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Kingdom Hearts II: Passion - Utada Hikaru :: Review by Lex
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Album Title: | Kingdom Hearts II: Passion - Utada Hikaru |
| Record Label: | Toshiba EMI | |
| Catalog No.: | TOCT-5003 | |
| Release Date: | December 14, 2005 | |
| Purchase: | Buy at CDJapan |
Review
This is Utada Hikaru's 15th single and it was released on December 14, 2005. This single reached #4 on the Oricon Weekly Charts and it has sold 112,345 copies, making it her lowest selling single to date. Not only was it used in Kingdom Hearts II, but it's also one of her best songs to date. Here are my thoughts about the release, originally published in my J-Pop music blog Beyond the Sea.
The first track is the ~single version~ of "Passion". I love the beginning of this song because it sounds so epic. Her voice sounds so mystical and ethereal throughout the whole song. The strong mix of synth and percussion is amazing. Hikaru's vocal range at the end of the song is astounding as well. I only wish the verses were a little longer and the my "heart's a battleground" sequence from the Kingdom Hearts II opening version was included in the single version.
The next track is the slower piano-based ~after the battle~ version. This version is used as the ending theme of Kingdom Hearts II. The chorus is the biggest change for me because there are no background vocals and her voice is calmer and more relaxing. I also thought it was a nice touch to add the instrumental of the single version at the end because the instrumental alone is great and unique compared to her past work.
