'PAPPAPARADISE' Lyrics: Hikaru Utada Returns With New Song for 'Chibi Maruko-chan'
Hikaru Utada is back with new music!
The 43-year-old “First Love” icon is set to release “PAPPAPARADISE” as a digital single on May 6, which will be the ending theme to the beloved anime series Chibi Maruko-chan.
The song first debuted on the series’ spring special broadcast on March 29, and the TV version available to stream now on YouTube.
Keep reading to find out more…
Following its debut on the Chibi Maruko-chan spring special broadcast on March 29, the ending sequence featuring “PAPPAPARADISE” is now available on YouTube.
“I got to know Chibi Maruko-Chan when I was 9, the same age as her. I’d just moved back to Tokyo from New York, and the manga and TV series brought me closer to what every day life is like in Japan while it told of universal feelings we all share no matter where you live. It was unlike anything I’d come across, with its dry humor and warmth, and soon I was a fan of the author, Momoko Sakura,” Hikaru shared.
“I grew up reading her very popular essays, and not long after I debuted I was surprised and delighted to see my name mentioned in her writing. Now that I’ve experienced more in life and even became a mother to a boy, like she was, I feel so fortunate to be offered the opportunity to make the ending theme song for this show.”
“The subtlety of social interactions and their awkwardness, the inner world of a sensitive child and her imperfect family, the chaos and embarrassment of the human experience, and the ability to have a laugh about it all… Momoko Sakura taught me so many things. She also wrote the most magical unhinged lyrics… I hope some of it has rubbed off on me and that my song ‘PAPPAPARADISE’ carries on the spirit of her playfulness and kindness. To all the children and all of us grown up children of the world, I hope we never forget that our spirts are free, and it’s ok to be silly and different,” Hikaru concluded.
Fans who participate via iTunes pre-order will be entered into a lottery, with 100 winners receiving an original eraser. Anyone who pre-orders via iTunes or pre-save the track on Apple Music, Spotify, or Amazon Music will receive an original wallpaper image. For all campaign details, click here.
“PAPPAPARADISE” will also appear in a commercial campaign for green tea company Ayataka, which will begin airing nationwide in Japan from Monday (April 6).
Hikaru will make their first radio appearance in about two years on Ayataka Presents Hikaru Utada no Très Bien Bohémian Special 2026 on May 5, which will include the first radio spin of “PAPPAPARADISE” and listener messages. For details, click here.
Listen to “PAPPAPARADISE”…
Read the lyrics of “PAPPAPARADISE”…
If you didn’t know, Hikaru is also featured on a new song with Charlie Puth.