Charlie Puth and Hikaru Utada join forces for the 2026 realtors anthem, “Home”

When Charlie Puth dropped the tracklist for his fourth studio album and I saw that it featured Hikaru Utada, I gasped a little bit. Then a snippet of the song dropped, and I gasped a little bit more. Then a preview of the music video dropped, and I gasped quite a bit. Now the full song and music video have dropped and, y’all. I’m all gasped out.

[In Gordon Ramsey voice] Finally. Some good fucking food.

I liked Hikaru Utada’s 2025 single “Mine or Yours”. And “Electricity”, “Nani Iro Demo Nai Hana (A Flower of No Color)” and “Gold ~Mata au hi Made~” were fine. But none of them really stuck for me or had me playing them a great deal. But, THIS “Home” shit right here? I have had it on repeat for hours.

I am still awe struck at how “Home” sounds so much like a Hikaru Utada song from top to bottom. From the vibe, to the melodies, the song structure, the arrangements, the use of strings. You could throw this song on Heart Station or Bad Mode and it’d fit seamlessly. Turn the wigs all the way around. Because this right here sounds more like Hikaru Utada featuring Charlie Puth, in the best possible way.

Charlie Puth featuring Hikaru Utada - Home | Atlantic Records

I always figured that “Home” was produced by Charlie Puth — which it is. But it is also produced by BloodPop. And suddenly the Hikaru Utada of it all makes a lot more sense.

BloodPop is very aware of popular Japanese music — being one of the creative minds and producers behind the Japanese girl group f5ve, having been in the studio with Fujii Kaze and also being a weeb who is just into J-pop. So of course he would know of Hikaru Utada. Working with them was probably on his bucket list. I’m willing to bet that BloodPop was the architect behind getting Hikaru Utada on the song and was partly responsible for the vibe matching Hikaru so well, because he seems the type to do their homework. He did not do his homework for Lady Gaga and Chromatica, but that’s a whole other post.

Shit. Even the music video looks and feels like a Hikaru Utada music video. I’m usually not a huge fan of music videos where two artists are featured on the song and in the music video, but aren’t shot together. But it works here because of what the song is about. The only thing I don’t like about the music video is that the visual direction for Charlie’s album Whatever’s Clever! didn’t carry through into this video more. Sure, he’s wearing his preppy music professor attire and we get red props. Hikaru’s even wearing red shoes. But I wanted more of what we got in the “Changes” video and the performance video for “Beat Yourself Up”. Going that route would have also felt very Hikaru Utada, as they do have a very whimsical side and many a whimsical music video. But at least Hikaru Utada featured at all. So, props to Charlie’s team for making sure to include them.

“Home” is so good, that I would be VERY down for Puthy productions and BloodPop producing something for Hikaru’s next studio album. And I hope Hikaru’s team is already having those conversations.

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💿 Hikaru Utada album reviews: Precious | First Love | Distance | Deep River | Exodus | Ultra Blue | Heart Station | This is the One | Fantôme | Hatsukoi | Bad Mode | Science Fiction