Time Limit (song) explained

Time Limit
Type:single
Cover:Utada Hikaru - Time Limit.jpg
Alt:A drawing of a pair of eyes.
Artist:Hikaru Utada
Album:Distance
A-Side:For You
Length:4:55
Label:Toshiba EMI
Producer:Rodney Jerkins
Prev Title:Wait & See (Risk)
Prev Year:2000
For You
Title2:Time Limit
Next Title:Can You Keep a Secret?
Next Year:2001)

is a song by Japanese musician Hikaru Utada. It was released as a double A-side single with the song "For You" on June 30, 2000.[1]

Background and development

In Spring 1999, Utada released her debut album First Love, which became the most commercially successful album of all time in Japan.[2] After this success, she released two follow-up singles, "Addicted to You" (1999) and "Wait & See (Risk)" (2000), which were both produced by American production team Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis.[3] [4] For "Time Limit", Utada enlisted the help of American producer Rodney Jerkins, and recorded the song at Darkchild Studios in New Jersey.[1]

The song was co-composed with Takuro of the band Glay, the first time Utada had shared the role of songwriter since her 1998 pre-debut album Precious as Cubic U. For Utada's second album Distance (2001), she worked together with Takuro again on the song "Drama".[5]

The "For You" / "Time Limit" single was released right before Bohemian Summer 2000, her first wide-scale tour of Japan,[6] and on the same day as the DVD single release of her previous single, "Wait & See (Risk)".

Promotion and release

The song was first unveiled on June 12, 2000, when a 60-second preview of "Time Limit" was previewed on Japan FM Network radio stations, a week before "For You" was previewed.[7] To promote the single, Utada appeared in magazines released in June and July, such as Pati Pati, What's In?, Pia, Tokyo Walker and Popteen.[7]

Utada performed "Time Limit" live on Hey! Hey! Hey! Music Champ on June 26, 2000. This show was one of the highest-rated episodes of the program, taking in a 22.1% share of viewers for the time slot, however was beaten by Utada's previous appearances on the show in 1999 and later in 2001.[8] [9] On the June 29 episode of Utaban, Utada performed both "For You" and "Time Limit".[10]

Music video

A music video was created for the song, featuring footage of a live performance by Utada on her Bohemian Summer 2000 tour.[11] The footage was taken from the July 1, 2000 concert at the Yoyogi National Gymnasium, Tokyo.

Critical reception

Sato of OngakuDB.com noted the song's layered chorus work, and felt that to fully appreciate this, the song was better suited to listening at home on CD, rather than hearing it on television.[6] CDJournal reviewers felt that Utada's "tightly structured" vocals made it into a "superior pop" song.[12]

The "For You" / "Time Limit" single was successful enough to win a Song of the Year award at the 15th Japan Gold Disc Awards.[13]

Personnel

Personnel details were sourced from "For You/Time Limit"'s liner notes booklet.[14]

Sales and certifications

Chart Amount
Oricon physical sales[16]
  • "For You/Time Limit"
889,000<--888,650-->
RIAJ physical certification[17]
  • "For You/Time Limit"
3× Platinum (1,200,000)

Release history

RegionDateFormatDistributing labelCatalogue codes
JapanJune 30, 2000CD singleToshiba EMITOCT-4230
April 1, 2004[18] Digital download
South KoreaSeptember 30, 2005[19] Digital downloadUniversal Music Korea

Notes and References

  1. Web site: For You/タイム・リミット . Amazon.co.jp . December 18, 2014.
  2. Web site: 『First Love』発売から15年、宇多田ヒカルの色あせない輝き . 15 years since the release of First Love, Hikaru Utada's unfaded radiance . Oricon . March 7, 2014 . August 29, 2014.
  3. Web site: 4th Single Addicted To You . Universal . Japanese . December 19, 2014 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20141013025442/http://www.utadahikaru.jp/disco/single07.htm . October 13, 2014 .
  4. Web site: http://artist.cdjournal.com/d/wait--see/3200021193 . ja:宇多田ヒカル / Wait&See～リスク～ . CDJournal . Japanese . December 19, 2014.
  5. Web site: Distance . https://web.archive.org/web/20040813194938/http://music.yahoo.co.jp/jpop/cd_reviews/barks/20010323/laurvw002.html . Tomonori Nagasawa of Barks . Yahoo! Japan . August 13, 2004 . Japanese . December 19, 2014.
  6. Web site: http://music.yahoo.co.jp/jpop/cd_reviews/ongakudb/20000705/odbrvw002.html . ja:For You/タイム・リミット . https://web.archive.org/web/20040921220458/http://music.yahoo.co.jp/jpop/cd_reviews/ongakudb/20000705/odbrvw002.html . Sato of OngakuDB.com . Yahoo! Japan . September 21, 2004 . Japanese . December 19, 2014.
  7. Web site: News . https://web.archive.org/web/20000618021036/http://www.toshiba-emi.co.jp/hikki/news/main.htm . Toshiba EMI . June 18, 2000 . June 13, 2000 . Japanese . December 18, 2014.
  8. Web site: http://www.fujitv.co.jp/HEY/guest/guest_files/000626/index.html . ja:#253 00/06/26 放送 . Hey! Hey! Hey! Ratings history (best 17) . https://web.archive.org/web/20141218021831/http://www.fujitv.co.jp/HEY/guest/guest_files/000626/index.html . Fuji Television . December 18, 2014 . Japanese . December 19, 2014.
  9. Web site: RATING HEY!HEY!HEY!歴代視聴率 BEST 17 . Hey! Hey! Hey! Ratings history (best 17) . https://web.archive.org/web/20141219035138/http://www.fujitv.co.jp/HEY/rating2.html . Fuji Television . December 19, 2014 . Japanese . December 19, 2014.
  10. . . June 29, 2000 . Japanese.
  11. Web site: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pw7DTm8c_-I . ja:宇多田ヒカル - タイム・リミット . https://web.archive.org/web/20141219034849/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pw7DTm8c_-I . EMI Music Japan . Youtube . December 19, 2014 . Japanese . December 19, 2014.
  12. Web site: http://artist.cdjournal.com/d/utada-hikaru-single-collection-vol1/3204020152 . ja:宇多田ヒカル / Utada Hikaru SINGLE COLLECTION VOL.1 . CDJournal . Japanese . December 19, 2014.
  13. Web site: http://www.golddisc.jp/award/15/index.html . ja:第15回日本ゴールドディスク大賞 / Gold Disc Hall of Fame 15th . . Japanese . December 19, 2014.
  14. For You/Time Limit . . 2000 . Japanese . Toshiba EMI . Tokyo, Japan.
  15. Web site: http://www.oricon.co.jp/prof/artist/193854/ranking/cd_single/ . ja:宇多田ヒカルのシングル売り上げランキング . Hikaru Utada single sales ranking . https://web.archive.org/web/20131111143257/http://www.oricon.co.jp/prof/artist/193854/ranking/cd_single/ . Oricon . November 11, 2013 . Japanese . December 18, 2014.
  16. Web site: オリコンランキング情報サービス「you大樹」 . Oricon Ranking Information Service 'You Big Tree' . . subscription . December 18, 2014.
  17. GOLD ALBUM 他認定作品 2000年7月度 . Gold Albums, and other certified works. September 2000 Edition . The Record . Bulletin . Japanese . . . September 10, 2000 . 490 . 8 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140122032609/http://www.riaj.or.jp/issue/record/2000/200009.pdf . January 22, 2014 . January 22, 2014.
  18. Web site: For You/タイム・リミット . Amazon.co.jp . December 18, 2014.
  19. Web site: タイムㆍリミット/For You . Bugs . Korean. December 18, 2014.

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