20-year-old singer-songwriter and visual artist Mia Takarabe has never fit neatly in one box, and what’s what makes her musical story so compelling.
Born in Australia to a Japanese father and Indian mother, Mia grew up inhabiting multiple cultures and traditions while sometimes feeling as if she didn’t fully belong anywhere. While at times, she may have felt like an outcast, that diversity is now one of her greatest creative strengths as she brings together influences from Japanese, Indian and Western pop music to develop her own unique take on J-pop.
Soon after her discovery on TikTok, Mia found herself collaborating on her debut track, “Heartless,” with Steve Aoki this summer, and then making her first-ever live performance in front of a crowd of 20,000 in Tokyo. We got the chance to chat with Mia all about her experiences and what makes her unique as an artist. Read our full interview with her as our Woman Crush Wednesday below.
(Photo credit: Teddy Shim)
Name: Mia Sidhu-Takarabe
Hometown: Adelaide, Australia
Birthday: December 23
Fun Facts:
1. Mia’s debut single, “Heartless,” is a special one, as she collaborated with electronic music legend Steve Aoki on the track.
Mia Takarabe: I ended up collaborating with Steve Aoki through my manager, Michael Africk. He introduced us because he knew we shared a similar vision: helping bring J-pop to a global audience. As someone who’s half Japanese and grew up between different cultures, that mission immediately resonated with me.
The whole experience pushed me creatively. It gave me the confidence to embrace every part of who I am instead of trying to fit into one box. Having my debut single be a collaboration with Steve was surreal, and I hope “Heartless” is just the beginning of introducing my sound, and a new wave of global J-pop to the world.
2. The success of “Heartless” has been extremely meaningful to her in more ways than one.
Mia: To me, the lyrics of “Heartless” are about reaching that point where you’ve been hurt so many times that you almost become emotionally numb. It’s not about losing your ability to love but knowing when to protect yourself and your heart.
Having it chart on Billboard and reach over 2 million streams is something I could never take for granted, especially for my debut single. Those numbers are exciting, but what makes me happiest is seeing people around the world listening to a song that has Japanese language and influences in it. Growing up, I didn’t always see Japanese music reaching mainstream global audiences in the way it deserved to. So knowing that “Heartless” has been streamed more than 2 million times feels like a small step towards changing that.
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3. She was never really into sports growing up.
Mia: Although I was pushed into many sports like netball, tennis and running events through school, I always thought of myself as quite uncoordinated.
Which is why it’s funny that I love to dance. Dancing is all about not being afraid or caring what other people think. It’s about being one with your body, I think that’s why I enjoy it so much.
4. She says the one makeup product she couldn’t live without is her Laura Mercier Ultra-Blur Translucent Powder.
Mia: This has been a product I’ve been using since high school. Nothing gives you a cleaner finish to your makeup than this.
5. She has a few pet peeves, but her biggest one has to do with cleanliness.
Mia: The first one that came to mind is stepping barefoot onto the ground in a public bathroom. For some reason, that sends chills down my spine when I think about it.
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6. If she could pick any two people from history to be her mentor, she’d choose iconic Studio Ghibli animator Hayao Miyazaki and Japanese composer Joe Hisashi.
Mia: I grew up watching their films and listening to my mother play their melodies on her piano. Together, they’ve created worlds that feel timeless.
Miyazaki has this incredible ability to tell stories that are imaginative yet deeply human, and Joe Hisaishi’s music gives those stories so much emotion. I’d love to learn how they create art that transcends language and culture. That’s something I aspire to do with my own music.
7. Her dream vacation would be a trip to somewhere she’s never gone.
Mia: I have yet to visit Europe, so I would love to go somewhere in the countryside in Paris or Italy. For holidays, I prefer being surrounded more by nature than city.
8. It’s tough for her to pick a favorite song of all time.
Mia: As I’ve grown older, my music taste has become increasingly more diverse. I love so many artists and genres now including folk, techno, indie and pop, it’s hard to pin point which song is my favorite.
However, i can tell you the first favorite song I ever had. I have early memories of my mum showing me the song “Viva La Vida” from Coldplay on her old computer. This song became my absolute favorite as a child and I made sure that everyone knew by constantly singing it every day.
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9. She’s closer to her mum than anyone else in the world.
Mia: She’s someone who’s seen me in every state and every level of vulnerability. I believe a meaningful relationship is with someone you can let your walls down with.
10. If she could go anywhere in the world for a week, she’d like to go on a cultural journey of sorts.
Mia: I think it’d be pretty sick to go to Nepal and visit all the temples. I believe the majority of the people there practice Hinduism and I’d love to experience first hand their cultural traditions.
11. For Mia, staying grounded and kind are core to who she is.
Mia: I think it’s so important to treat everyone with kindness and to remember to be humble. No matter what you achieve, we’re all human at the end of the day.
I never want success to change the way I treat people or make me forget where I came from. I hope the people who support me know that I’ll always try to lead with compassion, stay grateful and make music that brings people together.
For more on our musical Woman Crushes, click HERE to discover everything you wanted to know about Julia of Angus & Julia Stone.
