Japanese singer Ayumi Hamasaki has released eighteen studio albums, five compilation albums, twenty-six remix albums, four live albums and numerous singles and promotional singles. She debuted in 1995 under Nippon Columbia with the stage name Ayumi, releasing an extended play Nothing from Nothing, which was a collaboration with Dohzi-T and DJ Bass. Three years later, Hamasaki debuted again as a singer under Avex Trax with the single "Poker Face" (1998). Her first album A Song for ×× (1999) debuted at number one on Oricon's albums chart, and sold over 1.4 million copies.
"First Love" is a song by the Japanese-American singer-songwriter Hikaru Utada. It was released on April 28, 1999, as the third Japanese language single from her second studio album, First Love, which was issued a month previously. It was certified double platinum for 800,000 copies shipped to stores in Japan.
"This Is Love" is Hikaru Utada's first Japanese digital single. It was released on May 31, 2006 as a promotional single for her fourth Japanese studio album. "This Is Love" was tied-in as the CM song for a Nissin cup noodle campaign and the opening theme for an anime "Freedom," which was also tied into the Nippon campaign. The digital single reached number one in virtually every online music store in Japan prior to the ULTRA BLUE album's release, including the most used store in Japan, iTunes Japan, as well as OnGen, among others. Utada herself is quoted to have said that this song is about expressing that "Love is like a mix of extremes: anxiety and peace."
"Boku wa Kuma" is a song by Japanese American singer-songwriter Hikaru Utada, serving as their 17th Japanese single and 24th single overall. The single was released on November 22, 2006, following the release of their previous studio album, Ultra Blue (2006). It came two months after the conclusion of Utada's United 2006 tour.
"Flavor of Life" is Hikaru Utada's 18th Japanese single. The physical single was officially released on February 28, 2007.
"Beautiful World" is a song by Japanese American musician Hikaru Utada. It served as the theme song for Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone, the 2007 film reboot of the anime Neon Genesis Evangelion. It was released as a double A-side single on August 29, 2007 along with her song "Kiss & Cry", which had been released digitally three months earlier. The song was written and co-produced by Utada, while Akira Miyake and the singer's father Teruzane Utada served as producers. In 2009, a remix of the song, "Beautiful World " served as the theme song of the second film in the series, Evangelion: 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance.
"Heart Station" is a song by Japanese musician Hikaru Utada, which was released as a double A-side single alongside her song "Stay Gold" on February 20, 2008. It served as the fifth single from her fifth Japanese-language album Heart Station. "Heart Station" was fully written, composed and produced by Utada herself. The song was created with the image of a song that would come on if you were to turn on your car radio on a late-night highway on your way home from work or play, with the title meaning a place that transmits radio waves from the heart. Musically, it is a midtempo pop ballad. Lyrically, it speaks about bidding someone adieu and still trying to reach them and maintain their presence in your life.
"Prisoner of Love" is Hikaru Utada's 21st Japanese single and 30th single overall. It was cut from her fifth Japanese album, Heart Station (2008), making it her first Japanese recut single in nine years since "First Love" in 1999. "Prisoner of Love" is the theme song for the Fuji TV dorama Last Friends, making it her first song since "Sakura Drops" in 2002 to be used as a main theme song. It was released as a digital download on March 26, 2008, and as a CD single on May 21.
"Fight the Blues" is Hikaru Utada's second Japanese digital single and 29th single overall. It was released on March 27, 2008, as a promotional single for her fifth Japanese studio album. "Fight the Blues" was tied-in as the CM song for the program 報道特集NEXT for her Heart Station album. This digital single reached number one in virtually every online music store in Japan prior to the Heart Station album's release, including the most used store in Japan, iTunes Japan, as well as OnGen, among others.
"Eternally" is a song by Japanese musician Hikaru Utada, from their 2001 album Distance. It was re-arranged in 2008 as "Eternally (Drama Mix)" for use in the Maki Horikita starring Fuji TV drama Innocent Love. It was released as a digital single on October 31, 2008, and eventually released onto CD in March 2009, on an EMI compilation album I: Zutto, Zutto, Aishiteru (i(アイ)～ずっと、ずっと、愛してる～).
"Come Back to Me" is a pop and R&B song by Japanese American pop singer Hikaru Utada, released under the mononymous moniker Utada. The song was written by Utada and Stargate and was produced by Utada, Stargate and her father, Sking U. "Come Back to Me" is the first single from her second English-language album This Is the One. In the United States, the song has peaked at number five on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play and number 69 on the Pop 100 chart.
"Koko de Kiss Shite." is Japanese singer Ringo Sheena's 3rd single and it was released on January 20, 1999, by Toshiba EMI, East World. It was certified gold twice by the RIAJ: Once in 1999 for 200,000 physical copies shipped, and once in 2011 for 100,000 paid downloads to cellphones.
The discography of Japanese singer Thelma Aoyama consists of seven studio albums, six compilation albums, one extended play, one remix album, one cover album, two video albums and numerous solo and collaboration singles. Aoyama debuted as a musician in 2007 under Universal Music Japan sublabel Universal J, and became famous through her collaboration song with rapper SoulJa, "Koko ni Iru yo". Aoyama's version "Soba ni Iru ne" became one of the most successful songs of all time in Japan, certified for three million ringtone downloads and three million downloads by the RIAJ.
Johannes Maria Leenders Zwaan, better known as Soulja, is a Japanese hip-hop musician and songwriter best known for his collaborations with singer Thelma Aoyama, "Koko ni Iru yo" and "Soba ni Iru ne" – the latter of which was the former Guinness World Records holder for the best selling digital single of all-time in Japan.
Lil'B is a Japanese female pop duo, consisting of singer Mie and rapper Aila. They debuted in 2008 with "Orange," the 15th ending theme song for the anime Bleach. They are best known for their song "Kimi ni Utatta Love Song," which topped the RIAJ's monthly ringtone chart in 2008. They are also well known for their single "Tsunaida Te", which was the 3rd ending theme song for the anime Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood.
"If" is a song by Japanese pop singer Kana Nishino. It was released as her 11th single on August 4, 2010. The song was given the working name "I Swear" before its release. In initial promotional material about the single, it was described as a mellow medium tempo ballad, written about "a meeting with fate."
"Ai o Komete Hanataba o" is a song by Japanese pop-rock act Superfly. Used as Edison no Haha's theme song, "Ai o Komete Hanataba o" was released as the band's fourth single on February 27, 2008. The song was Superfly's break-through single, breaking into the Oricon physical singles chart's top 20. As of 2011, it is Superfly's most successful single, being certified as a million ringtone download, triple platinum as a cellphone download, and single platinum for digital sales.
The discography of Japanese pop and jazz vocalist Juju consists of six studio albums, four tribute albums, two extended plays, two live albums, five video albums and numerous singles. Juju debuted as a singer in 2001, collaborating with artists such as DJ Masterkey, Spontania and worked on the soundtrack for the film Kyōki no Sakura.
"Stay Gold" is a pop song by Japanese American musician Hikaru Utada. Used in a high-profile campaign for Kao Corporation's Asience shampoo commercials in 2007, the song was released as a double A-side single with Utada's song "Heart Station" on February 20, 2008.
