Younha
Encyclopedia
Younha is a South Korean pop
singer who first got her start in Japan
, and continues to have success today in both countries.
Younha made her debut as an artist at the young age of sixteen. Nicknamed the "Oricon
comet" for her success in Japan, she has released eight singles and two albums there with varying degrees of success. Several of her songs have been featured in anime
and drama
series.
Younha was signed to Epic Records, a branch of Sony Music Entertainment Japan
, from 2004 to 2008, after which she moved to Sistus Records, a Geneon Entertainment label. In South Korea, she is signed to Lion Media and Stam Entertainment.
. What began as an interest in Japanese dramas developed into an interest in Japanese music
. With the recommendation of an older student in her school's broadcasting club, she began listening to artists such as Hikaru Utada and Misia. Younha began to dream about becoming a singer alongside her favorite artists.
After a TV drama producer heard her demo tape, her single "Yubikiri", was chosen as the insert song for the Japanese Fuji TV Monday drama Tokyo Wankei ~Destiny of Love~. In October of the same year, she released her official first single, "Yubikiri -Japanese version-
".
", was used as an ending song for the popular Bleach
anime. It became a hit, debuting on the Oricon chart at #18 and peaking at #12, and propelled Younha into the limelight. With this single, she became the second Korean, after BoA
, to have broken the Oricon chart's top 20. Between "Touch / Yume no Tsuzuki" and "Houki Boshi", she released "Motto Futari de". It flopped and only reached #117 on the Oricon Charts, possibly due to a lack of promotion. Her later single, "Touch / Yume no Tsuzuki
", debuted at #15, and peaked at #11. After releasing five singles, Younha released her first album entitled Go! Younha
. It reached the #10 spot on the Oricon weekly charts.
" was a re-cut single from Go! Younha, and was re-cut because it was the theme to the video game Bleach GC: Tasogare Ni Mamieru Shinigami. It was limited to 70,000 copies and flopped, selling only about 2 000 copies and ranking at #58. Because of its limited print, however, it has become extremely valuable and rare to her fans. Younha was also chosen to sing the ending theme to the anime Jyu Oh Sei
(獣王星). The single, "Te wo Tsunaide" did slightly better than "My Lover", peaking at #50.
"Ima ga Daisuki
" (今が大好き) was released, with more live performances than "Te wo Tsunaide." It was her second worst ranking single, at #71. "Ima ga Daisuki" was also used as an opening song for the animation Jang Geum's Dream
while the b-side "Inori" was used as its ending song.
Younha released a digital Korean single titled "Audition
". The single includes "Audition (Time 2 Rock)", a pop rock song, and "Waiting" (기다리다), a ballad. As it was released as a digital single, very limited hard copies of the single were available. Many performances of this song were shown on Korean TV. The single received a lot of promotion and as a result, "Audition
" charted for over 3 months on all Korean charts.
Younha was once again chosen to sing an anime theme song for the anime Kiba
. The song "Hakanaku Tsuyoku
" (儚く強く) was used as the second opening for the show. The single was released on January 17, 2007.
(고백하기 좋은 날, Gobaekhagi Jo-eun Nal). The album was a success, peaking at #1 on the charts. The first song promoted from the album was "Password 486", for which she won the SBS Inkigayo Mutizen award twice. The second song promoted was "Love Condition". She made a music video for "Passsword 486", which stars fellow Stam artist Yoon Ji-hoo. The album also features a collaboration with Wheesung
.
On July 14, 2007, Younha appeared on the Korean GomTV MSL Grand Finals (a StarCraft
tournament) and performed in the opening ceremony.
At the 2007 MKMF held on November 17, 2007, Younha won the Best New Solo Artist award.
(혜성, Hyeseong) and was released on October 23.
, on March 26. She also re-released her very first Korean single "Audition" on March 14 as an offline CD. Seoul Records is limiting the amount of "Audition" to 10,000 CDs.
, comprising 17 tracks including 2 instrumentals. It features the hit single "Telepathy", as well as her second collaboration with Tablo
"Memory (Rap Mix)".
A Japanese version of "Memory (Rap Mix)", titled "Kioku", was used as the ending theme to the Rideback
anime.
Younha finished filming her first full-length Japanese movie, This Sunday (今度の日曜日に, Kondo no Nichiyoubi ni) which was released in April 2009. She has also produced a song for the movie On the Other Side of the Rainbow (虹の向こう側, Niji no Mukougawa), which has been released as a single.
She released a comeback single for Japan on July 22, 2009, titled "Girl". Her next Japanese single, "Sukinanda" was released on November 18, 2009. The single also included another new Japanese song titled "Sunday".
On December 11, 2009 Younha released the second part of her last Korean album, Part B: Growing Season
. The songs in this album go back to her older piano pop rock and ballad style. There are a total of 9 tracks in this album, two of which are instrumentals. It features the hit single "We Broke Up Today".
There will be two versions available for fans, a regular edition and a limited edition. The limited edition will contain a DVD with five music videos. To help promote the announcement, she has finally released a music video for her song "Soratomo ~ Sora wo Miagete" that served as her SOLIVE theme. The track has not yet confirmed for release on the new album, but since she is promoting it, the song will likely be added to the track list in the future.
, One More Time, One More Track. (12.21.05)
Younha was selected as one of 14 female artists to perform in the omnibus album 14 Princess ~Princess Princess Children~, a collection of the most famous songs by the top girls band Princess Princess
of late 80's and early 90's. Younha performed the song Diamonds, which was the #1 seller of the year during 1989 in Japan. (03.08.06)
Younha has been featured on the following albums:
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
singer who first got her start in 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...
, and continues to have success today in both countries.
Younha made her debut as an artist at the young age of sixteen. Nicknamed 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...
comet" for her success in Japan, she has released eight singles and two albums there with varying degrees of success. Several of her songs have been featured in anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
and 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...
series.
Younha was signed to Epic Records, a branch of Sony Music Entertainment Japan
Sony Music Entertainment Japan
is Sony's music arm in Japan. SMEJ is directly owned by Sony Corporation and independent from the United States-based Sony Music Entertainment due to its strength in the Japanese music industry....
, from 2004 to 2008, after which she moved to Sistus Records, a Geneon Entertainment label. In South Korea, she is signed to Lion Media and Stam Entertainment.
Early life
Born in South Korea to music-loving parents, Younha began to play the piano at the age of 4. She developed an interest in Japanese television dramas and began to teach herself JapaneseJapanese language
is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
. What began as an interest in Japanese dramas developed into an interest in Japanese music
Music of Japan
The music of Japan includes a wide array of performers in distinct styles both traditional and modern. The word for music in Japanese is 音楽 , combining the kanji 音 with the kanji 楽...
. With the recommendation of an older student in her school's broadcasting club, she began listening to artists such as Hikaru Utada and Misia. Younha began to dream about becoming a singer alongside her favorite artists.
"Yubikiri" Era
In order to accomplish her dreams, Younha began to audition within Korea. She says that she went through as many as 20 auditions. She also commented in an interview that certain companies refused to sign her to their labels because they believed she was not "pretty" enough, although she sang very well.After a TV drama producer heard her demo tape, her single "Yubikiri", was chosen as the insert song for the Japanese Fuji TV Monday drama Tokyo Wankei ~Destiny of Love~. In October of the same year, she released her official first single, "Yubikiri -Japanese version-
Yubikiri (Japanese)
Yubikiri - Japanese version is the first single of Younha released on October 20, 2004. It was used in the Japanese drama Tokyo Wankei.-Track listing:#Yubikiri - Japanese Version #Hana no Yō ni...
".
'"Houkiboshi" to Go! Younha Era
Younha's second single, "Houki BoshiHouki Boshi
is the second single of Younha released on June 1, 2005. It was used in the anime Bleach as the third ending song.-Track listing:#Hōkiboshi #Ashita, Tenki ni Nare #Omoide ni Dekinai...
", was used as an ending song for the popular Bleach
Bleach (manga)
is a Japanese shōnen manga series written and illustrated by Noriaki "Tite" Kubo. Bleach follows the adventures of Ichigo Kurosaki after he obtains the powers of a —a death personification similar to the Grim Reaper—from another Soul Reaper, Rukia Kuchiki...
anime. It became a hit, debuting on the Oricon chart at #18 and peaking at #12, and propelled Younha into the limelight. With this single, she became the second Korean, after BoA
BoA
Boa Kwon , commonly stylized and known by her stage name BoA, which is a backronym for Beat of Angel, is a Korean singer, active in South Korea, Japan, and the United States and sometimes referred to as the "Queen of Korean Pop Music"....
, to have broken the Oricon chart's top 20. Between "Touch / Yume no Tsuzuki" and "Houki Boshi", she released "Motto Futari de". It flopped and only reached #117 on the Oricon Charts, possibly due to a lack of promotion. Her later single, "Touch / Yume no Tsuzuki
Touch / Yume no Tsuzuki
"Touch" / "Yume no Tsuzuki" is the fourth single of Younha released on September 7, 2005. It is a cover of the opening theme of Touch originally by Yoshimi Iwasaki.-Track listing:#Touch #Yume no Tsuzuki...
", debuted at #15, and peaked at #11. After releasing five singles, Younha released her first album entitled Go! Younha
Go! Younha (album)
Go! Younha is the first official album by pop/rock singer Younha, released on October 5, 2005. The album title is a pun on her Korean name, 고윤하 .-Track listing:#Houkiboshi - Album Mix Version...
. It reached the #10 spot on the Oricon weekly charts.
"Te wo Tsunaide" to "Hakanaku Tsuyoku" Era
"My LoverMy Lover
-Track listing:#My Lover #Mafuyu no Veil #Kaerimichi #My Lover...
" was a re-cut single from Go! Younha, and was re-cut because it was the theme to the video game Bleach GC: Tasogare Ni Mamieru Shinigami. It was limited to 70,000 copies and flopped, selling only about 2 000 copies and ranking at #58. Because of its limited print, however, it has become extremely valuable and rare to her fans. Younha was also chosen to sing the ending theme to the anime Jyu Oh Sei
Jyu Oh Sei
is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Natsumi Itsuki. An 11-episode anime adaptation was animated by Bones and premiered April 13, 2006 in Japan as part of Fuji TV's Noitamina programming block....
(獣王星). The single, "Te wo Tsunaide" did slightly better than "My Lover", peaking at #50.
"Ima ga Daisuki
Ima ga Daisuki
"Ima ga Daisuki " is the seventh single of Younha released on September 6, 2006. Both songs were used in the anime Shojo Changumu no Yume as the opening and ending songs.-Track listing:#Ima ga Daisuki #Inori...
" (今が大好き) was released, with more live performances than "Te wo Tsunaide." It was her second worst ranking single, at #71. "Ima ga Daisuki" was also used as an opening song for the animation Jang Geum's Dream
Jang Geum's Dream
Jang Geum's Dream is a Korean animation. It is a production by Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation. The animation was done by Sonokong and Heewon Entertainment. The animation centers on Jang Geum , who enters the Royal Kitchen as an apprentice court lady...
while the b-side "Inori" was used as its ending song.
Younha released a digital Korean single titled "Audition
Audition (song)
"Audition" is Younha's debut Korean single released on December 4, 2006.-Track listing:#Audition #Gidarida #Audition #Gidarida...
". The single includes "Audition (Time 2 Rock)", a pop rock song, and "Waiting" (기다리다), a ballad. As it was released as a digital single, very limited hard copies of the single were available. Many performances of this song were shown on Korean TV. The single received a lot of promotion and as a result, "Audition
Audition (song)
"Audition" is Younha's debut Korean single released on December 4, 2006.-Track listing:#Audition #Gidarida #Audition #Gidarida...
" charted for over 3 months on all Korean charts.
Younha was once again chosen to sing an anime theme song for the anime Kiba
Kiba (anime)
, a fantasy anime by Madhouse, began broadcasting on TV Tokyo on April 5, 2006. The series is directed by Hiroshi Kōjina with Upper Deck Japan, a trading card game company, as the main sponsor...
. The song "Hakanaku Tsuyoku
Hakanaku Tsuyoku
"Hakanaku Tsuyoku" is the eighth single of South Korean singer Younha released on January 17, 2007. It was used in the anime Kiba as the second opening song.-Track listing:#儚く強く #会いたい...
" (儚く強く) was used as the second opening for the show. The single was released on January 17, 2007.
The Perfect Day to Say 'I Love You Era
Exactly two months after "Hakanaku Tsuyoku", Younha returned to Korea to release her first Korean album entitled The Perfect Day to Say I Love YouThe Perfect Day to Say I Love You (album)
Shortly after her Korean debut with "Audition", Younha released her first Korean album called The Perfect Day to Say I Love You on March 15, 2007.-Track listing:#"Delete" - 3:39#"Child - I Cry" - 4:11...
(고백하기 좋은 날, Gobaekhagi Jo-eun Nal). The album was a success, peaking at #1 on the charts. The first song promoted from the album was "Password 486", for which she won the SBS Inkigayo Mutizen award twice. The second song promoted was "Love Condition". She made a music video for "Passsword 486", which stars fellow Stam artist Yoon Ji-hoo. The album also features a collaboration with Wheesung
Wheesung
-EPs:*2006: Against All Odds*2008: 스마일 프로젝트 Vol.2 'Love Seat*2009: 휘성 with D.O*2009: Insomnia*2010: Realslow Is Back*2010: Winter Night*2011: Words That Freeze My Heart-OSTs:*2006: 중천의 기억*2009: 우리집에 왜 왔니...
.
On July 14, 2007, Younha appeared on the Korean GomTV MSL Grand Finals (a StarCraft
StarCraft
StarCraft is a military science fiction real-time strategy video game developed by Blizzard Entertainment. The first game of the StarCraft series was released for Microsoft Windows on 31 March 1998. With more than 11 million copies sold worldwide as of February 2009, it is one of the best-selling...
tournament) and performed in the opening ceremony.
At the 2007 MKMF held on November 17, 2007, Younha won the Best New Solo Artist award.
Comet
With her increasing success, Younha released a version of Go! Younha rerecorded in Korean. The album, with tracklist changes, is titled CometComet (album)
혜성 is the 1.5th Korean album by pop/rock singer Younha, released on October 23, 2007. It is a remake of her first Japanese album Go! Younha with a few tracklist changes.-Track listing:# 혜성 Hyeseong ...
(혜성, Hyeseong) and was released on October 23.
Return to Japan in the first half of 2008
On January 18, Younha left Korea to continue her music career in Japan. She released a "best of" Japanese album/music video DVD, SONGS -Teen's Collection-SONGS -Teen's Collection-
SONGS -Teen's Collection- is a compilation album of Younha's Japanese singles. The album includes two new songs, "Scratch On The Heart" and "Kono Kokoro", and a Japanese version of "Secret Number 486", Younha's hit single from her debut Korean album The Perfect Day to Say I Love You.-CD Track...
, on March 26. She also re-released her very first Korean single "Audition" on March 14 as an offline CD. Seoul Records is limiting the amount of "Audition" to 10,000 CDs.
Someday
On August 28, 2008 Younha released her second Korean album, SomedaySomeday (Younha album)
Someday is Younha's 2nd Korean album, released on August 28, 2008. It is her first album to include an entirely English track .-Track listing:# Gossip Boy# 기억 "Memory"Someday is Younha's 2nd Korean album, released on August 28, 2008. It is her first album to include an entirely English track (My...
, comprising 17 tracks including 2 instrumentals. It features the hit single "Telepathy", as well as her second collaboration with Tablo
Tablo
Daniel Armand Lee, whose Korean name is Lee Seon-Woong , is more commonly known by his stage name Tablo . He is a hip hop musician, rap artist, songwriter and lyricist. He is best known as the rapper and leader of the South Korean hip hop group Epik High...
"Memory (Rap Mix)".
A Japanese version of "Memory (Rap Mix)", titled "Kioku", was used as the ending theme to the Rideback
Rideback
, typeset in Japan as RIDEBACK and RideBack, is a Japanese manga series created by Tetsurō Kasahara. It was serialized in Shogakukan's monthly Ikki magazine from March 2003 to January 2009, spanning a total of ten volumes. Set in Japan in 2020, it follows the story of female student Rin Ogata as...
anime.
Part. A and Part. B and Japanese comeback
Her highly-anticipated third album Part A: Peace Love & Ice Cream was released on April 16, 2009. It features a cuter, more girly image of Younha as she transforms to a fresh image for the new album.Younha finished filming her first full-length Japanese movie, This Sunday (今度の日曜日に, Kondo no Nichiyoubi ni) which was released in April 2009. She has also produced a song for the movie On the Other Side of the Rainbow (虹の向こう側, Niji no Mukougawa), which has been released as a single.
She released a comeback single for Japan on July 22, 2009, titled "Girl". Her next Japanese single, "Sukinanda" was released on November 18, 2009. The single also included another new Japanese song titled "Sunday".
On December 11, 2009 Younha released the second part of her last Korean album, Part B: Growing Season
Part B: Growing Season
3rd Album Part B: Growing Season is a studio album by Korean singer Younha, released on December 11, 2009. While technically her fourth Korean album, it is only a part of the third album as a whole, as referenced by the album title.- Track listing :...
. The songs in this album go back to her older piano pop rock and ballad style. There are a total of 9 tracks in this album, two of which are instrumentals. It features the hit single "We Broke Up Today".
Fourth Album: Under the Same Sky
Her newest Japanese album Under the Same Sky (ひとつ空の下) is announced to be released on September 22, 2010 in Japan and September 29, 2010 in Korea. The album will collect several songs that the singer has released for television and will also provide some great collaboration work. Working together, i-dep and Sotte Bosse's Nakamura Hiroshi will be featured on the album. Also, popular acoustic guitar duo Depapepe will appear as special guests and be doing a song with Younha. The track list isn't final and is subject to changes and additions, but Younha's official site does say that the album will contain 12 songs total.There will be two versions available for fans, a regular edition and a limited edition. The limited edition will contain a DVD with five music videos. To help promote the announcement, she has finally released a music video for her song "Soratomo ~ Sora wo Miagete" that served as her SOLIVE theme. The track has not yet confirmed for release on the new album, but since she is promoting it, the song will likely be added to the track list in the future.
Collaborations
Younha sang the song Boku wa Koko ni Iru on the tribute album to Masayoshi YamazakiMasayoshi Yamazaki
is a Japanese singer-songwriter who plays guitar-driven blues, rock, and pop music, though he has also recorded piano ballads. Though he primarily plays the guitar, he also has played the drums, piano, percussion, saxophone, and glockenspiel on some albums....
, One More Time, One More Track. (12.21.05)
Younha was selected as one of 14 female artists to perform in the omnibus album 14 Princess ~Princess Princess Children~, a collection of the most famous songs by the top girls band Princess Princess
Princess Princess (band)
was a five-piece Japanese Rock/Pop girl band from 1983-1996. They were previously known as "Julian Mama" and "Akasaka Komachi" ....
of late 80's and early 90's. Younha performed the song Diamonds, which was the #1 seller of the year during 1989 in Japan. (03.08.06)
Younha has been featured on the following albums:
- WheesungWheesung-EPs:*2006: Against All Odds*2008: 스마일 프로젝트 Vol.2 'Love Seat*2009: 휘성 with D.O*2009: Insomnia*2010: Realslow Is Back*2010: Winter Night*2011: Words That Freeze My Heart-OSTs:*2006: 중천의 기억*2009: 우리집에 왜 왔니...
's 5th album, Eternal Essence of Music, in the song "만져주기" - Toy's 6th album, Thank You, in the song "오늘 서울 하늘은 하루종일 맑음" ("Today Seoul's skies are sunny all day long")
- Epik HighEpik HighEpik High is a South Korean indie hip hop group from Seoul, South Korea. The group is composed of Tablo, Mithra Jin and DJ Tukutz...
's 5th album, Pieces, Part OnePieces, Part OnePieces, Part One is the fifth studio album by Korean hip hop group Epik High, released on April 17, 2008. A Repackaged Version of the album was released with a remix version of Love Love Love called Love Love Love .-Track listing:...
, in the song "우산" ("umbrella") - AjooAjooAjoo Ajoo Ajoo (Born Noh Ah-joo, is a South Korean singer who debuted in 2008 with the single "1st Kiss".Although his first single did not do as well as expected on music charts he made a comeback with "Paparazzi" which features fellow label mate and popular female solo artist Younha...
's 2nd single, Paparazzi, in the song "Paparazzi" - Kim Bum SooKim Bum SooKim Bum Soo born January 26, 1979, is a South Korean R&B and soul singer famous for his smooth vocals and emotive ballads....
's 6th album, Kim Bum Soo, in the song "줄다리기" - Kim Dong WanKim Dong WanKim Dong Wan was born on 21 November 1979. He is a South Korean entertainer, known as a member of six-member boy band Shinhwa. He has since 2002 has been making a name for himself as an actor, with roles in television dramas such as A Farewell to Sorrow and Children of Heaven...
's single, Promise, in "약속" - Yim Jae Beum's single, The Day I Was Hurt From Love, in "사랑에 아파한 날들"
- Road For Hope with various artists, in "Gift"
External links
- Official Website at Lionmedia
- Official website at Sistus Records
- Official website at Epic Records