2007 film reboot of the anime Neon Genesis Evangelion. It was released as a double A-side single on August 29, 2007 along with her song "Kiss & Cry", which had been released digitally three months earlier. In 2009, a remix of the song, "Beautiful World " served as the theme song of the second film in the series, Evangelion: 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance.

<i>Heart Station</i> 2008 studio album by Hikaru Utada

Heart Station is the seventh studio and fifth Japanese-language album by Japanese–American recording artist Hikaru Utada. It was released on March 19, 2008, by EMI Music in Japan, and globally on March 26, 2008. It is Utada's eighth consecutive studio album to be fully written and produced by her, with the help of her father Teruzane Utada and long-time collaborator Miyake Akira through the production. Recorded between 2006 and 2008, it was worked on whilst she was recording her ninth studio and second English-language studio album, This Is the One (2009). With the album artwork photographed by Japanese photographer Mitsuo, Heart Station was released in two formats: a physical CD, and as a digital download.

"Eternally" is a song by Japanese musician Hikaru Utada, from their 2001 album Distance. It was re-arranged in 2008 as "Eternally (Drama Mix)" for use in the Maki Horikita starring Fuji TV drama Innocent Love. It was released as a digital single on October 31, 2008, and eventually released onto CD in March 2009, on an EMI compilation album I: Zutto, Zutto, Aishiteru (i(アイ)～ずっと、ずっと、愛してる～).

<i>Utada Hikaru Single Collection Vol. 2</i> 2010 greatest hits album by Hikaru Utada

Utada Hikaru Single Collection Vol. 2 is Japanese pop singer-songwriter Hikaru Utada's second compilation album, released on November 24, 2010, by EMI Music Japan, the same day as her Universal-released English language compilation album, Utada the Best. The album includes two discs, with the first being a 13-track greatest hits album spanning 2004–2009, while the second is an extended play featuring new material. Along with Utada the Best, this remained Utada's last album release for six years, until 2016's Fantôme, due to an announced hiatus. Several of the new songs achieved commercial success, with "Goodbye Happiness" reaching number one on Billboard's Japan Hot 100 chart, and "Can't Wait 'Til Christmas" reaching number one on the Recording Industry Association of Japan's digital track chart. Both songs have been certified by the association as gold records for full-length cellphone downloads.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Time Limit (song)</span> 2000 single by Hikaru Utada

"Time Limit" is a song by Japanese musician Hikaru Utada. It was released as a double A-side single with the song "For You" on June 30, 2000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Goodbye Happiness</span> 2010 single by Hikaru Utada

"Goodbye Happiness" is a song by Japanese American singer-songwriter Hikaru Utada. It was released as the lead track from Utada's second Japanese compilation album, Utada Hikaru Single Collection Vol. 2, in November 2010. The song was commercially successful, topping Billboard's Japan Hot 100 chart in December 2010, and in January 2011 was certified gold by the RIAJ for more than 100,000 full-length downloads to cellphones.

"Can't Wait 'Til Christmas" is a song by Japanese singer-songwriter Hikaru Utada. It was released on Utada's second Japanese compilation album, Utada Hikaru Single Collection Vol. 2, on November 24, 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sakura Nagashi</span> 2012 single by Utada Hikaru

"Sakura Nagashi" is a song by Japanese singer-songwriter Hikaru Utada. It was released by EMI Music Japan digitally on November 17, 2012, with a DVD single released December 26, 2012. The song is the theme to the third film of the Rebuild of Evangelion movie series, Evangelion: 3.0 You Can (Not) Redo, and was later included on their sixth Japanese-language studio album Fantôme, released in 2016. The single also marked Utada's last release under the then EMI-controlled EMI Music Japan as the label was absorbed into Universal Music Japan as EMI Records Japan in April 2013.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Letters (Hikaru Utada song)</span> 2002 single by Hikaru Utada

"Letters" is a song by Japanese American musician Hikaru Utada. It was released as a double A-side single with the song "Sakura Drops" on May 9, 2002.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sakura Drops</span> 2002 single by Hikaru Utada

"Sakura Drops" is a song by Japanese-American musician Hikaru Utada. It was released as a double A-side single with the song "Letters" on May 9, 2002.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stay Gold (Hikaru Utada song)</span> 2008 single by Hikaru Utada

"Stay Gold" is a pop song by Japanese American musician Hikaru Utada. Used in a high-profile campaign for Kao Corporation's Asience shampoo commercials in 2007, the song was released as a double A-side single with Utada's song "Heart Station" on February 20, 2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anata (song)</span> 2017 single by Hikaru Utada

"Anata" is a song by Japanese-American singer-songwriter Hikaru Utada. It is their third single under the label Epic Records Japan, from their seventh Japanese-language studio album Hatsukoi. The song was used as a tie-in for movie Destiny: The Tale of Kamakura, and was released as a digital download on December 8. The song is their first movie tie-in in 5 years, since "Sakura Nagashi" was released in 2012 for Evangelion: 3.0 You Can (Not) Redo. The song was written with a Buddhist's view to show both the real and fantasy mixed world shown in the movie. Besides the movie, the song is also featured in a Sony campaign to promote a wireless headphone line, in which they themself also appears.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hatsukoi (Hikaru Utada song)</span> 2018 single by Hikaru Utada

"Hatsukoi" is a song by Japanese-American singer-songwriter Hikaru Utada. It is her fifth single under the label Epic Records Japan and was taken from her upcoming seventh Japanese-language studio album Hatsukoi. The song was released as a digital download on May 30 and was used as a tie-in for the Japanese television drama Hana Nochi Hare - Hanadan Next Season. It's the second song that Utada delivers to the series, after Flavor of Life in 2007.

<i>One Last Kiss</i> (EP) 2021 EP by Hikaru Utada

One Last Kiss is an extended play by Japanese musician Hikaru Utada, which was released in the US on March 9, 2021. It was released for promotion of the Japanese animated film Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time around the time of the film's release. It contains all the previously released theme songs that were made for the Rebuild of Evangelion film series. It also contains the theme song "One Last Kiss", which was co-produced by A. G. Cook and released in conjunction with the film on March 10, 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kimi ni Muchū</span> 2021 single by Hikaru Utada

"Kimi ni Muchū" is a song recorded by Japanese-American singer Hikaru Utada. It was released via Epic Records Japan and Sony Music Japan on November 26, 2021, as one of the several singles for her eighth Japanese studio-album Bad Mode (2022). The track serves as the main theme for the TBS Friday night drama Saiai. It's co-produced by Utada and the British music producer A. G. Cook.

References

  1. 1 2 "HEART STATION / Stay Gold Single, Maxi". Amazon.co.jp. Retrieved January 1, 2015.
  2. ↑ AFP (January 24, 2008). "Online music sales grow 40 percent in 2007: IFPI" (in Japanese). Archived from the original on April 19, 2008. Retrieved August 29, 2014.
  3. ↑ 宇多田ヒカル、デビュー以来全アルバムがミリオン達成 [Hikaru Utada has her first digitally million album] (in Japanese). Barks. March 13, 2008. Archived from the original on August 29, 2014. Retrieved August 29, 2014.
  4. ↑ "Beautiful World / Kiss & Cry". Amazon.co.jp. Retrieved December 23, 2014.
  5. ↑ 新曲『Stay Gold』花王ヘアケアブランド「アジエンス」新TVCFタイアップ決定！ (in Japanese). EMI Music Japan. October 4, 2007. Archived from the original on February 29, 2008. Retrieved December 31, 2014.
  6. ↑ 宇多田ヒカルの新曲「Stay Gold」試聴スタート [Trial listening starts for Hikaru Utada's new song "Stay Gold"] (in Japanese). Natalie. January 7, 2008. Retrieved January 2, 2015.
  7. ↑ 宇多田ヒカルが全国のFM局とコラボレーション (in Japanese). Barks. February 21, 2008. Retrieved January 2, 2015.
  8. ↑ 宇多田ヒカル、“ポンポンクマちゃん”映像が解禁！ (in Japanese). Barks. January 25, 2008. Retrieved January 2, 2015.
  9. ↑ 宇多田ヒカル「HEART STATION」特設ページがオープン (in Japanese). Natalie. January 25, 2008. Retrieved January 2, 2015.
  10. 1 2 「HEART STATION」1/21〜O.Aスタート！ (in Japanese). EMI Music Japan. January 15, 2007. Archived from the original on February 29, 2008. Retrieved December 31, 2014.
  11. ↑ "Japan Billboard Hot Top Airplay". Billboard (in Japanese). February 27, 2008. Retrieved January 3, 2015.
  12. ↑ "Japan Billboard Hot Top Airplay". Billboard (in Japanese). March 5, 2008. Retrieved January 3, 2015.
  13. 1 2 "Japan Billboard Hot 100". Billboard (in Japanese). February 27, 2008. Retrieved August 28, 2014.
  14. ↑ "Hey! Hey! Hey! Music Champ". (in Japanese). February 18, 2008. Fuji Television.{{cite episode}}: Missing or empty |series= (help)
  15. ↑ 主演者ライナップ 2008/02/22 (in Japanese). TV Asahi. Retrieved December 30, 2014.
  16. ↑ "Music Fighter". (in Japanese). February 22, 2008. Nippon Television.{{cite episode}}: Missing or empty |series= (help)
  17. ↑ "Count Down TV". (in Japanese). February 23, 2008. Tokyo Broadcasting System.{{cite episode}}: Missing or empty |series= (help)
  18. ↑ 「HEART STATION / Stay Gold」記事掲載メディア一覧 (in Japanese). EMI Music Japan. February 20, 2008. Archived from the original on February 29, 2008. Retrieved December 31, 2014.
  19. 1 2 3 ヒカルの視線に釘付け!「HEART STATION」PV完成 (in Japanese). Natalie. February 4, 2008. Retrieved January 2, 2015.
  20. ↑ "宇多田ヒカル / HEART STATION / Stay Gold" (in Japanese). CDJournal. Retrieved December 30, 2014.
  21. ↑ "宇多田ヒカル / HEART STATION" (in Japanese). CDJournal. Retrieved December 30, 2014.
  22. ↑ Takayuki Saito. "HEART STATION / Stay Gold" (in Japanese). Hot Express. Retrieved January 12, 2015.
  23. ↑ 新作レビュー ＨＥＡＲＴ ＳＴＡＴＩＯＮ／Ｓｔａｙ Ｇｏｌｄ (in Japanese). Listen.jp. Archived from the original on March 21, 2008. Retrieved February 19, 2015.
  24. ↑ Heart Station / Stay Gold (Media notes) (in Japanese). Hikaru Utada. Tokyo, Japan: EMI Music Japan. 2008.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  25. ↑ "HEART STATION/Stay Gold" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved January 1, 2015.
  26. ↑ "レコード協会調べ 2月度有料音楽配信チャート（「着うた（R）」）＜略称：2月度レコ協チャート（「着うた（R）」）＞" (in Japanese). RIAJ. 2008-03-20. Retrieved 2010-09-17.
  27. ↑ "Japan Billboard Hot 100 Year-end chart 2008". Billboard Japan. Retrieved September 21, 2022.
  28. ↑ "オリコンランキング情報サービス「you大樹」" [Oricon Ranking Information Service 'You Big Tree']. Oricon . Retrieved January 1, 2015.
  29. ↑ レコード協会調べ 3月度有料音楽配信認定 [Record Association Investigation: March Digital Music Download Certifications] (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan. April 20, 2009. Retrieved January 26, 2014.
  30. ↑ レコード協会調べ 10月度有料音楽配信認定 [Record Association Investigation: October Digital Music Download Certifications] (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan. November 20, 2008. Retrieved December 13, 2013.
  31. ↑ ゴールド等認定作品一覧 2008年2月 [Works Receiving Certifications List (Gold, etc) (February 2008)] (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan. March 10, 2008. Retrieved January 24, 2014.
  32. ↑ 「HEART STATION」1/21〜着うた(R)先行配信開始！（レコ直♪先行） (in Japanese). EMI Music Japan. January 21, 2007. Archived from the original on February 29, 2008. Retrieved December 31, 2014.
  33. ↑ 「HEART STATION」着うたフル・PC配信スタート！ (in Japanese). EMI Music Japan. February 20, 2007. Archived from the original on February 29, 2008. Retrieved December 31, 2014.
  34. ↑ "Heart Station" (in Korean). Bugs. Retrieved January 1, 2015.
  35. ↑ "宇多田 / HEART STATION/Stay Gold". Books.co.tw. Retrieved January 1, 2015.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.