Coachella 2026 Performer Creepy Nuts to Release New Song 'Running Wheel' on August 19 Ahead of Joining The Weeknd's Asia Tour This Fall

Tokyo, Japan – Following their landmark Coachella debut earlier this year, Japanese hip-hop powerhouse CREEPY NUTS — featuring three-time national rap battle champion R-Shitei and world-champion DJ, DJ Matsunaga — continue their global ascent with the announcement of "Running Wheel," a new single arriving August 19.

Earlier in 2026, Creepy Nuts became the first Japanese artists ever to earn RIAA Gold certifications for two separate Japanese-language songs, as both "Bling-Bang-Bang-Born" and "Otonoke" surpassed 500,000 certified units in the United States — marking a historic milestone for Japanese-language hip-hop.

That momentum carried directly into one of the world's biggest stages.

Making their highly anticipated debut at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, Creepy Nuts became the first Japanese hip-hop act to close the iconic Gobi Stage, serving as the final performer on both festival weekends. Armed with nothing more than one microphone, two turntables, and uncompromising Japanese-language rap, the duo delivered one of the festival's most talked-about performances while unveiling "Fright" live for the very first time on the same day as its worldwide release.

The performance extended far beyond the California desert through Coachella's globally streamed broadcast, reaching millions of music fans worldwide and introducing Creepy Nuts to one of the year's largest international festival audiences. The appearance further cemented the duo's emergence as one of Japan's fastest-rising global acts.

Now, Creepy Nuts channels momentum into "Running Wheel," a track inspired by constant evolution.

Built around DJ Matsunaga's aggressive production drawing influence from the global rise of phonk, the song pairs futuristic sound design with R-Shitei's rapid-fire lyricism, documenting the duo's journey from Japan's underground rap scene to international festival stages. References to recent milestones, including Coachella and their accelerating global career — are woven throughout the lyrics, making the song both a personal statement and a celebration of forward motion.

Written for Honda's latest N-BOX CUSTOM commercial campaign, the track becomes the first original artist-commissioned song ever created for the N-BOX, Japan's best-selling car and one of the country's most iconic automotive brands.

The nationwide campaign launches July 16, with Pre-Add and Pre-Save now open and a preview of the song arriving on TikTok and Instagram on July 17, available CM Version HERE and Verse Version HERE.

Commenting on the collaboration, Creepy Nuts said:

"N-BOX has remained No.1 because it never stops evolving. That felt exactly like where we are today. We poured everything we've experienced recently into the lyrics, while opening up a completely new musical direction. We can't wait for people to hear it."

The campaign also features "Nobishiro," the duo's popular 2021 anthem, which has accumulated more than 300 million streams, creating a unique contrast between one of their defining catalog hits and their newest creative chapter.

The announcement also arrives just ahead of another major international milestone.

This fall, Creepy Nuts will join The Weeknd as special guests across 11 stadium performances in Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, and Malaysia on The Weeknd's After Hours Til Dawn Tour: The Final Leg / Live in Asia.

The newly expanded Asia run follows overwhelming demand, with additional stadium dates added in Tokyo, Bangkok, and Kuala Lumpur after initial shows sold out almost immediately including The Weeknd's first concerts in Japan in nearly seven years. Recognized as the highest-grossing tour ever by a solo male artist, the production has become famous for its massive cinematic staging, featuring monumental moon imagery, post-apocalyptic cityscapes, and one of the most ambitious live designs in contemporary pop.

Rather than adapting their music for international audiences, Creepy Nuts have continued breaking barriers while performing entirely in Japanese.

From becoming the first Japanese artists with two RIAA Gold-certified Japanese-language songs, to closing one of Coachella's most celebrated stages, to joining one of the biggest stadium tours in the world, the duo's rise is redefining what global success for Japanese hip-hop can look like.

The Weeknd: After Hours Til Dawn Tour – Live in Asia (Special Guest: Creepy Nuts)
September 19 – Tokyo, Japan (Belluna Dome)
September 20 – Tokyo, Japan (Belluna Dome)

October 2 – Singapore (National Stadium)
October 3 – Singapore (National Stadium)

October 7 – Seoul, South Korea (Goyang Stadium)
October 8 – Seoul, South Korea (Goyang Stadium)

October 11 – Bangkok, Thailand (Rajamangala Stadium)
October 12 – Bangkok, Thailand (Rajamangala Stadium)
October 13 – Bangkok, Thailand (Rajamangala Stadium)

November 4 – Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (TM Stadium Nasional)
November 5 – Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (TM Stadium Nasional)

Official Tour Site: https://www.theweeknd.com/tour/

About Creepy Nuts 

Creepy Nuts is a hip-hop unit consisting of rapper R-Shitei, a three-time consecutive champion of Japan's premier rap battle competition, and DJ Matsunaga, winner of the DMC World DJ Championship 2019. Their 2024 release “Bling-Bang-Bang-Born” became a global hit, surpassing 900 million streams worldwide. Along with subsequent releases “Otonoke” and “Mirage,” they made history by becoming the first act to occupy the entire Top 3 of the Billboard Global Japan Songs Excl. Japan chart. In July 2024, they released “Illusion (Creepy Nuts Remix)” in collaboration with Dua Lipa, marking a major international collaboration.

At the core of Creepy Nuts is live performance. In February 2025, they headlined Tokyo Dome for the first time, drawing approximately 50,000 fans. That October, they embarked on their first Asia tour across five cities, deepening their regional presence. In 2026, they made their debut at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival — closing the Gobi Stage on their first appearance — and launched their first North American tour, marking a decisive step into the Western live market.

Creepy Nuts do not present Japanese hip-hop as novelty or export — they present it as complete. In an era where global rap often bends toward linguistic familiarity, they move in the opposite direction, proving that cultural specificity can travel further than compromise.

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