[Exclusive Interview Q&A] MACO on “HEARTBREAKER” — A Bold New Chapter of Love, Anger, and Irony
Cover art for MACO’s new single “HEARTBREAKER.”
Fresh off her emotionally raw 2025 single “だから終われない恋 (Can’t End This Love),” singer-songwriter MACO returns with a bold and unexpected new track: “HEARTBREAKER.”
For the first time in her career, MACO takes on a male perspective, experimenting with rap-style narration and layering irony, love, and anger into one song. This daring release marks another turning point in her artistry — one that’s already resonating with fans as she prepares for her “Thanks, goodbye next Tour 2025.”
In this exclusive interview with The Mikan Box, MACO reflects on what inspired this bold approach, how fans have been responding, and what she hopes listeners take away from “HEARTBREAKER.”
MACO embraces a bold new style for “HEARTBREAKER.”
Mikan Box: Congratulations on the release of “HEARTBREAKER”! How have you been feeling since sharing it with fans?
MACO: Thank you so much! And I’m truly honored to be invited to The Mikan Box for the second time. Since releasing “HEARTBREAKER,” every day has felt fresh and filled with happiness. The messages I’ve been receiving from fans also feel a little different from before — reading them is both fun and heartwarming, and I can really feel that everyone is listening deeply. I’m just so glad I was able to share this song with the world, and right now, that feeling fills me completely.
Mikan Box: When you’re not working on music, what’s something small that’s been bringing you joy lately?
MACO: I’m so happy to see that trends from the Heisei era are making a comeback around the world! Back in my school days, one big fad was trading stickers with friends. That’s become popular again, and now a lot of girls in Japan are making sticker journals. I’ve started collecting stickers too and even put them in my iPhone case. Spending late nights decorating has become a fun escape for me.
Also, in the mornings I brew my own coffee and try to imitate nutritious breakfasts I see overseas girls making — with fruits and chia seeds. Preparing those meals has become a refreshing routine that clears my head and sets the tone for the day.
Mikan Box: “HEARTBREAKER” is such a bold track, sung from a male perspective with rap-style narration — a first in your career. What inspired you to take this new approach, and how did it feel stepping into that role?
MACO: All of my bold decisions and challenges have always come from intuition.
When the lyrics first came to me in the studio, I had only written up to the first verse — that must have been about three years ago. From there, I revisited the song from scratch, and as I worked on it with my production team, ONEly, the structure began to take shape purely through instinct.
Ideas kept popping up: “It would be fun to add a rap here!” or “I want to sing it like I was telling a story!” And somehow, singing from a male perspective didn’t feel strange at all — it was as if that character had possessed me. I could understand his feelings so deeply: him, myself, and another version of me who was singing on his behalf. It was as though I had three people living inside me.
Mikan Box: This song blends irony, love, and anger in such a raw way. What emotions were you channeling while writing, and was there a particular moment that sparked the lyrics?
MACO: I wrote the lyrics in a very matter-of-fact way. He would say “congratulations” to me, but as time went on, I could sense from his words that deep down, he didn’t really mean it. Remembering that feeling, I ended up writing the lyrics in a very straightforward manner. At one point, he told me, “I want you to be happy. But do you remember the day we first met? Put it into lyrics and make it into a song.” I had promised him that one day I would — and with this track, I was finally able to keep that promise. In the lyrics, I included phrases like “four fleeting years” and “the ten years we carried each other.” Using numbers made the emotions feel more raw and bittersweet. Recently, I’ve also been drawn to songs that reference specific years or timelines, like “Since 20XX, we…” — they feel so real to me. That was another source of inspiration.
Mikan Box: The second verse shifts into a spoken rap style, which feels very fresh and unexpected. What led you to experiment with this format, and how do you hope fans connect with it?
MACO: It’s because I just couldn’t fit all the words in (laughs). I usually listen to a lot of hip-hop and J-rap, and I’m definitely influenced by that. During recording, right after I finished singing a part, the producers immediately said, “That’s totally inspired by Hannya, right?!” (Hannya is a Japanese rapper).
When everyone in the studio praised the second verse this time, I felt happy but also a little embarrassed. Since I’m not a rapper, it was truly a challenge for me. I tried different approaches — singing with emotion, or on the other hand, leaving out the emotion and delivering it almost like I was just speaking. In the end, it turned out to be such a fun recording experience. I’d be happy if my fans could see this side of me.
Mikan Box: From “だから終われない恋” to “HEARTBREAKER,” your releases feel like chapters in an evolving story. How do you see this single building on the emotional themes of your past work?
MACO: Oh, you felt like they were connected? That’s interesting! But no, they’re not connected as a single story (laughs).
What’s true, though, is that I’ve been completely immersed in emotional themes. Right now, what feels most exciting for me is pouring that process of exposing myself and setting myself free straight into the music.
To borrow a lyric from “Can’t End This Love (Dakara Owarenaikoi)” — ‘It’s silly, isn’t it? Singing another love song again’ — when I can embrace the weak, uncool, and even embarrassing parts of myself, it all becomes nothing to be ashamed of. That’s who I am. And once you accept that, everything turns into the right answer.
In both music and life, there’s no such thing as a single “correct” answer. But I’ve recently realized that being able to write lyrics with that sense of acceptance is one of the happiest things for me.
Mikan Box: You’ve announced the “Thanks, goodbye next Tour 2025.” What can fans look forward to at these shows, especially with the addition of songs like “HEARTBREAKER”?
MACO: I want everyone to fully experience a new side of me. Through my live shows, I hope we can share a time that feels completely free, without being bound by any limits. I want to break out of my shell — and if the audience ends up chanting my rap all together, that would be amazing. I want to keep evolving into someone who can make people feel that kind of freedom. At the same time, I want to create a space that feels relaxed, yet overflowing with dopamine. By giving my very best performance, I hope to see everyone’s smiles again.
Mikan Box: For fans going through heartbreak themselves, is there a message or moment in “HEARTBREAKER” you hope resonates most strongly with them?
MACO: I think it would be “Congratulations!” or simply “Thank you.” The last “Congratulations!” carries a bit of irony, but even so, I want to be the kind of person who can still applaud someone else’s happiness. And I believe it’s important to hold on to the feeling of “thank you for meeting me, thank you for loving me.” Even after a breakup, I think it’s beautiful when two people who once loved each other can keep saying “thank you” to one another again and again.
In reality, complete strangers — almost like two entirely different beings — meet, fall in love, and suddenly the voice you hear at the end of each day is theirs. Isn’t that already a miracle? And to wake up in the morning and have the first eyes you see be theirs — that feels like a miracle so moving it could bring you to tears.
I often receive DMs and messages that say, “I just went through a breakup,” but that’s part of life too. To have loved someone that deeply, to have been loved back, and to have someone you can never forget — that in itself is such a blessing. Even if there are painful nights, a morning will always come when you can once again say, “thank you.”
Release Information
Artist: MACO
Title: HEARTBREAKER
Release Date: September 17, 2025 (Wednesday)
Format: Streaming & Download
Label: Project Asteri
Credits:
Lyrics: MACO
Composed: MACO, nabeLTD
Arranged: nabeLTD, Shu Inui (ONEly Inc.)
Produced by Shu Inui (ONEly Inc.)
Recorded by Yohei Kunii (ONEly Inc.)
Mixed by Haruhito Nishi (ONEly Inc.)
Mastered by Maor Appelbaum (California, USA)
Cover Art: Starrr Graphics
🎤 Catch MACO on the “Thanks, goodbye next Tour 2025”
Oct 26 – Osaka, Gorilla Hall Osaka
Nov 12 – Nagoya, Bottom Line
Nov 24 – Sendai, Daremo Shiranai Gekijo
Dec 6 – Tokyo, Laforet Museum Harajuku
Dec 7 – Tokyo, Laforet Museum Harajuku
Official tour visual for “Thanks, goodbye next Tour 2025.”
📱 Follow MACO on Instagram: @maco___official
🌐 Official Website: macoinfo.net
