| Mugi the Cat | |
| Native Name: | むぎ（猫） |
| Birth Date: | 1997/2014 |
| Birth Place: | Tokyo, Japan |
| Genre: | J-Pop |
| Instrument: | xylophone, drums, piano |
| Years Active: | 2014 -present |
| Label: | Speedstar Records |
| Website: | www.mugithecat.com |
Mugi the Cat (むぎ(猫)) is a Japanese feline singer-songwriter. His main instrument is the Xylophone. Born in Tokyo, he now lives in Uruma City, Okinawa, Japan.
Mugi the Cat was created by Yusaku, in memory of his real cat that lived from 1997 to 2009. As a reference, Mugi carries the sub-title "The Cat which came back from Heaven."
In 2014, he made his first appearance in his current form.
Initially, he had no plans to become a musician. He only wanted to go for walks and say hello to several people.[1] But soon, he became popular on Twitter and was invited to events related to cats. Soon after, he started performing music, singing, talking, and dancing to entertain his fans.
Mugi's music career started with performances at events and festivals, including those with an international audience. In 2017, he was the first cat to ever play at the Fuji Rock Festival.[2] Other festival appearances include Rising Sun Rock Festival,[3] Wild Bunch Festival, and Matsumoto Ringo Festival.[4]
2017 October: joined SPEEDSTAR MUSIC[5]
2019 March: major debut album on SPEEDSTAR RECORDS, "君に会いに"[6] [7]
2019 March: launch of official fan club "Hachiware-Tengoku"[8]
2019 June/July: first nationwide tour in Japan.[9] More nationwide tours in 2021 (13 cities) and 2023 (5 cities).
2019 April: started hosting the radio show "blanks", weekly on FM Okinawa[10]
Mugi writes and records his music at home, including playing the piano, the xylophone, and the drums. The guitar parts are played by his friend Satoshi (新垣智), who can also frequently be seen in the short films used during the live shows. Mugi's music includes many different genres, like Pop, Rock, Hip-Hop, etc. Most songs are about a cat's view of the world. All songs are suitable for children, but not made for children. The lyrics are simple at first glance but meaningful when looking deeper and include many wordplays.[11] Mugi is an advocate for kindness and peace, which is also reflected in his songs.[12]
During the live performances, Mugi sings and plays the Xylophone, sometimes also an Eisa drum. The rest of the music comes from the sound system. He uses a lot of homemade accessories to underline his songs and is also dancing to most of the songs.[13] Homemade short films are played when there are breaks in lengthy concerts. He often goes on business trips from Okinawa to other prefectures, to play live concerts or attend events. After his concerts Mugi often greets fans, takes photos, and signs autographs.
| Song title | TV station | Program name | Song used as | Date | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 君に会いに | ジャンクSPORTS | Ending theme[14] | April 2019 | |||
| ねっこほって | ねこねこ日本史 | Ending theme[15] | Since November 13, 2019 | |||
| るすばん天国 | Fuji TV | Love Music | Live performance & greeting[16] | May 11, 2020 | ||
| 12 different songs | Kids Station | うたのじかんライブ | Live performance broadcast[17] | From June 6, 2020, 1 song per week | ||
| 窓辺の猫 | プレバト! | Ending theme[18] [19] | August and September 2020 |
| Magazine title | Publisher | Edition | Page no. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ねこ | Neko Publishing Co., Ltd. | No. 110, spring 2019[20] | 16-21 | |
| Rockin'on Holdings Inc. | 5/2019[21] | 270-271 | ||
| ねこぱんち (Neko Panchi) | No.158[22] | 152-160 (Manga) | ||
| Magazine House Ltd. | No. 2179[23] | 139 | ||
| ねこ | Neko Publishing Co., Ltd. | No. 113, winter 2020[24] | 61-64 | |
| Asahi Shimbun | Jan. 23rd 2020[25] | ? | ||
| Music UP's | Japan Music Network | Vol. 190[26] | 14-15 | |
| MOE | Vol. Nov.2020[27] | 48 | ||
| POTATO | ONE Publishing | Vol. Jun.2023[28] | 128 |
| Magazine title | Region | Edition | Coverage | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| おきなわ倶楽部 (Okinawa Club) | Okinawa | Jan. 2018[29] | Cover photo & interview | |
| 箆柄暦 (piratsuka, Okinawa event guide) | Okinawa | March 2019[30] | Cover story | |
| オキナワグラフ(The Okinawa Graph) | Okinawa | No.690 (Sep.2019)[31] | Cover photo |
『天国かもしれない』 （2017）
『君に会いに』 （2019, limited edition CD+DVD: VIZL-1547、regular edition CD: VICL-65132）
『Song of Life』 (2023, special edition: VOSF-11930, regular edition: VICL-65818)
『ねっこほって e.p.』（2019、Limited edition CD+DVD+plush-keyholder: VIZL-1666、Regular edition CD: VICL-65266）
『窓辺の猫 e.p.』（2020、Limited edition special packaging: VICL-65414、Regular edition CD: VICL-65415）
Schroeder-Headz 『ゲスト・スイート』（2019、VICL-65267）「Surface」