Singer of Iconic One Piece Theme Releases Exclusive Cover Album by Oda

by

Summary

  • Kitadani’s new album of One Piece cover songs debuts on March 26, 2025.
  • Album to feature 11 selected songs, including themes from various arcs.
  • Deluxe edition artwork drawn by Eiichiro Oda himself!

Hiroshi Kitadani is set to unveil a fresh album showcasing various renditions of popular One Piece theme songs. Notably, Kitadani was the original vocalist for one of the most memorable One Piece themes, “We Are,” which served as the first opening theme.

In Japan, it’s fairly common to find cover albums, which are collections where a singer or band gets permission from the original rights holders to perform songs. This is particularly true when it comes to anime themes. For instance, in 2023, FLOW put out an album called FLOW THE COVER ～NARUTO SHIBARI～, featuring covers of various themes from the popular anime, Naruto.

I can hardly contain my excitement as I share the news about Kitadani’s upcoming album! Titled “ONE PIECE COVER SONGS ～Nakama no Shirushi～” (Friends’s Mark), it’s scheduled to drop on March 26, 2025. But Can’t wait to get my hands on this masterpiece!

Tracks Included In The Album

The album will include 11 songs, selected by Kitadani himself:

  1. “Wake Up!” (OP theme for the Dressrossa arc, originally performed by AAA);
  2. “Watashi wa Saikyou” (Uta’s insert song in ONE PIECE FILM RED, originally performed by Ado)
  3. “Hikari he” (OP theme for the Alabasta and Sky Island arcs, originally performed by The Babystars);
  4. “Kokoro no Chizu” (OP theme of the Water Seven arc, originally performed by BOYSTYLE);
  5. “sailing day” (theme for One Piece: Dead End Adventure, originally performed by BUMP OF CHICKEN);
  6. “BRAND NEW WORLD” (OP theme of the Thriller Bark arc, originally performed by D-51);
  7. “Jungle P” (OP theme for the Thriller Bark arc, originally performed by 5050);
  8. “DREAMIN’ ON” (OP theme for the Wano arc, originally performed by Da-Ice);
  9. “One Day” (OP theme for the Marineford arc, originally performed by The Rootless);
  10. “Shinjidai”/”New Genesis” (theme for ONE PIECE FILM RED and Uta’s insert song, originally performed by Ado);
  11. “Memories” (ED theme for the East Blue arc, originally performed by Maki Otsuki).

Hiroshi’s Kitadani And One Piece

Kitadani officially started his professional career in 1994, but his association with One Piece extends beyond just singing the first opening theme for the series. He has also performed “We Go!”, the 15th opening song, a duet with Kishidan on the 19th opening song titled “We Can!“, the 22nd opening song named “OVER THE TOP“, and the 26th opening song “UUUUUS“. Additionally, he has sung multiple versions of “We Are!” for various One Piece specials and other media.

I’m thrilled to be a part of the JAM Project, an anison collective that was brought to life in 2000 by the legendary Ichiro Mizuki. This dynamic group boasts some of the most celebrated vocalists from the ’70s and ’80s through to the ’90s, with Hironobu Kageyama, who is best known for his iconic song “Cha-La-Head-Cha-La”, being one of them. It’s a privilege to work alongside such talented individuals!

One Piece is currently streaming on Crunchyroll and Netflix.

Read More

2025-01-19 08:53