Coachella 2022: Hikaru Utada rocks Stage with Kingdom Hearts theme
3 min read
Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Coachella
Kingdom Hearts’ world-renowned artist Hikaru Utada performed at the iconic festival Coachella 2022.
On April 10, 2022, Square Enix dropped a trailer for the forthcoming Kingdom Hearts IV title. The fourth installment of the Disney/Square crossover franchise saw the return of Sora, Donald, and Goofy as they resume the narrative where it left off in the third installment.
Beyond its complex plot and lovable characters, Kingdom Hearts is also known for its OST, especially the contributions by Hikaru Utada.
As mentioned above, the Kingdom Hearts fandom was treated again to a surprise Coachella performance from the singer.
UTADA HIKARU OPENED WITH SIMPLE AND CLEAN AT COACHELLA AHHHHH!!!!!! I CRIED 😭😭 pic.twitter.com/FE4RCnM9er
— ☆オードリーAudrey☆ (@aitaikimochi) April 17, 2022
Hikaru Utada takes the stage at Coachella
On April 17, 2022, Hikaru Utada made his Coachella Festival debut, bringing the Kingdom Hearts signal to the desert. They treated the audience to a performance of Kingdom Hearts 1’s Simple and Clean.
Coachella’s appearance by Utada Hikaru was a watershed moment for Japanese music at the world-famous music festival. According to Metro, even though the festival is well-known around the world, Perfume was the first J-pop girl group to appear on the roster in 2019.
Utada is probably one of the biggest and most prolific Japanese acts to ever perform at Coachella, with a career spanning more than two decades. Mega-J-pop sensation Kyary Pamyu Pamyu, for example, performed in Coachella this year.
Yall. Coachella really just did this. 🗝❤️ pic.twitter.com/o713wNrFFp
— Tim Gettys (@TimGettys) April 17, 2022
The vocalist delivered an almost heavenly performance. Flawlessly belting out the catchy tune while smoke and wind combined to create a genuinely magical moment.
Viewers in the video posted by Tim Gettys, co-founder of Kinda Funny Games, are ecstatic with the performance. The cheers become deafening as she completes the song.
One Twitter user commented, “Crowd too dead for my liking.” “I’m glad I’m not there, because I’d have been Wildin,” one person stated.
Another remarked, “Utada summoned the wind to perform with them for this one.” “I’VE FALLEN TO MY KNEES AT A TARGET AND i’m CRYING,” another unhappy person commented.
[Music]
— Internet BoyFriends (@Internet_BF2020) April 17, 2022
宇多田ヒカルが、気鋭アジア人アーティストを擁する音楽レーベル「88rising(88ライジング)」の一員として『Coachella(コーチェラ)』に登場。20年以上のキャリアを誇る彼女にとって初のフェス出演で、1998年12月にリリースされた1stシングル“Automatic”や“First Love”などを日本語で披露した。 pic.twitter.com/tJntKDnAgz
What Are Utada Hikaru’s Most Well-Known Songs?
Utada Hikaru has a long and illustrious career that spans more than two decades. If you want to get acquainted with their music, though, it’s a good option to start with some of their best songs.
You could begin by listening to the Kingdom Hearts theme music. “Hikari”/”Simple & Clean” was the first, and it’s a song that many video game aficionados would recognize.
“Passion” and “Sanctuary” have a stronger rock feel to them. The Japanese version of the song served a dual purpose, appearing on Utada’s 2006 album Ultra Blue. Finally, in 2019, “Face My Fears” and “Don’t Think Twice” were released. The former was co-written by Skrillex and Poo Bear and has over 45 million views on Spotify.
“Automatic” and “Movin’on without you,” both from their debut album First Love, are other notable tracks. The latter is a very moving track that has a late-’90s vibe to it. The album’s title track, with its balladry, is also a fan favourite.
“Can You Keep a Secret?” from 2001’s Distance, “Traveling” from 2002’s Deep River, and, most recently, the title tune from their 2021 EP One Last Kiss are among their other biggest hits.
Ankita Khanrah
Ankita Khanrah is a second-year student of the Master of Communication and Journalism (Integrated) programme at the School of Mass Communication, KIIT Deemed University, Bhubaneswar.
