Ayu paying tribute to Utada Hikaru
 

Ayumi is one of the artists that are going to be a part of Hikki's tribute album.

「宇多田ヒカルのうた」は全13組のアーティストが宇多田ヒカルのナンバーをカバーする作品。このアルバム には椎名林檎、井上陽水、岡村靖幸、浜崎あゆみ、ハナレグミ、KIRINJI、tofubea ts with BONNIE PINK、吉井和哉、加藤ミリヤ、大橋トリオ、AI、LOVE PSYCHEDELICO、ジミー・ジャム&テリー・ルイス feat. ピーボ・ブライソンが参加する。本作を企画したVirgin Recordsの沖田英宣氏はこの人選について「その人にしか作ることのできない音楽を創造し続けている方 々に参加していただきました」と説明している。各アーティストが歌う楽曲は後日発表される。

なおアルバムの特設サイトにて展開中の、宇多田の楽曲をテーマに多数のクリエイターが作品を手がける企画の 続報もアナウンスされた。この企画には映画「ヱヴァンゲリヲン新劇場版」チーム、「くまモン」のデザイナー ・水野学などさまざまな分野のクリエイターらが参加するほか、作品の一般応募も受け付けられる。我こそはと 思う人はチャレンジしてみよう。

そして今回は宇多田のベストアルバム「Utada Hikaru SINGLE COLLECTION VOL. 1&2」の24bit / 96kHzのハイレゾ音源が12月9日にリリースされることも明らかに。この音源は配信のほか、UNIVE RSAL MUSIC STORE限定でオリジナルデザインを施したUSBメモリ版も販売される。USBメモリ版のデザインは宇多 田本人が考案したキャラクター「くまちゃん」のイラストがモチーフとなっている。

http://natalie.mu/music/news/130923

I'm so curious as to which song she's going to cover! Hmm...

JUJU and Jolin Tsai are also a great surprise in this for me. :)

I'm still rolling @ Peabo Bryson being included on this album. A Whole New World, anyone?

i will never understand making trubute albums to the artists that are alive and somewhat active....lol but i am curious!

Ooh cool! :)

Her music helped change the j-pop scene, though. She's a legend. I think it's a nice tribute :)

This is unexpected! But I'm so curious about the final tracklist.

I totally didn't expect that but I'm excited! I wonder which song she'll cover. I've only heard few of Utada's songs but I wonder how Ayu's versio will sound :)

Where do you see juju and jolin? I didn't even know that jolin can speak Japanese.

I'm confused. You mean you're surprised that they're not included? Neither of them are listed on the website under the participating artists.

Full list of all 13 participating artists:
AI
Yosui Inoue
Trio Ohashi
Yasuyuki Okamura
Miliyah Kato
KIRINJI
Ringo Shiina
Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis feat. Peabo Bryson
tofubeats with BONNIE PINK
Hanaregumi
Ayumi Hamasaki
LOVE PSYCHEDELICO
Kazuya Yoshii

awww I saw them included on generasia back then, I guess they didnt make it in the end. I meant a great surprise for me, cos I love both of them :)

Yasss Shiina Ringo.

I'm really excited about Ayumi being included. Hikki has for a while been one of my favorites and always was my fav until I discovered ayu to take that place. So it would be dreamy to hear ayu cover a song ♡♡

What a pleasant surprise!!! Maybe now hikki fans will stop hating ayu. =)

I'm excited to see which song she will sing... Passion/hikari please lol.

Passion is my favorite hikki song and I can totally see ayu doing it but it's not one of her greatest hits unfortunately (she has bigger hits).

Since Ayu love ballads, i think she will end up with Flavor Of Life -ballad version- :P

...yikes.

I wonder if Shiina Ringo's song will be traveling? I would *kill* for a studio version from her. I wish there was an embed code for tumblr, but y'all will just have to follow the link: http://sayonarababy.tumblr.com/post/...a-hikaru-cover

OMG LOVE PSYCHEDELICO WILL BE EFFIN' PERFECTION!

I'm secretly hoping for ayu to do Sakura drops. :heart

Wow interesting !!!
In the description of the album If I don't make a mistake it's say that's Utada who chose the different artists and that she only wanted singer songwriters who make very personal musics thanks to their creativity or something like that (?)
And all the artists are fully free to express their creativity through the song they chose to cover =)
To think that Utada decided to choose Ayu is really heartwarming ! I'm really happy ^^

I really can't imagine Ayumi sing an Utada song ... they are so different musically and vocally !! I am really curious to see what song she will cover ;)

What does the description say?
浜崎あゆみ （はまさきあゆみ）
1978年福岡県生まれ。1998年4月8日、シングル『poker face』でデビュー。
1999年1月1日発売の1stアルバム『A Song for ××』がミリオンセールスを記録。2001～2003年には前人未到の3年連続日本レコード大賞を受賞。こ れまでにシングル52枚、オリジナル・アルバム15枚をリリースし、ソロアーティストとしては史上初、日本 の音楽史上3組目となるシングル・アルバム総売上5,000万枚突破という記録を樹立。デビュー以来全ての 作詞を手掛け、その世界観は世代を超えた多くの女性から支持されている。デビュー16周年を迎えた今もアジ アのエンタテインメント界を代表するトップ・アーティストとして精力的な活動を続けている。
◎12月24日（水）にバラード3曲を収録したシングル「Zutto... / Last minute / Walk」をリリース
◎12月29（月）〜31日（水）に国立代々木競技場第一体育館にて恒例のカウントダウンライヴ を開催

Something about Ayu and her lyrics inspiring future generations of female singer-songwriters?

Or they'll be hating more and saying how she "ruined" a song... just sayin' ; )

I only know few Utada songs so I'm really curious about it and I hope it'll finally get me into her music ^^

talking about hikki, I need some flavor of life right now!

"ayumi hamasaki will be a part of a Hikaru Utada cover album "Utada Hikaru No Uta -13kumino Ongakukaniyoru 13nokaisyakunitsuite-" which will be released on December 9th!!
12月9日発売『宇多田ヒカルのうた －13組の音楽家による13の解釈について－』に浜崎あゆみが参加
＜Artist＞
AI / 井上陽水 / 大橋トリオ / 岡村靖幸 / 加藤ミリヤ / KIRINJI / 椎名林檎 / Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis feat. Peabo Bryson / Tofubeats feat. BONNIE PINK / ハナレグミ / 浜崎あゆみ / 吉井和哉 / LOVE PSYCHEDELICO"

confirmed on ayu's official fb

and yay for Shiina Ringo!

wow I didn't expect Ayu to take part in the cover album! I wonder which song. I'm really looking forward to this.

Show me love (not a dream) would be good!

This is so exciting! I wasn't expecting any big names to be on this. I'm very excited at the inclusion of Ayu and Shiina Ringo. I really hope Ayu picks a ballad!

Now that's very surprising! Imagine ayu covering Passion I guESS I'D DIE

That's suprising news for sure. When i heard about the cover album Ayu was not the name that came to my mind as one of possible appearing there. Can't wait for actual song now :)

I really don't want her to do passion. I'd rather her cover wait and see, hikari, show me love, or beautiful world.

If someone can translate ? It seems that Ayu already recorded the song ^^
They talk about how this new is a big surprise considering how Utada and Ayu have been seen like big rival since the fight DISTANCE VS A BEST in 2001

http://www.sponichi.co.jp/entertainm...009264840.html

omg lol. Universal proposed that Ayu do one song and she was like "nope, imma do this one instead"

that's our diva :heart

(and yes, it says she's recorded it already. title is unknown.)

I have the strangest feeling that Ayu is going to be the one covering First Love. Oh god I can picture the English lyrics now with a heavy accent being sung with intense vibrato.

The other interesting thing from the article is the part where it says, while they didn't reveal the official title, they refer to the song as シングルカットされた代表曲.

Basically, one of Hikki's really well known songs that had a separate single cut.

Final Distance???

I want COLORS, Final Distance, Be My Last or Dareka..

OMG it would be amazing if she did Sakura Drops!

I've only heard one of Love Pyschdelico's songs but enjoyed it. So interested to hear their track.

I can see Ayumi doing Final Distance. As long as it ain't First Love! (Not one of Hikaru's best ballads at all for me and so overrated!)

I'm starting to doubt Hikaru chose the people involved if Peabo Bryson is popping up!

FINAL DISTANCE would be a good choice cause people think they had a big feud with FINAL DISTANCE and A BEST

Prisoner of Love was a recut single too ! She don't have a lot of recut so ... First love, Final Distance or Prisoner of Love ?

Dareka, FLavor of Life, Passion or SAKURA drops~ If it's the album tracks then BLUE by all means~

Given the rivalry between A BEST and Distance, I think it would be amazing if Ayu covered Final Distance as the last song on the album. There would be an insane sense of symmetry and things coming full-circle if that were to happen, I think.

I would love Final Distance. I would be disappointed if she chose First Love out of all of Hikki's songs lol.

Can you imagine how much they would have to change the key of First Love to fit Ayu's voice????? oy. My ears hurt just imagining it. :tired

Yes I hope it's FINAL DISTANCE ! And the fact that First love is one of the most popular Japanese songs of all time I don't want people start to to spit on Ayu because her cover is really different etc... you know what I mean lol

Ok, now I'm just dying to know which track she did; what song was so significant that she would just straight up announce she would cover that?! I'm hoping it really is FINAL DISTANCE, I think Ayu could do great things with that song. :heart

She obviously chose The Workout. No need for speculation.

I hope it's Wait&See ~リスク~!

I'm pretty sure this album is only going to include single songs. Most likely not B-sides, but possibly double A-sides. So there's 13 artists participating and most likely they're each going to cover one song. Utada has 22 physical singles, so the majority of her single songs are going to be covered.


I really hope each artist performs one song, and we don't end up getting 5 different singers covering First Love and Automatic.

i hope for Sakura Drops. I can hear ayu's "iii" in the "koi wo shite... owari wo tsuke." LOL

Ayumi Hamasaki Will Contribute to Hikaru Utada Cover Album - The Pop Princesses’ Miraculous Collaboration

Translation of the Sanspo article from earlier.

For some reason I really hope it's NOT first love or final distance. Sakura drops would probably be amazing though!

+1 for sakura drops.

you guys know it's gonna be easy breezy, right?

ikr! That's the first thing I though LOL

I'm pretty sure that's FINAL DISTANCE now btw

thanks for the translation :)
Its nice to know that ayu accepted so easily

it's got to be FINAL DISTANCE. it seriously has too much meaning for ayu not to do it!

so excited!!

Yeah me too!! :D I wonder if Utada's song will sound like an ayu song :luv2

I hope somebody covers something from Exodus though I doubt so XD

Hmm what if she sings a b-side?

But I'd like to hear Sakura Drops, Flavor of Life or Final Distance.

I doubt there will be any b sides on a tribute album. It'll probably be filled with her most popular singles.

Thanks for the translation!
Seems like it's either First Love or Prisoner of Love? (not sure if First Love is considered a recut single)

aaaaaaaaa I almost died

But can ayu sing it with such depth as Hikaru. Its a sad song, even more sad when you find out the story behind the song
_________________________________________

Though I'm more glad that Hikaru Utada isn't dead. Japan and there confusing ways :P

I'm really hoping for stay gold, sakura drops or final distance, i'll be happy with any of them!! *o*

Album cover
http://i.imgur.com/PoBU6on.jpgl

Im STOKED!!!! Totally something i'd never expect. 2 queens finally!!!!!!! I love FINAL DISTANCE i hope ayu will do that wan...with her own interpretation :3 I think Whoever sings First Love and being selected by Hikki is such a huge honour

The cover has a lot of Kingdom Hearts references I guess?
The artwork style, the menu navigation at the bottom etc.

I can imagine Ayu covering "Boku wa Kuma" with her cutesy voice and I would be the only one looking forward to it.

Omg the cover is everything. Wow.

Anyways, this is so exciting. The article really puts it into perspective. I hope ayus track sounds really great. Cause you know all eyes will be on her.

Anyways, it interesting to note it says it is a song that was "RECUT" for a single.

Yeah, it's drawn/designed by the director of the series Nomura
http://www.ff-reunion.net/nomura_tet...oration-nomura

First Namie will be working with Jolin Tsai and now this!!!
THIS IS AMAZING!!

THAT COVERS MAKES ME WANT TO BUY IT, AND I'LL TOTALLY DO IT IF AYU SONG CATCHS ME

Is this the news that Ayu mentioned yesterday?

the same reason i don't wish ayu to cover First Love. can't imagine what the haters gonna say about this if this really happens.

why all this "Boku wa Kuma" obssesion? it sound like any crappy Teletubbies or barney song

Utada's recut singles seem to only be First Love, FINAL DISTANCE (considering the story behind it) and Prisoner of Love??

Now really hoping its FINAL DISTANCE omg...i need to know more!

edit: that said, I can totally hear Ayu singing Sakura Drops too

so unexpected...it's like a dreams come true...Ayu X Utada

I'm hoping for Sakura Drops!

i can't imagine on how Ayu will sing Hikki song..but we will see...

HOLY FUCKING SHIT HYPE OVERLOAD I CANNOT

I think it's absolutely fantastic that ayu will be part of this tribute album! :) I can only wonder what song of Utada's she'll be covering. I've always loved Utada's music so much, so whichever song ayu covers, I'm sure I'll totally love it! :heart I'm totally looking forward to all of this!!!

I also have to say, that the cover of the tribute album is incredibly amazing. :D I absolutely love it! :love

Utada is catatonic as far as music goes. :(

EDIT: I REALLLY REAAAALLLLYYY HOPE IT'S FIRST LOVE. <3

I still cant believe this!!! like I died. Dead. RIP me!!! gosh!!! #gdyzgnbvdfczye@@xhdgechvy like finally after yearsss after the A Best and Distance rival and all those medias reports about them.

Gotta love that article! LOL! I want to see more media report on this. This is more interesting to me than her new single.

Their voice and music really different,I hardly can imagine which one Ayu will cover. but I hope not Flavor of Life or First love please xD

This exactly.

I think hikari would sound good.

I have a feeling that whatever Hikki song Ayu may have chosen to cover, i feel like the song is pretty rearranged to have that certain Ayu sound to it. If she were to sing Final Distance, i'm kinda expecting it to sound like a having rip offs of no way to say or songs of the like. I imagine. LOL I'm really excited for this!

If Ayu sings "insert utada song", lets make a mash up of Ayu and utada voice in that song! That wpuld be fantastic!

interesting!! I wonder what song she will be singing?!

Btw, was it Ayu who requested the change? AHHA

That'll be awesome! Only if AYU's gonna use the same instrumental or just even the same key.

I am curious to know which song she declined, more so than the one she chose. I wonder if we'll ever know that.

Great idea!!

This is so exciting! OMG I can't believe Ayu surprised us with this! I hope it'll be FINAL DISTANCE or Prisoner of Love, I cannot imagine Ayu singing First Love lol

And the Tetsuya Nomura cover is awesome! ...do we get hinted at that Hikki will be singing for KH3? XD

I'm super stoked for this!

FINAL DISTANCE is not a recut single. Hikki's only recut is First Love and Prisoner of Love. Pretty sure ayu is going to sing Prisoner of Love~

I was thinking it would be funny after all the LOVE shit ayu has been hawking. She seriously is a prisoner of "Love" and we are too thanks to her. Lol.

Maybe they did suggest ayu sing FINAL DISTANCE and she went for Prisoner of Love instead? I mean, if they had a suggestion for her beforehand I can't imagine they'd have anything other than FINAL DISTANCE. So I think you may be right in ayu choosing Prisoner of Love.

Exactly this!!! So excited on how ayu will make it work for her voice and singing style. So glad Hikki chose ayu!!

I love ayu but she best not ruin first love. She can do whatever to prisoner of love though.

FINAL DISTANCE is a recut. It's technically a remix of DISTANCE.
I think ayu will either cover FD or POL. I can't imagine her singing First Love at all.

So excited that Ayu covering a Hikki song. :).

Can't wait to see which song it is, and how her version will sound like.

It was revealed ayu will be singing Easy Breezy (Orchestra Ver.) feat. URATA NAOYA

:)

:luv2

LOL

what a surprise ayu!
and it's really cool that hikki's team proposed to ayu to do the cover first.
so curious of what song she'd cover.
i personally wish for sakura drops.

in facebook they are saying that is official that "easy breesy" is the song.

^^i'd love that one!!! it;s one of the few songs i like from Hikki. Or First love? naaaaah~~~ sakura drops would be awesome! But oh well lol

EASY BREEZE :rolleyes
orchestral version...::eh:
feat. URATA NAOYA :headache

I am sooooo freakin excited!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Utada got me into Japanese music so I am wayyyyyyyy supporting this! So glad Ayu's going to do a song.

Now I'm thinking of all the songs of Hikki's she should cover!!! :D

Edit: Just saw about easy breezy...

...D: Not the song I would have chosen but OK!

what? for real?
it's easy breezy?
it's in english.
and it's not really her hit song right?