Kenshi Yonezu got his start producing VOCALOID music, but the Japanese superstar has become more visible than ever, with his songs appearing across major films and anime. This year, he also cleaned up at the Japan Gold Disc Awards, taking home six awards in one sweep.
More than a decade into his career, Yonezu has no shortage of crowd-pleasing hits. Recently, however, a fan on X／Social Media in Japan drew attention to one of his more unusual tracks, describing it as a song that “lists a bunch of fruit and sounds like something written for toddlers.” The post even caught Yonezu's attention, prompting him to repost it and invite everyone to listen to “Kokoroni Kudamono.”
It all started when the fan wrote, “This song just keeps singing the names of different fruits. It's an absolute masterpiece, like a song made for toddlers,” before adding, “Every exhausted adult needs to hear this song!”
The track comes from much earlier in Yonezu's career and was never promoted as a lead single. Its style is also strikingly different from the songs most listeners know him for today, leading some fans to note that newer followers may not be familiar with it.
Then Yonezu himself unexpectedly reposted the message, complete with a link to the song. The track in question was “Kokoroni Kudamono,” released in 2015.
“Kokoroni Kudamono” appears on Yonezu's fourth single, “Unbelievers.” The release contains just three tracks, with “Kokoroni Kudamono” serving as its B-side. Its defining feature is a repeated roll call of apples, lemons, and other fruits, giving the song a distinctly quirky charm.
▼ Just look at these lyrics XD
Yonezu's own recommendation has now brought the track back into the spotlight, giving plenty of listeners a chance to rediscover this deep cut. In a previous interview, he remarked that “fruit and humans are actually alike in some ways,” and the song feels like an extension of that uniquely Yonezu perspective.
▼ The YouTube comments were quickly flooded with listeners who discovered the song through the recent post.
Kenshi Yonezu has built up an enormous catalog of beloved songs over the years, but many listeners may still be unfamiliar with his earliest singles. His VOCALOID work released under the name Hachi is just as worthy of attention. If you have the chance, dive into the music from different stages of his career—you may come away with a whole new appreciation for his creative evolution.