Utada Hikaru - Prisoner of Love

In May 2008, Utada Hikaru released the single Prisoner of Love. The song, which was used as the theme song for the popular Japanese drama "Last Friends" brought the singer great achievement. The single sold well into the millions, and among the slew of charts it topped, it became the third most downloaded song in Japan during 2008, won for best theme song during the 57th Drama Academy Awards and landed #2 on the Oricon charts for 12 weeks. Additionally, it held the #1 spot for digital sales on iTunes.

Prisoner of Love was an excellent theme choice for "Last Friends," with lyrics that embodied the five topics the drama covered: love, liberation, agony, solitude and contradiction.

The first track of Prisoner of Love is the main version that was used as the theme in the drama. It has a very jazzy, pop feel but drips with sorrow as Hikaru sings accompanied by orchestra instrumentals. One of the most prominent aspects of the song is the hard chime that is spaced out throughout the track. One can almost picture Hikaru trying to escape, but each door slams before her as she reaches it. Along with this distinct sound, there is a five beat rhythm that steadily backs up the main composition, sounding much like a heartbeat. Both of these sounds are absent in the quiet version, making them unique to this track.

Much like her other songs, each stanza in Prisoner of Love is beautifully sung and features a large vocal range. Her chorus is mournful, and even for a listener who cannot understand the lyrics, the message is clear.

The karaoke version of Prisoner of Love is almost more powerful than the vocal version, as it paves the way for the imagination to run wild with the composition. Listeners can focus on the delicate violin solo and the gentle background vocals, truly feeling the emotions invested in the track.

Prisoner of Love -Quiet Version- is the piano ballad version which was primarily used during the key points during the drama. It focuses heavily on Hikaru's vocals with just the piano guiding her until we reach the chorus, where the violins join the composition. After the first chorus they continue to accompany the piano but are much more muted, almost like support vocals.

The quiet version's karaoke addition takes away a lot of the emotion that is wrapped up in the other editions. Not only are the vocals absent, but the heavy drum beat are gone as well. While the song still maintains some melancholy aspects in the fragile composition, even with the background vocals that come in for the chorus it does not hold a candle to the other versions.

Utada Hikaru has outdone herself with this outstanding single, which is a shining example of her work. It is a single that shouldn't be missed, and fans can rest assured that her future releases will be just as good.