Anata (song)

"Anata" (あなた, lit. "You") is a song by Japanese-American singer-songwriter Hikaru Utada. It is their third single under the label Epic Records Japan, from their seventh Japanese-language studio album Hatsukoi. The song was used as a tie-in for movie Destiny: The Tale of Kamakura, and was released as a digital download on December 8.^[1] The song is their first movie tie-in in 5 years, since "Sakura Nagashi" was released in 2012 for Evangelion: 3.0 You Can (Not) Redo. The song was written with a Buddhist's view to show both the real and fantasy mixed world shown in the movie.^[2] Besides the movie, the song is also featured in a Sony campaign to promote a wireless headphone line, in which they themself also appears.^[3]

"Anata"
Single by Hikaru Utada
from the album Hatsukoi
Language	Japanese
Released	December 8, 2017 (2017-12-08)
Recorded	Summer 2017, London
Genre	J-pop R&B soul
Length	4:41
Label	Epic Sony Music Japan
Songwriter(s)	Hikaru Utada
Producer(s)	Hikaru Utada
Hikaru Utada singles chronology
"Forevermore" (2017) "Anata" (2017) "Lonely One" (2018)
Music video
"Anata (Short Version)" on YouTube

Music video

The song's corresponding promo video is directed by Jamie-James Medina, the same director that worked with Utada on the "Forevermore" music video. Released on the same day as the song, it can be purchased via iTunes store,^[4] and has simultaneously been released for rotation to Japanese TV Station M-On. Following the good reception of the "Forevermore" music video documentary with M-On, one was also shown for the "Anata" video on December 9, 2017 as part of a 24 hours special that aired all of their Japanese live concerts and music videos.^[5] The video shows Utada performing in the studio along with musicians. Different aspect ratios are used throughout the video.

Commercial performance

"Anata" debuted at #1 in 11 Japanese digital music charts and #1 in iTunes store in 7 Asian countries.^[6] On the issue dated December 18, 2017, the song debuted at #1 on the Billboard Japan Download Songs chart, resulting in an entry at #3 on the Hot 100. In its first full week, the song rose to #2 on the chart, becoming Utada's highest charting entry since "Hanataba o Kimi ni" reached the same position in May 2016.^[7][8][9] "Anata" also became the inaugural holder of the #1 position on the newly created Oricon digital songs chart (the same feat they also achieved in November 2016 with their album Fantôme, when their digital albums chart was created), selling 63,871 copies in the week spanning from December 11 to 17, out-selling the nearest competition by a margin of 3 to 1.^[10] In its third week, "Anata" dropped slightly on the Hot 100 to #5, while also dropping to #2 on the Digital Songs chart with 37,071 copies sold, according to Oricon.^[11] The fourth week saw it still going strong, again charting at #2 on Oricon's Digital Songs chart with sales of 25,921, while dropping one position to number 6 on the Hot 100.^[12][13] "Anata" spent one more week inside the top 10 on the Hot 100 at #10, while falling to #4 on both Oricon's, as well as Billboard's digital single songs chart, with Oricon download figures of 17,347.^[14] Next, it fell off the top 10, selling 14,723 additional copies. "Anata" has spent seven consecutive weeks inside the Hot 100's top 20, five of them inside the top 10.^[15]

During its chart run on the Oricon Weekly Digital Single Ranking, it has sold 206,813 digital downloads (excluding the song's first three days on sale, for which no data was published).^[16][17]

Track listing

Digital version

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Anata"	4:41

All lyrics are written by Hikaru Utada; all music is composed by Hikaru Utada

Release history

Region	Date	Format
Worldwide	December 8, 2017 (2017-12-08)	Digital download

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (2017) Peak position Billboard Japan Hot 100[18] 2 Billboard Download Songs[19] 1 US Billboard World Digital Song Sales[20] 13 Oricon Digital Download Songs[21] 1 Year-end charts Chart (2018) Peak position Billboard Download Songs Year-end Chart[22] 6

Sales and certifications Chart Amount RIAJ digital downloads[23] 284,694+[24][25][26] (Platinum)

References

1. "New Single "Anata" Chosen As Main Theme for Film "DESTINY Kamakura Monogatari"". UtadaHikaru.jp. Utada Hikaru Official Website. Retrieved September 24, 2017.
2. "Utada Hikaru to Perform Theme Song for New Yamazaki Takashi Film". aramajapan.com. arama! JAPAN. Retrieved September 26, 2017.
3. "Utada Hikaru Shoots Commercial For Sony Noise Cancelling Headphones + Releases Preview For "Anata"". JPopAsia. Aysohmay. Retrieved October 2, 2017.
4. "宇多田ヒカル『あなた』ミュージックビデオが完成！メイキングダイジェスト映像も公開！本日12/8より『あなた』（楽曲/MVともに）配信スタート！". utadahikaru.jp. Hikaru Utada Official Website. Retrieved December 7, 2017.
5. "Collaboration Project With M-ON! With Single "Anata", Following The Success Of M-ON! 20th Anniversary Project Of "Forevermore"! MUSIC ON! TV（M-ON!） To Broadcast Special Program "24 Hours Of Utada Hikaru" On December 9!". utadahikaru.jp. Hikaru Utada Official Website. Retrieved November 1, 2017.
6. "宇多田ヒカル 新曲「あなた」が国内配信サイト11冠、海外もアジアを中心にiTunes総合＆J-POPチャートなど7冠獲得" (in Japanese). musicman-net. December 12, 2017. Retrieved December 12, 2017.
7. "Billboard Japan Download Songs" (in Japanese). Billboard Japan. December 18, 2017. Retrieved December 13, 2017.
8. "Billboard Japan Download Songs" (in Japanese). Billboard Japan. December 25, 2017. Retrieved December 20, 2017.
9. "Billboard Japan Hot 100" (in Japanese). Billboard Japan. December 18, 2017. Retrieved December 13, 2017.
10. "【オリコン】新ランキング発表 シングル単曲DL数を集計…宇多田ヒカルが首位" (in Japanese). Oricon. December 19, 2017. Retrieved December 19, 2017.
11. "Oricon Weekly Digital Single Ranking" (in Japanese). Oricon. January 1, 2018. Retrieved December 29, 2017.
12. "Oricon Weekly Digital Single Ranking" (in Japanese). Oricon. January 8, 2018. Retrieved January 8, 2018.
13. "Billboard Japan Hot 100" (in Japanese). Billboard Japan. January 8, 2018. Retrieved January 8, 2018.
14. "Oricon Weekly Digital Single Ranking" (in Japanese). Oricon. January 15, 2018. Retrieved January 17, 2018.
15. "Billboard Japan Hot 100" (in Japanese). Billboard Japan. February 5, 2018. Retrieved January 31, 2018.
16. "Oricon Weekly Digital Single Ranking" (in Japanese). Oricon. February 19, 2018. Retrieved February 14, 2018.
17. The Oricon Weekly Digital Single Ranking only publishes the top 20 releases, along with their sales figures. Thus, each entry may still sell additional copies once dropped off the chart.
18. "Billboard Japan Hot 100 Week 12/18/2017" (in Japanese). Billboard Japan. December 13, 2017. Retrieved December 13, 2017.
19. "【ビルボード】宇多田ヒカル「あなた」DLソング制す、C・ハート「I LOVE YOU」DL＆ストリーミング急上昇" (in Japanese). Billboard Japan. December 13, 2017. Retrieved December 13, 2017.
20. "World Digital Song Sales". Billboard. December 30, 2017. Retrieved February 3, 2020.
21. "【オリコン】新ランキング発表 シングル単曲DL数を集計…宇多田ヒカルが首位" (in Japanese). Oricon. December 19, 2017. Retrieved December 19, 2017.
22. "Top Download Songs Chart Year-end 2018" (in Japanese). Billboard Japan. Retrieved December 7, 2018.
23. "有料音楽配信認定". RIAJ. Retrieved December 21, 2017.
24. As Oricon began publishing their Digital Single Songs chart with the week of 12/11 - 12/17/2017, figures from the song's first three days on sale are missing.
25. "【オリコン2018年上半期デジタルランキング】米津玄師「Lemon」がシングル100万DL突破! TOP10同時3作ランクイン!". Retrieved June 28, 2018.
26. "週間 デジタルシングル（単曲）ランキング" (in Japanese). Oricon. July 16, 2018. Retrieved July 11, 2018.