MIREI
Interview conducted on Feb. 23, 2022
By Dan Locke
Japanese artist MIREI muses on the surreal yet demanding price of modern love in her new sultry alternative R&B-pop single and video “Sell Me Your Love” out on Friday, February 11 via Cool Japan Music.
Pairing glistening smoky production with her silky croons, MIREI takes us on a feverish and slow-burning trajectory as she steps into a more minimalistic trope of alt-R&B polished with pop sensibilities. The track nestles us into the real-life stabbing incident in 2019 that took place in Kabukicho (known for being the red-light district of Tokyo) where a woman fatally knifed her then-boyfriend who was working as a nightclub host. The lyrics beckon its listeners into the perspective of the woman as MIREI walks us through the tightrope between passion and jealousy that arises when love is treated as a commodity. The chorus “Sell me your love / How much do I gotta pay” accentuates the surreal consumerist culture that has infiltrated modern romance, making every action and emotion measurable ad nauseam.
You are a 23 year old singer songwriter from Tokyo. What is your upbringing?
I was born and raised in another city called Osaka, which is the second largest city in Japan. Since second grade, I started to learn how to sing and dance. In eighth grade, I moved to New York to hone my skills even further. I didn’t move to Tokyo until I was sixteen and decided to release my debut single in Japanese. As I built my career, I realized I wanted to sing about a wide range of topics and genres in English, in only Japanese. That’s why I started writing music in English with the help of my friends Zak and Sam (DJ Shiftee). I released my first English debut album Take Me Away back in 2020 and this year, I’m back with my latest single “Sell Me Your Love.”
How did you discover music?
Music was always with me, even before I was born. My parents were big music lovers and I heard that my dad gifted my mom the video tape of “Divas Live” for her birthday when she was pregnant with me. When I was a child, the first game I got into was the rhythm game called “Dance Dance Revolution” and I was going to karaoke at least twice a week with my mom. So for me, it just became natural for me to choose dancing and singing as my extracurricular activities.
How did you start to write music?
I have loved singing English songs since I was young, but I didn’t know the meaning of the lyrics. I often watched MTV in my house and one day when I was around 6th grade, they played Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way” with the Japanese translation. I was so impressed and shocked at how she boldly sang about being proud of herself. That’s the moment when I realized that I could sing and express things that I couldn’t say but have always thought about through music.
How did you get your first guitar, and do you still have it?
I got my first guitar on July 27th, 2016. I remember it super clearly because it was given to me on my birthday from the singer I really respect, Shota Shimizu. I was doing the birthday livestream then and he came to the place for a surprise and gave me the Fender Telecaster! Of course, I still have it and play it. His autograph is in the back of the body, so I always really take good care of it. It’s my treasure.
What is your guitar of choice now? Year, make and model?
The one I just talked about, Fender’s Telecaster and Yamaha’s NCX900R are my lovely guitars.
Describe your music.
It’s a mixture of R&B and electronic sound, which are influenced by my early musical influences. My parents always used to play R&B in the car while driving and in the rhythm game “Dance Dance Revolution” there were many electronic music such as Euro-beat, techno, and trance. I was deeply influenced by those genres, which you can tell from my sound.
What makes a good songwriter?
Honesty and bravery. When I’m writing songs, I’m being my most authentic self and in order to be that, I have to be at my boldest so I can have the courage to share them publicly. That’s why every time I write and release my songs I feel like I’m introducing my babies to all over the world.
What was the title of your first original song? Did you record it?
My very first song was called “Countdown” and it’s a song about having a party night together and not wanting to end it. The track is me counting down until the end of the party. I recorded it as a demo with a trial version of DTM software all by myself, but I don’t know where that song is since I made it when I was six years old. It’s probably in my parents’ old computer in Osaka, which I’m actually scared to listen to haha.
What is the process of writing your music?
Whenever I come across a new idea, I take note of that, even my most random thoughts. Then I look back at them and connect them to a theme, which eventually becomes the topic of my song. Once I have a theme in mind, I sit in front of my piano and start playing until I find my favorite chord progressions. At that stage, I start writing lyrics and building the melody for it. As a result, every song I write has a simple piano version to it and I’m so thankful for my production team Zak, Shiftee, and Selan for turning those demos into great tracks.
How is it to do regular programming on MIREI TV?
When the pandemic broke, I began MIREI TV as a way to connect with my fans. And although the world is opening up slowly, it’s still amazing to see my fans all over the world connected in real time sharing the the same topic, which is “MIREI.” I still love to ask my viewers ‘What time is it in your city?’ because they all live in totally different time zones.
Tell me about “Sell Me Your Love”?
I got the inspiration from an incident that happened back in 2019 when a woman stabbed a man at his apartment. It happened in one of the most famous Japanese red-light districts, Kabukicho. In the city, there are many places where you can have drinks with your favorite hostess or host. The victim was a man working as a host in a club whereas the assailant was the woman who was a customer there. Everyone was extremely shocked that the relationship ended with the woman stabbing her lover, however I couldn’t simply feel just shocked. They were selling and buying love, but I knew this beyond a normal business transaction. There was so much complexity behind the stabbing and their relationship, and I wanted to understand their bond personally, so I started writing down the song.
After you saw the news report about Kabukicho Stabbing, did you know that you wanted to do a song about it?
Of course, I was shocked, but I also had this weird, complicated feeling when I heard the incident. It’s a similar feeling I get when I wanna write lyrics and the only way I can digest it is through music. I knew that when I first heard about the incident, I would be writing a song about it.
Tell me about the creation of the video?
For the video, I worked with my longtime collaborator Mr. Nomura, who has already directed ten of my music videos. I’ve known him since I was 14, so I knew I could rely on him in discussing such topic and depicting a delicate incident like this. I sent him all the information I got while writing the song along with my thoughts and he brought his own creative vision to it.
Why did you pick Kanon Yamazaki to be the main role in the video?
I chose Kanon to play the main role since she has this enigmatic charm. I first met her when I was in high school, and she was still in middle school. We were signed to the same agency. She’s gorgeous, but at the same time she has the depth in her eyes that gives off mysterious vibes. When I started my career as MIREI and decided to sing about those deep stories, I thought she might be the one who can tell the story through her acting skills and presence. The neon lights and her enigmatic presence really fit together, I’m so glad she accepted my offer.
What is your favorite track on your album?
I love all of them, but I have a lot of memories while making “Take Me Away.” This is my very first release and the first song that I worked with my collaborators Zak and Shiftee. Usually, I write my own songs all by myself, but I made this song on a one-day session with them, and it gave me so much inspiration. Above all, I felt so relaxed and open making this song. This was the first moment for me to talk about the issues that I’ve been facing since I turned 18 in Tokyo. I still remember how this song made me comfortable and gave me the courage to sing more.
Digital vs. vinyl?
Maybe digital. Since I love listening to the same songs on repeat, I’m afraid I won’t be able to play it on vinyl. Digital also can be used in many ways – you can store it in your playlist, share it with your friends, and make video of it. That’s how I’ve been enjoying music since I was young, so I prefer digital. However, I have a dream of listening to my own vinyl album in the record player someday. That’s something I’ve never experienced since my childhood, so I just wanna try.
What song from the past is in your mind right now? Moreover, what is the meaning that song means to you?
“Let Me Be” is the song which I sing about wanting to be myself, even if I’m with my crush or my love. I wrote this song when I was alone, but while I wrote this it made me realize that I’ve been hiding a part of myself when I’m in a relationship. Writing this song made my relationship after that much more comfortable because now I can say “I’m so freaking done.” Haha
If you can’t do music what would you like to be doing?
Something related to English and touring services. Another career that I’ve wanted was to be a flight attendant, but my height is only 154cm, which doesn’t qualify for most airlines. But maybe if I lost my voice, I would wanna be in a job close to them and travel as a part of the job. I love learning about different cultures, so I wanna go and experience as much as I can in my lifetime. I still have that dream as a singer and that’s part of the reason why I wanna do a world tour.
What is your happy place?
Definitely my home. I’ve been a very picky person since I was young and living alone for long years made me worse. I want to be surrounded by my favorite scent, music, movie, food, and clothes as long as I can. When I wanna feel the fresh air, I always go to the hot spring with sauna in Tokyo. Sauna is very trendy in Japan right now and it is actually very nice. Being hot and cold in a row makes me feel alive.
Anything you would like to say in closing.
Hi UnRated Magazine readers! It’s Mirei. Thanks for having me and getting to know me. I hope my music and words will cheer you up, like my favorite songs did to me. Love you!
