NEW SINGLE: Jun Parker 'Tailor Made Love' + Upcoming Tanzaku CD

Japanese Australian songwriter Jun Parker reveals a soul twist on city pop with ‘Tailor Made Love’ ahead of his Tanzaku CD Day 2025

Back with an R&B soul twist on city pop, Japanese Australian songwriter Jun Parker is releasing his next single ‘Tailor Made Love’ on Wednesday 18 June. Celebrating the old format of the Tanzaku CD on Tanzaku CD Day - held on July 7 each year, the single will be released on the minidisc format alongside the upcoming track ‘Dreamy World’, and the previous single ‘Tonight’. Named earlier this year in GQ Japan as an artist incorporating nostalgic pop sounds in their music, Jun Parker is excited to unveil this new single and the upcoming retro CD on Monday 7 July.

'Tailor Made Love' is a smooth, romantic ballad that pays tribute to the golden era of slow jams with gentle grooves, warm harmonies, and a melody that lingers like a late-night whisper. The song invites listeners into an intimate space where love is patient, attentive, and deeply personal. This isn’t a love song built on grand gestures—it’s one crafted with care and intention, like something made to fit just right. In an increasingly digital and impersonal world, it’s the kind of love we need more of. The single features the vocals of US soul singer Denise Stewart, and invites you to feel love all around you. "I wanted to write a love song—a straight-up love song. I’ve probably told this story a few times at gigs, but I’d been writing a lot of melancholic songs, which are pretty common in the genre, especially in ‘70s and ‘80s Japanese music and City Pop in general.  This time, I wanted something different, and it was around Valentine's Day too. How timely, right? I wanted a middle-of-the-road romantic ballad," says Jun Parker.

Tanzaku CDs first gained popularity through the Japanese musical culture of the 90s and, like many retro physical formats, have seen a rise in artists celebrating the long-gone format. The minidisc singles are referred to as “tanzaku CDs” because their packages are similar in shape to “tanzaku” paper strips for writing wishes hung on bamboo trees for the traditional Tanabata star festival held each July 7. Jumping to take part in the resurgence of the CD format, Jun first released a Tanzaku CD in 2023 for Tanzaku CD Day featuring his previously released singles, and is ready to unveil his new release this Monday 7 July.

"I’m excited to support a retro physical format I grew up with. In a world where history is so easily forgotten, I believe we need to keep it alive. Once could be a chance, twice is intentional, and three times is a commitment. The number three also stands for many things, including unity. So being part of the Tanzaku CD campaign for the third time means a lot to me, featuring three tracks: ‘Tonight’, ‘Tailor Made Love’, and ‘Dreamy World.’' - Jun Parker

Jun was born in Japan, grew up in Australia, and has always had an inseparable connection with all things retro, groovy, and mellow from the '70s and '80s. Currently based in the rural coastal town of Portland, Victoria, he has a passion for Retro Tokyo sounds and the musical style of “City Pop.” He has performed at music festival across various states in Australia and Japan, making his way to Europe in 2024 for a show in Lyon France, and his music has received support across major national radio stations in Australia including SBS, ABC, Triple J, and Double J. Through his bilingual lyrics, he intertwines Australian landscapes, seascapes, and borderless urbanism with Japanese retro sentimentalism, exploring universal themes of love, loss, and the philosophy in between. He wishes to bring the East a little closer to the West through his reinterpretation of the genre and culture.

‘Tailor Made Love’ out digitally Wednesday 18 June 

Tanzaku CD out Monday 7 July
Featuring ‘Tailor Made Love’ and ‘Dreamy World’