LUTILU Interview: The Japanese Pianist Reimagining the Songs You Already Love

Who is LUTILU? LUTILU is the stage name of Kaori Tanabe, a Japanese pianist and arranger who lives in Los Angeles. She takes songs the whole world already knows, from Shakira and Queen to Disney and anime themes, and rebuilds them around the piano. More than 110,000 people follow her on Instagram, and her Pirates of the Caribbean performance has passed 15 million views. She released her first official single, Hips Don’t Lie (LUTILU Version), on September 18, 2026, and her album REIMAGINED arrives November 8.

Before Instagram, she had already built a career most musicians would envy. She toured Japan as a keyboardist in stage shows starring the late comedian Ken Shimura, ran her own music school in Singapore and wrote music for films. Then she moved to Los Angeles, where she knew no one, and started over.

LUTILU sat down with The LA Note founder Rob P. on October 8, 2026, for a video interview, with an interpreter helping with the Japanese. She talked about the Disney songs that made her fall in love with the piano, the lonely first months in LA that turned into her online career, and why she wants her next music to be her own. Her answers below are lightly edited for clarity.

How did LUTILU start playing piano?

She followed her older sister. Her sister started lessons first, LUTILU tagged along to the practices, and by age four she was playing too. What kept her at the bench was Disney, and especially the composer Alan Menken. She played the songs from Aladdin and Beauty and the Beast over and over.

Whenever I listened to his music, I felt like I had entered a magical world. I dreamt that someday I could create the same kind of excitement through the piano. That inspired me to practice, and that’s how I fell in love with it.

LUTILU

What did LUTILU do in Japan before moving to Los Angeles?

She worked. In Japan she was a cast member and keyboardist in national stage tours starring Ken Shimura, one of the country’s most beloved comedians, and played cities all over Japan with the production. Her site lists work on TBS television productions, performance and music production for the theatrical films Heart Beat and Gomennasai, and the musical director job on the film Border, which won the Grand Prix at a national film festival. She also performed at Michelin-starred restaurants in Tokyo. Today she still writes theme music when YouTubers ask her for an opening song.

In 2018 she moved to Singapore and founded STUDIO GENRE, a music school that taught piano, vocals, violin and saxophone. In 2020 MediaOne named it one of the top music studios in Singapore. She played a concert there through Yamaha and appeared on the cover of the business magazine AsiaX.

Why was moving to Los Angeles so hard?

She moved to Los Angeles with her family in 2022, for family reasons. The career she had built did not come with her.

I had no friends here. I couldn’t speak English. I couldn’t even drive. And then there was a shooting in my neighborhood. It scared me, and I got a little depressed. I couldn’t even go outside.

LUTILU

So she asked herself what she could do from home. The answer was to set up a camera at the piano, record herself and post the videos.

It started during one of the hardest times of my life.

LUTILU, on her social media career

How did LUTILU go viral?

With a pirate song. Her piano performance of the Pirates of the Caribbean theme is the video most people found her through. It has more than 15 million views, about 430,000 likes and 10,000 shares. Her performance videos have since reached viewers well beyond the United States.

Watch her play and it looks effortless. Asked whether she was born with it or built it, she answered in English before the interpreter could: “100% effort. I worked really hard.” Then she explained, in Japanese, why you don’t see the work.

On social media, people only see the bright side of chasing a dream. But the more something shines, the more shadow there is behind it.

LUTILU, translated from Japanese

She would still rather keep that shadow offstage. The goal, she said with a laugh, is to make it look like she’s simply very good at it.

How does LUTILU choose which songs to play?

Many come from followers’ requests. The ones she picks have one thing in common: you know them from the first notes.

I choose songs that are very memorable. Just the first few notes bring back memories from years ago.

LUTILU

Her YouTube channel shows the range: a Queen piano cover, a Linkin Park ballad, Michael Jackson’s “Bad,” a tribute to Yellow Magic Orchestra’s “Rydeen,” and an anime medley that runs from Naruto to Demon Slayer and Suzume.

What is Hips Don’t Lie (LUTILU Version)?

It is her first official release on streaming platforms. Out September 18, 2026, the single takes Shakira’s hit and puts the piano at the center, with contemporary pop production around it. In her press materials she says she doesn’t want to simply copy a song: the goal is to take something familiar and make it feel distinctly LUTILU.

What is LUTILU’s new album, REIMAGINED, about?

REIMAGINED, out November 8, 2026, is a full album of world-famous pop songs rebuilt through piano, orchestra, cinematic sound, electronic production and improvisation. Some tracks grow from solo piano into something orchestral; others strip a huge production down to piano and strings. In a Q&A on her official site, she describes the reaction she is chasing.

Ideally, I want someone to hear the beginning and think, “I know this song.” And then, a few moments later, “But I’ve never heard it like this before.”

LUTILU, on REIMAGINED

She sums up the project in three lines: Artistic but Accessible. Unique but Catchy. Sophisticated but Pop. Familiar songs are the way in, she explains, because they already carry memories for people. Her hope is that a listener who clicks for the song comes back for “LUTILU’s version.”

Who has LUTILU collaborated with in Los Angeles?

Her favorite collaboration story starts at a shopping mall in Santa Monica. She was out shopping when she heard a singer performing and stopped to listen. His name was Juno. She walked up, told him she loved his voice, they swapped social media handles on the spot, and they later made a collaboration together online. So far he is the only musician in her lane she has met in person here, and she wants more of those connections: jam sessions with other musician creators, and, for the first time, a band.

It’s not something I’ve done, but I really want to try playing in a band.

LUTILU

What’s next for LUTILU?

Two big goals. The first is her own music.

I do a lot of covers, but I don’t have a lot of my original music out. Within the next year, I want to start creating a lot of my own original music.

LUTILU

She wants those songs to do for listeners what Alan Menken’s music did for her as a child: pull people into a magical world.

The second is the stage. She performed across Japan and in Singapore, but after three years in Los Angeles she has not yet played a single concert in the United States. A live show is now the target. In the interview, Rob suggested starting small, with an intimate listening party for five to ten people, filmed and shared, before a bigger release party. She loved the idea, especially with guest performances from her musician friends.

More LUTILU performances to watch

Where can readers follow LUTILU?

Official website: lutilu.net
Instagram: @lutilu_
YouTube: @official-lutilu
TikTok: @lutiluofficial
Spotify · Apple Music · Amazon Music · YouTube Music
Pre-save REIMAGINED (out November 8, 2026)

Frequently asked questions about LUTILU

Who is LUTILU?

LUTILU is a Japanese pianist, arranger and creator based in Los Angeles. She reimagines well-known pop, film and anime songs on piano, and her Instagram performances have built a following of more than 110,000 people.

What is LUTILU’s real name?

LUTILU’s real name is Kaori Tanabe (Tanabe Kaori in Japanese name order).

Where is LUTILU from?

LUTILU grew up in Japan, lived in Singapore for about five years, where she founded the music school STUDIO GENRE in 2018, and moved to Los Angeles in 2022.

What was LUTILU’s viral video?

Her piano performance of the Pirates of the Caribbean theme on Instagram has passed 15 million views, with about 430,000 likes and 10,000 shares.

When does LUTILU’s album REIMAGINED come out?

REIMAGINED comes out November 8, 2026. It follows her single Hips Don’t Lie (LUTILU Version), released September 18, 2026.

Where can I listen to LUTILU?

LUTILU’s music is on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music and YouTube Music. Her performance videos are on Instagram (@lutilu_), YouTube (@official-lutilu) and TikTok (@lutiluofficial).

Photos and artwork courtesy of LUTILU. Interview conducted October 8, 2026, with interpretation from Japanese; quotes are lightly edited for clarity.