J-pop megastar Hikaru Utada releases new video and recording of 'Traveling'

J-pop icon Hikaru Utada has had a lot of hits, but few have reached the level of pop culture permeation as 2001’s “Traveling,” which has been widely recognized as a banger even since before that slang came into fashion.

But while “Traveling’s” star never really faded, it’s shining with a new brightness right now, with the surprise release of a brand-new “Traveling” video which Utada has just released.

Even if you can’t read Japanese, you’ll probably notice that there’s a “meets” in the video’s title. The full title of the video is “Ayataka meets Hikaru Utada Traveling,” since the video is produced in coordination with Coca-Cola Japan’s Ayataka green tea, which also explains the tea leaf-like color design that shows up in the video and why Utada carries around a bottle of the beverage for part of it.

Sharp-eared fans might notice, though, that “Traveling” sounds a little different than the last time they heard it. That’s because this is the “traveling (Re-Recording)” version of the tune, a newly recorded version that’s going to appear on Utada’s upcoming “Science Fiction” greatest hits album.

▼ The original version of “Traveling”

▼ Despite being the fifth completion release of Utada songs (following Utada Hikaru Single Collection Vol. 1, Utada Hikaru Single Collection Vol. 2, Utada the Best, and Utada Hikaru Single Collection Vol. 1+2 HD, which were released between 2004 and 2014, “Science Fiction” is being billed as the artist’s “first greatest hits album.”

The new “Traveling” video flashes Ayataka’s new brand slogan, “Go at your rhythm,” on screen towards the end, suggesting a parallel between personal lifestyle and the convenience of bottled tea. The strength of that connection is up for debate, but the new recording shows that Utada can still definitely sing, and can make a great video inside an apartment.

Source: YouTube/Hikaru Utada, PR Times

Insert images: YouTube/Hikaru Utada, PR Times