Hikaru Utada gives live show tease in the music video for "Kimi ni Muchuu"

♪ On the 8th day of Christmas Teruzane sent to me THE VIDEO TO KIMI NI MUCHUUU ♪

So, the "Kimi ni Muchuu" video isn't anything special. It's basically the "Anata" video in a different studio. I do like how light the video is though despite how moody the song is. It would have been very easy for "Kimi ni Muchuu" to have had a dark and ominous video, much like "Pink Blood" or even "Forevermore". But we get to see Hikaru and her band just jamming out, hanging out and having fun.

I do feel as though Hikaru's videos are becoming less and less distinct and stand out as time goes on; which is a shame considering how great their music videos were at one point. But even with the shift we saw once Kiriya Kazuaki was out of the picture from Heart Station onward, Hikaru's still managed to maintain a consistent vibe and aesthetic with her visuals. And "Kimi ni Muchuu" is no different.

Hikaru Utada | Kimi ni Muchuu, © 2021 Sony Music

But let's be pragmatic here. This video was very much a promo for Hikaru Utada's online gig. Some of the footage (everything in colour) was taken directly from it, along with what look like rehearsal sessions and possibly recording sessions of the album itself.

The coolest aspect of the video (at least, for me), is that as with the aforementioned "Anata", we get to see members of Hikaru's band. Hikaru's bass, synth player and band master for her Laughter in the Dark Tour, Jodi Milliner (the dude with the beanie hat and scruffy beard), was very prominently featured in the video. At one point I wondered if he and Hikaru were an item, because...vibes I was getting. But don't even listen to me. I'm the guy that won't know he's being hit on unless somebody tells him 'Bitch. I am hitting on you. Yes, YOU!'. I THINK I saw Ben Parker was played guitars and bass on the Laughter in the Dark tour and several songs on Fantôme and Hatsukoi, but I'm not sure. We got a glimpse of Steve Fitzmaurice, who has been mixing and engineering Hikaru's recordings since Fantome. We see Reuben James who is the pianist on "Anata", "Pakuchī no uta" and "Face My Fears". And somebody who appears to be new to the posse is jazz saxophonist Soweto Kinch, who has what has to be the best moment of the video.

Soweto Kinch | Kimi ni Muchuu, © 2021 Sony Music

I wanna know what song he was listening to that made him pull this face. I bet it was "Find Love".