TOKYO (TR) – Singer Hikaru Utada is back on the music scene at 33, hoping to pick up where she left off after going on hiatus in 2011. But the star didn’t hold back when a fan asked on Friday how she felt when she made her debut 18 years ago: “I regretted it.”
During an ask-me-anything session on Twitter held on Friday, a fan asked Utada what was on her mind when she released her debut record “First Love” (1999), reports Nikkan Sports (June 18).
“Sure I was happy that the product I worked so hard on was being accepted, but all of a sudden the freedom I had so taken for granted until that point was gone,” Utada said. “That frustrating feeling of ‘I can’t go back now’ was huge.”
Utada’s “First Love” record sold over 8 million copies in Japan alone, carving a place in national history as the top-selling album of all time. Needless to say, the singer’s life changed at just 15.
“I regretted making my debut at the time, but now I feel grateful for all the valuable experiences I got from that,” Utada said.
“First Love” was re-released in 2014 for its 15th anniversary.
