| "Prisoner of Love" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Single by Hikaru Utada | ||||
| from the album Heart Station | ||||
| Released | May 21, 2008 | |||
| Genre | Pop, R&B | |||
| Length | 4:46 | |||
| Label | EMI Music Japan | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Hikaru Utada | |||
| Producer(s) | Hikaru Utada | |||
| Hikaru Utada singles chronology | ||||
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| Music video | ||||
| "Prisoner of Love" on YouTube | ||||
"Prisoner of Love" is Hikaru Utada's 21st Japanese single and 30th single overall. It was cut from her fifth Japanese album, Heart Station (2008), making it her first Japanese recut single in nine years since "First Love" in 1999. "Prisoner of Love" is the theme song for the Fuji TV dorama Last Friends, making it her first song since "Sakura Drops" in 2002 to be used as a main theme song. It was released as a digital download on March 26, 2008, and as a CD single on May 21. Musically, "Prisoner of Love" is an R&B pop ballad. The song lyrically depicts a sense of being trapped and unable to escape the intense emotions of love, highlighting the complex nature of relationships.
"Prisoner of Love" received positive reception from most music critics, who praised the arrangement and noted it as a standout from her discography. Commercially, the song gained massive success. The physical single peaked at number two on the Oricon Singles Chart and was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ). The song fared much better digitally, selling one million full-length downloads and ringtones each. An accompanying music video was shot by Wataru Takeishi, which is a recreation of the song's production. The song was performed during Utada's two date concert series Wild Life in December 2010.