I didn't think it will sell more than 50k for its first day, so this is a lot.
On another note, Ningyo might be my favourite song from the album.

Well true. 89K actually isn't that bad nowadays. Too bad EXILE released a day ahead :eviltongu

I knew Hikki's new album will sell like crazy lol. It was pretty obvious with all the promotion and all.

It's not bad imo :) It'll probably sell more than 200k I guess.

I hope EXILE's sales will drop to 10K tomorrow. Then hikki may have chance.

I'm gonna wait for my physical copy to arrive before I listen to the album but I read the translation to the song with KOHH and now I'm depressed lol such a dark song. I plan on listening to the album in the dark alone with no distractions. BRING ON THE SADNESS GODTADA

Actually they're not as much as other countries.
Recochoku isn't the biggest online platform anymore, it's iTunes for some years now. It's around 60% to 40% for iTunes, If I remember right.
And sadly digital downloads for albums are generally pretty low in Japan.
There are just 4 albums, which ever got certified Gold for 100k downloads, and two of those are compilations/soudntracks and the other two albums are from western artists.

What is wrong with the Japanese People? :rolleyes These Numbers are good, don't get me wrong but i expected more ... ::mischief

@ thinkingoutloud89 - lach, Spinner

Maybe I just read live tweets with hash tags Fantôme too much. Those live tweets gave me false hope that this album could get 100K on the first day lol. :P

compared to most female solo artists who didn't even reach 80.000 overall with an album, she did pretty well!
so i expect something around 130-150.000 at the end the week

listen to this album on repeat since yesterday and loving this more and more...
i'm working with heavily handicapped people and even they loved this album lmao

Even Ningyo is growing on me. Listen to it on a quiet night. It's magical.

It should have the same numbers as namie's _genic

As much as I love Hikki and am happy she is back... I am halfway through the album and nearly falling asleep ._.

#14 in the US :)

I think the numbers are really good! Maybe she won't get the #1 just because EXILE have 1 extra day of sales. And I'm impressed she's #20 in iTunes Brasil! Congrats to her, the album is amazing. <3

I still have to get used to a couple of tracks, but they're all golden. I find that the albums flows pretty nicely too, definitely one of her best records to date. Also, it took me long enough but I can finally appreciate the beauty in Sakura Nagashi. Such an emotional and powerful song to close the album!

Sakura Nagashi still the best track on the album.

Number 11 on US iTunes

87,088 is more than I expected for the first day and it's more than EXILE's first day as well. I hope EXILE's number will freefall and Utada stays stable enough to grab the #1 spot for the week. This album doesn't deserve the number two spot.

I'm finally getting to like that song with KOHH. the lyrics didn't do much for me... it actually made me think it seems more like a KOHH song feat. Utada than the other way, but I'm sure I'll like it eventually. It sounds too much like some "experimental" sound Rihanna and Beyonce are/were doing feat. rappers/hip hop artists that I dislike so much though. arghh... her voice is <3 though. her voice, the background, the instrumental, the mood... it all reminds me of Kairo, which is one of my fav EVER! <3

(the rest of this piece is pure gold <3 )

Guys, it's really crazy that she's hit #11 in the US! This Is The One only peaked at #18!! And I don't think Exodus was anywhere close. If she breaks into the Top 10, I'm gonna bust out into song and dance! :laugh

And how can anyone be disappointed in those sales numbers?! Isn't that over double what Ayu's last album has sold in months? lmao

[edit]
:breakdance :breakdance :breakdance

:love #10!!!! :love

I expected more because she was on hiatus, on the other hand ayu constatly satures her fanbase with new songs it's naturally for her to sell less at less novelty

we have to keep in mind that this is her first physical release with new stuff for years. i think this is a major point referring to those sales. ! because the music is good, but nothing further, for me.

We'll see where it ends up, I guess! I'd be willing to bet it's Japan's #1 album of the year!

I'm honestly more impressed by how high it is charting worldwide. It's up to #9 now in the US. In the Top 10 and 20 in so many more. 5 continents!

Why does it seem like EXILE releases a best like every other month?

Lol glad Fantome charted #1 daily. Listening to it right now and I really like what I'm hearing.

I've just purchased the album from iTunes and it's currently at #6 in Spain! :)

^OMG, really?? SLAY THEM ALL QUEENEST

How am I supposed to like anything else after listening to that album?

:yes This seriously needs to be stated somebody wonders why the sales are so low.

Her last original material was in 2008, not counting TiTO or the best of album. She's doing really well considering she was on hiatus. We'll just have to wait and see regarding day 2 sales.

She has reached #7 on US Itunes.:teek
I was not expecting this AT ALL.

It has all 5 star reviews and Michi seems to be the most popular here.:thumbsup

^well, japan related fancies start posting reviews, so it clearly gets attention

The important is not the first day sales, is the longevity. 87k copies on the first day is great, is 6k more than genic and im pretty sure it will have more longevity than Namie's album. She will sell between 170k and 230k probably, even more...

She will probably become the sollist with most sales this year. Sorry Kana and Namie lol

Conspiracy theory: EXILE trying to spoil Utada? Hmm... :no

(To be honest though, I'm not that interested in EXILE or EXILE TRIBE, I'm really tired of it. Sorry for being off-topic, but I heard EXILE TRIBE is forming another group, and then again, I reiterated I am NOT a supporter of the EXILE TRIBE family... Also I haven't listened to the album yet, too busy at school or something else, other than the fact I downloaded it off JPopsuki because this album is way too significant.)

But who knows? Maybe Utada will get #1 for the week nonetheless? We'll see...

Hikki announced the release date first. Then a week or two later EXILE announced the release of EXTREME BEST, and set a day ahead of hikki. You can decide whether they did it on purpose or not. (I think they did, but hikki doesn't really care) (This feels like back in 2001.03.28 :P)

Does Avex dislike Utada that much to do it twice? :D

I'm still waiting for my physical copy but I listened to the iTunes sample and I like them already.

Well.. Utada coverd her #1 the first time, so lets hope she will do it again :yes

Well that EXILE thing is nothing legendary like it was with A BEST vs. Distance. It was probably the most interesting week/month in the whole japanese music history. Obviously avex is taking a ride here again though. Not sure if fans of both feel competitive here though.
Now I just hope hikki wins but it's kind of hard with EXILE.

I'm not complaining about the sales but it's kind of sad that even hikki can't get the sales like the most populars anymore (not say AKB48/arashi level). But actually, I hope for a great longevity for her so she might actually be! She always had great longevity.

Anyway, half of the album is really great!
My favorites are michi, ore no kanojo and yes... boukyaku.
I know many of you hate it but I really liked it.
The rapper is ok I guess I understood he is a model as well, but it kinda gives me kairo vibes and I love that song too.
Fantome is a nice return. Not sure where to put it in the album's list yet except for the fact that it's better than First Love which I can say already but for me it's not hard to top First Love :P.

Will also buy the album next week when I'm in Japan. :yes
Going to help hikki oriconically :laugh

Hikki is #6 worldwide on the iTunes Charts!

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CtefjOKUMAAQ8Bd.jpg

@BWKuro

I'm going to wait to hedge my bets but I don't think Utada's sales will dip heavily over the week. It's the first day of sales, Utada just made a major comeback, and I think we'll see longevity on par with a Kana album.

Utada is Japan's it-girl. Considering she's been on hiatus for practically 8 years, it's going to take a minute for everyone to catch up. But I do think it's a good sign that her first day sales were almost the same total as Ayu's last two albums' total combined sales.

If Utada jumps back into single releases shortly after this, maybe something with a good tie-in like Flavor of Life, I have no doubt she'll go back to selling high again. Keep in mind that Utada was selling a million copies when everyone (including Namie) weren't cracking 500k.

I really love this album. Very different from her previous albums. This album is easy to listen but deep and emotional at the same time. I love Ore no Kanojo the most.

I've finally got into the Wolf song :laugh I'm really enjoying it now!

Guys...number 5 on US iTunes :love

I still haven't. Guess I don't actually love wolf as much as I thought :P lol.

I feel like half of the album is about her dealing with her mother's death, and the other half is about her discovering her sexuality

The tracks about her mother are:

1. Michi
"An undying star shines in my heart"
"Inside my heart you're there always"

3. Hanataba wo Kimi Ni
"Your smile was my sun"
"Even if I can't get all that acorss to you now"

5. Ningyo
"I saw a mermaid heading toward the open sea"

7. Manatsu no Tooriame
"Teach me the proper way to say farewell"

9. Boukyaku
"Call me by that dear, old name"

11. Sakura Nagashi
"If only you could see me now
i wonder what you'd think
Of me living without you"

And the songs about her discovering her sexuality

2. My girlfriend
"I want someone to come inside
Someone to find my truth"

4. Nijikan Dake no Vacance
"Once in a while, let's just take a breather, and make it a flashy one"

6. Tomodachi
"If only I had revealed my inner self... No wait, actually, that's impossible"

8. Kouya no Ookami
"I'll never accept living with a collar around my neck"

10. Jinsei Saikou no Hi
"A turn of events that would shock Shakespeare
That's life"
"I've got an open mind, no preconcibed notions"

^I was wondering what the even tracks are about, I knew about her 'coming out' but I didn't really think of those until you pointed it out lol

That's why I really enjoy the album's contents lmao, I like sad music but at the same time I'm also not completely came out yet :laugh

49 728 today, Exile 18 053!

Second Day ... Fantôme #1 - 49.728

:)

Exile sold nearly 18.000 albums in their 3rd Day.

Ah i See. Marcelo was faster ;)

Fantôme: 87,088 + 49728 = 136,816
EXILE: 79271 + 41258 + 18053 = 138,852

So, seems like Hikki may win ;). Unless EXILE decides to put concert tickets to boost album sales :P.

And right now it sits at no. 6 on US iTunes chart, but about an hour ago it was no. 5 :D.

Edit: Cracking in top 10 on Canada iTunes as well!!!!!! YES!

I wonder why she managed to break top 5 in North America?? I mean she's known for KH for sure but that's about it.

This is a mystery. Same as why she could break in top 10 in Bahrain, Spain, Canada, etc. And top 20 in Sweden, Norway, Australia, etc. JPop isn't even that popular worldwide.

Let's assume that because she's Godtada...

Because she's Godtada!
That's all we need to know :yes

Maybe the north american fans are in a larger number than we think they are? I don't know, but I'm living lol

I doubt American fan reviews or mouth to mouth propaganda could result in her cracking top 10 in two of three North American countries.

There are fans out there asking if she could sell 1m. Like, talk about being delusional haha why do people stick so much to sales' numbers of almost 10 years ago it's beyond me.

I think that's interpretative. I can't really see those last songs as sexuality discovering pieces.

And Sakura Nagashi was released one year before her mother died. She wrote it related to the earthquake that hit Japan back then (as well as Evangelion).

I'm assuming that she have a big fanbase worldwide but back in the day there were no download charts and now in 2016 we can see her fame around the world thru the numbers. Just a theory that I came up with haha

I'm really impressed with the iTunes chart! History is being made, you guys! :luv2

Maybe we in NA are hoping that by her doing well here she will agree to make a new theme song for KH3. :laugh A looooot of people know her from KH (it's how I discovered Jpop too), and there's a lot of anticipation surrounding KH3. Plus, a new remix of Hikari was just released for the new game that's coming out in January (Final Chapter Prologue.) :shrug

#3 ??? Omg !!!

Quoting Godtada herself: what the hell's going on? lol

about the KH3 theme, a friend of mine told me that Teruzane already agreed on this matter, so she is definitely doing it. Yay

^Who is your friend? Tetsuya Nomura?

Neither Hikki or Teruzane officially stated that she'll do a theme song for KH3.

Considering she promoted the trailer for KH 2.8 on her twitter, It's likely she's under contract with Square, but that's still wishful thinking.

Pictures from the PMC Magazin Shooting ... She is so pretty ... :blove

Source : Twitter

HAHAHAHAHAHHHHHHHAHAA 😂😂😂 Yeah, my friend is Nomura himself!

My friend told me Teruzane has confirmed this in a tweet, but maybe he was talking about that mistaken tweet back in 2013. I just wasn't interested enough (yet) to look for the veracity of my friend's message.

So let's enjoy one more remix of Hikari while waiting on real news lol

I don't like the new Hikari/Simple and Clean remix. Sadly, I don't have any interest in Kingdom Hearts anymore... I feel like they ruined the series by making too many spin off games.

2.8 Final Chapter Prologue? :laugh Sorry, but even the title is dumb and shows they are just milking this cause they have no real plans for KH3.

wah the album is out already?! just bought it at itunes. after listening it I will decide to buy or not the real cd

She is :luv2

Who's the guy?

Noda Yojiro, the frontman from Radwimps ...

great pic:yes

^I would have preferred that pic as the album cover, honestly.

I've seen many press coverage on Utada's new album.

At least for my country, many facebook pages including an anime TV channel had covered her comeback.

The coverage content is poor and regular people should think she IS the only singer Japan or something and end buying the tracks on iTunes because they would like to be introduced to japanese music (Theory).

To be honest I can't really explain how the heck Utada managed to crack the top 10 in the US. I think timing could have something to do with it. There isn't any BIG release out right now, so there isn't too much competition going on in the charts. I am almost positive it will sink quickly.
Utada is the most well known Japanese singer here, Kyary is probably the second. She has a small but highly devoted fanbase so what I think happened was even though she has a small cult following, a lot of the fans actually bought the album, allowing it to chart high briefly. It actually happens a lot here. Some lesser known album will randomly appear and then in a day or too disappear because all the die hard fans bought it day one and then it stops selling because the mainstream doesn't care.
I won't even say anything about the KH/Utada fans here, simple and clean and passion on repeat for the rest of their life.:rolleyes
But I would say there is a strong chance she will return for the new game. The demand here is very strong. I mean she even did Sakura Nagashi while on hiatus just to honor the Neon Genesis film series.

i'm still shook she's bangin' worldwide on iTunes! :dead
well deserved tho!!

even one of my friends who doesn't like slow-/midtempo songs that much, loving this album so much!
and i'm really digging the new 光/Simple and Clean remix, hope we get a full version in the near future!!
even my boyfriend likes Vacancu and Ore no Kanojo and he doesn't like j-pop/pop music that much :dead2

I need the full version of that Simple & Clean/Hikari remix. I love it so much~ :love

As for the album, I haven't listened to it yet but I will once I'm not busy with life anymore.

How weird is that "Fantome" is charting much better in usa than "This is the one"?? lmao. I kinda love that.

Maybe people think her Japanese materials are better. At least I do :P.

Anyone see any booklet scans anywhere yet?

^ they are in the first post under News.

Utada is surprised by Fantome's success as well.:yes
http://aramajapan.com/featured/utada...ver-did/64944/

I saw her tweets yesterday. She is so funny :D and I love how down to earth and "normal" she reacts, so lovely <3

It is a huge success for a Japanese singer!

Check out Utada Hikaru’s 360° behind-the-scenes look into “Hanataba wo Kimi ni” PV

http://aramajapan.com/news/music/mus...i-ni-pv/64809/

Hikki vs. EXILE ... ROUND 2 ;)

she's already beating them at Soundscan
◎SoundScan Japanアルバムセールス集計速報
（2016年9月26日～9月29日までの集計）
1位：『Fantome』宇多田ヒカル　156,934枚
2位：『EXTREME BEST』EXILE　142,136枚

http://www.billboard-japan.com/sp/d_news/detail/42568/2

Is 250k possible?

Her shirt has dinosaurs on it.

I freaking love Utada Hikaru.

I really, really do. xD

In my country (Indonesia) she's cracking top ten yesterday (now it's on 16) and there's no promotion like at all. And she's the only Japanese artist on the chart lol. Maybe it has to do with her First Love song which was a pretty big hit here (and KH too).

So she won Exile, 27 782 for her today, Exile 10 688 :)

Fantôme: 87,088 + 49728 + 27782 = 164,598
EXILE: 79271 + 41258 + 18053 + 10688 = 149270

YES! Please let hikki keep getting no. 1 for rest of the week!

GO HIKKI! SLAY THEM IDOLS

Why everyone ignore Exodus, the most epic album

I'm a huge Hikki fan. I've been climbing the walls waiting for her return.

My favorite albums of her are probably, in this order: Deep River, Ultra Blue and Distance.

With that said, I have to admit that I'm a bit disappointed in "Fântome".

Yes, it's enjoyable after a long hiatus, but it's not as upbeat as I wanted to hear. More like, I'm in the mood for stronger beats.

I was expecting something in the lines of "Show me love (not a dream)". That was such a kickass song.

My favorite tracks in "Fântome" so far are:

#1 - Ore no Kanojo
#2 - Ningyo
#3 - Jinsei Saikou no Hi
#4 - Bokyaku
#5 - Michi

I guess no one was expecting danceable tracks. I know I didn't expect Michi to be there. Nor Tomodachi. Kouya no Ookami especially. I was really expecting an album full of hanataba wo kimi ni, Mannatsu no toori ame, Ningyoesque tracks. Cause, well, it was clear like a ray of light she was mourning the death of her mother.

I'd have loved if there was a show me love kind of track, though <3 damn, that song is good! I actually would've loved if the EP in her second best was a full album at the time. We may still have more song like that. I love them all <3

@visionfactory totally agree! <3 I guess it's the album which has inspired me the most and the one I really relate to in almost all tracks (exception is easy breezy lol). Never really grew tired if it xD my Japanese is still ULTRA BLUE no matter what, but between these two, I still pick Exodus as my favorite <3

^yay! My japanese favorite is ULTRA BLUE too! (^_^) /

I actually disliked "Exodus" until I watched Hikki perform "Devil Inside", "Kremlin Dusk" and "You make me want to be a man" in Utada United 2006. Then suddenly it grew on me.

That's actually my favorite tour/live of hers. Even though some of her vocals were lacking (RIP "Final Distance", "First Love" and "Be My Last" performances), it was still so awesome.

THAT Performance is DOPE!!! :blove

"Exodus" is one of my favorite Hikki's albuns! It's a masterpiece <3

yeah Exodus is really such a masterpiece, even so many years later it still sounds so good!
Tippy Toe, Hotel Lobby, Devil Inside, Kremlin Dusk, Wonder'bout and so on...
urgh the realness of this album :dead2

and yeah the Devil Inside/Kremlin Dusk/YMMWTBAM performance at UU'06 is the best thing ever...
still remember the chills i had when i first saw it!!

When she performed Devil Inside, YMMWTBAM, and Kremlin Dusk in New York it was akin to witnessing the moon landing. :heart

Since Hikki is living in London nowadays, I wish she'd do a few small concerts there.

I would just about die if I saw her live.

Hotel Lobby and About Me may be two of the songs I most relate to on earth! Haha I wish she sang them live