Hikaru Utada’s Science Fiction gets a release date, (unfinalised) tracklist, tour dates and an app

New Science Fiction info has arrived. As we get a look at which songs will feature on what is being referred to as ‘Hikaru Utada’s first Best album’. And there are now dates for the accompanying Science Fiction tour.

I’m tired just reading the word ‘tour’. I’m here struggling to get out of bed in the morning. And Hikaru is out here preparing for a national tour, that they will have to fly to Japan to do.

I could never.

Science Fiction will release on April 10th, 2024 and will feature a total of 26 songs spanning Hikaru Utada’s Japanese discography. It’s a shame there’s no Utada cuts in the mix. But I get it. Hopefully this won’t stop a Utada song or two making its way into the tour setlist.

Science Fiction will include “Gold ~Mata au hi Made~”, “Nanoiro na Hana” and a third (at time of posting) untitled song, which will absolutely be released as a single as part of another tie-in. Because, Teruzane don’t play when it comes to that money. If Square Enix were on their shit and put good producers, directors and project managers on their Kingdom Hearts games, then this third song would be a Kingdom Hearts song to coincide with a Summer 2024 release of Kingdom Hearts IV. 

All of the songs on Science Fiction from First Love, Distance, Deep River, Ultra Blue and Heart Station will be ‘2024 Mix’ versions. Given that “First Love” is listed on the album as ‘2022 Mix’ and this was just the song mixed into Dolby Atmos, we can probably assume that the 2024 Mixes will be the exact same thing. But in a surprising twist, “Addicted to You”, “Traveling” and “Hikari” will be featured as all new recordings. So I’m really keen to hear whether Hikaru just re-recorded their vocals or whether we will get new vocals AND new arrangements too. I hope it’s the latter. Fuck with the old songs. May as well. If they turn out shit, we still have the originals. Although I wonder why Hikaru specifically chose these songs. Trust that Teruzane will get tie-ins set up for each of them. Maybe the re-recorded version of “Hikari” will be a tie-in with the upcoming iOS and Android Kingdom Hearts game Missing-Link.

Bad Mode will also get in on the new-ness, with the inclusion of a ‘Sci-Fi Edit’ of “Somewhere Near Marseille”, which I imagine is a four and a half minute version of the original twelve minute song.

Hikaru Utada – Science Fiction | Sony Music Labels Inc.

The tour will kick off in July and then wrap up in September.

Fans can get early access to tickets if they purchase a physical copy of Science Fiction. So those of you who like to be fast with uploading photos and unboxing videos of your CD purchases, be sure to not display the pre-sale access code before you’ve redeemed it.

Science Fiction Tour dates

🌐 Official website: Science Fiction Tour

I would not be the slightest bit surprised if we got an announcement going into Christmas that the tour will be hitting a streaming service in 2025, along with a physical release. A theatrical release of the Science Fiction tour in Japan would be amazing too, given the successful releases of Taylor Swift and Beyoncé’s tours. I’m not even going to entertain a theatrical release of the Science Fiction tour across Europe and North America, because it ain’t ever happening.

The Science Fiction tour will also have an accompanying app. The app is available to download now, but is for Japan only. And the app will not unlock until closer to the tour. One thing about Japan, they love releasing one and done apps for everything. The same way they like creating new websites for everything.