Now the Queen of J-POP Amuro Namie has retired, it`s time for making a point on some other great female singers in Japan. Strong voice, touching lyrics, inspiring compositions, charism… Japan offers a huge panel of great artists which has gained a durable fame. Of course, there are very numerous names in J-POP but here are some of the greatest you should listen too!
Hamasaki Ayumi
Hamasaki Ayumi used to be known as the Empress of J-POP. She debuted with her first single “Poker Face” in 1998, followed by her very first album “A Song for XX”. Until now, she has released 17 albums, always writing the lyrics with a both beautiful and strong mood, assume her own mistakes and weakness. Every person could find an Ayu`s song to identify with…
This year, Ayu celebrated her 20th anniversary in the music industry and whatever is said in tabloids, she stated proudly she won`t retire yet!
Unfortunately, she has been discovered an ear infection in 2000, and is now completely deaf in one ear.
After 20 years of singing, even if her sales have critically decreased since 2006, Ayu stays a true and major icon in J-POP history and you must absolutely listen to her songs!
Discover Hamasaki Ayumi’s music by listing to her hit album “I am…” ; you can find it at Buyee!
Kōda Kumi
Used to known as the “ero-kakkoi” (sexy and cute) singer, Kōda Kumi is now called the Queen of Live with strong and powerful performances she provided at every live stage! Despite some difficult debuts, she came to fame thanks too her songs “real Emotion” and “1000 no kotoba” which was the theme songs for the game FINAL FANTASY X-2 in 2003! From R`n`B to hip-hop and pop then even pop-rock, Kōda Kumi has tried several musical genres, taking risks but always with the care of music in mind. Her strong and deep voice makes her a true pop diva and there is no excuse not to listen to her music! She just released her new album DNA so let`s enjoy it!
Utada Hikaru
Who doesn`t know the great Hikki! Daughter of a music producer and an enka (Japanese traditional genre of music), she is one of the most popular Japanese singers… in the whole world! She is famous partly because she has written, composed and sang most of the theme songs for the Kingdom Hearts games series. Her very delicate voice touches every heart and even if she mostly sings ballads and mid-tempo songs, you just cannot resist to the power of her melodies. Sometimes you will be sad, thorn, sometimes you will be happy and full of hope. Whatever your actual mood is, it is sure you can enjoy Utada Hikaru`s songs! But be careful, when you start, there is no turning back.
Katō Miliyah
Katō Miliyah is not as popular as the three artists introduced before. However, she is truly talented, and she deserves your attention. She debuted at 16th and yet, she was recognized for her work. Always very inspired, she composes and writes music with strong concepts to offer very well worked pieces of art. Her strong and powerful voice creates beautiful musical sceneries and take you to new journeys as long as you listen to her. She is also a fashion addict who created her own clothing brand called KAWI JAMELE. Maybe you should give a try to this very great artist and you may be able to discover some impressive songs you wouldn’t stop to listen to.
Kuraki Mai
Maybe you already know Kuraki Mai if you have watched the ”Detective Conan” (a.k.a “Case Closed”) animation．Mai K., as she is also known, has broken the Guiness record for “Most theme songs sung by the same artist for an animation series”! She indeed sang 21 songs for that animation series between 2000 and 2017. Congratulations to her! Kuraki Mai is a peerless singer as she sings, with a very smooth voice, some of the most beautiful and hopeful ballads you could listen to. She has also provided some catchy songs which will always make you smile. She also regularly performs concerts with a symphonic orchestra which give another delicate atmosphere to her songs. If you want to relax and calm down, it is sure you would love Mai K.`s songs!
After Word
Although J-POP is nowadays in a constant evolution, there are still some artists who stay very famous and must-know. If you like J-POP or want to know more about it, maybe you could give a try to the singers introduced before. You have a lot to listen to and here, at Buyee, we are curious about your favorite!
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