First Love (Hikaru Utada song)
| "First Love" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Cover of the 12cm version of the single | ||||
| Single by Utada Hikaru | ||||
| from the album First Love | ||||
| Released | April 28, 1999 | |||
| Recorded | 1998 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 4:18 | |||
| Label | Toshiba-EMI | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Utada Hikaru | |||
| Producer(s) | Kei Kawano | |||
| Utada Hikaru singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Alternative cover | ||||
| File:Utada Hikaru - First Love8cm.jpg 8cm version cover | ||||
| Music video | ||||
| "First Love" on YouTube | ||||
"First Love" is a song by Japanese-American singer-songwriter Utada Hikaru. It was released as her third Japanese language single on April 28, 1999, a month after the release of her debut album, First Love. It was certified double platinum for 800,000 copies shipped to stores across Japan.[1]
In a 2009 survey by Oricon, asking respondents what song they want to hear with a broken heart, "First Love" was voted in the top 10.[2]
"First Love" was performed during Utada's 2010 tour, Utada: In the Flesh 2010.
It was also performed during Utada's two-date concert series Wild Life in December 2010.[3]
Promotion
The song was used as the theme song for the Japanese drama Majo no Jōken, starring Hideaki Takizawa and Nanako Matsushima.[citation needed] "First Love" is featured in the PlayStation 2 rhythm game Unison, released in 2001.
Track listing
| No. | Title | Arranger | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "First Love" | Kei Kawano | 4:18 |
| 2. | "First Love" (Strings Mix) | Kawano | 4:22 |
| 3. | "First Love" (Original Karaoke) | Kawano | 4:21 |
| 4. | "First Love" (John Luongo Mix) | John Luongo | 4:08 |
| Total length: | 17:09 | ||
| No. | Title | Arranger | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "First Love" | Kawano | 4:18 |
| 2. | "First Love" (featuring David Sanborn) | Kawano | 4:17 |
| 3. | "First Love" (Strings Mix) | Kawano | 4:20 |
| 4. | "First Love" (John Luongo Mix) | Luongo | 4:08 |
| Total length: | 17:13 | ||
Personnel
- Hironori Akiyama – guitar
- Yuichiro Goto – strings
- Takahiro Iida – synthesizer programming
- Kei Kawano – arrangement, string arrangement, keyboards, programming
- Masayuki Momo – synthesizer programming
- Hikaru Utada – lyrics, music, vocals
Charts
| Chart (1999) | Peak position |
|---|---|
Oricon weekly singles[4]
|
2 |
Oricon weekly singles[5]
|
6 |
| Chart (2009) | Peak position |
| RIAJ Digital Track Chart Top 100[6] | 89 |
Certifications and sales
| Chart | Amount |
|---|---|
Oricon physical sales[7]
|
501,000 |
Oricon physical sales[7]
|
303,000 |
| RIAJ full-length cellphone downloads[8] | 500,000+ |
Release history
| Region | Date | Format |
|---|---|---|
| Japan | April 28, 1999[4][5] | 12 cm single, 8 cm single |
| Taiwan | August 2000[9] | 8 cm single |
| Japan | November 19, 2004[8] | Cellphone full-length digital download |
Juju version
| "First Love" | |
|---|---|
| Promotional single by Juju | |
| from the album Request | |
| Released | September 15, 2010 |
| Genre | J-pop, R&B |
| Length | 4:27 |
| Label | Sony |
| Songwriter(s) | Utada Hikaru |
| Producer(s) | Akihisa Matsuura |
"First Love" was covered by Japanese R&B singer Juju in 2010, on her cover album Request. The song was the main promotional single, and released as a digital download to cellphones on September 15, 2010.[10] Juju performed the song at Hey! Hey! Hey! on September 20.[11]
Charts
| Chart | Peak position |
|---|---|
| RIAJ Digital Track Chart Top 100[12] | 5 |
Release history
| Region | Date | Format |
|---|---|---|
| Japan | September 8, 2010[10] | Ringtone |
| September 15, 2010[10] | Cellphone download |
Other cover versions
- Naoko Terai (1999, violin, album Pure Moment)
- Jessa Zaragoza (2000, on the album Siya Ba Ang Dahilan?)
- Cao Xue Jing (2004, erhu solo, on the album Koiuta Erhu)
- Toni Gonzaga (2006, on the album You Complete Me). Sampled the song for "We Belong"
- Sotte Bosse (2007, on the album Innocent View)
- Scott Murphy (Allister) (2008, on the album Guilty Pleasures 3)
- Ryō Nagano (Apogee) (2008, digital single)
- Yasushi Nakanishi (2008, on the album Standards 3)
- Jake Shimabukuro (2008, ukulele solo, DVD Ichigo Ichie)
- Makoto Hirahara (2009, saxophone, on the album Vocalese)
- Sing-O (2009, digital single)
- Starving Trancer feat. Maki (2009, on the album Exit Trance Presents Dramatic Trance Memorial Daiichiwa)
- Hideaki Tokunaga (2010, on the album Vocalist 4)
- Eric Martin (2010, on the album Mr. Vocalist 3)
- Boyz II Men (2010 on the album Covered: Winter)
- May J. (2013, on the album Summer Ballad Covers)
- Zivilia (2017, single, sung in Indonesian)
References
- ^ "GOLD ALBUM 他認定作品 1999年5月度" [Gold Albums, and other certified works. May 1999 Edition] (PDF). The Record (Bulletin) (in Japanese). 476. Chūō, Tokyo: Recording Industry Association of Japan: 9. July 10, 1999. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 9, 2014. Retrieved January 22, 2014.
- ^ 失恋した時に聴きたい曲、男性はミスチル 女性はプリプリ. Oricon (in Japanese). 2009-03-11. Retrieved 2010-09-24.
- ^ "宇多田ヒカル一時休止前ラスト公演で感涙＆Ust新記録樹立" (in Japanese). Natalie. December 13, 2010. Retrieved December 17, 2010.
- ^ a b "First Love - 宇多田ヒカル／ オリコンランキング情報サービス「you大樹」" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved 2010-09-24.
- ^ a b "First Love - 宇多田ヒカル／ オリコンランキング情報サービス「you大樹」" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved 2010-09-24.
- ^ "レコード協会調べ 2009年09月02日～2009年09月08日 ＜略称：レコ協チャート（「着うたフル(R)」）＞" (in Japanese). RIAJ. 2009-09-11. Archived from the original on 2012-04-22. Retrieved 2010-09-24.
- ^ a b "オリコンランキング情報サービス「you大樹」". Oricon. Retrieved 2010-09-24. (subscription only)
- ^ a b レコード協会調べ 8月度有料音楽配信認定 ＜略称：8月度認定＞. RIAJ (in Japanese). 2009-09-20. Retrieved 2010-09-24.
- ^ "First Love (Overseas Ver.)". Yesasia. Retrieved 2010-09-24.
- ^ a b c "JUJU インフォメーション" (in Japanese). Sony. Archived from the original on September 24, 2010. Retrieved September 24, 2010.
- ^ "今聴きたい！名曲HEY！HEY！HEY！伝説的アイドルの祭典！史上最多30人大集結スペシャル！！" (in Japanese). Fuji TV. September 20, 2010. Retrieved September 24, 2010.
- ^ "レコード協会調べ 2010年09月15日～2010年09月21日 ＜略称：レコ協チャート（「着うたフル(R)」）＞" (in Japanese). RIAJ. 2009-09-24. Archived from the original on 2014-12-28. Retrieved 2010-09-24.