Kingdom Hearts‘ iconic theme song, ‘Simple and Clean’ by Hikaru Utada, has been re-recorded in higher quality for inclusion in Utada’s greatest hits album, Science Fiction. The track was surprise-dropped on YouTube overnight, following the announcement that each game in the series will be launching on Steam imminently.
This new version of the song is essentially a crispy remaster, with a deeper soundscape, clearer melodies, and refreshed harmonies. It lets Utada’s voice shine, and evokes a lovely nostalgia for the long-running series.
‘Simple and Clean’ has served as one of the core themes of Kingdom Hearts since the original game launched in 2002, and it’s featured in multiple game entries. It backed the first intro cutscene of Kingdom Hearts, and a variety of remixes and orchestral versions feature heavily in other Kingdom Hearts games (and their spin-offs).
While some may prefer the opening of Kingdom Hearts 2 – ‘Sanctuary’, which is also sung by Hikaru Utada – ‘Simple and Clean’ remains the most memorable, iconic theme song in the Kingdom Hearts canon.
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What’s next for Kingdom Hearts?
The timing of the Kingdom Hearts releases for Steam, and this ‘Simple and Clean’ re-recording, is quite auspicious, as they arrive just weeks before Summer Game Fest – where we may see more news about Kingdom Hearts 4. Square Enix has not confirmed it’s attending the show in any capacity, so it’s best to temper expectations, but we’re certainly due a new trailer or update from the game.
Kingdom Hearts 4 was announced way back in early 2022, and there has been zero updates since then. While a game of this scope and ambition needs time to be developed, fans have long called for fresh news, or any morsel of information. At this stage, there are plenty of unknowns about the game, and few answers.
For now, the status of the adventure remains unclear, but there is hope we’ll hear more about Kingdom Hearts 4 at some point in the near future, as Square Enix details its next steps post Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, and beyond.
