Misaki Itō, commonly known as Misia and stylized as MISIA, is a Japanese singer and songwriter. Born in Nagasaki, Misia moved to Fukuoka at the age of 14 to pursue a recording career. There, she continued her secondary education and briefly attended Seinan Gakuin University before withdrawing to focus on her musical career. She was signed to BMG Japan in 1997, after auditioning for record producer Haruo Yoda.
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.
"Believe" is Misia's 3rd single. It was released on April 21, 1999. It peaked at #2 selling 95,930 copies on its first week. The song was used in Hitachi's "Maxell MD" commercial. "Believe" is one of MISIA's signature songs.
"Sweetness" is Misia's 5th single. It was released on November 25, 1999 simultaneously with Wasurenai Hibi. It peaked at #7 selling 92,290 copies on its first week and went on to sell over 200,000 copies
"Escape" is Misia's 6th single. It was released on her birthday, 7 July 2000. It peaked at #7 selling 81,130 copies on its first week. It was used in a commercial for Kenwood's "Avino".
"I Miss You " is Misia's 8th and last single with Arista Japan. It was released on 1 January 2001 under the name of "Misia+DCT". It peaked at #3 selling 224,740 copies on its first week. The song is a duet between Misia and Dreams Come True vocalist, Miwa Yoshida. Misia penned the lyrics and composed the melody alongside DCT band member, Masato Nakamura.
"Hatenaku Tsuzuku Story" is Misia's 9th single overall and first with Rhythmedia Tribe. It was released on January 30, 2002. It peaked at #3 selling 86,780 copies on its first week. The song served as opening theme to NHK's Salt Lake City Olympics TV report. Jane Zhang's recorded the Chinese version of this song (我的路) in her third album, Jane@Music. Sarah Geronimo has an English version of the song entitled "Love Can't Lie," on her album Sweet Sixteen.
"Nemurenu Yoru wa Kimi no Sei" is Misia's 10th single. It was released on August 8, 2002. It reached #1, selling 128,630 copies in its first week. It was used as theme song for the drama "Ren'ai Hensachi" as well as in a commercial for Kirin's "Rakuda" beverage.
"Back Blocks" is Misia's 11th single. It was released on 20 November 2002. It peaked at #7 selling 30,846 copies in its first week. The third track, "Tobikata wo Wasureta Chiisana Tori" served as theme song for the PlayStation 2 game "Star Ocean: Till the End of Time".
"Kokoro Hitotsu" is Misia's 12th single. It was released on August 27, 2003. It peaked at #7 selling 36,771 copies in its first week. The song served as theme song for the movie Dragon Head, starring Satoshi Tsumabuki and Sayaka.
"Namae no Nai Sora o Miagete" is the fourteenth single by Japanese recording artist Misia. It was released on July 7, 2004 as the first and sole single from Misia's sixth studio album Singer for Singer.
Misia Remix 2003 Kiss in the Sky: Non Stop Mix is Misia's fourth remix album, released on April 23, 2003. It sold 31,648 copies in its first week and peaked at #3. Disc one is mixed by DJ Ta-shi whilst the second disc is mixed by DJ Gomi.
Ascension is the seventh studio album by Japanese R&B singer Misia, released on February 7, 2007. It is her first album in over two years and last to be released under the Avex subsidiary Rhythmedia Tribe. The album was later re-released under BMG Japan.
"This Is Me" is a song recorded by Japanese singer Misia for her tenth studio album Soul Quest. It was released digitally as a promotional single by Ariola Japan on July 13, 2011.
"Deepness" is a song recorded by Japanese singer Misia. It was co-written by Misia and Jun Sasaki and produced by Misia. "Deepness" was released as a single by Ariola Japan on November 7, 2012. It is the theme song to the TBS drama series Ōoku: Tanjō - Arikoto / Iemitsu-hen, starring Masato Sakai and Mikako Tabe.
Super Best Records: 15th Celebration is the second greatest hits album by Japanese singer Misia. It was released to commemorate Misia's 15th anniversary as a recording artist by Ariola Japan on February 20, 2013, one day shy of her actual 15th anniversary. The three-disc set was released in Blu-spec CD2 format and each disc was remastered by a different music engineer. The compilation includes four reworked tracks, the singles "Koi wa Owaranai Zutto", "Deepness" and "Back in Love Again", and the new song "Holiday", which was released as a promotional single for the album.
New Morning is the eleventh studio album by Japanese singer Misia. The album was released by Ariola Japan on April 2, 2014, the same day as the 77th and final date of Misia's nationwide Hoshizora no Live VII: 15th Celebration concert tour, at the Bunkamura Orchard Hall, which was broadcast live on YouTube. The album yielded the singles "Shiawase o Forever" and "Boku wa Pegasus Kimi wa Polaris". The lead track "Hope & Dreams" was released as a promotional single for the album.
"Orphans no Namida" is a song recorded by Japanese singer Misia. It was released on 25 November 2015 by Ariola Japan as the fifth and final single from her twelfth studio album, Love Bebop (2016). Misia wrote the lyrics and Shirō Sagisu composed, arranged and produced the track. "Orphans no Namida" serves as the first ending theme to the 2015 anime series Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans. In commemoration of the 70th postwar broadcast, Misia performed the album version of "Orphans no Namida" at the 66th NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen, live from the Nagasaki Peace Park.
Love Bebop is the twelfth studio album by Japanese singer Misia. It was released on January 6, 2016, through Ariola Japan. The title, which is synonymous with love freestyle, was inspired by the evolving LGBT movement in Japan, leading Misia to draw a parallel between the growing societal recognition for all forms of love and the various messages of love depicted on the album. On the album's eponymous title track, Misia quotes former American president Barack Obama, who declared "love is love" in a speech given in the aftermath of the Supreme Court of the United States's landmark decision to legalize same-sex marriage nationwide. The album yielded five singles, "Shiroi Kisetsu" / "Sakura Hitohira", "Orphans no Namida" and the digital exclusive double A-side single "Nagareboshi" / "Anata ni Smile :)".
"Anata ni Smile :)" (あなたにスマイル:), Anata ni Sumairu :), lit. "Smile at You :)") is a song recorded by Japanese singer Misia. It was released by Ariola Japan as the fourth single from her twelfth studio album, Love Bebop (2016) on 8 July 2015, one day after Misia's 37th birthday. The song was co-written by Misia and Ki-Yo, composed by the latter and produced by Hiroshi Matsui. "Anata ni Smile :)" was used in television ads for Kirin's Sekai no Kitchen Kara tea, for which a special version with alternate lyrics was recorded. The digital single artwork was painted by author, screenwriter, director and painter Ellie Omiya.
