Japanese-American popstar Hikaru Utada has come out as non-binary in a candid livestream on Instagram on 25 June 2021. (YouTube/Hikaru Utada)
Japanese-American pop superstar Hikaru Utada has come out as non-binary.
In an Instagram livestream appearance on Friday (25 June), Utada announced: “You know, it’s the month of June, and I’m non-binary. So, happy Pride Month!”
Utada rose to fame after the release of their debut album First Love in 1999 which was a massive commercial success.
In the decades since, the R&B and pop singer has released several chart-topping albums, and they also recorded four theme songs for the internationally popular Kingdom Hearts video game franchise.
Kuma-chan is Gay
Utada Hikaru is Non-Binary
Happy Pride Month ?? #PRIDE #HikaruUtada #Hikaru Utada pic.twitter.com/mVBWGT8T7B
– doll (@ doll19) June 26, 2021
During the live stream, Utada also shared that their “best friend” – a giant teddy bear known as Kuma – is a “boy”, and “he is gay“.
The pop star has received praise from fans across the world and on social media for their bravery in coming out as non-binary.
Utada Hikaru being nonbinary and apparently using the prefix “Mys” as short for “Mystery” was such a wild several minutes of discovery, I have no choice but to kneel to greatness pic.twitter.com/XHu09amRAs
— Jesse Pro (@JProYouKnow) June 26, 2021
I am personally going to become mx Hikaru Utada’s gender white knight and politely remind anyone that I come across on the internet if they misgender them
— Toji fushiguro apologist (@absentanimedad) June 27, 2021
the absolute POWER utada hikaru has to come out as non binary after singlehandedly raising a whole generation of lgbt kids
— louie✨ (@balloonaga) June 26, 2021
utada hikaru came out as nonbinary, meaning an nb individual made two of the BIGGEST VIDEO GAME BOPS pic.twitter.com/ok0aR0z7JI
— Pixar’s Luca Stan Account (@spiderrods) June 26, 2021
Utada Hikaru coming out as non-binary as a person of influence in Japan is one of the bravest things I’ve seen
— SPUUKY (@SpuukyLIVE) June 26, 2021
Japanese morning TV doing a great job raising LGBTQ awareness. Well done Hikaru Utada for being the catalyst and otsukaresama ? And before people @ me, yes I know Japan has a long way to go but good to see the effort to try and understand. #Japan pic.twitter.com/1gYV0APjL2
— Melanie Brock (@melaniebrockjpn) June 27, 2021
Ofc Hikaru Utada is nonbinary u think a cishet could make absolute bangers like that
— ? KafunJun ? (@Rainy_Memories) June 26, 2021
*utada hikaru walks out onstage speaking into a lavalier mic* but you what’s NOT simple and clean? gender.
— [email protected]égg time (@vestenet) June 26, 2021
Earlier this month, Utada also opened up about gender markers on Instagram and how traditional gendered and marital prefixes makes them “uncomfortable”.
The “Simple and Clean” singer said that they are “sick of being asked” if they are “Miss or Missus” or having to choose between “Miss/Mrs/Ms” for “everyday things”.
“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,” Utada explained. “Every time, I feel like I’m forced to misrepresent myself.”
Instead, they said they “long for an alternative option” that “anybody of any gender or social standing could use”. As such, Utada said they “discovered” Mx, which they said is “awesome” and hopes “becomes more widely used”.
“I’m afraid my idea for a neutral prefix has come too late,” they said.
The caption accompanied an image of handwriting on a piece of paper. The “One Last Kiss” singer wrote “Mys Utada (‘Mystery’ Utada)”.
Utada has hinted that they were part of the LGBT+ community for many years now. In 2016, the singer responded to a fan who questioned if their song “Tomodachi” – which is about a gay person falling in love their straight friend – was “a bit of a stereotype of gay people”.
But, in a beautiful mic drop moment, Utada simply responded: “What makes you think I’m ‘straight’?”
What makes you think I’m “straight”? ?
— Hikaru Utada (@utadahikaru) September 22, 2016
Utada appeared on the live stream with Neon Genesis Evangelion director Hideaki Anno.
Their song “One Last Kiss” is the theme song for the film Evangelion: 3.0+1.0: Thrice Upon A Time, which is part of the popular sci-fi anime franchise Neon Genesis Evangelion.
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