Kaela Kimura
Encyclopedia
, born , is a Japanese pop rock
singer, songwriter, model
, and TV presenter.
, Japan
to a British
father and Japanese mother, Kaela started working as a model in 2002 for the Japanese magazine Seventeen
. She went on to host the popular morning television show Saku Saku from April 14, 2003 to March 31, 2006.
Kimura released her only indie single, entitled "Level 42
", but it was later released as her major label debut single on June 23, 2004, after she signed with Columbia Music Entertainment
. The song was used over the end credits of Saku Saku. On October 27, Kimura released her second single, "happiness!!!
", which was followed by her debut album, Kaela
, on December 8, 2004.
Following the release of her third single, "Rirura Riruha
", on March 30, 2005, Kimura saw her fanbase grow considerably. The song was used in a series of Vodafone
commercials in Japan and helped make her a household name. It sold over 100,000 copies, her best-selling single to date, and it also received a nomination for "Best Video" in the MTV Video Music Awards Japan
2005. Nearly seven months later, her next single, "Beat
", was released. The song was composed by Tamio Okuda
. The song had a more pop punk
influence. On January 18, 2006, Kimura released her fifth single, "You
". In March 2006, Circle
was released and debuted at number two on the Oricon
chart. She continued promoting Kit Kat
with a promotional single titled "Circle"; a CD
with the song was sold along with the candy in a limited package. At this point, Kimura decided to leave the TV show, Saku Saku, to focus on her music career. Her last appearance as host was on March 31, 2006.
During 2006, Kimura became the lead vocalist of the rock band Sadistic Mika Band
, which started as a collaboration for Kirin
products promotion, and later resulting in the album Narkissos as Sadistic Mikaela Band. That year, she also covered Roy Orbison
's Oh, Pretty Woman
, which was used as the theme song of 2006 Japanese television drama
s Attention Please
starring Aya Ueto
. She appeared on the program in a cameo role as an airline passenger in episode 10.
On June 28, a new single, "Magic Music
", was released, followed by the release of "Tree Climbers
" three months later. Her eighth single, "Snowdome
", was released in conjunction with her third studio album, Scratch
, on February 7, 2007. The song "Snowdome" was composed by Japanese pop punk band Beat Crusaders
. The album Scratch topped the Oricon
Albums Chart for two weeks and sold over 300,000 copies.
Kimura's ninth single, "Samantha", was released on July 18, 2007. The song was inspired by Samantha Stephens, the protagonist from the ABC
TV series, Bewitched
; and the music video features Hanna-Barbera
designs. In September, a second DVD
from her 'Scratch Tour' was released, followed by her tenth single, "Yellow", a month later. She released her eleventh single, "Jasper", a dance
song very different from her previous works, in early 2008. On April 2, her fourth album, +1, was released and debuted on the Oricon weekly albums chart at number three. After the album's release, Kimura hosted her '+1 TOUR' and released her first music video
compilation Best Video 1.
On September 10, 2008, she released her first double A-side single . The first A-side was used in 'Lucido-L' commercials, while the second was featured in the Japanese film . Kimura released her first ballad, entitled on January 28, 2009, reaching number five on Oricon
, and her fourteenth single, "Banzai", on May 8, followed by her fifth studio album, Hocus Pocus, on June 24, celebrating her fifth anniversary as a singer.
after becoming engaged in late 2009. The two were officially married on September 1. The official marriage announcement was delayed due to work commitments. They have a son (born October 2010, though without a disclosed exact birthdate or name).
Pop rock
Pop rock is a music genre which mixes a catchy pop style and light lyrics in its guitar-based rock songs. There are varying definitions of the term, ranging from a slower and mellower form of rock music to a subgenre of pop music...
singer, songwriter, model
Model (person)
A model , sometimes called a mannequin, is a person who is employed to display, advertise and promote commercial products or to serve as a subject of works of art....
, and TV presenter.
Career
Born in Adachi, TokyoAdachi, Tokyo
is one of the Special wards of Tokyo, Japan. It is located north of the heart of Tokyo. The ward consists of two separate areas: a small strip of land between the Sumida River and Arakawa River and a larger area north of the Arakawa River...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
to a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
father and Japanese mother, Kaela started working as a model in 2002 for the Japanese magazine Seventeen
Seventeen (Japanese magazine)
Seventeen is a monthly Japanese fashion magazine for female teenagers published by Shueisha.Launched in 1967 as a weekly magazine based on the original American Seventeen, the magazine changed the name to SEVENTEEN in 1987, and to Seventeen in 2008.Since the late 1990s, Seventeen has been the...
. She went on to host the popular morning television show Saku Saku from April 14, 2003 to March 31, 2006.
Kimura released her only indie single, entitled "Level 42
Level 42 (song)
"Level 42" is the first single by Japanese pop singer Kaela Kimura, released on June 23, 2004. It peaked at number fourteen on the Japan Oricon singles chart.-Track listing:#"Level 42"#"What ever are you looking for?"#"Level 42 "...
", but it was later released as her major label debut single on June 23, 2004, after she signed with Columbia Music Entertainment
Columbia Music Entertainment
is a Japanese record label founded in 1910 as . It affiliated itself with the Columbia Graphophone Company of the United Kingdom and adopted the standard UK Columbia trademarks in 1931. The company changed its name to Nippon Columbia Co., Ltd. in 1946. It used the Nippon Columbia name until...
. The song was used over the end credits of Saku Saku. On October 27, Kimura released her second single, "happiness!!!
Happiness!!!
"happiness!!!" is the title of a song Japanese pop singer Kaela Kimura, released as the second single from her debut album, Kaela, on October 27, 2004. It peaked at number eleven on the Japan Oricon singles chart....
", which was followed by her debut album, Kaela
Kaela
Kaela is the first album released by Japanese pop singer Kaela Kimura. It was released on December 8, 2004, and peaked at number seven on the Japanese charts. It features the singles, "Level 42" and "Happiness!!!" .-Track listing:...
, on December 8, 2004.
Following the release of her third single, "Rirura Riruha
Rirura Riruha
"RIRURA RIRUHA [リルラ リルハ]" is the third single by Japanese pop singer Kaela Kimura, and the first from her album Circle. Released March 30, 2005, it peaked at number three on the Japan Oricon singles chart, Kimura's highest charting single to date...
", on March 30, 2005, Kimura saw her fanbase grow considerably. The song was used in a series of Vodafone
Vodafone
Vodafone Group Plc is a global telecommunications company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the world's largest mobile telecommunications company measured by revenues and the world's second-largest measured by subscribers , with around 341 million proportionate subscribers as of...
commercials in Japan and helped make her a household name. It sold over 100,000 copies, her best-selling single to date, and it also received a nomination for "Best Video" in the MTV Video Music Awards Japan
MTV Video Music Awards Japan
The MTV Video Music Awards Japan are the Japanese version of the MTV Video Music Awards.Like the MTV Video Music Awards in the United States, in this event artists are awarded for their songs and videos through online voting from the same channel viewers...
2005. Nearly seven months later, her next single, "Beat
Beat (song)
"BEAT" is the fourth single from Japanese pop singer Kaela Kimura. It was released as the second single from her album, Circle, on October 5, 2005. It peaked at #7 on the Oricon charts....
", was released. The song was composed by Tamio Okuda
Tamio Okuda
is a singer, songwriter, and producer. He started his career in 1986 as a member of the band Unicorn. After Unicorn broke up, Okuda moved on to a solo career in 1994 with the single "Ai no Tame ni." He has written and composed many songs for various artists, particularly Puffy...
. The song had a more pop punk
Pop punk
Pop punk is a fusion music genre that combines elements of punk rock with pop music, to varying degrees. Allmusic describes the genre as a strand of alternative rock, which typically merges pop melodies with speedy punk tempos, chord changes and loud guitars...
influence. On January 18, 2006, Kimura released her fifth single, "You
You (Kaela Kimura song)
"You" is the fifth single from Japanese pop singer Kaela Kimura. It was released as the third single from her album, Circle, on January 18, 2006. It peaked at number seven on the Japan Oricon singles chart.-Track listing:#You...
". In March 2006, Circle
Circle (Kaela Kimura album)
Circle is the second album by Japanese pop singer Kaela Kimura, released on March 8, 2006.-Track listing:...
was released and debuted at number two on the Oricon
Oricon
, established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan. It started as , which was founded by Sōkō Koike in November 1967 and became known for its music charts. Oricon Inc...
chart. She continued promoting Kit Kat
Kit Kat
Kit Kat is a chocolate-coated wafer confection that was created by Rowntree's of York, England, and is now produced worldwide by Nestlé, which acquired Rowntree in 1988, except in the United States where it is made under licence by The Hershey Company. Each bar consists of fingers composed of three...
with a promotional single titled "Circle"; a CD
Compact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
with the song was sold along with the candy in a limited package. At this point, Kimura decided to leave the TV show, Saku Saku, to focus on her music career. Her last appearance as host was on March 31, 2006.
During 2006, Kimura became the lead vocalist of the rock band Sadistic Mika Band
Sadistic Mika Band
was a Japanese rock group formed in 1972. Its name is a parody of the "Plastic Ono Band". Produced by Masatoshi Hashiba on Toshiba-EMI Records , the band was led by the then husband and wife team of guitarist Kazuhiko Kato, and his wife, singer Mika Fukui...
, which started as a collaboration for Kirin
Kirin Brewery Company
is a Japanese company. It is a member of the Mitsubishi keiretsu.-Overview:Kirin sells two of the most popular beers in Japan, Kirin Lager--the country's oldest beer brand--and Ichiban Shibori. In the happoshu category, Kirin Tanrei is the top seller. Kirin handles domestic distribution for...
products promotion, and later resulting in the album Narkissos as Sadistic Mikaela Band. That year, she also covered Roy Orbison
Roy Orbison
Roy Kelton Orbison was an American singer-songwriter, well known for his distinctive, powerful voice, complex compositions, and dark emotional ballads. Orbison grew up in Texas and began singing in a rockabilly/country & western band in high school until he was signed by Sun Records in Memphis...
's Oh, Pretty Woman
Oh, Pretty Woman
"Oh, Pretty Woman" is a song, released in August 1964, which was a worldwide success for Roy Orbison. Recorded on the Monument Records label in Nashville, Tennessee, it was written by Roy Orbison and Bill Dees. The song spent three weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100...
, which was used as the theme song of 2006 Japanese television drama
Japanese television drama
, also called , are a staple of Japanese television and are broadcast daily. All major TV networks in Japan produce a variety of drama series including murder romance, comedy, detective stories, horror, and many others...
s Attention Please
Attention Please
is a manga by Chieko Hosokawa about the training of flight attendants for Japan Airlines originally serialized in Shōjo Friend from Kodansha beginning in 1970. Tokyo Broadcasting System adapted a TV drama from the manga in 1970. Thirty-six years later, Fuji TV produced a new drama series in 2006...
starring Aya Ueto
Aya Ueto
is a Japanese actress, singer, model, tarento, and occasional radio personality. Born in Nerima, Tokyo, Ueto was discovered when she participated in the 7th Japan Bishōjo Contest, where she won the special jury prize...
. She appeared on the program in a cameo role as an airline passenger in episode 10.
On June 28, a new single, "Magic Music
Magic Music
"Magic Music" is the sixth single from Japanese pop singer Kaela Kimura. Released as the first single from her third album, Scratch, on June 28, 2006, it reached number seven on the Japan Oricon singles chart.- Track listing :#"Magic Music"...
", was released, followed by the release of "Tree Climbers
Tree Climbers
"Tree Climbers" is the seventh single from Japanese pop singer Kaela Kimura. It was released on September 6, 2006, and reached number six on the Japan Oricon singles chart. It is from the album Scratch.-Track listing:#"Tree Climbers"...
" three months later. Her eighth single, "Snowdome
Snowdome (song)
"Snowdome" is the eighth single from Japanese pop singer Kaela Kimura, released as the third single from her number-one album, Scratch, on January 17, 2007. It peaked at number six on the Japan Oricon singles chart.-Track listing:#"Snowdome"...
", was released in conjunction with her third studio album, Scratch
Scratch (album)
Scratch is the third album by Japanese pop singer Kaela Kimura, released on February 7, 2007. It reached number one on the Japanese Oricon albums chart.-Track listing:...
, on February 7, 2007. The song "Snowdome" was composed by Japanese pop punk band Beat Crusaders
Beat Crusaders
were a Japanese rock band. During all promotional appearances, their faces are masked by drawings resembling themselves as printed by a dot-matrix printer.-History:...
. The album Scratch topped the Oricon
Oricon
, established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan. It started as , which was founded by Sōkō Koike in November 1967 and became known for its music charts. Oricon Inc...
Albums Chart for two weeks and sold over 300,000 copies.
Kimura's ninth single, "Samantha", was released on July 18, 2007. The song was inspired by Samantha Stephens, the protagonist from the ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
TV series, Bewitched
Bewitched
Bewitched is an American situation comedy originally broadcast for eight seasons on ABC from 1964 to 1972, starring Elizabeth Montgomery, Dick York and Dick Sargent , Agnes Moorehead, and David White. The show is about a witch who marries a mortal and tries to lead the life of a typical suburban...
; and the music video features Hanna-Barbera
Hanna-Barbera
Hanna-Barbera Productions, Inc. was an American animation studio that dominated North American television animation during the second half of the 20th century...
designs. In September, a second DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
from her 'Scratch Tour' was released, followed by her tenth single, "Yellow", a month later. She released her eleventh single, "Jasper", a dance
Dance
Dance is an art form that generally refers to movement of the body, usually rhythmic and to music, used as a form of expression, social interaction or presented in a spiritual or performance setting....
song very different from her previous works, in early 2008. On April 2, her fourth album, +1, was released and debuted on the Oricon weekly albums chart at number three. After the album's release, Kimura hosted her '+1 TOUR' and released her first music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
compilation Best Video 1.
On September 10, 2008, she released her first double A-side single . The first A-side was used in 'Lucido-L' commercials, while the second was featured in the Japanese film . Kimura released her first ballad, entitled on January 28, 2009, reaching number five on Oricon
Oricon
, established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan. It started as , which was founded by Sōkō Koike in November 1967 and became known for its music charts. Oricon Inc...
, and her fourteenth single, "Banzai", on May 8, followed by her fifth studio album, Hocus Pocus, on June 24, celebrating her fifth anniversary as a singer.
Personal life
On June 1, 2010, it was announced on her official website that Kimura would marry actor EitaEita
is a Japanese actor from Tokyo, Japan. His birth name is . He has appeared in many Japanese television dramas and movies; most notable is the TV series Water Boys...
after becoming engaged in late 2009. The two were officially married on September 1. The official marriage announcement was delayed due to work commitments. They have a son (born October 2010, though without a disclosed exact birthdate or name).
Studio albums
- 2004: KaelaKaelaKaela is the first album released by Japanese pop singer Kaela Kimura. It was released on December 8, 2004, and peaked at number seven on the Japanese charts. It features the singles, "Level 42" and "Happiness!!!" .-Track listing:...
- 2006: CircleCircle (Kaela Kimura album)Circle is the second album by Japanese pop singer Kaela Kimura, released on March 8, 2006.-Track listing:...
- 2007: ScratchScratch (album)Scratch is the third album by Japanese pop singer Kaela Kimura, released on February 7, 2007. It reached number one on the Japanese Oricon albums chart.-Track listing:...
- 2008: +1+1 (album)+1 is the fourth album by Japanese pop singer Kaela Kimura, released on April 2, 2008.-Track listing:...
- 2009: Hocus PocusHocus Pocus (Kaela Kimura album)Hocus Pocus is the fifth album by Japanese pop singer Kaela Kimura, released on June 24, 2009.The album was released in formats CD and CD with a DVD.-Track listing:...
- 2011: 8Eight8
RIAJ certified singles
- 2005: "Rirura RiruhaRirura Riruha"RIRURA RIRUHA [リルラ リルハ]" is the third single by Japanese pop singer Kaela Kimura, and the first from her album Circle. Released March 30, 2005, it peaked at number three on the Japan Oricon singles chart, Kimura's highest charting single to date...
" - 2006: "Magic MusicMagic Music"Magic Music" is the sixth single from Japanese pop singer Kaela Kimura. Released as the first single from her third album, Scratch, on June 28, 2006, it reached number seven on the Japan Oricon singles chart.- Track listing :#"Magic Music"...
" - 2006: "Tree ClimbersTree Climbers"Tree Climbers" is the seventh single from Japanese pop singer Kaela Kimura. It was released on September 6, 2006, and reached number six on the Japan Oricon singles chart. It is from the album Scratch.-Track listing:#"Tree Climbers"...
" - 2007: "SnowdomeSnowdome (song)"Snowdome" is the eighth single from Japanese pop singer Kaela Kimura, released as the third single from her number-one album, Scratch, on January 17, 2007. It peaked at number six on the Japan Oricon singles chart.-Track listing:#"Snowdome"...
" - 2008: "JasperJasper (song)"Yellow" is the 11th single from Japanese pop singer Kaela Kimura.-Track listing:#"Jasper "#"Dive Into Shallow"#"Jasper"#"Dive Into Shallow"...
" - 2009: "ButterflyButterfly (Kaela Kimura song)"Butterfly" is a wedding song by Japanese musician Kaela Kimura, released as a digital single on June 1, 2009, roughly a month before her fifth album, Hocus Pocus. It was extremely successful, reaching downloads of over 2,000,000 just over six months after its release. It is Kimura's most...
" - 2009: "Hot Pepper no Uta"
- 2010: "Ring a Ding DongRing a Ding Dong"Ring a Ding Dong" is Japanese musician Kaela Kimura's 16th physical single, released on June 9, 2010. The song was used in a wide-scale commercial campaign for NTT DoCoMo, which featured Kimura in the commercials.-Background:...
"
See also
- Tamio OkudaTamio Okudais a singer, songwriter, and producer. He started his career in 1986 as a member of the band Unicorn. After Unicorn broke up, Okuda moved on to a solo career in 1994 with the single "Ai no Tame ni." He has written and composed many songs for various artists, particularly Puffy...
- Bae Yong JoonBae Yong JoonBae Yong-joon , is a South Korean actor best known for his roles in numerous television dramas and one of the first kkonminam icons. He is known as Yon-sama to his Japanese fans.- Early and private life :...
- PuffyPuffy AmiYumior Puffy AmiYumi is a Japanese rock duo that is currently signed with Sony Music Japan. The group continues to go by the moniker of PUFFY in Japan, but in order to avoid legal naming conflicts with Sean Combs, it has adopted the name Puffy AmiYumi outside of Japan...
- PerfumePerfume (group)Perfume is a Japanese all-girl trio from Hiroshima, Japan, consisting of Ayano Ōmoto, Yuka Kashino, and Ayaka Nishiwaki. They debuted locally in 2001 and made their transition to a major label in 2005, focusing more on electropop...