Utada Hikaru – Science Fiction Tour 2024 Review

What does Utada Hikaru sound like?

A mixture of melancholic J-Pop, uptempo electronica and RnB flavours wrapped up in a bundle of nervous energy.

The review of ‘Science Fiction Tour 2024’ by Utada Hikaru

Celebrating 25 years of making music and connecting with each other, Japanese music sensation Utada Hikaru created the ‘Science Fiction Tour’ that ran throughout Summer 2024. Alongside it, they released a double album that included fan favourite tracks, rerecording some classics, and introducing new songs. It is a great double album, but this review will focus on the new recording of the tour’s final show. ‘Hikki’ as they are affectionately known, is in fine vocal form for another music-first performance.

The Blu-ray copy I imported from Japan contains both Japanese and English menus and subtitles, and that’s not just for the show itself. There is a half-hour documentary as bonus material that shows the set being built, alongside interviews with the team that put the show together. It’s a mixture of Japanese and English spoken language so having subtitles for both makes a lot of sense and I’m grateful for them. The documentary is a lovely look behind the curtain in a slow-paced, almost diary-esque way. Anything that allows Utada’s personality to shine is a plus for me because as they state in the MC moments in the show itself, it’s the most fun they’ve had on stage perhaps ever.

That relaxed, more casual vibe carries across to the show itself, which comprises 24 songs across their whole Japanese language career. There are no Utada tracks but there are a couple of nice surprises. ‘DISTANCE’ isn’t the original ballad song, it’s the remixed garage version. ‘Hikari’ and ‘Travelling’ are their rerecorded Science Fiction versions which means the former is more ethereal and the latter has gone up in key. ‘Stay Gold’ was only performed on this final night so having that as a bonus track is great, as it sounds dreamy. ‘Electricity’ brings on a saxophone player and two dancers for that song alone, making it a playful encore in what is largely a show that is devoid of big choreography. The music is front and centre, and whilst there is so beautiful light and art displays on various panels dotted that cover the stage backdrop, they support the music rather than stand alongside it. Utada Hikaru moves around the stage and occasionally moves towards a central circular stage for a ballad, but mainly it’s a traditional band and music gig. Hikki even plays the keyboard for ‘Boku Wa Kuma’, which is the oddest and cutest addition to the setlist. It makes more sense in the grand scheme of the show because whilst a mid-set costume change takes place, the video panels show our teddy bear travelling the galaxy and ending up on an alien planet.

On a more personal level, I discovered Utada Hikaru’s music on their third ‘Deep River’ album, thanks to ‘Hikari’ being included in Kingdom Hearts. Utada Hikaru had moved beyond the more R&B-focused sound of their debut and sophomore albums towards more electronic sounds This concert helped me appreciate those first albums more than ever because the live band sound reconfigures these tracks into a later Utada instrument set. Tracks like ‘In My Room’ and ‘For You’ especially benefit from the dynamism of live musicians. It is a subtle change but it makes them feel more human and emotionally charged. The audio production on this tour is superb, and I want to highlight bassist Seye Adelekan as someone who is grooving at all times in a maximalist way. The band are clearly enjoying themselves too in the relaxed setting.

In many ways, ‘Science Fiction Tour’ is an evolution from 2018’s ‘Laughter In The Dark’ tour, which is now also finally released physically. With Laughter in the Dark, we had a band, some live strings and lots of additional layers of samples and effects being triggered. For ‘Science Fiction Tour’, we have the overall sound palette reduced, but far more of it is live in-person performance. To me they feel like sister tours and with largely different setlists too. I think that’s why this tour focuses more on the opening four albums of Utada Hikaru’s career, as we got a lot of the more recent albums being reworked in 2018. Either way, if you have the funds – both are worth your time and money. ‘Science Fiction Toru 2024’ is a musical feast that takes 25 years of music and translates it into a cohesive and joyous celebration of enjoying Utada Hikaru’s music. Here’s and cheers to there being many, many more.

Recommended track: Electricity

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