Hikartier Utada performs “Somewhere Near Marseille”, with its co-producer, Floating Points

Hikaru Utada performing live, wearing a white shirt and a black dress by Sacai.

So, not only did Hikariter Utada feature in a Cartier campaign shoot, shoot a video for them, and let them use one of their songs. But Hikartier also performed said song at a Cartier event. DJ / producer Floating Points was invited to spin a set at the event (because, of course he was), and surprisingly, but unsurprisingly, Hikaru Utada showed up. And I’ll give you one guess as to which song they performed. Because real bitches don’t get two guesses.

If Hikaru Utada performed the full 12 minute version of the song, I would keel over from laughter. Just standing in that one lil’ space, swaying back and forth for 12 minutes?

Gurl.

The above were videos shot by people in attendance, who shared the videos with Hikaru. But there has to be a professionally shot version of this whole performance. It would be crazy for the Cartier team to know that their campaign star is showing up and NOT shoot the damn thing. But I’ve resided with the possibility that footage of the performance could end up going the way of that New York showcase Hikaru did for Exodus. But Hikaru’s team have been pretty good as of late when it comes to ‘content’. So we may actually get a release of the performance to YouTube. Although it may not be the full performance. And we may not see it until 2023. Because, Japan.

Hikaru apologised to her fans for not having her own dedicated gigs which are announced ahead of time. I imagine they’ve received a bunch of DM’s from fans wanting to know how come she’s popping up to shit like Coachella and some event in Tokyo, but not doing her own in person gigs. Here’s what they had to say about that.

Just wanna say sorry to my fans who’ve been waiting for a chance to see me live, for my turning up again so randomly unannounced… It’s been so hard to plan anything big but I’m working on it!!

Wall&Wall sounded amazing, I’d love to do a proper show in a small cozy venue again...

I think a small venue tour would be nice. I get the feeling that Hikaru finds large performance venues overwhelming compared to more intimate settings. And ‘cosy venue tour’ would also be easier to manage logistically were Hikaru to take it worldwide. Hikaru has NO excuse to not do London shows, given they and their band live in the city, and there are many small quirky venues here in which shows could be held.

Hikaru Utada @ Cartier Trinity for Chitose Abe of Sacai Secret Live | Photo by Teppei Kishida

I’m just glad to see that Hikaru us actually active and giving us something. I can't think of the last time they actually were this active for this long post the release of an album.

The fact that Teruzane is still having Hikaru push songs from Bad Mode a whole 7 months after its release is crazy. Nothing would be made of this in the West. But in Japan this is pretty uncommon. Usually an act will drop an album, and then tour, and the tour is the promotional activity for the album. But of course, Hikaru isn’t that type of ho.

I like what we’re getting though. The roll out for Bad Mode seemed pretty weird from the moment “One Last Kiss” got pushed back. The pandemic came. Dates were changing for one release, meant that we got a bunch of singles rolling out closer together than originally planned, because every one had a tie-in, and the tie-ins for some songs seemed kinda random, even by J-pop standard. It was a bit bizarre. But everything from the release of the album has also been a bit random, and unorthodox. So it’s all worked out pretty well.

I actually wouldn’t mind getting another music video for a Bad Mode song later this year. Keep pushing the album bitch. Change the game.

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Hikartier Utada performs “Somewhere Near Marseille”, with its co-producer, Floating Points

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