It was released on April 28, 1999, as the third Japanese language single from her second studio album, First Love, which was issued a month previously.

[1] In a 2009 survey by Oricon, asking respondents what song they wanted to hear with a broken heart, "First Love" was voted in the top 10.

It was also performed during Utada's two-date concert series Wild Life in December 2010.

[3] The song and "Hatsukoi" from her 2018 studio album of the same name inspired the 2022 Netflix series First Love.

[citation needed] "First Love" is featured in the PlayStation 2 rhythm game Unison, released in 2001.