Hatsukoi (Hikaru Utada album)

Hatsukoi (初恋) is the seventh Japanese-language studio album (tenth overall) by Japanese–American recording artist Hikaru Utada. It was released on June 27, 2018, as her first album under Sony Music Japan sublabel Epic Records Japan. The release coincided with the commemoration of her 20th Anniversary as an artist in Japan. A national tour was announced to support the album in November 2018. The five previously released songs were confirmed in the album track list, for a total of twelve songs, including the title track "Hatsukoi" and the Kingdom Hearts III theme song "Chikai".

Hatsukoi debuted at the top spot of the Oricon Weekly Albums Chart with 203,787 copies sold on its first week or release. This was her overall tenth number-one album in the chart, but became her lowest first-week album sales since Utada Hikaru Single Collection Vol. 2 (2010). The album also debuted at the top spot of the Oricon Weekly Digital Albums Chart with 38,185 downloads, making it the highest first-week download record in the chart's history at the time.

A 2 LP vinyl version was released on November 7, 2018, at the request of her fans. The album was her first vinyl release in 16 years since Deep River. It has a different mastering by Chris Bellman of Bernie Grundman Mastering Hollywood and a limited serial number.

Commercial performance
The album debuted at #1 in 6 different digital stores in Japan. Internationally, the album reached the peak in 7 different countries in the iTunes store, such as Finland, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Macau and New Zealand. The album peaked at #4 in the United States, #5 in Canada, Mexico and Australia, #2 in Spain and Brazil, #9 in France and #11 in the United Kingdom. The album charted in top 10 in 22 different countries and charted for a total of 32 countries. In Japan, the album debuted at #1 in Oricon daily chart, selling more than 79,000 copies in the first day alone. It maintained the #1 spot on the second day selling more than 50,000 copies. According to Billboard Weekly, the album sold 204,000 copies in the first week physically and 38,000 digitally. Hatsukoi was the second best selling album by Sony Music globally in the second quarter of 2018.

Promotion
Although the album did not receive any live performances prior to its release, it was set to spawn up to five singles prior to its release; of which all five reached the top 10 on the Billboard Japan Hot 100.

Two performances were performed on Japanese TV: On June 30, 2018, she performed "Play a Love Song", "Anata" and "Hatsukoi" at NHK's SONGS. On July 14, she performed "Hatsukoi" at TBS's Ongaku no Hi 2018. A TV documentary produced by NHK showing Utada's recording and producing process of the album was aired on June 16. In September 17, she performed "Chikai" live on Music Station Super FES 2018.

Singles
On July 10, 2017, the album's first single "Ōzora de Dakishimete" was released as a digital download. The song was used as a tie-in for Suntory Water campaign starring Utada, starting on June 10. The album's second single "Forevermore" was released as a digital download on July 28, along with its music video. The song was used as a tie-in for the TBS dorama Gomen, Aishiteru, her first single used in a drama of a commercial TV station since "Eternally - Drama Mix-" in 2008.

On December 8, 2017, the album's third single "Anata" was released as a digital download along with its corresponding promotional music video. The song was used as a tie-in for the movie Destiny: The Tale of Kamakura, and has been featured in a Sony campaign to promote a wireless headphone line, in which she herself also appeared.

On April 25, 2018, the album's fourth single, "Play a Love Song", was released as a digital download. It was being used as a tie-in for Tennensui Suntory Water. Shortly afterwards, the album's fifth single and title track "Hatsukoi" was released on May 30. The song has been used in the dorama Hana Nochi Hare ~Hanadan Next Season~ as an image song. It is the second song Utada delivers to the Hana Yori Dango drama series, after "Flavor of Life" in 2007.

"Chikai", along with its English-language counterpart "Don't Think Twice", served as the theme song to the Square Enix video game Kingdom Hearts III. The song and the English version "Don't Think Twice" was released as a B-side of the single "Face My Fears" as a CD single on January 18, 2019.

"Too Proud" was announced as a single on November 6, 2018. A remix of the song, called Too Proud (L1 Remix), was released as the A-side featuring Asian rappers XZT, Suboi and EK, each one singing their verses in their first language. It coincides with the first date of Hikaru Utada Laughter in the Dark Tour 2018.

Other songs
"Good Night" was featured on the soundtrack to the film Penguin Highway.

"Pakuchii no Uta" was used to promote a coriander-flavored cappuccino in Japan, for Tasty Japan, from BuzzFeed Japan.

"Shittosarerubeki Jinsei" was featured on the soundtrack to the film Parallel World Love Story.

Track listing
All songs are written, composed and arranged by Hikaru Utada, except "Too Proud" (composed by Utada & Ellis Jevon and arranged by Utada & Nariaki Obukuro) and "Phakchi no Uta" (composed by Utada & Nariaki Obukuro). Strings arrangement by Simon Hale in songs 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 10, 11 and 12.

Personnel
Credits adapted from the album's liner notes.

Vocals

 * Hikaru Utada – lead vocals (all tracks)
 * Jevon Ellis – featured vocals (track 6)
 * Lawrence Johnson – choir director (track 1)
 * Tarna Johnson, Charmain Elliot, Robyn Bailey-Reid, Patricia Scott, Carol Riley, Neresa Maye, Priscilla Danso, Jessica Mae Obioha - choir (track 1)

Artwork

 * Machiguchi Hikari – art direction
 * Takay – photography
 * Ogawa Kyohei – styling
 * Inagaki Ryoji – hair, make-up