In 2002, backed by chart-topping singles such as Traveling, Hikari and Sakura Drops, Deep River, which incorporates elements of pop folk, was released and became one of Japan's top-selling records of all time.

She is best known by international audiences for writing and producing four theme-song contributions to Square Enix and Disney's collaborative video game series Kingdom Hearts: "Simple and Clean", "Sanctuary", "Don't Think Twice", and "Face My Fears".

[20][better source needed] Utada also went on to release a single, titled "Final Distance", which was dedicated to the female victim of a murder case in Ikeda, Osaka.

[21][22] The song was a collaboration with American rapper Foxy Brown, and was written by Utada alongside producers Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo.

[16] In 2003, Utada's promotional and personal life schedules became more active due to her marriage and an agreement with Island Records in the United States to release a "proper" full-English debut album.

Ultra Blue was Utada's fifth consecutive chart-topping Japanese album (excluding the English-language Exodus) to sell in excess of 500,000 copies in the first week.

[45][46] The year 2007 ended with the single "Flavor of Life" becoming the best seller of 2007 and with Utada again voted "Number 1 Favorite Artist of 2007" by Oricon's annual readers poll, after a two-year absence from the top spot.

It marked the fourth successful drama tie-in for Utada, following 1999's Majo no Jōken and First Love, 2001's Hero and Can You Keep a Secret and 2007's Hana Yori Dango and Flavor of Life.

[53] On December 16, 2008, information leaked onto the internet that Utada's next English-language single, titled "Come Back to Me", would be scheduled for airplay release through U.S. Rhythmic/Crossover and Mainstream formats on February 9 and 10, 2009 respectively via Island Records.

This album would include all of Utada's Japanese singles, from "Dareka no Negai ga Kanau Koro" to "Prisoner of Love", on disc one, as well as an extra EP featuring five new tracks.

[66] On September 27, 2010, Utada revealed a single, entitled "Hymne à l'amour (Ai no Anthem)", which became a commercial tie-in for Pepsi NEX.

[75] She also appeared on a track entitled "London City" with English rapper Devlin on his first studio album, Bud, Sweat and Beers, which was also released on November 1.

[77] The release marked Utada's seventh consecutive number 1 album (5 original and two best-ofs) since her debut, surpassing KinKi Kids' previous record of six.

[84] However, on March 24, 2011, Utada tweeted that both the DVD/Blu-ray of the Wild Life tour had been postponed, due to the earthquake and resulting tsunami in Japan damaging the pressing factories.

[86][user-generated source] On November 16, 2012, Utada's YouTube account uploaded a video entitled "桜流し" ("Sakura Nagashi", meaning "Flowing Cherry Blossoms").

The album features cover versions of Utada's back catalogue of songs by different popular artists such as AI, Ayumi Hamasaki, Peabo Bryson, Ringo Shiina, and more.

[94] Utada's website was also updated with the announcement of a project titled "New-Turn", in which fans were encouraged to purchase her music and to use the hashtag "#おかえりHIKKI" ("Welcome Back Hikki") on Twitter.

[105][106] On February 9, 2017, it was announced that Utada would switch labels to Sony Music Japan sub-label Epic Records once the contract with Universal expired in March.

[111] On December 8, she announced that the Japanese repertoire, from debut single Automatic to the sixth album Fantôme would be simultaneously available on all streaming services but Spotify, where it would be available a month later on January 8, 2018.

[125] On June 26, 2019, Utada's Laughter in the Dark tour film was released worldwide on Netflix, with English subtitles personally translated by the singer.

[133] On December 3, 2020, it was announced that Takeru Sato and Hikari Mitsushima will star in a Netflix show based on Utada's songs "First Love" and "Hatsukoi".

[134][135] On December 25, 2020, Utada's official website announced a new single titled "One Last Kiss" as the theme song for the film Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time.

The stream consisted of a question and answer session with fans, talk with actors Takeru Satoh and Yuriko Yoshitaka, who starred in the 2022 Netflix drama First Love and alive performances.

A single titled "Gold -Mata Au Hi Made-" was announced as the theme song of the movie Kingdom 3: The Flame of Destiny, which was released on July 28.

Utada is a core component of the ever-changing J-pop music genre, bringing her American-inflected R&B vocal style to a mix of soulful ballads, bouncy dance-pop, and standard pop songs.

[149][150] Utada's official website cites 16 musicians and composers as her favorite artists: Freddie Mercury, Cocteau Twins, Nine Inch Nails, Jimi Hendrix, Prince, Amel Larrieux, Édith Piaf, Chick Corea, the Blue Nile, Björk, Kate Bush, Akino Arai, Lenny Kravitz, Béla Bartók, Mozart, Jeff Buckley, Yutaka Ozaki, and Hibari Misora.

[151] Elsewhere, she has also listed R&B artists Aaliyah, Mariah Carey, and Mary J. Blige as inspirations,[152][failed verification] and has previously mentioned growing up as a fan of Madonna, Sting, and the Cure.

[4] Utada also said in regards to the English language honorifics Ms. and Mrs., "It makes me uncomfortable to be identified so markedly by my marital status or sex, and I don't relate to any of those prefixes.

[158] On August 22, 2013, Utada's mother, Keiko Fuji, died by apparent suicide by jumping from the thirteenth floor of a 28-floor condominium building in Shinjuku, Tokyo.

[8][159] On February 3, 2014, Utada announced plans to be wedded to an Italian man, asking for fans and the media to view their personal lives from a "respectable distance" as he was not in the entertainment industry.