Before my fiance was taken from my by a drunk driver we planed on this being our song at our wedding. Now every time I hear it I think of her and always cry thinking of what should have been. My heart is always with her and I know she is still with me in my heart.
@JK_Jirachi don't let it be darker, I cry everytime but I also smile. I got to share a song and part of my life with a beautiful woman and we danced and smiled so even in my tears this song is a blessing on my life.
That has honestly got to be one of the saddest things I’ve ever heard, this song already makes me tear up every time I hear it and now I’m crying a little. So sorry to hear that man, my heart breaks for you.
It's so weird knowing that this was a song. Like, it wasn't a song FOR a game. She made it as a single. Like, every time I listen to it all I can think of is Kingdom Hearts. I wonder how it would've been if I just stumbled upon this and didn't know it was used in a game.
That was me. xD I don't know how I came across this video when it was first posted a long time ago, but I liked the song. Didn't realize it was part of a video game, namely *the* Kingdom Hearts game. Not the most die-hard of KH fans though. A while after watching this live performance, I got ahold of and finished the 2nd game way back in middle school, never got to finish the 1st game because navigating to the next world became a damn hassle, so Sora and crew are currently in limbo...
Obviously How's that interesting ? In a country where then 0,4% are foreigners and of those 0,4% 0,3% of them are Chinese who'd care about Madonna ? and even more understand what she's singing about ? People didn't really go to RU-vid for lyrics videos 30 years ago.
She can actually speak fluent English and Japanese. Her Japanese accent here is thick so that her Japanese fanbase can understand her more better instead of switching between accents.
***** I think he meant that when Utada sings in Japanese, for example, there is no hint of her American accent, be it anything that would affect the way she speaks or sings fluent Japanese. Ditto in English.
All of the Kingdom Hearts themes hold such passion and emotion in them. Brings the whole series together when the music is incorporated into the Franchise big time :) ! Couldn't agree with you more :)!
OKAY. So I'm seeing a lot of comments about people being shocked of Utada's accent completely disappearing when she began to sing in English. First off, Utada's parents are Japanese but she was born in New York and lived there for half her life, and learned BOTH English and Japanese as her first language, and being around people who have different accents, you can master both of them at a young age BECAUSE you are young. Because your brain is more susceptible to learning things because your synapses aren't closed off or disappearing. She knows English and Japanese and has both accents because she grew up with both of them.
It's the same for most kids with migrant/foreign parents. They became fluent in both the language of their parents and the language of their school/friends.
joshua gorski well the problem is, why they take simple and clean and sanctuary so often and don't take a new one or asking her to make a new one ? Because the others probably don't fit with the meaning of the game or she don't want to. I mean.. do you read or hear that she does anything ? The last album I know is from 2010 or something. It's like she quits singing though ... :(
joshua gorski They will definitely make a new song since this is the 3rd, and its a main game, but Not sure if they will get her back, but she is making a new album now, so I actually think she will be back for KH3
So I've heard this song over & over many times, I think it was even on my first iPod as a kid. Listening to the acoustic version and the raw emotion Ms Utada brings finally made me sit down and actually listen to what the song is about. It always sounds like a sweet poppy love song before I heard this version but I think I finally understand that is a song about two lovers realizing that they aren't right for each other. This song is their last few moments together before a "clean break". But the irony of a "clean break" is that there is never anything simple or clean about it--emotions are messy and when your heart is broken the pieces are shattered everywhere and sometimes loving someone just isn't enough for a relationship to work--no matter how much you love each other and how much mutual respect you have for each other things can't always work out. I'm very moved by this performance and glad to understand it.
I hope you realize that Utada herself has stated that the song has no meaning. She wrote it in under a day as well, so very little thought went into it's production.
+Nep Nep "Death of the Author" - If the song can be interpreted like +AndreaInspired did, then that is just as valuable, if not more, than how the author intended. I loved the interpretation he gave, and it made me enjoy the song even more.
She grew up in America, and I believe her first language was English but she was taught Japanese by her parents growing up? or something as a secondary language. Technically she is a native speaker of both? But that's the amazing thing about Utada Hikaru she can sing her songs in both English AND Japanese fluently and make it sound just as beautiful in both languages without the studios needing to hire someone else to sing em in English! Praise the Hikaru!
Also, a fun fact, this was recorded on her 20th birthday. So even though she was so young, her voice was incredibly powerful. That's not something that's easy to achieve at such a young age :)
- P0IZENEDIVY - Hopefully she contributes to Kingdom Hearts III, it'd be amazing and monumental as well, considering it'll be the end of the Xehanort Saga.
- P0IZENEDIVY - Hopefully she contributes to Kingdom Hearts III, it'd be amazing and monumental as well, considering it'll be the end of the Xehanort Saga.
It's crazy how a song has so much significance just because it represented a significant part of your childhood. Her voice inevitably gives me goosebumps. Wish I could tell her in person many thanks for the inspiration she has been and the great phenomenological essence she brings through her voice.
I’m married to someone else now, but in my early teens I just knew she’d be my wife one day. I’m sorry Utada, I betrayed our future that never was but was meant to be.
Disney provided the settings, characters and movie music licenses. That's all that Disney had to approve. Squaresoft made the game, story, and chose the singer and what music to have in the game, so no, they didn't need anyone's approval but their own. Tell me, where in the credits do you see anything Disney besides "characters created by" or anything like that?
+Xkavar Smith wrong. the reason Disney put their name on the product is because of money. Disney was paid for permission to use their properties. Disney would have approval over things like, how the characters were portrayed, how the worlds were designed, possibly even the voice actors for their characters. what they wouldn't have approval over is, how squares characters were portrayed, anything non Disney related, names of items, except for some keyblades, etc. when the Lego movie was being made, do you think they had to get permission from Lego on who they could cast or what songs they could use? no, because Lego provided the licenses to use the Lego name and all related Lego properties. the writers and director had final say over how the story was portrayed. you can keep reaching, it's cute but obvious you know nothing about how games are developed when using licenses. squares director and writer are who made the game what it is, they got hardly any help from Disney except for details on characters and worlds and keeping the story true to the source material of each world. the director and writer had choice over what music to pick and how it conveyed the story further through music.
In the 1990s, the heyday of Japanese music, she accomplished immortality at the age of 15 with album sales of 8 million, which later became a Japanese record. And now, at 40 years of age, she continues to be active at the forefront of the music industry. From Some Japanese.
She went to school in america, don't think she was raised there iirc as she still has trouble pronouncing her r's on certain syllables and other letters/syllables that aren't used in Japanese. Iirc she went to school in N.Y for a few years and then returned to Japan. Ironically though, she has no troubles producing the f sound which is no longer used in Japanese so I don't know why she would have trouble with R's in certain syllables.
***** ikr who could possibly hate this song in have it on my phone but after(few weeks later) I'M SUCK AND TIRED OF THIS SONG I PLAY IT TOO MUCH!!!! Lol
She has amazing lingual skills. Her transition from Japanese to (American) English is absolutely flawless. Even when she said "simple and clean" in a sentence, the actual words were in perfect English (the second time - the first time she slipped up and said the words with a Japanese accent, but she fixed that real quick).
Im an emotional wreck. I had so many emotions at once listening to this that I just kept crying. Ive heard this song all my life, but never live. Now I can put a name to a face. Fantastic job. Its beyond beautiful
I honestly prefer this version of Simple and Clean to the Studio Version. There is such a raw emotion that I hear in her voice in this version and that's one of my favorite things about certain singers. Hikki is so vulnerable in this song and in this video in specific. She's putting all of her self in this video.
Haha I like how when she says simple and clean the first time while shes talking about it being the first version she uses a japanese accent to say it. Then, when she says "Please listen to this simple and clean" she uses an american accent.
Wow this is amazing-this makes it sound like a sad folk song. Her timbre is so intriguing in this raw, unprocessed vocal-I'm used to a little pitch correction on the higher parts, but the fragility and emotion is so pure here. I love her.
Watching this kinda made my eyes well up...i've always loved the song and seeing her doing it live with so much passion. Memories of such a beautiful game all came rushing back. Back when you saw the trailers on T.V and hearing this song for KH1. People don't appreciate enough how much this game has influenced similar generes.
Not sure why this was on my suggestions but I remember playing Kingdom hearts on Playstation 2 when I was a little whipper snapper and this song was the theme. She has the voice of an angel.
i fell in love with this song when i first started the Kingdom Hearts series a long time ago... To this day I am still in love with her voice, that song will always be my favorite.
Dude, based on the way she was speaking before she started singing, I would have had _zero_ idea that she spoke fluent English and was from New York. I have been to Japan, and she acts _super_ Japanese in this. It's quite remarkable. It's also my first time realizing what the lyrics of this song were about. It makes me sad now.