OneRepublic and Kaiju No. 8 are keeping a good thing going. A year after the American pop-rock stars soundtracked the acclaimed Japanese anime’s first run of episodes with “Nobody (Kaiju No. 8 ED Theme),” which won the 2025 Japan Gold Disc Award for “Song of the Year by Download,” they’re returning April 18 with “Invincible (from Kaiju No. 8),” a single for a special episode of Kaiju No. 8 currently airing in North American movie theaters.
“Invincible” finds OneRepublic’s Ryan Tedder singing about those moments when we feel unstoppable despite the chaos around us: “Round and round and round we go/ Wherever we stop, nobody knows/ In the end, we lose control/ But right now, we’re invincible.” In January, Tedder posted a video from his hotel room in Tokyo announcing that he’d just finished the song by writing the bridge. The next night, OneRepublic gave “Invincible” its debut performance during their show at Ariake Arena.
Kaiju No. 8 began as a manga, launching in 2020 and achieving significant commercial and critical success. The anime adaptation aired its first season from April to June of 2024. It has since been packaged into a feature-length movie for international audiences, with a summary of the first season followed by Kaiju No. 8: Mission Recon, a special episode centered on the popular character Hoshina, viewable only in theaters. Across the United States and Canada, theatrical screenings of Kaiju No. 8’s first season and Kaiju No. 8: Mission Recon conclude April 16. The anime’s second season will premiere in July 2025.
Formed in 2002 in Colorado Springs, OneRepublic quickly found success on Myspace before moving to Los Angeles and working their way to the heart of the music industry. The band teamed with Timbaland on their 2007 breakout hit “Apologize,” a No. 2 hit which appeared on their own debut album Dreaming Out Loud and Timbaland’s Shock Value. The band became a consistent presence near the top of the Billboard Hot 100, including with 2013’s “Counting Stars,” which also peaked at No. 2. Tedder, the band’s frontman, has also emerged as one of the most successful songwriters and producers in the world, working with stars including Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, and Adele among many others.
Order OneRepublic’s “Invincible (from Kaiju No. 8)” now.