Utada Hikaru - Automatic Apr 2026

: The single was released as a "double A-side" with "Time Will Tell" and eventually sold over two million copies, becoming one of the best-selling singles in Japanese history.

When released " Automatic " on December 9, 1998, they didn't just release a hit—they fundamentally shifted the landscape of Japanese pop music. At just 15 years old, the New York-born singer-songwriter introduced a natural, R&B-infused "cool" that instantly dated the synth-heavy productions of the previous decade. The Cultural Impact UTADA HIKARU - Automatic

Automatic: How a Hit Single Keeps Being Reborn | by Charles in San Francisco | The Riff | Medium : The single was released as a "double

: The song's influence reached beyond Japan, being covered by international artists like the Swedish band Dirty Loops and Mandarin singers like Kelly Chen . The Cultural Impact Automatic: How a Hit Single