Goodbye Happiness
| "Goodbye Happiness" | ||||||||||
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| Single by Hikaru Utada | ||||||||||
| from the album Utada Hikaru Single Collection Vol. 2 | ||||||||||
| Released | November 10, 2010 | |||||||||
| Format | Digital download | |||||||||
| Recorded | August 2010 | |||||||||
| Genre | J-pop, dance-pop, electropop | |||||||||
| Length | 5:21 | |||||||||
| Label | EMI Music Japan | |||||||||
| Writer(s) | Hikaru Utada | |||||||||
| Producer(s) | Hikaru Utada | |||||||||
| Hikaru Utada singles chronology | ||||||||||
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"Goodbye Happiness" is a song by Japanese singer-songwriter Hikaru Utada. It was released as the lead track from Utada's second Japanese compilation album, Utada Hikaru Single Collection Vol. 2, in November 2010. The song was commercially successful, topping Billboard's Japan Hot 100 chart in December 2010, and in January 2011 was certified gold by the RIAJ for more than 100,000 full-length downloads to cellphones.
The song is a pop/electronic song with an arrangement consisting of piano, vocal harmonies, percussion and synths, with occasional background 8-bit sounds. The song features background vocals by four women recorded in London in August 2010, described in the documentary Hikaru Utada: Ima no Watashi, as Celtic. Utada chose this singing style for its nostalgic, dream-like qualities. This is the first instance of background vocals in a Hikaru Utada song not being performed by her.
The chorus features increased string instrument-style synths and percussion. The lyrics begin by describing different scenes, a boy in a summer day who has eaten his sweets, and a sunburnt woman wearing a dirty white dress. The lyrics then describe a relationship at the "end of a dream." The song's protagonist hums love songs to herself, and has fun without thinking. She realises she cannot rebuild her relationship, and notices that "when people become alone, they realise the meaning of love." However, she believes it will be good for her to keep living how she is now.
Utada wrote the song while attempting to write a love song. She considers the lyrics to be a reconciliation with her former self.
The song was used in an advertising commercial campaign for Recochoku digital media store, with the commercial airing from November 10 onwards. The music video was bundled on a special DVD that came with pre-orders of the album.
The song was performed during Utada's two date concert series Wild Life in December 2010.
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