Time Limit (song)
{{Infobox song
| name = Time Limit
| type = single
| cover = Utada Hikaru - Time Limit.jpg
| alt = A drawing of a pair of eyes.
| artist = Hikaru Utada
| album = Distance
| A-side = For You
| released = {{start date|2000|06|30}}
| length = 4:55
| label = Toshiba EMI
| writer = {{hlist|Hikaru Utada|Takuro Kubo}}
| producer = Rodney Jerkins
| prev_title = Wait & See (Risk)
| prev_year = 2000
| title = For You
| title2 = Time Limit
| next_title = Can You Keep a Secret?
| next_year = 2001)
| misc =
}}
{{nihongo|"Time Limit"|タイム・リミット|Taimu Rimitto|lead=yes}} is a song by Japanese musician Hikaru Utada. It was released as a double A-side single with the song "For You" on June 30, 2000.{{cite web |url=https://www.amazon.co.jp/You-%E3%82%BF%E3%82%A4%E3%83%A0%E3%83%BB%E3%83%AA%E3%83%9F%E3%83%83%E3%83%88-%E5%AE%87%E5%A4%9A%E7%94%B0%E3%83%92%E3%82%AB%E3%83%AB/dp/B000056WFQ/ |title=For You/タイム・リミット |publisher=Amazon.co.jp |accessdate=December 18, 2014}}
Background and development
In Spring 1999, Utada released her debut album First Love, which became the most commercially successful album of all time in Japan.{{cite web|title=『First Love』発売から15年、宇多田ヒカルの色あせない輝き |trans-title=15 years since the release of First Love, Hikaru Utada's unfaded radiance |url=http://www.oricon.co.jp/news/2034862/full/ |publisher=Oricon |date=March 7, 2014 |accessdate=August 29, 2014}} After this success, she released two follow-up singles, "Addicted to You" (1999) and "Wait & See (Risk)" (2000), which were both produced by American production team Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis.{{cite web | url=http://www.utadahikaru.jp/disco/single07.htm | title=4th Single Addicted To You | publisher=Universal | language=Japanese | accessdate=December 19, 2014 | url-status=dead | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20141013025442/http://www.utadahikaru.jp/disco/single07.htm | archivedate=October 13, 2014 }}{{cite web | url=http://artist.cdjournal.com/d/wait--see/3200021193 | script-title=ja:宇多田ヒカル / Wait&See～リスク～ |publisher=CDJournal | language=Japanese | accessdate=December 19, 2014}} For "Time Limit", Utada enlisted the help of American producer Rodney Jerkins, and recorded the song at Darkchild Studios in New Jersey.
The song was co-composed with Takuro of the band Glay, the first time Utada had shared the role of songwriter since her 1998 pre-debut album Precious as Cubic U. For Utada's second album Distance (2001), she worked together with Takuro again on the song "Drama".{{cite web | url=http://music.yahoo.co.jp/jpop/cd_reviews/barks/20010323/laurvw002.html | title=Distance |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20040813194938/http://music.yahoo.co.jp/jpop/cd_reviews/barks/20010323/laurvw002.html |author=Tomonori Nagasawa of Barks |publisher=Yahoo! Japan |archivedate=August 13, 2004 | language=Japanese | accessdate=December 19, 2014}}
The "For You" / "Time Limit" single was released right before Bohemian Summer 2000, her first wide-scale tour of Japan,{{cite web | url=http://music.yahoo.co.jp/jpop/cd_reviews/ongakudb/20000705/odbrvw002.html | script-title=ja:For You/タイム・リミット |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20040921220458/http://music.yahoo.co.jp/jpop/cd_reviews/ongakudb/20000705/odbrvw002.html |author=Sato of OngakuDB.com |publisher=Yahoo! Japan |archivedate=September 21, 2004 | language=Japanese | accessdate=December 19, 2014}} and on the same day as the DVD single release of her previous single, "Wait & See (Risk)".
Promotion and release
The song was first unveiled on June 12, 2000, when a 60-second preview of "Time Limit" was previewed on Japan FM Network radio stations, a week before "For You" was previewed.{{cite web | url=http://www.toshiba-emi.co.jp/hikki/disco/index_j.htm | title=News |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20000618021036/http://www.toshiba-emi.co.jp/hikki/news/main.htm |publisher=Toshiba EMI |archivedate=June 18, 2000 |date=June 13, 2000 | language=Japanese | accessdate=December 18, 2014}} To promote the single, Utada appeared in magazines released in June and July, such as Pati Pati, What's In?, Pia, Tokyo Walker and Popteen.
Utada performed "Time Limit" live on Hey! Hey! Hey! Music Champ on June 26, 2000. This show was one of the highest-rated episodes of the program, taking in a 22.1% share of viewers for the time slot, however was beaten by Utada's previous appearances on the show in 1999 and later in 2001.{{cite web | url=http://www.fujitv.co.jp/HEY/guest/guest_files/000626/index.html | script-title=ja:#253 00/06/26 放送 |trans-title=Hey! Hey! Hey! Ratings history (best 17) |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20141218021831/http://www.fujitv.co.jp/HEY/guest/guest_files/000626/index.html |publisher=Fuji Television |archivedate=December 18, 2014 | language=Japanese | accessdate=December 19, 2014}}{{cite web | url=http://www.fujitv.co.jp/HEY/rating2.html | title=RATING HEY!HEY!HEY!歴代視聴率 BEST 17 |trans-title=Hey! Hey! Hey! Ratings history (best 17) |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20141219035138/http://www.fujitv.co.jp/HEY/rating2.html |publisher=Fuji Television |archivedate=December 19, 2014 | language=Japanese | accessdate=December 19, 2014}} On the June 29 episode of Utaban, Utada performed both "For You" and "Time Limit".{{cite episode|series=Utaban |station=Tokyo Broadcasting System |date=June 29, 2000 |language=Japanese}}
Music video
A music video was created for the song, featuring footage of a live performance by Utada on her Bohemian Summer 2000 tour.{{cite web | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pw7DTm8c_-I | script-title=ja:宇多田ヒカル - タイム・リミット |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20141219034849/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pw7DTm8c_-I |author=EMI Music Japan | title=- YouTube |publisher=Youtube |archivedate=December 19, 2014 | language=Japanese | accessdate=December 19, 2014}} The footage was taken from the July 1, 2000 concert at the Yoyogi National Gymnasium, Tokyo.{{citation needed|date=December 2014}}
Critical reception
Sato of OngakuDB.com noted the song's layered chorus work, and felt that to fully appreciate this, the song was better suited to listening at home on CD, rather than hearing it on television. CDJournal reviewers felt that Utada's "tightly structured" vocals made it into a "superior pop" song.{{cite web | url=http://artist.cdjournal.com/d/utada-hikaru-single-collection-vol1/3204020152 | script-title=ja:宇多田ヒカル / Utada Hikaru SINGLE COLLECTION VOL.1 |publisher=CDJournal | language=Japanese | accessdate=December 19, 2014}}
The "For You" / "Time Limit" single was successful enough to win a Song of the Year award at the 15th Japan Gold Disc Awards.{{cite web | url=http://www.golddisc.jp/award/15/index.html | script-title=ja:第15回日本ゴールドディスク大賞 / Gold Disc Hall of Fame 15th |publisher=RIAJ | language=Japanese | accessdate=December 19, 2014}}
Track listings
{{Track listing
| headline = "For You" / "Time Limit" single
| extra_column = Arranger
| total_length = 20:34
| title1 = For You
| writer1 = Hikaru Utada
| extra1 = Kei Kawano
| length1 = 5:22
| title2 = Time Limit
| writer2 = Utada, Takuro Kubo
| extra2 = Rodney Jerkins, Utada
| length2 = 4:55
| title3 = For You
| note3 = Original Karaoke
| writer3 = Utada
| extra3 = Kawano
| length3 = 5:22
| title4 = Time Limit
| note4 = Original Karaoke
| writer4 = Utada, Kubo
| extra4 = Jerkins, Utada
| length4 = 4:55
}}
{{Track listing
| headline = Time Limit promo vinyl record{{cite web | url=http://www.discogs.com/Utada-Hikaru-%E3%82%BF%E3%82%A4%E3%83%A0%E3%83%AA%E3%83%9F%E3%83%83%E3%83%88/release/4843491 | script-title=ja:Utada Hikaru – タイム・リミット |publisher=Discogs | accessdate=December 19, 2014}}
| total_length = 14:45
| title1 = Time Limit
| length1 = 4:55
| title2 = Time Limit
| note2 = instrumental
| length2 = 4:55
| title3 = Time Limit
| note3 = a cappella
| length3 = 4:55
}}
Personnel
Personnel details were sourced from "For You/Time Limit"'s liner notes booklet.{{cite AV media notes |title=For You/Time Limit |others=Hikaru Utada |year=2000 |language=Japanese |publisher=Toshiba EMI |location=Tokyo, Japan}}
{{div col}}
- Paul Foley – Pro-Tools editing
- Rodney Jerkins – arrangement, production, rap, recording
- Takuro Kubo – writing
- Harvey Mason, Jr. – pro-tools editing, recording
- Dexter Simmons – mixing
- Hikaru Utada – all vocals, arrangement, writing
{{div col end}}
Charts
| class="wikitable"
!Chart (2000) !Peak |
Japan Oricon weekly singles{{cite web | url=http://www.oricon.co.jp/prof/artist/193854/ranking/cd_single/ | script-title=ja:宇多田ヒカルのシングル売り上げランキング |trans-title=Hikaru Utada single sales ranking |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20131111143257/http://www.oricon.co.jp/prof/artist/193854/ranking/cd_single/ |publisher=Oricon |archivedate=November 11, 2013 | language=Japanese | accessdate=December 18, 2014}}
|align="center"|1 |
Sales and certifications
Release history
| class="wikitable"
! Region ! Date ! Format ! Distributing label ! Catalogue codes |
| rowspan="2"|Japan
|rowspan="2"|Toshiba EMI |TOCT-4230 |
| April 1, 2004{{cite web |url=https://www.amazon.co.jp/gp/product/B0046FQKLS/ |title=For You/タイム・リミット |publisher=Amazon.co.jp |accessdate=December 18, 2014}}
| |
| South Korea
|September 30, 2005{{cite web | url=http://music.bugs.co.kr/album/8011383 | title=タイムㆍリミット/For You |publisher=Bugs | language=Korean| accessdate=December 18, 2014}} |Digital download | |
References
{{reflist}}
{{Hikaru Utada songs}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Time Limit}}
Category:Oricon Weekly number-one singles