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Okinawa Actors School in Naha, which has fostered such pop music stars as Namie Amuro, Da Pump and Daichi Miura, recently saw the debut of its newest star, Neil.
He sings in a high, crystal-clear tone, moves gracefully and can play instruments and compose songs. The formidable multi-talent is still only 13 years old.
Those around him believe Neil may one day win a Grammy, the highest honor for musicians.
The Yomiuri Shimbun interviewed Neil to get a closer look at the origins of his skills and appeal as a performer.
Before the interview started, Neil surprised me with his effortless charm. When his own songs and that of his beloved Bruno Mars were played, Neil swayed and sang along, striking poses and making faces in time to the music. It created a warm atmosphere that brought smiles to the faces of those present at the interview.
It was a glimpse of the talent that has captured the hearts of so many, but Neil himself said with a smile, “I react without thinking when I hear music. But I’m still not accustomed to being photographed, and so I feel tense.”
From Neil’s official Instagram account Neil plays ukulele on a beach in Okinawa Prefecture.
Neil lives in Okinawa Prefecture. Born in 2011 to parents working as a musician and a camera operator, he was exposed to the arts from an early age.
He says what made him want to be a musician is “above all, Bruno Mars.” When he was little, he heard his father singing Mars’ “The Lazy Song,” in its pop and reggae style, and became enamored with music. After that, he started to dream of becoming a singer like Mars.
He began bass lessons at age 6 and dance lessons at 8. Since then, he has also learned other instruments including ukulele, guitar and drums.
Singing, dancing, instruments, songwriting
In 2023, the Okinawa Actors School held its first round of auditions after its reopening. With his undeniable star power, Neil passed and got in.
By August 2024, Neil had made his major debut with the song “Someday,” having quickly honed his craft.
The song is immediately charming thanks to Neil’s free and high-pitched vocals, and he also wrote the words himself. It features English lyrics about the importance of imagining the future.
In December of the same year, Neil released the mini album “Happy Box,” containing five songs and a message that “everybody can be happy.”
Neil’s mini album “Happy Box” released by Warner Music Japan Inc.
The five songs are “Someday,” the similarly up-tempo “Superstar,” the two bittersweet ballads “Still” and “Won’t You Stay” and “Kimi to” (With you). Neil wrote both the lyrics and melody of “Kimi to” when he was in fifth grade and played the instruments himself when recording the album. In the music video, Neil dances energetically.
His potential as an artist shines through in all the songs. Grinning, Neil said, “Though I adore Bruno Mars, I want to keep expressing my own originality. I want to write lyrics that can make you shed a tear.”
On March 5 of this year, he released a new single, “First Love Story,” online.
Neil’s digital single “First Love Story” released by Warner Music Japan Inc.
With his skilled singing and performing, it’s hard to believe he is just 13.
Anna Makino, a producer of Okinawa Actors School, said, “His musical instinct is great. He’s said, ‘I want to elevate music culturally,’ since his early years, so he is able to envision his own future.”
