J-pop, natively also known simply as pops, is a musical genre that entered the musical mainstream of Japan in the 1990s. Modern J-pop has its roots in traditional Japanese music, but significantly in 1960s pop and rock music, such as The Beatles and The Beach Boys, which led to Japanese rock bands such as Happy End fusing rock with Japanese music in the early 1970s. J-pop was further defined by new wave groups in the late 1970s, particularly electronic synth-pop band Yellow Magic Orchestra and pop rock band Southern All Stars.
Mai Kuraki is a Japanese pop and R&B singer-songwriter and producer. Kuraki debuted in 1999 with the single, "Love, Day After Tomorrow". In 2000, she released her debut album, Delicious Way, which debuted at number-one and sold over 2,210,000 copies in its first week. Kuraki is one of a few female artists in Japan to have their first four studio albums to debut at top of the Oricon album chart.
Rina Aiuchi is a Japanese pop singer. songwriter, and businesswoman. Born in Higashiōsaka, Japan, she won the first season of the audition Super Starlight Contest, winning a recording contract with Giza Studio. Her eurobeat-sounding debut album, Be Happy (2001) was certified gold in Japan and spawned a top-five song, "Koi wa Thrill, Shock, Suspense", which served as the theme song to the Japanese anime television series Case Closed and became viral hit. Aiuchi's second album Power of Words became her best-selling album, selling over 419,000 copies nationwide and certificated platinum in Japan.
Kumiko Kōda, known professionally as Koda Kumi, is a Japanese singer from Kyoto, known for her urban and R&B songs. After debuting with the single "Take Back" in December 2000, Koda gained fame in March 2003 when the songs from her seventh single, "Real Emotion/1000 no Kotoba", were used as themes for the video game Final Fantasy X-2. Her popularity grew with the release of her fourth studio album Secret (2005), her sixteenth single "Butterfly" (2005), and her first greatest hits album Best: First Things (2005), reaching the number-three, number-two, and number-one spots respectively.
Yui, stylized as YUI or yui, is a Japanese singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and actress. Born and raised in Fukuoka prefecture, she played live at various locations in her hometown before being noticed by Sony Music Japan when she was 17 years old, and released her debut single months later. Her singles, however, were only met with moderate success until the breakout "Good-bye Days", which charted for 44 weeks on Oricon and marked her as one of the Japanese music industry's rising stars.
Ayaka Iida, known mononymously as Ayaka, is a female Japanese singer, songwriter and record producer formerly signed to Warner Music Japan. Born in Osaka, she moved to Tokyo to pursue a singing career. She married actor Hiro Mizushima on February 22, 2009.
Lead is a Japanese hip-hop dance and vocal group, initially formed under the name remix in Osaka, Japan in March 2002. They went through two name changes before debuting as "Lead" in May 2002 under the Pony Canyon sub-label Flight Master. The group consists of Shinya Taniuichi, Keita Furuya, Akira Kagimoto and, formerly, Hiroki Nakadoi.
"Wanted " is the fifth single released by Pink Lady, on September 5, 1977. The single topped the Japan charts at number one, having sold 1,650,000 copies, and spent twelve weeks at the top.
Magic is the seventeenth studio album by the Japanese rock duo B'z, released on November 18, 2009. A limited edition was released featuring a bonus DVD with the video "Magical Backstage Tour 2009".
CNBLUE is a South Korean pop rock band formed in 2009. The band consisted of Jung Yong-hwa, Lee Jong-hyun, Kang Min-hyuk (drums), and Lee Jung-shin (bass). First bassist Kwon Kwang-jin left the band after they released their debut Japanese extended play Now or Never in 2009, and was replaced by Lee Jung-shin.
Vivid was a five-member Japanese visual kei rock band from Tokyo. The band was formed in March 2009 and is currently signed with Sony Music Japan's Epic Records Japan label. Vivid had announced on Jan 28, 2015, that they will be disbanding after the last stop of their final tour in April.
Michiyo Heike, is a Japanese pop singer-songwriter and singer from Osaka Prefecture and raised in Nabari, Mie. She first become known after her appearance on the Japanese talent show Asayan in the late 1990s, becoming the first member of the future "Hello! Project". Heike currently goes by the mononym Michiyo.
Super Girl is the second Japanese full-length album by South Korean girl group Kara. It was released digitally on November 16, 2011 and physically on November 23, 2011. A special Tour Edition of the album was released on April 11, 2012.
Maaya Uchida is a Japanese actress, voice actress and singer who works for I'm Enterprise. In February 2014, she won the Best New Actress Award in the 8th Seiyu Awards. She debuted as a singer under Pony Canyon with the song Soushou no Innocence, which is produced by Tomita Akihiro. Her younger brother is Yūma Uchida, who is also a voice actor working in the same company. She made television appearances, including in Unofficial Sentai Akibaranger with the role of Hakase Hiroyo.
Eternity: Love & Songs at Billboard Live is the eighth live DVD released by the Japanese singer/songwriter Koda Kumi. The DVD is part of her celebration of ten years as an artist and contains content from her first cover album, Eternity: Love & Songs. There were a total of 16 performances held over four days in Osaka and Tokyo starting on December 6, 2010. The concert was performed with a live band. The DVD charted at #2 on Oricon Live Charts.
"Let's Go Out" is the debut single by Japanese pop duo Amoyamo. It was released October 31, 2012. The single peaked at number 23 on the Oricon singles chart and charted for five weeks. "Let's Go Out" was used as the twelfth opening song for Gintama. The single included a cover of "Pray" by Tommy heavenly6, which was the original Gintama opening.
Flash is the debut studio album by Japanese pop duo Amoyamo. The album peaked at #30 on the Oricon albums chart.
Manatsu no Magic is the debut single by Japanese hip-hop group Lead released on July 31, 2002. The single debuted on Oricon at #18 and remained on the charts for five weeks. The success of the single and their following single, "Show me the way", helped them win the Best Newcomer Award during the 44th Japan Record Awards, alongside day after tomorrow, Mika Nakashima and Sachika Shino.
Lead Live Tour Upturn 2005 is the second concert DVD by the Japanese hip-hop group Lead, released on December 7, 2005. It charted at No. 35 on Oricon and remained on the charts for two weeks.
