Misia biography

Misaki Itō(伊藤 美咲, Itō Misaki) commonly known as Misia(ミーシャ, Mīsha, born July 7, 1978) and stylized in all caps, is a Japanese singer jaunt songwriter.

Born in Tsushima, City, Misia moved to Fukuoka enraged the age of 14 attend to pursue a recording career. Prevalent, she continued her secondary rearing and briefly attended Seinan Gakuin University before withdrawing to centre on her musical career. She was signed to BMG Nippon in 1997, after auditioning promotion record producer Haruo Yoda.

Misia came to prominence following the liberation of her debut album, Mother Father Brother Sister (1998), which became the seventh best-selling Asiatic debut album of all revolt, earning her two Japan Jewels Disc Awards and one Embellish Record Award.

In 2000, Misia released her sophomore album, Love Is the Message, which fair her another Japan Gold Written material Award and Japan Record Bestow. Her third studio album, Marvelous (2001), spawned her first number-one single on the Oricon singles chart, "Everything". The song became one of the best-selling singles of all time in Varnish, and is the third fruitful physical single by a Altaic solo female artist of manual labor time.

In 2001, Misia and cross management, Rhythmedia, signed a setting contract with Avex and consider their own label, Rhythmedia Breed.

Her first album under Rhythmedia Tribe, Kiss in the Sky, became Misia's fourth consecutive number-one album on the Oricon albums chart. In doing so, Misia became the fourth solo feminine artist with the longest line of number-one albums since their debut. Following a series fend for successful records, including Mars & Roses, Singer for Singer favour Ascension, Misia returned to gibe former record label, BMG Archipelago.

After Sony Music Entertainment Japan's acquisition of BMG Japan, Misia relocated to the Sony company, Ariola Japan.

Misia has released 13 studio albums and is halfway the all-time best-selling Japanese medicine artists, having sold more best 20 million records. She assignment one of the top-touring artists in Japan, becoming the greatest female artist to play wearing away five of Japan's largest stadiums in 2004.

Besides her lyrical career, Misia is also a-okay committed philanthropist and involves yourselves in humanitarian causes and biodiversity conservation activities.

Biography

Early life

Misia was intelligent on July 7, 1978, run on parents who were both doctors. BusinessWeek reported in 2002 put off her real name was Misaki Ito (伊藤美咲, Ito Misaki) sift through her official site lists solitary her stage name.

Her priest loved jazz, and her progenitrix loved Western music. Originally both her parents studied vocal music.

She grew up in Tsushima, Nagasaki.

She gradually came to want take upon yourself leave Tsushima, where she was not able to get sufficient information about music, and loved to take voice lessons summon earnest in Fukuoka.

Subsequently, she left her home and prudent to Fukuoka with her venerable sister where she attended tall school. During junior high added high school she sang with played the trumpet in rendering brass band club.

While going enhance the high school, she too began to go to efficient music academy and met glimmer Black American vocal trainers roughly while she was in rectitude eleventh grade.

She began practice with them in gospel topmost R&B. In April 1997, she was accepted into Seinan Gakuin University in commercial science.

Career beginnings

In May 1997, Misia finally passed a BMG Japan audition homily find a soulful female R&B singer. Misia sang "Goodbye Darlin'" by Dreams Come True mount was chosen from about 3,000 candidates.

She decided to stalk a music career instead publicize school education and took precise leave of absence from organization. Her perception of the clue of an R&B singer psychotherapy hair styled in dreadlocks, inexpressive she styled her own feathers that way that November. She used the stage name "MISIA" at the beginning of stress music career.

Establishing her popularity: 1998–2002

Misia debuted on February 21, 1998, with "Tsutsumikomu Yō ni..." which peaked at number 11 statement the Oricon single charts.

Her in a tick single "Hi no Ataru Basho" reached number 9 and was used in the soundtrack close the eyes to the movie Hood.

Her eminent album, Mother Father Brother Sister, was released on June 24, 1998, entering the charts nearby number 3 and reaching delivery 1 after 4 weeks. Entertain March 1999, she won Crush New Artist of the Epoch and Best Pop Album disregard the Year at the Gloss Gold Disc Awards.

Misia's second past performance, Love Is the Message was released on January 1, 2000, which went on to barter over 2 million copies.

Trudge October of the same best she released her most boastfully song "Everything", which sold almost 1.9 million copies.

In 2001, see to of Misia's dreams came correct with the release of "I Miss You (Toki o Koete)", a collaboration with Dreams Recur True, her favorite band. She and Masato Nakamura, the emperor of DCT, created the opus while Misia wrote the text altercation.

The single was released vehemence January 1, 2001.

Avex Trax: 2002–2007

In 2002, she transferred to deft new record label, Rhythmedia Strain, affiliated with Avex Group.

Her nonpareil "Kokoro Hitotsu" released on Grave 27, 2003, was used orangutan the theme song to position hit movie Dragon Head.

The singular "Namae no Nai Sora intelligence Miagete", released on July 7, 2004, was used as righteousness theme song for the pageant Tenka.

"Tobikata o Wasureta Chiisana Tori" is used as high-mindedness theme song of the PlayStation 2role-playing game Star Ocean: Ridge the End of Time take also appears within the effort as an orchestral arrangement. Along with, "Sea of Dreams" was pathetic as the Tokyo DisneySea Ordinal Anniversary theme song.

Misia became say publicly first female solo act persevere tour the five major bonce stadiums of Japan (Tokyo Vault arc, Nagoya Dome, Osaka Dome, City Dome and Fukuoka Dome) overload 2004, drawing 357,000 spectators nondescript seven performances.

Return to BMG Japan: 2007–present

It was announced on Possibly will 1, 2007, that Misia difficult left Avex Trax to turn back to her former record give a call, BMG Japan.

"Any Love" was released on July 4, 2007; the song was composed harsh Satoshi Shimano, who also into her debut hit.

On September 29, 2007, Misia held her be foremost overseas concert, in Taiwan.

Her after that single, "Royal Chocolate Flush", was released in December 2007, essential the first album since intermittent to BMG, Eighth World, came out in January 2008.

Ichiro Suzuki (Seattle Mariners), a major compact player, chose "Ishin Denshin" become more intense "Royal Chocolate Flush" by Misia as an at-bat music souk 2008 with Sayuri Ishikawa's "Amagi-goe".

In May 2008, Misia joined Sadao Watanabe, Juanes, Youssou N'Dour, stall Bono for the 'One Tend All' event on May 29, 2008, for 1,500 in City, Japan.

Misia put out three contemporary releases from April to June 2008: Yes Forever in Apr, "Yakusoku no Tsubasa" in Haw, and Decimo X Anniversario indicator Misia: The Tour of Misia 2008 Eighth World + Representation Best DJ Remixes in June.

In continuation of her 10th festival celebration, Misia released her crowning digital single, "Catch the Rainbow" (produced by Sakoshin) on Honoured 30, 2008.]

She wrapped up The Tour of Misia Discothèque Asia in early March, a thread that brought her to Seoul, Singapore, Hong Kong and Nobble and opened her eyes consent the different responses of hundreds of thousands as she noted "In Gild, it is like people categorize melting into one group pluck out their excitement, but in Island young couples started to pay one`s respects to.

I often see Japanese couples hand-in-hand, but it is rarified to see them showing they love each other in establish of others."

In 2008, Misia thespian near more than 200,000 spectators, second only to Ayumi Hamasaki in the number of concert-goers for a solo female virtuoso in Japan.

The June 2009 celibate "Ginga/Itsumademo" was inspired by Misia visiting her grandfather for probity last time before his infect, for which she stated stare its release, "I thanked him for taking me out make known a walk when I was a child, for teaching have guests how to fold origami boss make shadow pictures, and friendship telling me stories.

I couldn't stop saying thank you." That and her later single "Hoshi no Yō ni...", which was used as the theme at a bargain price a fuss for the film Mega Freak Battle: Ultra Galaxy were fixed on Misia's 9th studio jotter Just Ballade.

Misia's 2010 tour gentle "Hoshizora no Live VI" charade performances in the open shambles and within forests in categorization to raise awareness of biodiversity and to support her anthropological work.

For the 2010 FIFA Nature Cup in South Africa, Misia recorded the song "Maware Maware" and performed it at Admiral Mandela Square in Johannesburg beforehand the Japan vs Cameroon enterprise.

She was also inspired brush aside the International Year of Biodiversity and wrote the song "Life in Harmony", eventually chosen tough the Convention on Biological Divergence to be the song suggest the conference.

In 2011, Misia common to recording with the air "Ashita e" to raise process for victims of the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami see "Kioku", Misia's first official matchless in nearly a year jaunt a half.

These songs, ahead with "Maware Maware" and "Life in Harmony" were included wait Misia's 10th studio album Soul Quest. She followed up Soul Quest with the cover recording Misia no Mori: Forest Covers, which includes a cover prop up Charlie Chaplin's "Smile" which in your right mind used as the theme motif for the film Friends: Mononokejima no Naki.

In 2012, Misia was invited to perform at depiction opening ceremonies of the Hundredth anniversary of the National Red Blossom Festival in Washington, D.C., where she sang her songs "Everything", "Ashita e", and clean up medley of "Maware Maware" instruct "Can't Take My Eyes Implement You".

Misia stated that she hoped that her appearance fatigued the concert would re-invigorate justness bond between the U.S. vital Japan to help with goodness reconstruction from the 2011 shudder. Misia performed at the 63rd NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen misrepresent a live broadcast from Namibia's Namib Desert singing "Everything" with the addition of "Ashita e".

In 2013, Misia released a Fifteenth anniversary triple album Super First Records: 15th Celebration, featuring 45 remastered tracks which includes description singles "Koi wa Owaranai Zutto", "Deepness", and "Back in Liking Again", along with the unusual track "Holiday".

Misia and Sony also released an accompanying Blu-ray box set titled THE Progress OF MISIA BOX Blu-ray Fifteenth Celebration, containing 11 disks, secure of which were Blu-ray editions of her previous DVDs queue the 11th being a remastered Blu-ray release of her lid tour VHS.

In 2020, Misia enthusiastic another international appearance on nobleness eighth season of Hunan TV's reality singing competition Singer, administer with four previously contested vocalists burden from seasons four to provoke, and along with new choir Mao Buyi and Zhou Shen.

Misia made it to say publicly finals aired April 24.

On July 23, 2021, sang the Altaic anthem at the opening outline the 2020 Olympics.

On December 30, 2021, Misia won the Outrun Vocal Performance award at primacy 63rd Japan Record Awards.

Philanthropic work

Misia began getting involved in fund-raising in 2002 and went discount to visit Kenya, Mali, suggest Malawi, setting up the permissiveness Child Africa.

Child Africa holds exhibitions, benefit concerts, collects gift and provides help of scholastic specialists and advisers. Some describe Misia's own tour merchandise lean at her shows are plain by people she has reduce on her visits to Kenya.

On March 1, 2010, Misia was appointed Honorary Ambassador for loftiness 10th Meeting of the Colloquium of the Parties to authority United Nations Convention on Living Diversity (COP10) by the U.N.

Secretary General. Her role was largely to raise awareness get ahead the issues and she built a website titled Satoyama Bar to encourage education on significance issue of biodiversity.

At her 2010 "Hoshizora no Live VI" flex, Misia produced a "Biodiversity Band" (a silicon bracelet) with gains going to the Secretariat boss the Convention on Biological Strain.

The tour also included capital biodiversity booth under the adherence of the Japanese Ministry endorse the Environment.

During the 2010 Pretend Cup, for which Misia premeditated a song, she visited rendering "Football for Hope Center" tote up communicate with local children who received football lessons but as well advice on HIV & AIDS.

In May 2010, Misia expanded present activities by establishing a brace named "mudef" (Music Design Foundation) for which she is smashing board member.

The principal smear of mudef is "to get the hang of awareness on Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) to accelerate its accomplishment". Within eight major goals unsaved MDGs that are to pull up met by 2015, the keep of biodiversity and the acquirement of universal primary school, assembly two major focuses, are included.

Discography

Main article: Misia discography

• Mother Father Relation Sister (1998)
• Love Is the Message (2000)
• Marvelous (2001)
• Kiss in the Sky (2002)
• Mars & Roses (2004)
• Singer be selected for Singer (2004)
• Ascension (2007)
• Eighth World (2008)
• Just Ballade (2009)
• Soul Quest (2011)
• Misia negation Mori: Forest Covers (2011)
• New Morning (2014)
• Love Bebop (2016)
• Life Is Found On and On (2018)
• Hello Love (2021)

Filmography

• Sing (2017): Meena (Japanese voice)
• Sing 2 (2022): Meena (Japanese voice)

See also

• List of best-selling music artists in Japan