Distance

by Hikaru Utada

Overview

Following the staggering success of their debut album under their own name, 1999's First Love, the biggest-selling album in Japanese recording history was preceded by four number one singles. To say that Utada Hikaru's 2001 follow-up, Distance, was hotly anticipated would be a huge understatement. Their debut's R&B-influenced sound evolved with little significant stylistic change, yet Distance stands out from other Japanese pop albums of the period with its rich production providing stark contrast to the cheap, tinny sound that characterized much Japanese pop of the previous decade, with "Wait & See" and "Addicted to You" both featuring the production talents of Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis. Elsewhere, "Can You Keep a Secret?" remains a landmark in Japanese R&B both in terms of the sophistication of its songwriting and in its production, "Drama" shifts slightly from that template by introducing heavy, multilayered guitars and a darker, more rock-influenced sound, and "Kettobase!" mixes Hikaru's usual R&B with more rock guitar and a techno-influenced sequencer pattern. Despite arriving relatively early in their career, Distance stands as one of Hikaru's most consistent and inventive albums, and comes across as a far more convincing example of R&B by a Japanese artist than their later attempts to crack the U.S. market. ~ Ian Martin

Product Details

Release Date:	04/01/2022
Label:	Universal
UPC:	4988031460030
Rank:	58786

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Hikaru Utada   Primary Artist
Philippe Saisse   Keyboards
John Blackwell   Drums
Goh Hotoda   Shaker
Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins   Rap
David Barry   Guitar
Toriyama Yuji   Guitar
Honda Yuichiro   Guitar,Keyboards
Nishihira Akira   Keyboards
Darnell Davis   Keyboards

Technical Credits

Ted Jensen   Mastering
Steve Hodge   Mixing,Engineer
Terry Lewis   Arranger,Musician,Producer
Hikaru Utada   Composer
Mike Tocci   Assistant Engineer
Harvey Mason, Jr.   Editing,Engineer
Goh Hotoda   Mixing,Engineer
Dexter Simmons   Mixing
Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins   Arranger,Engineer,Producer,Programming
Jimmy Jam   Arranger,Musician,Producer
Michael McCoy   Assistant Engineer
Paul Foley   Editing
Miyake Akira   Producer
Alexander Richbourg   Producer,Drum Programming
Xavier Smith   Drum Programming,Assistant Engineer
Honda Yuichiro   Arranger,Programming,Pre-Production Arranger
Sanada Yoshiaki   Executive Producer
Nishihira Akira   Arranger,Programming
Takuro Kubo   Composer