Nao Yoshioka, Braxton Cook and Bnnyhunna on ‘You Got To Feel It’
New York-based Japanese artist Nao Yoshioka’s second single of 2026, “You Got to Feel It” was born from a collaboration with renowned US saxophonist Braxton Cook and acclaimed Dutch producer and artist Bnnyhunna, and is the second track lifted from her upcoming album Self, scheduled for release in June 2026.
“You Got to Feel It” came about when Bnnyhunna visited Japan in 2025, and stopped by Nao’s studio. Before any words were exchanged, the music began to flow. Guided by the atmosphere of the moment, a smooth and spontaneous writing session naturally unfolded, and that time together became the very core of the song.
Bnnyhunna’s refined African grooves, rooted in his Ghanaian heritage, blend seamlessly with Nao’s supple yet grounded vocals, resulting in a deeply textured and soulful R&B track. The song also features Braxton Cook, a member of the Sweet Soul Records Family. Longtime friends, Nao and Braxton had always known their collaboration would happen someday, and that moment has finally arrived here. During the creative process, someone shared the thought, “What if there were saxophone here?”, and Braxton’s name naturally came up, given his previous collaborations with Bnnyhunna. Their reunion at a block party in Durham, North Carolina last October further underscored that this song was no coincidence, but rather a natural extension of a relationship built on trust over time.
“You Got to Feel It” captures the moment of truly confirming love. It expresses the desire for honesty, not surface-level words or gestures, but a genuine showing of emotion, while also reflecting the inner resolve to trust and embrace those feelings oneself. Quiet yet assured, the song paints an intimate portrait of the real emotions that exist between desire and sincerity.
Nao states “This song was born naturally when Bnnyhunna casually stopped by the studio, and everything flowed in that relaxed atmosphere. Before deciding on any concept, I just felt the beat and started singing, and the words poured out on their own. It was a very honest moment, reflecting the impulse to want someone without overthinking it. It had also been about nine years since Braxton’s first performance in Japan. After all that time, our long-awaited collaboration finally came true, and once again, his saxophone and his voice completely captured my heart. I feel truly happy to have completed this song together with artists I trust deeply. I hope listeners will simply let themselves sink into it, maybe with a glass in hand, and enjoy the moment as it flows”.
“You Got To Feel It” out digitally on March 20th 2026 on Sweet Soul Records
