When Final Fantasy VIII released a decade ago, it included Eyes On Me by Faye Wong, marking the first lyrical theme song in series history. The single sold over 400,000 copies in Japan and reflected how mainstream Final Fantasy had become in that country. A tradition was established, with Emiko Shiratori, Rikki, and Angela Aki singing theme songs for Final Fantasy IX, X and XII respectively.
When Sayuri Sugawara was announced to sing the theme songs for the Japanese versions of Final Fantasy XIII, it shocked no one; when Leona Lewis was announced to be lending her song My Hands to the American and European versions of the game, it should have shocked nearly everyone.
