There’s much about Kabukicho in Tokyo that’s hard for an outsider to grasp. The red light district of the city, it presents far more than you might expect from that description: countless host and hostess clubs offer the simple act of conversation and attention, with the lonely paying for their time.
Occasionally, whether by delusion, misleading remarks, or some semblance of genuine love, clients come to feel they’re in relationships with their hosts. This was the case in a fatal stabbing in which a woman came to realize her boyfriend, a host, wasn’t genuinely hers. Just 21 years old, she took the life of her lover when she came to realize he hadn’t genuinely quit hosting, and that she was simply one of his many customers.
Japanese artist MIREI boldy sheds light on this very reality, a little discussed topic in Japan, via her new song “Sell Me Your Love”. Narrating the murder, and the feelings leading up to it, she offers a smoldering, slow burn tale of heartbreak. It continues her down a path of addressing things many in Japan would rather ignore, from issues of mental health to sexual harassment, there’s no stone she leaves unturned, making her a promising, unique voice coming out of the country.
Check out the video for “Sell Me Your Love” below, and stay tuned for more from MIREI soon.
