Letters (Hikaru Utada song)
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| "Letters" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 "Sakura Drops" / "Letters" cover. | ||||
| Single by Hikaru Utada | ||||
| from the album Deep River | ||||
| Released | May 9, 2002 | |||
| Recorded | 2002 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 4:48 | |||
| Label | Toshiba EMI | |||
| Songwriter | Hikaru Utada | |||
| Producers | Kei Kawano, Akira Miyake, Teruzane Utada | |||
| Hikaru Utada singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"Letters" is a song recorded by Japanese-American musician Hikaru Utada for their album Deep River (2002). It was released as a double A-side single with the song "Sakura Drops" on May 9, 2002.[1]
Since they debuted as a musician in 1998, Utada had worked as the primary or sole songwriter for their music. Beginning with their second album Distance (2001), Utada began to co-arrange songs, such as "Wait & See (Risk)", "Distance" and "Kettobase!"[2] The bonus track on Distance, "Hayatochi-Remix", was arranged entirely by Utada.[2] In March 2002, Hikaru Utada released "Hikari", the theme song for the game Kingdom Hearts.[3]
"Letters" was written and arranged solely by Utada. It featured six different guitarists all performing the acoustic guitar in the backing, including Char, Hisashi from Glay, and Teruzane Utada.[2]
Promotion and release
The song was used in commercials for NTT DoCoMo's 2002 range of FOMA cellphones.[4] This was the third song of Utada's to be used in collaboration with DoCoMo, after "Final Distance" (2001) and "Traveling" (2002).[5] On May 20, 2002, Utada performed the song live at Hey! Hey! Hey! Music Champ, a week after they performed the single's other A-side "Sakura Drops".[6][7]
Utada performed the song during their Hikaru no 5 Budokan residency show in 2004, during the Utada United 2006 Japanese tour, and at the two date concert series Wild Life in December 2010.[8]
Covers
In 2014, "Letters" was recorded by Ringo Sheena for Utada Hikaru no Uta, a tribute album celebrating 15 years since Utada's debut.[9] It was released as a preceding download from the album on December 3, 2014.[9]
Critical reception
Critical reception to the song was positive. Hayashi of Ongaku DB felt "Letters" was a "Latin-sounding number" with a melody that had a "high level of freedom".[10] CDJournal reviewers described the song as having a "spicy Latin/gypsy" sound, and praised the "passionate melody", and noted how the upbeat rhythm contrasted with the lyrics, which dealt with "melancholic everyday feelings".[11] Kanako Hanakawa of Shinko Music felt that the song had a mature mood, and that it was "sexier" than their other songs due to the guitar backing of so many older male guitarists.[12] Akiyoshi Sekine of CD Data praised the song's "percussive rhythm", and praised the skill and sense that went into Utada's arrangement of the song.[13]
Track listing
All tracks are written by Hikaru Utada.
| No. | Title | Arranger | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Sakura Drops" | Utada, Kei Kawano | 5:01 |
| 2. | "Letters" | Kawano, Utada | 4:48 |
| 3. | "Sakura Drops (Original Karaoke)" | Utada, Kei Kawano | 5:01 |
| 4. | "Letters (Original Karaoke)" | Kawano, Utada | 4:48 |
| Total length: | 9:59 | ||
Personnel
Personnel details were sourced from Deep River's liner notes booklet.[2]
- Hironori Akiyama – acoustic guitar
- Char – acoustic guitar
- Hisashi from Glay – acoustic guitar
- Yuichiro Larry Honda – acoustic guitar
- Goh Hotoda – recording
- Tsunemi Kawahide – synthesizer programming
- Kei Kawano – acoustic piano, arrangement, keyboards, programming
- Atsushi Matsui – recording
- Akira Miyake – production
- Yuji Toriyama – acoustic guitar
- Masaaki Ugajin – recording
- Hikaru Utada – arrangement, producer, writing, vocals
- Teruzane "Sking" Utada – acoustic guitar, production