Eyes On: Kent Nishimura

October 14, 2026

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Japanese guitarist Kent Nishimura has offered a fresh interpretation of Michael Jackson’s legendary hit “Thriller”, transforming the iconic song into an intricate solo acoustic guitar performance that brings a different perspective to one of pop music’s most recognisable recordings.

Nishimura is a Japanese fingerstyle guitarist born in Osaka in 2003. He began playing guitar at the age of five and released his debut album, First Step, when he was just 12 years old. In 2017, he became the youngest grand champion in the history of Japan’s Fingerpicking Day competition. Since then, he has built an international following through his technically impressive arrangements of popular songs, with his performances attracting hundreds of thousands of subscribers on YouTube.

His latest interpretation of “Thriller” demonstrates the creativity behind his approach to music. Rather than attempting to reproduce the original recording’s powerful drums, bass, synthesizers and vocals, Nishimura has reimagined the composition for a single acoustic guitar, bringing its melodies and rhythmic character together through an intricate fingerstyle arrangement.

The performance was filmed in Mannheim, Germany, a location with a special connection to the song’s history. Rod Temperton, the British songwriter who wrote “Thriller”, lived in the Mannheim area before his career took him to the United States, where he became an important collaborator of producer Quincy Jones. Choosing this location adds a meaningful historical dimension to Nishimura’s interpretation, bringing the music back to a place connected to the life of the man who wrote it.

To achieve the arrangement, Nishimura developed a special guitar tuning specifically for the song, using the notes B-flat, F, E-flat, G, B-flat and C. This alternative tuning allows him to explore different musical possibilities and bring together elements of the original composition that would be challenging to reproduce using standard guitar tuning.

Released in 1982 as the title track of Michael Jackson’s landmark album, “Thriller” remains one of the most influential recordings in popular music. The combination of Jackson’s extraordinary performance, Temperton’s songwriting and Jones’s production helped create a song that continues to inspire musicians across generations and musical styles.

Nishimura’s interpretation is another example of how the song can be reinvented without losing its identity. His performance highlights the melody and musical structure beneath the original recording’s elaborate production, demonstrating how much can be achieved with a single instrument and considerable musical imagination.

The guitarist has previously explored other classics from the same era, including Toto’s “Rosanna”, alongside arrangements of songs by artists such as George Michael, Stevie Wonder and the Eagles. His work demonstrates a particular appreciation for the songwriting and musicianship that helped define popular music across several decades.

For Michael Jackson fans, Nishimura’s performance offers an opportunity to hear “Thriller” from a different perspective. The original recording remains an extraordinary studio production, but this acoustic version reveals another side of a composition that has become familiar to millions of listeners worldwide.

The performance was filmed with assistance from Bob Ma and Alex Valsamakis, whom Nishimura credited for helping bring the Mannheim recording to life.

Decades after its release, “Thriller” continues to inspire artists to explore new ways of interpreting Michael Jackson’s music. Kent Nishimura’s remarkable fingerstyle arrangement is a reminder that even one of the most recognisable songs in pop history can still offer new surprises when approached with creativity and respect for the original.