Passion (single)
Encyclopedia
"Passion" is a song by Hikaru Utada, released in Japan as a single on December 14, 2005. It was used as the theme song for the Disney Interactive Studios/Square Enix
game Kingdom Hearts II
and Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days
in Japan, while an English version also sung by Utada, titled "Sanctuary", was used for the international release of the games.
In an interview, Utada said, "It's like... as if 'Hikari' was the dawn, and 'Passion' has a concluding or 'dusk' feeling to it. The lyrics of 'Passion' show how phases of the past, present and future of the character in my song relate to each other."
During her 2010 international tour, Utada: In the Flesh 2010
, Utada combined "Passion" with "Sanctuary", alternating between the Japanese and English versions of the songs.
"Passion" was performed during Utada's two date concert series Wild Life
in December 2010.
British rapper Devlin sampled "Passion (After the Battle)" on his song "London City" from his 2010 album Bud, Sweat and Beers
.
, China
. The introduction of the video is an animation by Koji Morimoto
with a render of a character that is supposedly a symbol of Utada. The music video was directed by Kazuaki Kiriya
.
's international release. It is also the second single from This Is the One, released only in Japan (both the Opening and Ending versions), thereby under the name Utada, not Utada Hikaru. However, Sanctuary was not included in the Japanese version of the album (it was on the US as a bonus track [physical release only]).
Utada sung "Sanctuary" (in combination with "Passion") during Utada: In the Flesh 2010
.
In the videogame Kingdom Hearts II, the "Opening" version of the song is played during the opening movie; the more emotional "After the Battle" (titled "Ending" on This Is the One) version is played after defeating the final boss of the game, much like the theme song of the first Kingdom Hearts, "Simple and Clean". The arrangements of the two songs differ in some aspects, much in the same nature as "Simple and Clean" did in comparison to its "Hikari" counterpart.
"Sanctuary", like "Passion", includes several instances of reversed lyrics throughout the song; these lyrics are the only official backwards lyrics. Played throughout the song are the lyrics "I need more affection than you know" in the "battleground" stanza, as well as the phrases "So many ups and downs" and "I need true emotions".
Unlike "Passion", "Sanctuary" had not received any official release on CD until 2009, where its opening and closing versions were included as bonus tracks on Utada's album, This Is the One.
It is also interesting to note that "Sanctuary" does not feature Utada's vocals in the background of the song (as "Passion" does), a notable difference throughout the song.
Both the Opening and Ending versions of Sanctuary were included on Utada's first English compilation album, Utada the Best
.
In 2011, Sanctuary (Ending) was sampled by American rapper XV
in the song When We're Done contained in his "Zero Heroes" mixtape.
Square Enix
is a Japanese video game and publishing company best known for its console role-playing game franchises, which include the Final Fantasy series, the Dragon Quest series, and the action-RPG Kingdom Hearts series...
game Kingdom Hearts II
Kingdom Hearts II
is an action role-playing game developed by Square Enix and published by Buena Vista Games and Square Enix in 2005 for the Sony PlayStation 2 video game console...
and Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days
Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days
is an action roleplaying game developed and published by Square Enix for the Nintendo DS with assistance from h.a.n.d. It is the fifth installment in the best-selling Kingdom Hearts series, and serves as an interquel beginning near the end of the first game, Kingdom Hearts, and covering the period...
in Japan, while an English version also sung by Utada, titled "Sanctuary", was used for the international release of the games.
In an interview, Utada said, "It's like... as if 'Hikari' was the dawn, and 'Passion' has a concluding or 'dusk' feeling to it. The lyrics of 'Passion' show how phases of the past, present and future of the character in my song relate to each other."
During her 2010 international tour, Utada: In the Flesh 2010
Utada: In the Flesh 2010
Utada: In The Flesh 2010 was Japanese-American singer-songwriter Utada's first international tour. The 10-date sold out tour began in Honolulu and ended in London, with the London date reportedly selling-out in as little as five hours, to which another date was added...
, Utada combined "Passion" with "Sanctuary", alternating between the Japanese and English versions of the songs.
"Passion" was performed during Utada's two date concert series Wild Life
Wild Life (concert)
WILD LIFE was Japanese-American singer-songwriter Hikaru Utada's final concert tour before her scheduled hiatus from 2011. Performing only two dates at the Yokohama Arena, Japan on December 8 and 9 2010.-Set list:-Tickets:...
in December 2010.
British rapper Devlin sampled "Passion (After the Battle)" on his song "London City" from his 2010 album Bud, Sweat and Beers
Bud, Sweat and Beers
Bud, Sweat and Beers is the debut studio album by British rapper Devlin. It is on Island Records and Universal Music Group, and was released on October 29, 2010 for digital download. Some tracks on the album are produced by Labrinth, Kraze, Lewi White, Futurecut and Naughty Boy. Featured guests on...
.
Music video
The video was partially shot in Gung-Ho Films studios in BeijingBeijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. The introduction of the video is an animation by Koji Morimoto
Koji Morimoto
, born December 26, 1959) is an animator and one of Japan’s premier anime directors.- Biography :Born in Wakayama, Japan, he graduated from the Osaka School of Design in 1979 and a couple years later joined the studio Annapuru as an animator for the TV series “Tomorrow's Joe”...
with a render of a character that is supposedly a symbol of Utada. The music video was directed by Kazuaki Kiriya
Kazuaki Kiriya
, born April 20, 1968 in Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan, is a Japanese photographer and director of films and music videos. His birth name is .He made his feature film debut writing and directing the live action film adaptation of Casshern in 2004. In 2009, he wrote and directed his second film,...
.
Versions
It is worth noting that the version of "Passion" found in this single differs slightly from the version used for Kingdom Hearts II, which is missing the last verse, and also has the added lines, "Hito shirezu/My Heart's a Battleground" (Hidden Away/ My Heart's a Battleground.) It has been titled the "Opening Version" on the Kingdom Hearts II soundtrack. Its counterpart, also known as the "after the battle" version, is a stripped version of the single version, with only piano and vocals, following by the instrumental with piano, drums, guitars and cold electronic foreground synths.Track listing
Sanctuary
"Sanctuary" is the theme song for the video game Kingdom Hearts IIKingdom Hearts II
is an action role-playing game developed by Square Enix and published by Buena Vista Games and Square Enix in 2005 for the Sony PlayStation 2 video game console...
's international release. It is also the second single from This Is the One, released only in Japan (both the Opening and Ending versions), thereby under the name Utada, not Utada Hikaru. However, Sanctuary was not included in the Japanese version of the album (it was on the US as a bonus track [physical release only]).
Utada sung "Sanctuary" (in combination with "Passion") during Utada: In the Flesh 2010
Utada: In the Flesh 2010
Utada: In The Flesh 2010 was Japanese-American singer-songwriter Utada's first international tour. The 10-date sold out tour began in Honolulu and ended in London, with the London date reportedly selling-out in as little as five hours, to which another date was added...
.
In the videogame Kingdom Hearts II, the "Opening" version of the song is played during the opening movie; the more emotional "After the Battle" (titled "Ending" on This Is the One) version is played after defeating the final boss of the game, much like the theme song of the first Kingdom Hearts, "Simple and Clean". The arrangements of the two songs differ in some aspects, much in the same nature as "Simple and Clean" did in comparison to its "Hikari" counterpart.
"Sanctuary", like "Passion", includes several instances of reversed lyrics throughout the song; these lyrics are the only official backwards lyrics. Played throughout the song are the lyrics "I need more affection than you know" in the "battleground" stanza, as well as the phrases "So many ups and downs" and "I need true emotions".
Unlike "Passion", "Sanctuary" had not received any official release on CD until 2009, where its opening and closing versions were included as bonus tracks on Utada's album, This Is the One.
It is also interesting to note that "Sanctuary" does not feature Utada's vocals in the background of the song (as "Passion" does), a notable difference throughout the song.
Both the Opening and Ending versions of Sanctuary were included on Utada's first English compilation album, Utada the Best
Utada the Best
Utada the Best is Japanese pop/R&B singer-songwriter Utada Hikaru's first English language compilation album, released on November 24, 2010, the same day as Utada Hikaru Single Collection Vol. 2...
.
In 2011, Sanctuary (Ending) was sampled by American rapper XV
XV (rapper)
Donavan Johnson better known by his stage name XV is an American rapper, singer and songwriter from Wichita, Kansas. He first gained major attention after the release of his twelfth mixtape Everybody's Nobody. In which he received two awards from DJBooth.net.His name, XV, refers to the age at...
in the song When We're Done contained in his "Zero Heroes" mixtape.
Track listing
Chart rankings (Passion)
| Charts | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Oricon Oricon , established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan. It started as , which was founded by Sōkō Koike in November 1967 and became known for its music charts. Oricon Inc... Weekly singles |
4 |
| Oricon yearly singles | 91 |
| RIAJ Digital Track Chart RIAJ Digital Track Chart The is chart ranks the best selling digital singles in Japan, provided by the Recording Industry Association of Japan since April 2009. The chart measures cellphone downloads .... Top 100 |
75 |
Certifications and sales (Passion)
| Chart | Amount |
|---|---|
| Oricon Oricon , established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan. It started as , which was founded by Sōkō Koike in November 1967 and became known for its music charts. Oricon Inc... physical sales |
112,000 |
| RIAJ physical certification | 100,000+ |
| RIAJ full-length cellphone downloads | 100,000+ |