MIO KAGARI
篝美緒
MIO KAGARI is a Japanese pop-rock singer-songwriter from Yokohama.First discovered through acoustic cover videos posted online, she quickly drew attention for her expressive voice, emotional phrasing, and ability to turn simple performances into deeply personal moments. After building a loyal audience on social media, she was scouted by the independent label Lumen Records and officially began her professional career in 2024.Blending powerful guitar-driven melodies with intimate lyrics, MIO KAGARI creates songs that move between vulnerability and intensity. Her music captures the feeling of standing between night and morning — uncertain, restless, but still moving forward.
MIO KAGARI was born and raised in Yokohama. As a teenager, she began writing short poems and fragments of lyrics in notebooks, often inspired by night trains, rainy streets, and the lights of the city after dark.
At sixteen, she received her first second-hand electric guitar and started learning by herself. At first, music was only a private escape, but her voice gradually became the center of her expression.
In 2020, she began posting acoustic cover videos online under the name MIO. Filmed simply in her room with only a guitar and soft lighting, the videos attracted listeners who connected with her natural voice and honest interpretation of familiar songs.
As her audience grew, she started sharing original songs. One of them, “Yoake Mae”, became her first viral moment and opened the door to small live performances in Tokyo and Yokohama.
In 2023, her rearranged rock cover of a popular ballad caught the attention of Lumen Records. The label was drawn to her ability to keep the intimacy of her online beginnings while developing a stronger and more cinematic stage presence.
In 2024, she officially adopted the stage name MIO KAGARI and released her debut single “ZANKO”. Since then, she has continued to build a musical universe shaped by night, sparks, emotional scars, and the determination to keep moving forward.