Shingo Katori professes that he’s “lived the life of an idol.” Having performed from 1991 as a member of one of Japan’s most beloved idol groups, SMAP, Shingo Katori continued working alongside fellow former group members Goro Inagaki and Tsuyoshi Kusanagi as ATARASHIICHIZU from 2017, and they’re still going strong today. The singer has done everything from music to acting, hosting, variety shows, and fine art. His first solo album, “20200101” (2020), rose all the way to No. 1 on the “Billboard JAPAN” Top Album Sales chart. To mark the May release of his third album, “Circus Funk,” the artist is going on tour to hold his own concerts for the first time, with 10 shows across five cities in Japan. “Weverse Magazine” sat down with Shingo Katori over video call on May 14 to discuss his 30-year journey as an idol, his new album “Circus Funk,” and his deep gratitude for all the fans who have supported him over the years.
You’re about to release your new album, “Circus Funk.” In an interview with BARKS, you talked about how people couldn’t be as loud as they wanted during COVID-19, so you wanted to make something with a boisterous atmosphere and thought a circus would be the perfect thing to put a smile on everyone’s faces.
Shingo Katori: For me, 2020 felt like the year I went back to the drawing board as a solo artist. I had always performed as part of a group up until that point, but that was when I began having to sing on my own. Because of the pandemic, though, even when I got onstage, fans couldn’t dance or cheer like they used to. Everyone had to wear masks, we couldn’t be close to each other, and it didn’t feel like we could really enjoy the entertainment fully. After we moved past those times, I asked myself, “What do you really want to do?” And my answer was, “I want to get together with people and dance, and have a good time, just like we used to.” When I thought about the best way to get that idea across, what came to me was the circus and funk. I wanted to take those words and create an album that could make my fans smile.
Of all the words you could have put together, why “circus” and “funk”?
Shingo Katori: I’ve always liked the circus—you know, that whole dreamy world unfolding there under the big top. I get up onstage to perform my music, and I wanted to make my stage exude that circus atmosphere, so I made this album with that in mind. And while my second album, “Tokyo SNG,” was mainly a jazz album, I wanted something a little more upbeat for this album—music everyone can enjoy together. That’s how I landed on the idea of funk.
You mentioned before that you didn’t know much about funk before working on this album. What made you think of going with funk despite that?
Shingo Katori: I’ve always had this drive to try new things. I push myself to transcend genre and explore new and more varied styles, and that goes for both music and dance. I like rap, but it’s not all I listen to, and I don’t limit myself to dance music just because I’m a dancer. And since that’s my mindset, when I wanted to try a new genre out for my new album, I landed on funk.
As a genre, funk is all about sound, while the circus is predominantly about the visuals. That might explain why it feels like you’ve taken the visual art of the circus and translated it into sound with this album.
Shingo Katori: I never consciously thought about it that way, honestly. This has always been the way I work, that’s all. When I make music, I think, “There’s nothing in the world like this yet, but I imagine it’d have this kind of vibe and this kind of music video.” There’s nothing in the world like the visuals I have in my mind either, so I explain it to my team and we work together to bring it to life. Visuals and sound always play out in sync together in my head.
On the topic of balancing your art and acting, you once said, “Maybe the reason I can enjoy either one at all is because I do both.” How does it feel to be singing, writing lyrics, directing, acting, and creating visual art all at the same time?
Shingo Katori: I feel like, if I don’t express the ideas and images that pop into my mind, they’ll just start gushing out of me. (laughs) There’s never been a time where I wasn’t coming up with new ideas, or wanted to paint but nothing came to me, or couldn’t find any musical inspiration. I’m constantly thinking of new things and channeling them out into the world.
Is your latest music video also a result of visualizing your imagination?
Shingo Katori: A lot of my ideas play a big role in every part of the album process, from music videos to the music. This was my first time working with YP, who directed the music video. They suggested using AI, and I thought it was the perfect idea for this moment in time. We filmed our scenes in front of a big screen playing AI-generated video. It was such a unique experience. The best part was that, even though it was my first time meeting the director and staff, everything moved with such a great tempo that we were able to finish the whole shoot in just seven or eight hours. It made me so happy to have such a talented team—such wonderful people to work with. Getting the chance to work with new people is always such a joy and a blessing.
How did it feel performing those songs onstage? You’ve always made your albums with the stage in mind.
Shingo Katori: I was imagining the expressions on my fans’ faces watching me perform the songs while making them. Even though the pandemic’s over and we’ve transitioned into a new era, the world hasn’t exactly been overflowing with good news like we had hoped. With all the heartbreaking news out there, I pictured my shows helping the fans forget their everyday worries for a while, filling them with upbeat energy, and spreading that joy around.
And did what you imagined come true?
Shingo Katori: I believe the moment you envision something, it’s already come true.
What makes spreading joy so meaningful for you? The clown in “Circus Funk” (feat. Chevon) puts on fun makeup and brings people joy, but “beneath the makeup” they’re “deceiving so inner feelings won’t be revealed.” It sounds tough and lonely.
Shingo Katori: That’s why it feels like you can escape the real world more and the things you don’t want to see or do when you smile, even if only for a short while. You don’t need to keep smiling all the time when you’re trying to get through the daily grind, but maybe you can overcome that side of life if you smile. (laughs) Even when you’re so overwhelmed that you can’t even take your eyes off the ground, a smile can remind you you’re not alone. It’s easy to get trapped in the thought that you’re the only one who’s lonely and struggling when you feel alone, but when you believe you’re not alone, it gives you the strength to keep going.
What about you? You painted clowns as a way to deal with negative thoughts back in your 20s. Now you’re the clown, opening the circus to put a smile on your fans’ faces.
Shingo Katori: I’m able to smile again thanks to seeing the smiles of my fans—the people who support me. We’re all connected by smiles. It’s like playing a game of catch but with smiles. (laughs) I mean, the ball goes back and forth, right? It’s not all about me being the one onstage, making my fans smile. I’m fueled by their smiles, too, which give me the strength to keep my head up.
Like with your YouTube channel? You make them smile while you have fun playing games, doing dance challenges, and making commentary.
Shingo Katori: YouTube is like a playground for me. After spending so much time on TV, YouTube feels like somewhere I can have a little more fun. Even the staff that helps out with the channel always approaches it with a playful spirit. That’s why it feels more playful a lot of the time, like a comedy.
You’ve been soaking in the worlds of Japanese idols and TV since 1988. Has anything changed for you since you started making YouTube videos?
Shingo Katori: YouTube has given me the opportunity to connect with so many different people. Because it reaches such a wide audience, it’s made me reflect on how important my words are. Before casting judgment or saying anything, I seriously think things through and try to express myself with love.
Do you not find it hard to stick true to the desire to express yourself with love and put it into action in an age when we’re constantly bombarded by fake news and provocative attention-grabbing content?
Shingo Katori: I wouldn’t be able to do my music or my YouTube work without expressing myself with love, though. If I were to misspeak or do something to lead to a misunderstanding, for example, I could end up hurting someone. So to me, words spoken with love are those where I make sure not to make such mistakes, words where I don’t hurt or misrepresent anyone—words that I can be confident are okay to use.
I’m sure choosing the right words like that must be challenging and require a lot of deliberation. What keeps you smiling?
Shingo Katori: Through YouTube and Weverse, I’m able to reach people living in so many different countries, and knowing I can introduce myself to some new people out there, even if just a few, makes me really happy. Having been in this industry for so long, I know how hard it can be to get your name out to even just one new person. That’s why I’m just happy to be able to reach out to a wide audience at all.
You recently joined global fan platform Weverse. In a post, you wrote, “I’m so happy to have a place to connect with people again. Let’s create a warm community full of smiles together.” How have you liked connecting with fans worldwide through the service?
Shingo Katori: I’ve seen so many fun things about Weverse since joining. I’m especially having fun reading fan letters every day. I can’t believe they made such an amazing feature. A lot of fans say, “Please do a Weverse LIVE soon!” So I’m thinking I really need to get on that ASAP. (laughs)
Weverse LIVE? Your fans would absolutely love that! On top of online interactions like that, you also see your fans in person at fan meeting events all the time. In fact, you even wrote on Instagram recently, “I got a lot of smiles at the fan meeting in Fukuoka.” It really sounds like playing catch with smiles like you talked about before. (laughs)
Shingo Katori: I’ve been holding fan meetings for several years now, and I recently asked the audience, “Anyone here been supporting me for the past 30 years?” And I couldn’t believe how many people raised their hands. On the other hand, when I asked, “Who here’s seeing me live for the first time?” a lot of hands went up then, too. It reminded me once again how many fans have been supporting me all this time and how happy I am that I still get opportunities to meet fans who are seeing me live for the first time.
I feel like entertaining people for over 30 years as an idol must be a rewarding experience.
Shingo Katori: I always used to think of myself as someone who lives in the moment, but from some point I started defining myself as someone who lives for tomorrow instead. I feel like someone who lives for tomorrow now, even if I still have room to grow. As I get older, I progressively have more and more I want to do. I want to keep having fun putting on some great shows onstage, and to make sure I can do that, I think I need to become more health-conscious.
I assume that means working out?
Shingo Katori: I’ve been trying to exercise. (laughs) Actually, what’s funny is that when I work out, I feel amazing once I’m onstage. But then I use up all my energy performing and completely crash right after. (laughs) That’s one new experience I’ve had since working out.
As someone who used to live for the moment and now lives for tomorrow, you must have accomplished a lot and have a lot of new aspirations, too. Have you found things are different compared to your old expectations, or what you used to aspire to?
Shingo Katori: When I think about the version of me I pictured in the past versus who I am now, I do feel like I grew to be that person. In my teens and 20s, I didn’t want to miss out on anything—I wanted to do it all. That’s why I did acting, singing, hosting, and painting. It’s the same now that I’m in my 40s, too. I’m holding art exhibitions for myself, hosting, acting in dramas, and singing music. And I want to keep doing it all. Even blogging—I haven’t posted in ages, but I want to be good at everything, so it’s always on my mind, every single day. (laughs) Even now, in my 40s, I’m still the version of me I dreamed of when I was younger.
At the core of it all seems to be something very important to you that you never want to let go of: that you have “lived the life of an idol.”
Shingo Katori: Some people say you’re not an idol anymore once you grow up, actually, but I personally think that, as long as there’s someone cheering you on, you can be their guiding light and source of strength—and isn’t that what being an idol is all about? So I don’t believe it’s only people who get up onstage and sing who are idols. If there’s one principle I hold as an idol, it’s not to be too much—that way people will always be curious about me and want to know a little more.
Could that principle be the result of moving on from your self-described past “desperation” to your current value on moderation? I actually think you’re able to say that because you worked so hard that you became well-regarded in so many different fields.
Shingo Katori: When I say I need to take it easy and do things in moderation, I don’t actually mean that literally—it just means I make it look that way. I’m still “desperate” in everything I do, and I’m working harder every single day. But I like that side of myself. (laughs)
Even after 30 years, you keep putting in the hard work.
Shingo Katori: I don’t see it as work—because I enjoy what I do.
“We’re always talking about how we need to protect the environment, but when it actually comes down to taking individual action, it’s not easy. I’m excited to put out an environmentally conscious album and to have been able to be a part of that experience directly.”
Follow the link below to check out the Weverse Albums version of “Circus Funk,” made in conjunction with Shingo Katori’s commitment to the environment.