Hikaru Utada makes surprise Coachella return with Arca

Hikaru Utada returned to Coachella for the first time in three years with a surprise appearance during Arca’s Sunday set on the festival’s second weekend. The Japanese-American artist joined the Barcelona-based producer on the Gobi Stage for a collaborative performance that included a mashup of ‘Electricity (Arca Remix)’, ‘One Last Kiss’, and ‘Passion’.

This was Utada’s second appearance at the California festival, having made their debut in 2022 on the 88rising-curated Head in the Clouds Forever stage. This year, Utada appeared unannounced, with only cryptic social media posts from both artists hinting at the collaboration. The set was livestreamed on YouTube and quickly sparked reaction online, with #HikaruUtada trending on X in Japan shortly after the performance.

The mashup opened with ‘Electricity (Arca Remix)’, a reworked version of Utada’s original, released in February, followed by excerpts from the Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time theme ‘One Last Kiss’, and ‘Passion’, best known as the theme song for Kingdom Hearts II. Although billed as a guest appearance, the performance drew a large crowd and proved to be one of the most talked-about moments of the night.

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Following the performance, it was announced that the official music video for ‘Electricity (Arca Remix)’ will premiere on April 22nd at 9 PM JST on Utada’s YouTube channel.

To mark the release, a share campaign will run until April 27th, offering fans a chance to win Arca’s Coachella setlist, signed by both artists. To enter, fans must follow the official Hikaru Utada staff account (@hikki_staff) on X or Instagram and post a screenshot of the ‘Electricity (Arca Remix)’ music video on YouTube after its release, using the hashtags #Electricity, #Arca, and #HikaruUtada.

Utada is also preparing to release a new single titled ‘Mine or Yours’ on May 2nd. Pre-orders are now available through streaming and digital platforms.

Watch the official music video for ‘Electricity (Arca Remix)’ by Hikaru Utada and Arca when it premieres on April 22nd.

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