Rising Global Star Mina Okabe Releases New Single 'Always Hurts'

Danish-Japanese singer/songwriter Mina Okabe shares her new single “Always Hurts” — a poignant and powerful track revealing the more painful side of her uniquely worldly upbringing. Her first new music of 2025, “Always Hurts” is the fourth song released from the rising global star’s eagerly awaited sophomore album (due out this spring via Capitol Records). 

Made with multi-platinum-selling, two-time GRAMMY®-nominated producer Leroy Clampitt (Dua Lipa, Sabrina Carpenter, Justin Bieber), “Always Hurts” gracefully showcases Okabe’s diary-like songwriting as she reflects on the heartbreak of impermanence and the beauty of true connection.

“I grew up with a Danish dad and a Japanese mom and in different cities,” says Okabe. “I’ve lived in London, New York, and Manila but now live in Copenhagen. Although I’m very grateful for the experiences it has brought me, and I somewhat got used to leaving places and people behind, there are some people in my life I never want to leave and never would be able to say goodbye to. This song is for and about them.”

Recently named a Spotify Borderless Artist for 2025, Okabe opens “Always Hurts” with a stark arrangement of hushed vocal work and gently driving acoustic guitar. Over the course of the understated but spellbinding track, the 24-year-old artist speaks her truth about the emotional cost of moving on from the people she adores. As she confesses to burying her feelings (“It always hurts when I let go, but I don’t let them see me cry”), the song slowly gains momentum and weaves in delicate piano melodies, sweetly layered vocals, and brightly fluttering textures. Building to a gorgeous cascade of harmonies at the bridge, “Always Hurts” ultimately expresses a heart-melting gratitude for those who’ve become an essential part of her life.

The follow-up to her 2021 debut album Better Days (a widely acclaimed LP now certified four-times platinum in Korea), Okabe’s sophomore full-length will also feature previously released tracks like last November’s “Making Plans” (an up-close and unforgettably tender portrait of longing and loss) and “Strong” (a luminous piece of dream-pop that marks one of her most carefree offerings yet).

A gifted lyricist who tends to write alone in her bedroom, Okabe first started penning songs on her own as a teenager and soon embarked on her ascent to international stardom. Thanks in part to the smash success of hit singles like “Every Second” (a Better Days standout that’s amassed over 58 million streams on Spotify alone), she’s earned recognition as a Spotify RADAR Artist and an Apple Music One To Watch, in addition to receiving the New Artist of the Year prize at the 2024 Japan Gold Disc Awards.

Fresh off a sold-out tour of Japan, Okabe recently garnered a nomination for the 2025 Music Moves Europe Awards, which found her taking the stage at the world-renowned Eurosonic Festival in the Netherlands earlier this month. With more than 500 million streams to date, her live experience also includes performing at major festivals like SXSW, Roskilde Festival (Denmark), Seoul Jazz Festival (Korea), and Summer Sonic Festival (Japan).