MK
The basics
Quick facts
Intro
Japanese singer-songwriter
A.K.A.
Miliyah Katō, Miriya Katō, Katō Miriya, 加藤ミリヤ, Katō Miho, 加藤美穂
Gender:
Female
Places:
Birth:
22 June 1988(Toyota, Aichi Prefecture, Japan)
Star sign:
Genres:
Instruments:
Education:
Meiji Gakuin Senior High School
Minato, Tokyo, Japan
Meiji Gakuin University
Tokyo, Japan
The details
Biography
Introduction
Miho Katō (加藤 美穂, Katō Miho) (born June 22, 1988), better known by her stage name of Miliyah Kato (加藤 ミリヤ, Katō Miriya) is a Japanese pop and urban singer-songwriter from Toyota, Aichi, Japan. They sales in Japan, both physical, digital and ringtones are 12.6 million copies.
History
In 2001, when she was 13 years old, she passed a Sony audition. She began writing music and lyrics from the age of 14. Before her official debut she sang support vocals for other musicians and performed in commercials. Katō made her debut with the release of the single "Never Let Go/Yozora" (2004) and released her debut album Rose (2005) the next year. She is influenced by hip hop and R&B music, especially artists Lauryn Hill and Mary J. Blige. Her music also makes frequent use of sampling. Katō herself has said that her music uses hip hop and R&B as a base, and aims for a middle ground which is neither overly pop nor overly hardcore. Katō graduated from the Meiji Gakuin University in Tokyo. She grew up in a single-parent household, with her mother and brother. Her father operated a gem store before his death.
At the time of her debut in 2004 she was called the "post-Utada Hikaru" (ポスト宇多田ヒカル, posuto Utada Hikaru), referring to the two artists' similarities, from their lyrics to their shared "high school girl charisma". Around the time of her debut, the fact that she was still actually in high school was often emphasized. From participating in making the visuals for her CD jackets to producing her own fashion brand, she also has some influence in visual and fashion areas. Those who are influenced by her music, fashion and acts are called "Miliyers" (ミリヤー, miriyaa).
Discography
Studio albums
| Title | Album details | Peak positions | Sales | Certifications |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JPN | ||||
| Rose |
|
1 |
|
|
| Diamond Princess |
|
5 |
|
|
| Tokyo Star |
|
4 |
|
|
| Ring |
|
2 |
|
|
| Heaven |
|
1 |
|
|
| True Lovers |
|
2 |
|
|
| Loveland |
|
3 |
|
|
| Liberty |
|
4 |
|
|
| Utopia |
|
5 |
|
|
| Femme Fatale |
|
8 |
|
Compilation albums
| Title | Album details | Peak positions | Sales | Certifications |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best Destiny |
|
1 |
|
|
| M Best |
|
1 |
|
|
| The Best |
|
4 |
|
|
| Muse |
|
9 |
|
|
| M Best II |
|
20 |
|
Remix albums
| Title | Album details | Peak positions | Sales | Certifications |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kato Miliyah M-Mix: Mastermix Vol.1 |
|
22 |
Extended plays
| Title | Album details | Peak positions | Sales | Certifications |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| M's X'Mas |
|
— | ||
| I Hate You |
|
37 |
|
Singles
As lead artist
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Sales | Certifications | Album | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JPN Oricon |
JPN Hot 100 |
RIAJ Digital Track Chart† | |||||
| "Never Let Go" | 2004 | 15 | — | — |
|
Rose | |
| "Yozora" | — | — | |||||
| "Beautiful" | 26 | — | — |
|
|||
| "Dear Lonely Girl" | 2005 | 15 | — | 80 |
|
| |
| "Jōnetsu" | 11 | — | — |
|
| ||
| "Sotsugyō" | 2006 | 23 | — | — |
|
|
Diamond Princes |
| "Last Summer" | 30 | — | — |
|
|||
| "I Will" | 17 | — | 44 |
|
|||
| "Eyes on You" | 2007 | 13 | — | 70 |
|
| |
| "My Girl" |
29 | — | 42 |
|
Non-album singles | ||
| "Love Is..." | 11 | — | 33 |
|
|
Tokyo Star | |
| "Lalala" |
7 | — | 5 |
|
| ||
| "Futurechecka" |
— | — |
|
||||
| "19 Memories" | 2008 | 16 | 17 | 6 |
|
| |
| "Sayonara Baby" | 9 | 10 | 9 |
|
|
Ring | |
| "Koi Shiteru" | — | 43 |
|
||||
| "20 -Cry-" | 2009 | 7 | 7 | 18 |
|
| |
| "Love Forever" |
5 | 1 | 2 |
|
|
Ring The Best | |
| "Why" | 10 | 8 | 2 |
|
|
Heaven | |
| "Forever Love" |
2010 | 4 | 3 | 1 |
|
|
The Best |
| "Bye Bye" | 8 | 4 | 1 |
|
|
Heaven | |
| "Last Love" | 13 | 40 | 2 |
|
| ||
| "Yūsha Tachi" | 2011 | 8 | 13 | 7 |
|
|
M Best True Lovers |
| "Desire" | 13 | 41 | 26 |
|
M Best | ||
| "Baby! Baby! Baby!" | — | 10 | |||||
| "Believe" |
9 | 11 | 2 |
|
|
Journey M Best The Best | |
| "Roman" | 19 | 18 | 31 |
|
True Lovers | ||
| "Aiaiai" | 2012 | 16 | 54 | 7 |
|
||
| "Heart Beat" | 14 | 8 | 1 |
|
| ||
| "Lovers Part II" |
15 | 13 | — |
|
| ||
| "Love Story" |
2013 | 26 | 10 | — |
|
The Best | |
| "Emotion" | 26 | 27 | — |
|
Loveland | ||
| "Lonely Hearts" | 17 | 13 | — |
|
|||
| "Love/Affection" | 2014 | 23 | 10 | — |
|
||
| "Kamisama" | — | — | |||||
| "Fighter" |
13 | 19 | — |
|
Muse | ||
| "Gift" |
— | — | |||||
| "You" |
13 | 15 | — |
|
|||
| "Shonen Shojo" | 2015 | 27 | 36 | — |
|
Liberty | |
| "Piece of Cake -Ai wo Sakebou-" |
54 | — | — |
|
|||
| "Lipstick" | 44 | 76 | — |
|
|||
| "Future Lover -Mirai Koibito-" | 2016 | 42 | 30 | — |
|
||
| "Saikouna Shiawase" | 49 | 57 | — |
|
Utopia | ||
| "Dokomademo: How Far I'll Go" | 2017 | 49 | 12 | — |
|
||
| "Shinyaku Dear Lonely Girl" | 53 | — | — |
|
TBA | ||
| "Romance" | 2018 | 50 | 55 | — |
|
||
| "Ai Ga Furu" | 2019 | 37 | — | — |
| ||
| "Honto no Boku wo Shitte" | 57 | — | — | ||||
As featured artist
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Sales | Certifications | Album | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JPN Oricon |
JPN Hot 100 |
RIAJ Digital Track Chart† | |||||
| "Shōri no Megami" |
2004 | 84 | — | — |
|
Dōmu | |
| "Better Days" |
2006 | 30 | — | — |
|
|
Warabest: The Best of Dohzi-T |
| "My People" |
2007 | 44 | — | — |
|
World of Music | |
| "Stronger" |
2010 | 26 | 30 | 4 |
|
The Last AI | |
| "Lovers" |
2012 | — | 35 | — | Life is Mountain | ||
| "Lover" |
2013 | 81 | 15 | — |
|
Neven | |
| "One Day" |
2016 | — | — | — | Pink Tears Smoke & Tears | ||
Promotional singles
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Sales | Certifications | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JPN Hot 100 |
RIAJ Digital Track Chart† | |||||
| "At the Fever" |
2005 | — | — | Eyes on You | ||
| "24 Hours" |
2006 | — | — | Last Summer | ||
| "For So Long" | — | — | ||||
| "Kono Mama Zutto Asa Made" | 2007 | — | 92 |
|
|
Diamond Princess |
| "Saigo no I Love You" | 2008 | — | 28 |
|
|
Tokyo Star |
| "Only Holy" | 2010 | — | 10 | Miliyah the Clips 2004–2010 M's X'Mas | ||
| "Konya wa Boogie Back" |
2012 | 11 | — |
|
|
True Lovers |
| "Run Free" |
2013 | — | — | Motto Moriagaro | ||
| "Sakura Melody" |
2014 | 42 | — | The Best | ||
| "I'll Be There with You" |
— | — | Muse | |||
| "For You" | — | — | Utada Hikaru no Uta −13 Kumi no Ongakuka ni Yoru 13 no Kaishaku ni Tsuite- | |||
| "Walk to the Dream" | 2018 | — | — | Romance | ||
| "Atashi no Saibo" | — | — | Femme Fatale | |||
Other charted songs
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Sales | Certifications | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JPN Hot 100 |
RIAJ Digital Track Chart† | |||||
| "Better Days -Sweet Love Side-" | 2007 | — | — |
|
|
Tokyo Star |
| "I'm Your Angel" |
— | — |
|
|
Céline Dion Tribute | |
| "Ai ga Kieta Hi" | 2008 | — | 31 | Best Destiny | ||
| "Aitai" | 2009 | 59 | 1 |
|
|
Ring |
| "Sensation" | 2010 | — | 46 | Bye Bye | ||
| "Koi ga Owaru Sono Toki ni" | — | 35 | ||||
| "Tomorrow" | — | 61 | Last Love | |||
| "Fallin'" | — | 72 | ||||
| "X.O.X.O." | 80 | 2 |
|
|
Heaven | |
| "Baby I See You" |
— | 44 |
|
| ||
| "I Miss You" | — | 89 | ||||
| "Me" | 2011 | — | 49 | M Best | ||
| "Rainbow" | — | 80 | ||||
| "Baby Tell Me" | — | 22 | Roman | |||
Video albums
| Title | Album details | Peak positions | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diamond Princess Tour 2007 |
|
22 | — |
| Tokyo Star Tour 2008 |
|
11 | — |
| Ring Tour 2009 |
|
2 | — |
| Eternal Heaven Tour 2010–2011 |
|
4 | — |
| Miliyah the Clips 2004–2010 |
|
2 | 16 |
| M BEST Tour 2011 |
|
5 | 31 |
| True Lovers Tour 2013 |
|
4 | 29 |
| Loveland Tour 2014 |
|
13 | 81 |
| The Best 2 Man Tour 2014 |
|
7 | 69 |
| 10th Anniversary "A Muse" Tour 2015 |
|
10 | 41 |
| Dramatic Libery Tour 2016 |
|
5 | 32 |
| Utopia Tour 2017 |
|
14 | 29 |
Guest appearances
| Title | Year | Other artist(s) | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Cherry Oh! Baby" | 2003 | Reggae Disco Rockers | Reggae Magic |
| "Paradise" | 2005 | Heartsdales | Super Star |
| "In the Night" | V.A. | We Love Dance Classics Vol.1 | |
| "Sunshine" | KM-MARKIT | Vivid | |
| "One Day" | m-flo | Beat Space Nine | |
| "Righ' Now!" | 2006 | Twigy, You the Rock★ | Thing Twice |
| "Michelle" | Yuji Ohno, Lupintic Five | Lupin III TV Special Seven Days Rhapsody Original Soundtrack | |
| "Me & My..." | KM-MARKIT | Mark Out | |
| "Hikaru Mirai" | 2007 | Dohzi-T | One MIC |
| "Turn It Up" | 2009 | m-flo, Verbal, Little, Kohei Japan | M-Flo Inside: Works Best III |
| "I Miss You" | 2013 | Daishi Dance | New Party! |
| "Last Forever" | 2015 | Spicy Chocolate, SKY-HI | Shibuya Junai Monogatari 2 |