Entertainment
Who is Riko Shibata? The Artist Who Captured Cage’s Heart
Published
7 months agoon

Sometimes life takes unexpected turns that lead us down paths we never imagined. For Riko Shibata, born January 10, 1995, that path led from the serene streets of Kyoto to the dazzling lights of Hollywood, following a chance meeting with Oscar-winning actor Nicolas Cage. Their story defies conventional expectations, bridging continents, cultures, and generations.
Shibata and Cage’s paths crossed in early 2020 in Shiga, Japan, where mutual friends introduced them during the filming of “Prisoners of the Ghostland.” What might have remained a brief encounter during a movie shoot instead sparked a connection that would transform both their lives. However, timing had other plans – as their relationship began to blossom, the world ground to a halt with the COVID-19 pandemic, forcing the newly acquainted couple to navigate their budding romance across oceans through video calls and messages.
Yet distance proved no match for their growing bond. In August 2020, during one of their FaceTime conversations, Cage took a leap of faith. “I want to marry you,” he told Shibata, making what must rank among history’s most modern proposals. The engagement ring that followed – a distinctive black diamond set in black gold – spoke volumes about their unique relationship. Cage had it specially designed to match Shibata’s favorite color and shipped it to Japan via FedEx, a thoroughly 21st-century touch to their love story.
Their wedding on February 16, 2021, at Las Vegas’s Wynn Hotel reflected the cross-cultural nature of their relationship. Rather than simply opting for either Western or Japanese traditions, they created something entirely their own. Riko Shibata honored her heritage by wearing an exquisite handmade kimono from Kyoto. As she walked down the aisle, the melody of “Winter Song” by Japanese duo Kiroro filled the air – a personal choice that meant the world to her. The ceremony itself was a carefully crafted blend of Catholic and Shinto vows, complemented by verses from Walt Whitman and traditional haiku, creating an intimate celebration that respected both their backgrounds.
What made the ceremony particularly special was its intimate nature. Despite Cage’s Hollywood status, the guest list remained small and meaningful. Among those present was Cage’s ex-wife Alice Kim and their son Kal-El, highlighting the couple’s commitment to maintaining healthy family relationships. The presence of Cage’s previous family members spoke volumes about Shibata’s graceful approach to becoming part of a complex family dynamic.
Before becoming Mrs. Cage, Shibata lived a quiet life in Japan that rarely intersected with the entertainment world. While details about her early career remain private, she has been described in various media outlets as an artist, though the nature of her work hasn’t been publicly detailed. Her only known venture into acting came through a small role in “Prisoners of the Ghostland” – the very film that brought her and Cage together. Since moving to America, she’s faced the typical challenges of any immigrant: adapting to a new culture while navigating visa restrictions, made even more complex by pandemic-related limitations.
The couple’s life together reached a new milestone on September 7, 2022, when they welcomed their daughter, August Francesca Coppola Cage, in Los Angeles. The choice of name pays tribute to both past and present – honoring Cage’s late father, August Coppola, while carrying forward the legendary Coppola family legacy. For Riko Shibata, motherhood brought a new identity beyond being “Nicolas Cage’s wife,” while for Cage, his third child represented a fresh chapter in his life’s story.
Much has been made of the 31-year age gap between Shibata and Cage, but their connection seems to transcend numbers. Instead, it’s built on shared quirks and common ground found in unexpected places. Take, for example, their mutual love of unusual pets – when Shibata mentioned she kept sugar gliders (small, gliding possums often called flying squirrels), Cage was instantly intrigued. Such moments of genuine connection have helped bridge any perceived gaps between them.
The early days of their relationship revealed a depth that went beyond surface-level attraction. During their courtship, Shibata showed genuine curiosity about Cage’s interests and history. One of their first public sightings together was at Cage’s famous pyramid tomb in New Orleans – not exactly a typical date location. Rather than being put off by Cage’s eccentricities, Shibata embraced them, showing an appreciation for the unique aspects of his personality that have made him such a compelling figure in Hollywood.
Since becoming a public figure, Riko Shibata has charted her own course through celebrity culture. Her first red carpet moment came at the Los Angeles premiere of “Pig” in July 2021, where she appeared poised despite the flashbulbs and attention. She’s since become a familiar face at high-profile events, including the 2024 Golden Globe Awards and Academy Awards, where she’s demonstrated an elegant presence while letting Cage remain the focus of media attention.
October 2021 marked a significant milestone in Shibata’s public life when she and Cage appeared together in a striking photoshoot for Flaunt magazine. The avant-garde spread, shot in the Las Vegas desert, showed a different side of Shibata – one comfortable with artistic expression while maintaining her characteristic grace. Yet even this high-profile exposure didn’t change her approach to fame. She’s consistently chosen to skip the typical trappings of celebrity spouse status – no verified social media accounts, no solo interviews, no attempt to leverage her connection to Cage for personal fame.
Instead, Shibata has shown genuine interest in understanding her husband’s world. She’s visited places that hold meaning in Cage’s life and career: his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, the famous (or infamous) pyramid tomb he purchased in New Orleans. These weren’t photo opportunities but private moments of connection to her husband’s eclectic interests.
Their daily life together reveals a partnership built on mutual respect and understanding. The couple splits their time between their Las Vegas home base and wherever Cage’s film projects take them. Throughout their relationship, Shibata has maintained strong ties to her Japanese heritage while adapting to life in America’s entertainment capital. She’s managed to strike a delicate balance – supporting Cage’s career while preserving her own identity and privacy.
Friends of the couple have noted Shibata’s calming influence on Cage. In interviews, he appears more grounded, often speaking about their shared interests and the joy of building a life together. Their age difference, which initially drew media attention, has become a footnote to their story rather than its defining feature. Instead, what stands out is their genuine compatibility and shared appreciation for life’s unique moments.
Their dynamic offers a refreshing counterpoint to typical Hollywood relationships. Shibata hasn’t tried to reinvent herself as an American celebrity or leverage her marriage for personal gain. Instead, she’s remained true to herself while building a life with one of Hollywood’s most distinctive personalities. Their union demonstrates how authentic connections can flourish despite differences in age, culture, or background.
As parents to young August, they’ve created their own traditions, blending Japanese and American customs. Shibata’s transition to motherhood has been marked by the same quiet dignity that characterized her entry into public life. The couple has been protective of their daughter’s privacy while occasionally sharing glimpses of their family life, showing a thoughtful approach to parenting in the public eye.
Looking back at Riko Shibata’s journey from Kyoto to the heights of Hollywood, one might expect a story of dramatic transformation. Instead, we find something more nuanced – a woman who has gracefully adapted to extraordinary circumstances while staying grounded in who she is. In a world obsessed with celebrity culture, perhaps that’s the most remarkable feat of all. Through authenticity and quiet strength, Riko Shibata has written her own unique chapter in Hollywood’s ongoing story, proving that sometimes the most compelling narratives are the ones that unfold naturally, without fanfare or pretense.
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When I first discovered Eyal Erlich on Spotify, I was immediately drawn to the immediacy and sincerity of his music. Hailing from Tel Aviv, Erlich is one of those rare singer-songwriters who keeps his songs simple, authentic, and emotionally resonant. His tracks breathe, flow, and carry a depth that makes you stop and truly listen. What defines him isn’t just catchy indie rock hooks or soulful melodies — it’s honesty. Every lyric feels lived-in, and every guitar line seems to emerge naturally from his voice.
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Erlich’s style exists at the intersection of indie rock and singer-songwriter storytelling. His guitar-driven arrangements feel free and organic, while his lyrics explore universal themes of longing, connection, and self-discovery. They are integral to the music, never ornamental, and they resonate deeply with listeners. It’s no surprise that his audience continues to grow — people crave music that feels authentic, and Erlich delivers without ever sounding forced.
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Unlike many indie acts that burn bright and fade fast, Erlich combines vulnerability with confidence, crafting songs that resonate both in intimate venues and at large festivals. His work promises longevity, emotional depth, and a connection that keeps fans coming back.
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Magdalena Bay Returns with Surprise Double Single “Second Sleep” and “Star Eyes”
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There’s something quietly rebellious about dropping new music without warning on a random Friday, especially when you’re fresh off supporting Billie Eilish at the O2 Arena and have just wrapped two sold-out cemetery shows over the weekend. But that’s exactly what Magdalena Bay did, releasing “Second Sleep / Star Eyes“—their first tracks since last year’s Imaginal Disk sent critics scrambling for superlatives.
The timing feels deliberate rather than impulsive. Mica Tenenbaum and Matthew Lewin have spent months on the road, watching audiences connect with their progressive-pop experiments night after night. This past weekend at Hollywood Forever Cemetery—where LA’s music obsessives gather among tombstones for some of the city’s most surreal concert experiences—they gave fans something new to chew on.
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The companion piece, “Star Eyes,” operates on different frequencies entirely. Where “Second Sleep” builds tension through disorder, this one floats through theatrical jazz-influenced dreamscapes. When the beat finally drops and symphonic strings sweep through, the emotional payoff feels earned rather than manufactured.

According to the duo, these tracks emerged naturally from the same creative headspace that produced Imaginal Disk. “Second Sleep” and “Star Eyes” are two songs we made around the end of Imaginal Disk—both a sort of spiritual successor to the album’s mood and emotional arc,” they explained. “We like how they complement each other, so here they are as a pair.”
That connection runs deeper than chronology. The band has been teasing an album movie to mark Imaginal Disk‘s one-year anniversary, with director Amanda Kramer collaborating while Tenenbaum and Lewin handle writing and editing. Anyone who caught the narrative threads in their videos for “Death & Romance,” “Image,” and “That’s My Floor”—or their Jimmy Kimmel Live! performance—knows these aren’t artists who treat visuals as afterthoughts.
Their trajectory keeps climbing. Following this weekend’s cemetery performances, they’ll return to the UK and Europe in early 2026, including their largest London show yet at O2 Academy Brixton. It’s quite the leap from their Miami beginnings and early LA club shows, though they’ve maintained the same DIY sensibility that made their early-2000s internet-inspired visuals feel both nostalgic and alien.
The duo initially caught attention through TikTok videos demystifying music industry mechanics, but these new tracks prove they’re more interested in creating mysteries than solving them. Their blend of progressive rock, shoegaze, and disco continues evolving into something increasingly difficult to pin down—which might be the point.
What’s compelling about “Second Sleep” and “Star Eyes” isn’t just that they extend Imaginal Disk‘s sonic universe. It’s that they arrived unannounced, like messages from artists who understand that sometimes the best way to maintain momentum is to disrupt it entirely. This past weekend, when they took the stage among the headstones, these songs weren’t surprises anymore. They’d already become part of the mythology.
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Giuseppe Bonaccorso Unveils Experimental Epic ‘L’Ombra della Terra’
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Giuseppe Bonaccorso isn’t interested in making music you can half-listen to while scrolling your phone. His latest single, “L’Ombra della Terra” (The Shadow of the Earth), asks for your full attention across its four minutes and eleven seconds—this isn’t background music by any stretch.
Released September 1st, this track comes on the heels of “Playground in Gaza,” which already had critics taking notice of the Italian composer’s refusal to play by anyone else’s rules. But where that previous single sparked conversations, “L’Ombra della Terra” feels like Giuseppe Bonaccorso throwing down a gauntlet. The track now has an official music video on YouTube that adds another visual layer to the already complex sonic experience.
The song opens with this slow-building atmosphere that’s almost cinematic—layers of synthesizers and ambient sounds that pull you in before a driving rhythm kicks everything into gear. What’s striking is Bonaccorso’s vocal approach. He’s not really singing in any traditional sense; it’s more like he’s delivering poetry over this shifting musical backdrop. Distorted guitars weave through the mix, keeping things grounded even when the experimental elements threaten to float away entirely.

The Italian lyrics paint a vivid picture that’s both mystical and rebellious. Bonaccorso writes about shamans with glass skin, eyes being dragged far away, and a world that’s fallen asleep and turned upside down. There’s imagery of prayers dissolving like smoke rings, references to automatons with maps and compasses trying to figure out the world’s geometry. The narrative voice addresses a father figure, talking about sin and debt, invoking Charon (the mythological ferryman) and thirty pieces of silver. The whole thing culminates with the narrator seeing their reflection in Earth’s shadow—which gives the track its title.
What makes these lyrics fascinating is how they blend classical mythology with modern disillusionment. You’ve got ancient references sitting next to images of mechanical beings, creating this temporal collision that feels both timeless and urgently contemporary. The recurring theme seems to be about breaking free from imposed guilt and spiritual debt, rejecting the idea that we owe something to powers that claim authority over us.
This release makes more sense when you know Bonaccorso’s background. The guy’s not just a musician—he’s a published poet with actual awards, started out doing ceramic sculpture as a kid in Caltagirone (a Sicilian town known for its artists), and has studied both computer science and philosophy. That multidisciplinary approach shows up in how layered his compositions are.
What’s refreshing about Giuseppe Bonaccorso is his complete disinterest in chasing streaming numbers or viral moments. He’s been releasing music since July 2024, starting with “Roaming in a wood,” then “On a solitary beach” in August. His interpretation of “Ave Maria” did pull in over 50,000 Spotify streams, which shows people are paying attention, but you get the sense he’d be making this music regardless.
“L’Ombra della Terra” isn’t background music for your workout playlist. It’s the kind of track that asks you to sit down, put on decent headphones, and actually listen. In an era where most music feels designed to be consumed and forgotten, there’s something almost defiant about creating something this deliberately challenging.
The single and its official music video are available worldwide on Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube.
For more from Giuseppe Bonaccorso, visit his website, follow him on X, or check out his Instagram.



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