Aiming to cheer everybody on in the runup to 2020 and beyond, Kenshi Yonezu formed two music groups consisting of young children called Foorin and Foorin team E to perform the Japanese and English versions of his song Paprika respectively as part of an ongoing music project.

Foorin team E’s version of the song is set to hit shelves on January 22, and in the run up to its release, the CD covers as well as the bonus item included with the CDs have been unveiled.

First Press Edition

Regular Edition

The CDs are being released in First Press Edition and Regular Edition copies. First Press copies are packaged in a 7-inch cardboard jacket and include a poster-size card with the lyrics on them as well as a DVD featuring the song’s music video. The CD covers as well as Kenshi Yonezu’s music video for Paprika were drawn by Japanese artist Ryu Kato.

Bonus Item

Additionally, select participating stores will couple their CDs with the above-pictured magnet.

All royalties made from both Foorin and Foorin team E’s versions of the songーboth the physical and digital releasesーwill be donated to the Japan Sports Promotion Centre which helps train next generation athletes.

Foorin’s Paprika music video has broken 160 million views on YouTube and won the 61st Kagayaku! Japan Record Award. The English version of the music video was released in December last year and has amassed almost 3 million views on YouTube.

Photo by Takako Noel

Be sure to check out both music videos and support Foorin and Foorin team E’s future endeavours!

Aiming to cheer everybody on in the runup to 2020 and beyond, Kenshi Yonezu formed two music groups consisting of young children called Foorin and Foorin team E to perform the Japanese and English versions of his song Paprika respectively as part of an ongoing music project. 

Foorin team E “Paprika” Dance Video

Check out the English version of Paprika performed by Foorin team E on YouTube. 

Paprika was dropped on digital services worldwide on December 2. Paprika will also be released on CD in First-Press Edition and Regular Edition copies on January 22 in Japan. The First-Press Edition comes in a seven-inch jacket containing the lyrics on a displayable card, a DVD of the music video and origami paper. There is also the chance to get your hands on a bonus Paprika dream magnet which will be in limited availability at selected music shops in Japan. Information on places to purchase will be revealed in the near future. The illustration for the CD jacket was created by Ryu Kato, who also created the illustrations used in the music video for Kenshi Yonezu’s cover of Paprika and the illustrations for the jacket of Foorin’s version of Paprika.  

As is the case with the Japanese version of Paprika, the royalties generated by Yonezu from the release of the English version of Paprika and its secondary usage will be donated to Independent Administrative Corporations and Japanese sports foundations in order to assist athletes of the future generations.  

Photo by Takako Noel

Paprika is working up a sensation throughout Japan as a break-through kid’s song. When Foorin released Paprika in 2018, the dance music video was viewed over 140 million times on YouTube and Paprika-related videos on NHK’s website generated over 260 million views. The song’s lyrics and music writer and producer Kenshi Yonezu even released his own cover of Paprika earlier this year in August. In just four days and nine hours since its upload, the cover was viewed over 10 million times, which is the fastest record for any of Yonezu’s music videos. Now the video has over 50 million views and is loved by people of all generations. 

Yonezu’s projects are propelling forward full steam ahead. Who knows what he’s got next up his sleeve?

Foorin is a music unit made up of elementary school children with music and lyrics produced entirely by Kenshi Yonezu. Their single Paprika was released on August 15, 2018. Following auditions for native English-speaking children, Yonezu formed Foorin team E to create an English version of Paprika. 

Since the debut of Foorin’s song and dance video in 2018, the song appeared in collaboration with NHK Educational TV and has made multiple appearances in events across Japan, adding a sprinkle of fun to the lives of Japanese children. It has become one of the most phenomenal kid’s songs of the century. 

Yonezu’s cover of the song became an instant hit among people of all generations and was well-received overseas. With a desire to make singing and dancing to Paprika more of a global sensation, he set about creating an English version of the song with native English-speaking children.

Foorin team E consists of main vocalists Jasmine (10) and Corban (8) and chorus and dancers Len (12), Evangeline (12) and Clara (6).

Foorin team E’s first-ever performance of Paprika will take place at ABU TV Song Festival in Tokyo on November 19 at NHK Hall and they will also perform alongside Foorin for the first time at Japan’s 70th NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen. 

Get together with your family and younger siblings to enjoy two exciting versions of this cheerful song.

Foorin Artist Photo by Taro Mizutani

Kenshi Yonezu Artist Photo by Tomokazu Yamada