Hikaru Utada has announced that her June 24 7-inch vinyl single "Pappa Paradise" will feature a collaboration version with Hiroto Koumoto of The Cro-Magnons. The collaboration track "Pappa Paradise feat. Hiroto Koumoto" came about after Utada's team directly approached Koumoto with the offer.
The upbeat, positive track "Pappa Paradise" has already been featured as the ending theme for the TV anime Chibi Maruko-chan and as the theme for Coca-Cola's Ayataka green tea CM series "Ocha, Shiyokka." The original version has been widely celebrated for its bright, uplifting energy.
Release Details
The 7-inch analog single releases June 24 and will include:
- SIDE A: Pappa Paradise feat. Hiroto Koumoto
- SIDE B: Pappa Paradise
On the same day, a digital EP will be released across all streaming and download platforms featuring three tracks:
- Pappa Paradise feat. Hiroto Koumoto
- Pappa Paradise
- Pappa Paradise (Instrumental)
Pre-Order Campaigns
A reservation campaign has launched across platforms. On iTunes, 100 winners drawn by lottery will receive an original sticker set. Apple Music, Spotify, and Amazon Music offer original wallpaper images as pre-order bonuses.
Community Reception
The collaboration has generated enormous buzz, with Natalie's article accumulating a massive 9,576 reader reactions and 89 written comments — one of the most-engaged music stories of the day. Fan comments noted the unexpected pairing: "Oh nice, that's a collab I didn't see coming! Definitely checking this out," wrote one international reader.
On Japanese social media, the pairing of Utada — one of Japan's best-selling artists of all time — with Koumoto, the legendary frontman of The Cro-Magnons and formerly The Blue Hearts, has sparked extensive discussion about generational musical bridges in Japanese pop.
Utada's recent TV performances of "Pappa Paradise" on CDTV and other music programs have been released as limited-time videos on YouTube, alongside her growing podcast presence on GOLDNRUSH PODCAST where she discusses her international upbringing.