Maps of Music

Bad Mode (2022)

Where the lyrics of Bad Mode take you, and where it was really made.

The album is Utada's first bilingual release, with songs recorded in both Japanese and English, and its concert video was filmed at London's Air Studios.

Key places

Concert recorded at Air Studios (2022)

Live show AIR Studios — The Hikaru Utada Live Sessions concert, included in the limited edition bundle, was recorded at Air Studios in London with bassist Jodi Milliner as bandmaster. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Album story

Overview

• Bad Mode: eighth Japanese-language studio album (eleventh overall) by Hikaru Utada
• First bilingual album, with songs recorded in both Japanese and English
• Digital release 19 January 2022 on Epic Records Japan, a Sony Music Japan sublabel
• Physical release 23 February 2022
• First album in four years, following Hatsukoi (2018)
• Six previously released songs confirmed for the album
• Two physical versions: a standard audio CD and a limited edition CD/DVD/Blu-ray bundle

Background

• Work written mostly during the COVID-19 pandemic
• Themes include being a mother, getting through hard times, and improving one's own state and relationships with others
• Inspiration drawn from RuPaul's Drag Race, especially the idea that one must love oneself before loving others
• Earlier albums Fantome (2016) and Hatsukoi (2018) used live instrumentation, which the artist said taught a great deal
• Stated aim: to make 'something sonically very weird again', as on Exodus (2004)

Recording

• Collaborators include Skrillex, Poo Bear, A. G. Cook and Sam Shepherd
• Concert Hikaru Utada Live Sessions was recorded at London's Air Studios with bassist Jodi Milliner as bandmaster
• Steve Fitzmaurice handled sound recording and mixing for the concert

Cover

• The artist's son, six years old at release, appears on the album cover

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Tracklist

Sources: musicbrainz.org

Artist

Formation

• Born January 19, 1983 in New York City to Japanese parents; mother Keiko Fuji was an enka singer, father Teruzane Utada a record producer.
• Began writing songs at age 10 and moved to Tokyo at age 11; performed as Cubic U from 1996.
• Signed with Toshiba-EMI; English debut album Precious (1998) under Cubic U.

Members

• Solo artist, known mononymously as Utada; later performed under the name Hikaru Utada.

Career

• Japanese debut First Love (1999), Japan's best-selling album of all time.
• Distance (2001) sold three million copies in its first week; Deep River (2002) followed.
• Exodus (2004) marked an English-language push in North America under the name Utada.
• Returned to Japan with Ultra Blue (2006) and Heart Station (2008); This Is the One (2009) followed.
• Long hiatus after 2010 Wild Life tour; returned with Fantôme (2016) and Hatsukoi (2018).
• Wrote theme songs for the Kingdom Hearts series, including Face My Fears with Skrillex.
• Bad Mode (2022) was the first bilingual album; Science Fiction (2024) celebrated 25 years since debut.
• Over 40 million records sold; came out as non-binary in 2021.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Reception

At release

• The Japan Times: called the album a career highlight
• Pitchfork and Slant Magazine: named it one of the best albums of 2022
• Pitchfork and Slant Magazine: ranked 'Somewhere Near Marseilles' in the top 10 of their best songs of 2022 lists
• MTV: described the album's themes as growing up, self-love, self-partnering, and acceptance

Reappraisal

• Critical acclaim from music critics
• Musical styles include pop, jazz, electronica and R&B

Records

• Gold certification from the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ) within a month of release
• Over 100,000 copies sold by the time of the certification
• Limited edition concert film Hikaru Utada Live Sessions from Air Studios released on Netflix on 9 June 2022 as the artist's first digital live album

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Trivia

• The artist performed at Coachella in April 2022 despite having no tour to promote the album, singing 'Face My Fears' from Bad Mode.
• The live concert was released on Netflix on 9 June 2022 after fans requested it.
• In September 2022 the artist performed 'Somewhere Near Marseilles' live at Yokohama Hakkeijima Sea Paradise, with the video released exclusively on Spotify.
• The artist's son, six years old at the time of release, has violin credit on 'Bad Mode' and vocal credit on 'Not in the Mood'.
• The album cover features the artist's son.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

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