Utada Hikaru’s Music Featured in a New ‘Kingdom Hearts’ Game (Again)
Utada Hikaru first rocketed to fame in Japan with her record-breaking 1999 debut, First Love. But for fans on the West, she might be best known, at least initially, for her contribution(s) to the soundtrack of the massively popular Kingdom Hearts video game series — namely "Simple & Clean."
As we await the superstar's much-needed return to music since her 2010 hiatus with Fantôme later this month, there's this much to tide us over: a remix of "Simple and Clean" (and its Japanese counterpart, "Hikari"), featured in the newly unveiled trailer(s) for the upcoming Kingdom Hearts installment, Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue, out in January of next year. (A mouthful of a title, I know.)
The new remix of the Hikki classic is a bubbly, EDM-ified take on the track — fitting for The Modern Sound Of Today — called the Ray of Hope mix. With a brand new album just days away, it couldn't come at a more perfect time.
Hang onto your keyblades and listen to the "Simple & Clean" remix featured in the Kingdom Hearts trailer up top, as well as the "Hikari" remix below.