Utada Hikaru – Fantôme
After a long hiatus, Utada Hikaru came back when she saw fit, did what she’s always done and what she wanted.
After a long hiatus, Utada Hikaru came back when she saw fit, did what she’s always done and what she wanted.
Utada Hikaru reveals her collaboration with Shiina Ringo, titled A Two-Hour Vacation (二時間だけのバカンス, Nijikan Dake no BAKANSU).
This is very late, and I couldn’t branch out as much as in previous years, but here are music highlights of 2015.
Kou Shibasaki’s new single Yasei no Doumei (野性の同盟), composed by Shiina Ringo, serves as theme song for the latest season of the series Woman of the Crime Lab (科捜研の女, Kasouken no Onna).
Shiina Ringo has released two brand new songs; Nagaku Mijikai Matsuri (長く短い祭) featuring Ringo’s former Tokyo Jihen bandmate Ukigumo, and Kamisama, Hotokesama (神様、仏様) featuring Zazen Boys’ Mukai Shutoku.
Animation director Keiichi Hara’s latest foray into film is an adaptation of manga artist and Edo period customs researcher Hinako Sugiura’s manga Sarusuberi (百日紅, aka. Miss Hokusai) following the life of 23-year-old O-Ei, who happens to be the talented (and equally stubborn) daughter of famed artist Katsushika Hokusai.
From strident Latin American rap to chill pop, jazz takes on classical works to unrepentant disco, along with the Utopia soundtrack (once again), songs of all sorts of styles stood out to me from the past year.
Avoid the official Japanese music rankings, and let’s take the time to discover an album or two.