Time Limit (song)

Last updated
"Time Limit"
Utada Hikaru - Time Limit.jpg
Single by Hikaru Utada
from the album Distance
A-side "For You"
ReleasedJune 30, 2000 (2000-06-30)
Genre
Length4:55
Label Toshiba EMI
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s) Rodney Jerkins
Hikaru Utada singles chronology
"Wait & See (Risk)"
(2000)
"For You" / "Time Limit"
(2000)
"Can You Keep a Secret?"
(2001))

"Time Limit" (Japanese: タイム・リミット, Hepburn: Taimu Rimitto) 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. [1]

Contents

Background and development

In Spring 1999, Utada released her debut album First Love , which became the most commercially successful album of all time in Japan. [2] After this success, she released two follow-up singles, "Addicted to You" (1999) and "Wait & See (Risk)" (2000), which were both produced by American production team Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. [3] [4] For "Time Limit", Utada enlisted the help of American producer Rodney Jerkins, and recorded the song at Darkchild Studios in New Jersey. [1] [5]

The song was co-composed with Takuro of the band Glay, [6] the first time Utada had shared the role of songwriter since her 1998 pre-debut album Precious as Cubic U. For Utada's second album Distance (2001), she worked together with Takuro again on the song "Drama". [7]

The "For You" / "Time Limit" single was released right before Bohemian Summer 2000, her first wide-scale tour of Japan, [6] and on the same day as the DVD single release of her previous single, "Wait & See (Risk)".

Promotion and release

The song was first unveiled on June 12, 2000, when a 60-second preview of "Time Limit" was previewed on Japan FM Network radio stations, a week before "For You" was previewed. [8] To promote the single, Utada appeared in magazines released in June and July, such as Pati Pati, What's In?, Pia, Tokyo Walker and Popteen. [8]

Utada performed "Time Limit" live on Hey! Hey! Hey! Music Champ on June 26, 2000. This show was one of the highest-rated episodes of the program, taking in a 22.1% share of viewers for the time slot, however was beaten by Utada's previous appearances on the show in 1999 and later in 2001. [9] [10] On the June 29 episode of Utaban , Utada performed both "For You" and "Time Limit". [11]

Music video

A music video was created for the song, featuring footage of a live performance by Utada on her Bohemian Summer 2000 tour. [12] The footage was taken from the July 1, 2000 concert at the Yoyogi National Gymnasium, Tokyo.[ citation needed ]

Critical reception

Sato of OngakuDB.com noted the song's layered chorus work, and felt that to fully appreciate this, the song was better suited to listening at home on CD, rather than hearing it on television. [6] CDJournal reviewers felt that Utada's "tightly structured" vocals made it into a "superior pop" song. [13]

The "For You" / "Time Limit" single was successful enough to win a Song of the Year award at the 15th Japan Gold Disc Awards. [14]

Track listings

"For You" / "Time Limit" single
No.TitleWriter(s)ArrangerLength
1."For You"Hikaru UtadaKei Kawano5:22
2."Time Limit"Utada, Takuro Kubo Rodney Jerkins, Utada4:55
3."For You" (Original Karaoke)UtadaKawano5:22
4."Time Limit" (Original Karaoke)Utada, KuboJerkins, Utada4:55
Total length:20:34
Time Limit promo vinyl record [15]
No.TitleLength
1."Time Limit"4:55
2."Time Limit" (instrumental)4:55
3."Time Limit" (a cappella)4:55
Total length:14:45

Personnel

Personnel details were sourced from "For You/Time Limit"'s liner notes booklet. [5]

Charts

Chart (2000)Peak
position
Japan Oricon weekly singles [16]
  • "For You/Time Limit"
1

Sales and certifications

ChartAmount
Oricon physical sales [17]
  • "For You/Time Limit"
889,000
RIAJ physical certification [18]
  • "For You/Time Limit"
3× Platinum (1,200,000)

Release history

RegionDateFormatDistributing labelCatalogue codes
JapanJune 30, 2000 [1] CD single Toshiba EMI TOCT-4230
April 1, 2004 [19] Digital download
South KoreaSeptember 30, 2005 [20] Digital download Universal Music Korea

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.

<i>First Love</i> (Hikaru Utada album) 1999 studio album by Hikaru Utada

First Love is the debut Japanese-language studio album by Japanese-American recording artist Hikaru Utada, released on March 10, 1999, by Toshiba-EMI.

<i>Deep River</i> (Hikaru Utada album) 2002 studio album by Hikaru Utada

Deep River is the fourth studio album by Japanese-American singer Hikaru Utada. It was released via Toshiba EMI on June 19, 2002. Utada wrote and co-produced the majority of the record, and unlike her previous album Distance (2001), she worked primarily with Japanese collaborator Akira Miyake and her father Teruzane Utada. Musically, Deep River is also noted as the transition state from Utada's earlier style, R&B, to ethereal pop.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Passion (Hikaru Utada song)</span> 2005 single by Hikaru Utada

"Passion" is a song recorded by Japanese-American singer-songwriter Hikaru Utada, taken as the fourth single from her studio album Ultra Blue (2006). It premiered on December 14, 2005, in two physical formats and for digital consumption, distributed by EMI Japan and EastWorld. "Passion", alongside its English counterpart "Sanctuary", were used as the national and international theme songs to the Square Enix video game Kingdom Hearts II (2005); the tracks serve as the successors to "Hikari" and its English counterpart, "Simple and Clean", which are found on Kingdom Hearts.

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

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

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

"Addicted to You" is a song by Japanese-American recording artist Hikaru Utada from her second studio album Distance (2001). It was released as the album's lead single on November 10, 1999 by EMI Music Japan. "Addicted to You" was written by Utada and produced by Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis; this is Utada's first collaboration with American producers and composers. The single artwork was shot by American photographer Richard Avedon and features two black-and-white figures of Utada. Musically, "Addicted to You" is an R&B song.

<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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Movin' On Without You</span> 1999 single by Hikaru Utada

"Movin' On Without You" is a song recorded by Japanese–American singer and producer Hikaru Utada taken from her debut studio album First Love (1999). The song was written, arranged, and produced by Utada herself, and it became her first ever hit. "Movin' On Without You" was written, produced and composed while Utada was attending college in Tokyo, Japan, during 1997. Utada, who received a record contract by Toshiba-EMI, had written an English-language version of the song, but the song remains unreleased.

<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">Final Distance</span> 2001 single by Hikaru Utada

"Final Distance" is a song by Japanese recording artist Hikaru Utada for her third studio album Deep River (2002). Written by Utada herself, the song was produced and composed by long-time collaborators Akira Miyake, Utada's father Teruzane Utada and herself. "Final Distance" was originally recorded as "Distance" which was taken from the album with the same name, despite not being a single. The song was re-recorded, re-arranged, and dedicated to Rena Yamashita, a six-year-old victim of the Osaka school massacre who had written an essay about being inspired by Utada.

<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.

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

"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. 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.

<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">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">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.

<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.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "For You/タイム・リミット". Amazon.co.jp. Retrieved December 18, 2014.
  2. "『First Love』発売から15年、宇多田ヒカルの色あせない輝き" [15 years since the release of First Love, Hikaru Utada's unfaded radiance]. Oricon. March 7, 2014. Retrieved August 29, 2014.
  3. "4th Single Addicted To You" (in Japanese). Universal. Archived from the original on October 13, 2014. Retrieved December 19, 2014.
  4. 宇多田ヒカル / Wait&See~リスク~ (in Japanese). CDJournal. Retrieved December 19, 2014.
  5. 1 2 For You/Time Limit (Media notes) (in Japanese). Hikaru Utada. Tokyo, Japan: Toshiba EMI. 2000.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  6. 1 2 3 Sato of OngakuDB.com. For You/タイム・リミット (in Japanese). Yahoo! Japan. Archived from the original on September 21, 2004. Retrieved December 19, 2014.
  7. Tomonori Nagasawa of Barks. "Distance" (in Japanese). Yahoo! Japan. Archived from the original on August 13, 2004. Retrieved December 19, 2014.
  8. 1 2 "News" (in Japanese). Toshiba EMI. June 13, 2000. Archived from the original on June 18, 2000. Retrieved December 18, 2014.
  9. #253 00/06/26 放送 [Hey! Hey! Hey! Ratings history (best 17)] (in Japanese). Fuji Television. Archived from the original on December 18, 2014. Retrieved December 19, 2014.
  10. "RATING HEY!HEY!HEY!歴代視聴率 BEST 17" [Hey! Hey! Hey! Ratings history (best 17)] (in Japanese). Fuji Television. Archived from the original on December 19, 2014. Retrieved December 19, 2014.
  11. Utaban (in Japanese). June 29, 2000. Tokyo Broadcasting System.
  12. EMI Music Japan. 宇多田ヒカル - タイム・リミット (in Japanese). Youtube. Archived from the original on December 19, 2014. Retrieved December 19, 2014.
  13. 宇多田ヒカル / Utada Hikaru SINGLE COLLECTION VOL.1 (in Japanese). CDJournal. Retrieved December 19, 2014.
  14. 第15回日本ゴールドディスク大賞 / Gold Disc Hall of Fame 15th (in Japanese). RIAJ . Retrieved December 19, 2014.
  15. Utada Hikaru – タイム・リミット. Discogs. Retrieved December 19, 2014.
  16. 宇多田ヒカルのシングル売り上げランキング [Hikaru Utada single sales ranking] (in Japanese). Oricon. Archived from the original on November 11, 2013. Retrieved December 18, 2014.
  17. "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 December 18, 2014.
  18. "GOLD ALBUM 他認定作品 2000年7月度" [Gold Albums, and other certified works. September 2000 Edition](PDF). The Record (Bulletin) (in Japanese). 490. Chūō, Tokyo: Recording Industry Association of Japan: 8. September 10, 2000. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 22, 2014. Retrieved January 22, 2014.
  19. "For You/タイム・リミット". Amazon.co.jp. Retrieved December 18, 2014.
  20. "タイムㆍリミット/For You" (in Korean). Bugs. Retrieved December 18, 2014.