MACO

Overview

MACO (マコ, Mako; real name undisclosed) is a Japanese singer-songwriter born on May 10, 1991, in Hakodate, Hokkaido. She first drew attention with a Japanese cover of Taylor Swift's "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" and made her debut in 2014 with the cover mini-album 22. Her genres are J-R&B and J-pop.

Career

Early years and 2014

Raised on Western music through her family, MACO began performing in her hometown at 17 and later moved to Tokyo. At first she sang original lyrics over the melodies of artists such as Mariah Carey, but wanting more people to hear her voice, she began translating Western songs in her own way and turning them into ballads. She posted these on YouTube, and her December 2013 cover of "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" (the theme song of Fuji TV's reality show Terrace House) went viral online, passing six million views by August 2014. It was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ) in August 2014.

In January 2014 she was the opening act for Ariana Grande's first Japan tour. In April she released the indie mini-album 22, which topped the streaming chart, and in July she made her major debut on Virgin Music with the mini-album 23. She also appeared on m-flo's album Future Is Wow and performed at m-flo TOUR 2014 "FUTURE IS WOW", OTODAMA, MTV ZUSHI FES and a-nation, among other events.

2015-2018

On May 12, 2015, the total views on her official YouTube channel "MACO CHANNEL" passed 30 million, the fastest ever for a Japanese artist. Her first single "LOVE" followed on May 20, and her first one-man show took place at Ebisu Liquidroom on June 14. In July she was chosen to sing "Shiny Stars," the campaign song for the NHK Commercial Broadcasters Joint Radio Campaign in Hokkaido (Kitaraji), a soulful, light-melodied song inspired by the starry sky over Hakodate. She also released "Seishun no Tsubasa" (Wings of Youth), the theme song for the Japanese release of the film La Famille Bélier on October 31, which was included on her first original album FIRST KISS (November 4), supported by a one-man live show.

Her second single "Koigokoro" arrived on February 3, 2016, and her second original album love letter on September 21. Live videos of the FIRST KISS TOUR 2016 and love letter Tour 2016 were released, and in August 2017 she published a photo essay, Time Machine ga Dekitanara. She hosted the MBS program Getsuyobi no MACO from April 2017 to March 2018, held the Metronome Tour in early 2018, and performed a premium one-man show at Ebisu Liquidroom on August 14, 2018. In December 2018 she announced the album Koukan Nikki (released December 5) and a tour of Japan, Taiwan and Shanghai starting in March 2019.

2019-2021

After the Koukan Nikki + BEST LOVE MACO TOUR 2019, she announced at her fan club concert "Miss You Summer" on August 15, 2019, that she had moved to Sony Music Japan, and released the digital single "Time Limit" on August 28. On November 16 she appeared at the fashion event ViViNight in Taipei. She also became an ambassador for the energy drink RAIZIN and held the My Acoustic Tour 2019-2020. In 2020 she carried the Endless Love Tour series online, and in 2021 she played Billboard Live Osaka and Yokohama and a 7th anniversary live, "LOVE EVER AFTER." On April 7, 2021, she revealed on YouTube that she has ulcerative colitis, which she has had since age 19.

2022 to present

On July 1, 2022, "Sakura to Zutto," a song MACO wrote for LinQ's Sakura Araki, was released as Araki's first solo single. On July 22, with her condition worsening, she canceled "MACO Miss You Summer 2022" and announced a period of rest. On October 26 she announced that she had married a non-celebrity in September. She announced her return to activity on April 28, 2023, along with the May release of the unreleased "DEMO TAPE."

She left her agency STARBASE on May 31, 2024. On September 1 she launched a new fan club, MACOfam+, as her "independence day," and on October 30 released her first post-independence single, "MY LIFE, MY LOVE." She held a fan club event on November 10, her first post-independence live show, "MY LIFE, MY LOVE LIVE 2024," on December 15, and a release event at Aeon Mall Musashi-Murayama on January 13, 2025. She also staged "CAN'T END THIS LOVE TOUR 2025."

Musical style

Rooted in J-R&B and J-pop, MACO began by reinterpreting Western pop songs in Japanese, often reshaping them as ballads. She has since worked as a singer-songwriter focused on her own material and has also written songs for other artists.

Personal life

MACO is close friends with Reina Washio of E-girls; the pair are known as "Washimaco" and collaborated on "Dear My Friend." She keeps a Netherland Dwarf rabbit named Dwarf, who often appears on her Instagram.