Mai Kuraki is a Japanese pop and R&B singer-songwriter and record producer. After releasing her US debut single "Baby I Like" in 1999, Kuraki signed with Giza Studio and released her Japanese debut single "Love, Day After Tomorrow" in 1999. In 2000, she released her debut album, Delicious Way, which debuted at number-one and sold over 2.2 million copies in its first week. The album has spawned four top-three singles, "Love, Day After Tomorrow", "Stay by My Side", "Secret of My Heart", and "Never Gonna Give You Up". Eventually, the album sold over 3.5 million copies nationwide and became the best-selling album in Japan in 2000, and has been the ninth best-selling album in Japan of all-time.
Toshinobu "Toshi" Kubota is a Japanese singer, songwriter, musician, music producer, and radio personality. He has produced six million-seller records and thirty-three Top 40 singles during his career. Kubota is currently part of Sony Music Japan. In addition, he has composed and written songs for many singers including Hiromi Iwasaki, Misia, Toshinori Yonekura, Kyōko Koizumi, and many other recording artists.
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.
"In My Soul/Snow Song from Mars & Roses" is the thirteenth single by Japanese recording artist Misia. It was released on December 3, 2003 as the second single from Misia's fifth studio album Mars & Roses.
"Sea of Dreams: Tokyo DisneySea 5th Anniversary Theme Song" is the sixteenth single by Japanese recording artist Misia. It was released on July 12, 2006, and was included as a bonus track on the first pressing of Misia's seventh studio album Ascension.
Mars & Roses is the fifth studio album by Japanese R&B singer Misia, released on February 11, 2004. It debuted at #3 with 151,087 copies sold. The album was recorded in London, New York and Tokyo. The song Little Rose, the title and theme of the album were inspired by Antoine de Saint Exupéry's The Little Prince. Mars & Roses was produced by American songwriter Keith Crouch and includes a duet with Erykah Badu. The first pressing of the album includes a bonus live version of "Snow Song", whose simple piano arrangement was created by Misia's band leader and pianist, Tohru Shigemi, during one of their tour rehearsals.
Misia Love & Ballads: The Best Ballade Collection is Misia's third compilation album, released on June 16, 2004 by her previous label Arista Japan. It sold 54,107 copies in its first week and peaked at #1.
Kana Nishino is a Japanese singer and songwriter signed with SME Records' Newcome Inc. She debuted on February 20, 2008, with the single "I". CNN said that she was the favorite singer of teenage girls in Shibuya, Tokyo, signalling Sony's jump on the bandwagon effect started by Avex. She has sold 6 million copies in Japan.
Just Ballade is the ninth studio album by Japanese singer Misia. It was released on December 16, 2009 by Ariola Japan, marking Misia's first album release under the label. The album yielded seven singles, "Yes Forever" and "Yakusoku no Tsubasa", released in 2008, the digital exclusive "Sukoshi Zutsu Taisetsu ni", the double A-side single "Ginga" / "Itsumademo", "Aitakute Ima", and lastly "Hoshi no Yō ni...", released on the same day as the album. Just Ballade was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of Japan.
"Hoshi no Yō ni..." is a song recorded by Japanese singer Misia, from her ninth studio album, Just Ballade. It was released simultaneously with the album on December 16, 2009, through Ariola Japan. "Hoshi no Yō ni..." is the theme song to the kaiju film Mega Monster Battle: Ultra Galaxy.
"Kioku" is a song recorded by Japanese singer Misia for her tenth studio album, Soul Quest. It was released as the album's lead single by Ariola Japan on May 25, 2011. "Kioku" is the theme song to the EX drama series Iryū Sōsa, starring Takaya Kamikawa.
Soul Quest is the tenth studio album by Japanese singer Misia. It was released on July 27, 2011, through Ariola Japan. The album yielded three official singles, the digital exclusives "Edge of This World" and "Life in Harmony", and the sole physical release "Kioku". The lead track, "This Is Me", served as promotional single for the album.
"Koi wa Owaranai Zutto" is a song recorded by Japanese singer Misia. It was co-written by Misia and Jun Sasaki and produced by Misia. "Koi wa Owaranai Zutto" was released as a single simultaneously with the Tour of Misia Japan Soul Quest concert DVD on June 20, 2012, through Ariola Japan. The title track served as theme song for the NHK drama series Hatsukoi, starring Yoshino Kimura.
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.
"Shiroi Kisetsu" is a song recorded by Japanese singer Misia, from the album Love Bebop. It was released as the album's lead single digitally on February 4, 2015, through Ariola Japan. It was released as a limited double A-side CD single alongside the song "Sakura Hitohira" a week later, on February 18, 2015. The song was co-written by her0ism and Yuuki Idei, and arranged and produced by her0ism. The song is featured as theme song on the soundtrack of the EX drama series Second Love starring Kazuya Kamenashi and Kyoko Fukada. The limited physical release includes a piano rendition of "Shiroi Kisetsu" as a hidden track.
"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 :)".
Misia Hoshizora no Live Song Book: History of Hoshizora Live is the second live album by Japanese singer Misia. It compiles live material, spread out over two discs, collected from the Hoshizora Live concert series, recorded from its first installment in 2001 to the most recent in 2015, in commemoration of the series' 15th anniversary. The double album was released on March 9, 2016, through Ariola Japan.
