Eternally (Hikaru Utada song)

"Eternally"
Song by Hikaru Utada from the album Distance
Released March 10, 2008
(see release history)
Format Digital download
Recorded 2000
Genre J-pop, Pop
Length 4:45
4:49 (Drama Mix)
Label EMI Music Japan
Writer
  • Hikaru Utada
Producer
  • Shinichirō Murayama
  • Kei Kawano (strings)

"Eternally" is a song by Japanese musician Hikaru Utada, from her 2001 album Distance. It was re-arranged in 2008 as "Eternally (Drama Mix)," for the use in the Maki Horikita starring Fuji TV drama Innocent Love.[1] It was released as a digital single on October 31, 2008,[2] and eventually released onto CD in March 2009, on an EMI compilation album I: Zutto, Zutto, Aishiteru (i(アイ)～ずっと、ずっと、愛してる～).[3]

Innocent Love director Toshiyuki Nakano originally decided that Utada's voice would suit the themes of the drama well. Hearing "Eternally," he felt the song was a perfect choice for the drama, as the song's melody, lyrics and title fitted, in his opinion, as if the song had been specifically commissioned for the drama.[1]

Writing

The song is a R&B ballad, featuring an arrangement of strings, background percussion and guitar. The lyrics describe a person addressing their lover, who is describing how much they treasure a single moment they are sharing with this person. They believe that even if they cannot stay with their lover forever, at least "the feeling (they) have now will last forever " (今の気持ちだけはずっと永遠 ima no kimochi dake wa zutto eien).[4]

The drama mix of the song features a different take of Utada's vocals during the recording sessions of Distance in 2001, however it was given a new mix in 2008.[1] The new version is very similar in structure to the original, however with more prominent strings during the chorus.

Chart rankings

Chart Peak
position
Billboard Japan Hot 100[5]
  • Drama Mix
 36
RIAJ Reco-kyō ringtones Top 100[6] 50
RIAJ Reco-kyō ringtones Top 100[6]
  • Drama Mix
 7

Certifications

Chart Amount
RIAJ full-length cellphone downloads[7] 100,000+
RIAJ full-length cellphone downloads[2]
  • Drama Mix
 100,000+
RIAJ PC downloads[8]
  • Drama Mix
 100,000+

Release history
"Eternally"
A sample from the chorus of the original version.
"Eternally (Drama Mix)"
A sample from the version used for Innocent Love.
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Region Date Format
Japan March 10, 2008[7] Digital download (original version)
October 31, 2008[2] Digital download (Drama Mix)

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 宇多田ヒカル"隠れた名曲"の新ヴァージョンが月9主題歌に. Barks (in Japanese). 2008-09-29. Retrieved 2010-09-17.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 レコード協会調べ　11月度有料音楽配信認定 ＜略称：11月度認定＞. RIAJ (in Japanese). 2008-12-20. Retrieved 2010-09-17.
  3. ↑ "[CD] i(アイ)～ずっと、ずっと、愛してる～ / オムニバス". Neowing (in Japanese). Retrieved September 17, 2010.
  4. ↑ "Eternally - 宇多田ヒカル". Goo Music (in Japanese). Retrieved 2010-09-17.
  5. ↑ "Japan Billboard Hot 100". Billboard Japan. November 3, 2008. Archived from the original on September 17, 2010. Retrieved September 17, 2010.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 "レコード協会調べ　10月度有料音楽配信チャート（「着うた（R）」）＜略称：10月度レコ協チャート（「着うた（R）」）＞" (in Japanese). RIAJ. 2008-11-20. Retrieved 2010-09-17.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 レコード協会調べ　12月度有料音楽配信認定 ＜略称：12月度認定＞. RIAJ (in Japanese). 2009-01-20. Retrieved 2010-09-17.
  8. ↑ レコード協会調べ　11月度有料音楽配信認定 ＜略称：11月度認定＞. RIAJ (in Japanese). 2009-12-20. Retrieved 2010-09-17.