Daichi Miura is a truly gifted star. Since making his debut at 9, the singer and dancer has been known as the Japanese Michael Jackson. With his long career and outstanding performance skills, the 29-year-old artist is reaching the top of the showbiz world.
Also a composer, songwriter and concert director, Miura got off to a flying start this year with his first solo concert at the Yoyogi 1st Gymnasium in Tokyo in January. The event was a great success, drawing an audience of about 12,000, including famous musicians and entertainers, some of them from Johnny & Associates.
The concert proved Miura’s music is appreciated not only by his fans, but also by popular artists today.
A few days later, his single titled “Excite” topped the Oricon weekly chart for the first time. It is the theme song for the tokusatsu superhero drama “Kamen Rider Ex-Aid,” which is currently being broadcast.
“I am thankful for people’s support for me,” Miura said. “I was also happy that my piece became the first theme song in the Kamen Rider series to have topped the chart.”
For the Okinawa Prefecture native, Kamen Rider is special because he enjoyed dancing to a theme song from the series in his kindergarten days, which eventually led to him going to dance school.
It took 20 years for him to reach the top place in the chart. “Continuing to do one thing is perhaps Daichi Miura’s own style,” he said.
Miura made his CD debut in 1997 as the main vocalist and youngest member of the seven-member group Folder. He came into the spotlight for his rich voice and natural dance sense, reminding many of Michael Jackson when he was the youngest member of the Jackson 5.
“I was so young at that time that I didn’t understand my work well,” Miura said. “I simply liked singing and dancing. I’ve just continued doing it until today.”
A young Miura took a break from his showbiz activities right after entering junior high school because of his voice breaking. He joined a volleyball club and enjoyed being an ordinary junior high school student.
When he was in his third year, his voice had almost stabilized, taking him back to a life centred on singing and dancing.
The hiatus hadn’t shaken Miura’s childhood determination for a life as a professional singer and dancer, and he made his solo debut at 17 in 2005.
Miura’s music with authentic R&B sounds shows a clear difference from Japanese pop music, which is easy to understand and aims to sell well. Even so, his quality music has been greatly acknowledged in the music industry, and deserves appreciation from a much wider range of people.
Drawing a line
“I want to enjoy music with more people,” Miura said. “However, more importantly, I’ve been working while always telling myself I should be able to do better.
“Also, what is music ‘that is easy to understand’? Moreover, if I applied some music theory and tried to find out how to sell well, I would mistake the means for the end. I definitely want to put music first. In the end, if it sells well, that’s ideal.”
Miura said his approach to music has become more straightforward. This probably explains why more and more artists appreciate his style.
His new album “Hit,” released in March by Avex, also features Soil & “Pimp” Sessions, a jazz band that has collaborated with such talented musicians as Ringo Sheena and Miho Fukuhara.
Miura had the band in mind for his album because he had been enthralled by its collaboration with Fukuhara. He invited the band to work with him, thinking his request may be declined.
To his surprise, the band quickly accepted his offer, while also pleasing him by saying the group had been listening to his music since he was a Folder member.
“I was so happy to hear that,” Miura said. “There were people out there watching what I’ve been doing, and now we are all getting together. I realise how important it is to keep at it.”
Listening to the 12-song album, you will probably start moving to his groovy singing with a good sense of rhythm. His marvelous improvised dance to the first song “Darkest Before Dawn” can be seen in a promotional video on the internet.
“Hit” may sound paradoxical, as Miura has been single-mindedly pursuing good music without aiming to make a hit, but the title is impressive.
“I think it’s fun to talk big [by calling my new album ‘Hit’],” Miura said. “But I may have to say, ‘Sorry, ‘Hit’ wasn’t a hit’ in the end.”
Miura also chose the name because the album is filled with music that “hit” him, and he hopes that his songs can do the same to someone’s heart.
“Hit” is also the acronym for “Hang In There,” the title of the last song on the album.
Miura said the expression is meant not only for himself, but also for others. “There are many things that don’t go the way we want,” he said. “I hope my music encourages people to hang in there and find something new.”
