J-pop icon Hikaru Utada has confirmed that their new single ‘Intentions’ will be released digitally on November 25th, 2026, through Sony Music Labels. The news arrived with the single’s cover artwork, created by Paris-based Japanese illustrator YUKIKO NORITAKE.
Utada wrote ‘Intentions’ as the theme for JR Central’s GOOD DAY EXPRESS campaign, which promotes the Supreme Class Cabin private compartments that launched on the Tokaido Shinkansen on October 1st. Utada also appears in the campaign’s commercial, which has aired since August 28th.
The advert had passed 15 million views on YouTube by October 1st, when a 60-second cut of the song became available as a sound for TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube posts. Listeners have been asking for the full version since, with many saying the song suits the advert’s mood.
Born in Aichi and based in Paris since 2015, NORITAKE has illustrated children’s books for French publisher Actes Sud Junior and created campaign artwork for Swiss jeweller Piaget.
Only an excerpt has been heard so far, but Utada has said the song deals with the meaning and value of having space and time of one’s own.
While writing it, they thought of Virginia Woolf’s essay A Room of One’s Own, which considers the material conditions women need in order to create. “I thought about what the ‘rules for being free’ are for me now”, Utada said in August. “What I found through composing was the courage to let go of what has to be let go, for the sake of what must be protected”.
‘Intentions’ follows ‘PAPPAPARADISE’, the playful Chibi Maruko-chan ending theme Utada released in May. They framed that song around freedom too, writing at the time, “I hope we never forget that our spirits are free, and it’s ok to be silly and different”.
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A pre-order and pre-save campaign for the new single is now open, with merchandise featuring YUKIKO NORITAKE’s artwork up for grabs. Fans who pre-order ‘Intentions’ on iTunes are entered into a prize draw, with 100 winners receiving an exclusive handkerchief featuring the cover art.
Everyone who takes part through iTunes, Apple Music, Spotify, or Amazon Music will also receive a digital wallpaper of the artwork. Entries close on November 24th at 11:59pm Japan time, with full instructions on the official pre-order and pre-save campaign page.
Fans in Japan can also hear ‘Intentions’ in full before release, with listening sessions starting on November 6th at five Sony Store locations in Ginza, Sapporo, Nagoya, Osaka, and Fukuoka Tenjin. Visitors will hear the song through Sony audio equipment, including its 1000X series wireless noise-cancelling headphones.
Reservation-only sessions in each store’s theatre room roll out from November 13th, letting visitors compare the song across different audio setups. Sessions last around 20 minutes, and start dates vary by location.
Visitors who take part and sign up to their store’s official LINE account and My Sony can collect an exclusive sticker featuring the artwork, while a separate X campaign offers 20 handkerchief and sticker sets as prizes.
Listening sessions continue after the digital release, with the Sony Store campaign running until December 30th, 2026. Reservations and giveaway conditions for each store are listed on the official Sony Store campaign page.
‘Intentions’ will be available digitally from November 25th, 2026.
About Hikaru Utada
Hikaru Utada (宇多田ヒカル) is a Japanese-American singer-songwriter and producer whose fusion of R&B, pop and electronic music helped reshape Japan's contemporary music landscape. Born in New York to enka singer Keiko Fuji and music producer Teruzane Utada, they made their debut at just 15 with the double A-side single 'Automatic/time will tell' on December 9th, 1998. Their debut album, 'First Love' (1999), became the best-selling album in Japanese history, establishing Utada as one of the country's most influential recording artists. Internationally, Utada is widely recognised for their contributions to the Kingdom Hearts video game series, beginning with 'Hikari' and its English-language counterpart 'Simple and Clean'. They also released two English-language albums under the name Utada, 'Exodus' (2004) and 'This Is the One' (2009). Across their career, their music has evolved beyond its R&B roots to incorporate electronic experimentation, atmospheric production and deeply personal songwriting, often exploring themes of identity, relationships and human connection. Following a hiatus from music, Utada returned in 2016 with 'Fantôme', later releasing 'Hatsukoi' (2018) and the critically acclaimed 'BAD MODE' (2022), which featured collaborations with artists including A. G. Cook, Skrillex and Floating Points. In 2024, they celebrated their 25-year career with their first greatest hits album, 'SCIENCE FICTION', and an accompanying tour across Japan, Hong Kong and Taiwan. Their continued creative output includes collaborations with Kenshi Yonezu on 'JANE DOE' (2025) and Hiroto Kohmoto on a new version of 'PAPPAPARADISE' (2026).
