Ai Carina Uemura, known mononymously as Ai, is a Japanese-American singer-songwriter, rapper, record producer, spokeswoman, and actress. Born in Los Angeles, California, Ai moved to Kagoshima, at age 4. Motivated to become a singer, Ai returned to Los Angeles during her adolescence, attending the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts. While in Los Angeles, Ai performed as part of a gospel choir at a Mary J. Blige concert and appeared as a backup dancer in Janet Jackson's music video, "Go Deep". She briefly joined the Asian girl group SX4 in 1999 until she graduated high school.
"Appears" is a song recorded by Japanese recording artist Ayumi Hamasaki. It was released by Avex Trax on November 10, 1999 as the sixth single from her second studio album Loveppears (1999), which was released on the same day. Alongside this, it has been released in several other territories with different release dates under her Western alias Ayu. It also served as Hamasaki's first limited edition single, limiting physical sales to 300,000 copies. The track was written by Hamasaki herself, while production was handled by long-time collaborator Max Matsuura. Musically, "Appears" is a dance song written in third person perspective, and is about the third person watching what appears to be a happy and loving relationship. Upon its release, "Appears" received positive reviews from music critics. Alexey Eremenko, writing for AllMusic, selected the track as the best song from the album and her career. However, an editor from CD Journal criticized the amount of remixes on the CD single.
The discography of Japanese-American R&B and pop singer Hikaru Utada consists of eleven studio albums, three compilation albums, eleven video albums and numerous singles and promotional singles. Utada began as a musician in the early 1990s as a member of U3, a family unit made up of her, her mother Junko Utada, also known as 1970s enka singer Keiko Fuji, and her father, musical producer Teruzane Utada. U3 released their debut album Star in 1993, with the hope to debut in America. In 1996, the group was rebranded as Cubic U, an R&B project focusing on Hikaru Utada, resulting in the English language album Precious in 1998 with record label Toshiba EMI.
"Final Distance" is a song by Japanese recording artist Hikaru Utada for her third studio album Deep River (2002). Written by Utada herself, the song was produced and composed by long-time collaborators Akira Miyake, Utada's father Teruzane Utada and herself. "Final Distance" was originally recorded as "Distance" which was taken from the album with the same name, despite not being a single. The song was re-recorded, re-arranged, and dedicated to Rena Yamashita, a six-year-old victim of the Osaka school massacre who had written an essay about being inspired by Utada.
The discography of the Japanese girl group Morning Musume consists of sixteen studio albums, five compilation albums, and seventy singles. Ever since its establishment in 1997, the group has experienced frequent line-up changes, and currently consists of twelve members: Mizuki Fukumura (leader), Erina Ikuta (sub-leader), Ayumi Ishida (sub-leader), Sakura Oda, Miki Nonaka, Maria Makino, Akane Haga, Reina Yokoyama, Rio Kitagawa, Homare Okamura, Mei Yamazaki and Rio Sakurai. The group was formed by Sharam Q vocalist Tsunku, who serves as their lyricist, composer, and producer.
The discography of Japanese R&B singer Misia consists of nine studio albums, three compilation albums, one extended play (EP), one live album, six remix albums, twenty-six singles, twelve promotional singles, eighteen video albums and thirty-seven music videos. In 1997, Misia signed a recording contract with BMG Japan and joined the then up-and-coming talent agency, Rhythmedia. Under the sub-label Arista Japan, Misia released her first single, "Tsutsumikomu Yō ni..." in February 1998, followed by "Hi no Ataru Basho" in May. In June, her debut album, Mother Father Brother Sister, opened at number three on the Oricon chart. The album peaked at number one three weeks later and stayed in the top five for eleven consecutive weeks. Mother Father Brother Sister was certified double million and won a Japan Record Award for Best Album, as well as a Japan Gold Disc Award for Pop Album of the Year. In 2000, Misia's second studio album, Love Is the Message, debuted at number one and was certified double million. It won a Japan Record Award for Best Album and a Japan Gold Disc Award for Pop Album of the Year. The album spawned three top ten hits: "Believe," "Wasurenai Hibi" and "Sweetness." Misia's first remix album, Misia Remix 2000 Little Tokyo, was released three months later and shot to number one. It sold over 800,000 copies and is the second best-selling remix album of all time in Japan.
BUT / Aishou(愛証 / Love Proof) is singer-songwriter Koda Kumi's 35th single and was released on March 14, 2007. It was her first single of 2007 and first to bring her new era, Kingdom. The single was a limited purchase, only being sold from March 2007 to May 2007. It charted No. 2 on Oricon and stayed on the charts for fourteen weeks. The single was released the same day as her third compilation album, Best ~Bounce & Lovers~, which was also of limited release.
"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. 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.
"Freaky" is the 36th single by Japanese singer Koda Kumi, released on June 27, 2007. The single took the #1 spot on the Oricon charts, making it her fourth #1 single, and charted for fifteen weeks.
Greeeen is a Japanese vocal group from Kōriyama in Fukushima Prefecture, comprising the all-male four members: HIDE, navi, 92, and SOH.
The discography of Japanese recording artist and actor Masaharu Fukuyama consists of ten studio albums, four compilation albums, three remix albums, twenty video albums, and numerous physical and promotional singles. Fukuyama debuted through BMG Japan by releasing the single "Tsuioku no Ame no Naka" (1990) and the album Dengon. The works failed to chart, however, in 1992 the single "Good Night", aided by the popularity it gained through use in the drama Ai wa Dō da, charted on the Oricon Singles Chart, peaking at number nine. In 1993, his album Calling became his first number one album on the Oricon Albums Chart; it has sold over 850,000 copies in Japan and has been certified two-times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ).
2004 Ai is the third studio album by Japanese-American singer-songwriter Ai, released on June 16, 2004, by Def Jam Japan and Universal Sigma. 2004 Ai was Ai's first top 10 album, as well as her first album to be certified by the Recording Industry Association of Japan.
Mic-a-holic Ai is the fourth studio album by Japanese-American singer-songwriter Ai, released on July 7, 2005, by Island Records and Universal Sigma. It is the best selling album of Ai's career to date, being released just after Ai's single "Story" became a hit. The album was certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of Japan for 500,000 shipped copies.
What's Goin' On Ai is the fifth studio album by Japanese-American singer-songwriter Ai, released on September 27, 2006, by Island Records and Universal Sigma. It was released after the successful ballad single "Believe," and the upbeat R&B song "I Wanna Know."
Again is the fourth extended play by Japanese recording artist Ayumi Hamasaki from her fourteenth studio album Love Again (2013). The EP contains the songs "Wake Me Up", "Sweet Scar", "Snowy Kiss" and "Ivy", alongside remixes and instrumental versions of the original tracks. Produced by longtime collaborator Max Matsuura, Again is a pop EP.
Ichiro Yamaguchi, is a Japanese musician. He is the vocalist, guitarist and songwriter for the Hokkaido rock band Sakanaction.
The following is the discography of hide, a Japanese rock musician who first gained fame in the late 1980s as lead guitarist of the heavy metal band X Japan before starting his solo career in 1993. Prior to X Japan, hide was leader and guitarist of the heavy metal band Saber Tiger, who released one self-titled EP in July 1985 and contributed to two omnibuses before ending activities. Although two compilation albums of demos and live recordings and one concert VHS would later be released in 2001, with the band credited as Yokosuka Saver Tiger.
My Name Is Ai is the debut studio album by Japanese–American singer-songwriter Ai, released on November 2, 2001, by RCA Records and BMG Fun House.
Original Ai is the second studio album by Japanese–American singer-songwriter Ai. It was released on July 23, 2003, by Def Jam Japan. The album features guest appearances and collaborations from Dabo, American rapper Joe Budden and Sphere of Influence.
Feat. Ai is the second compilation album by Japanese–American singer-songwriter Ai, released December 1, 2004, by Island Records and Universal Sigma. The compilation was Ai's first release under Island Records and contains a variety of songs that have her as a featured artist.
