Bird (singer)
Encyclopedia
Bird is the alias
for the Japanese singer Kitayama Yuki (北山有紀) born December 9, 1975.
and graduated with a undergraduate degree in sociology
. While she was in university, she was a member of the school's light music club.
She spent a year in New York
after graduating. Returning to Osaka
in the late 1990s, she started her singing career by singing at various jazz club
s. After achieving fame in the locality, she was discovered by record producer
Shinichi Osawa, better known as Mondo Grosso.
In 1998, Kitayama was featured in Zeebra
's Mirai e no Kagi (Osawa's Realized Mix) released in the mini-album The Rhyme Animal Remix EP.1. She came up with the alias bird around this time because her head resembled a bird's nest during her debut. Moreover, she expressed that she wanted her music to echo the song of small birds.
On March 20, 1999, she released her first single Souls on Osawa's label RealEyes. In July of the same year, bird released her first eponymously titled album on the Sony Music Japan label, which sold over 700,000 copies and won her the award of Japan Gold Record for Newcomers.
After RealEyes became independent from Sony Records, bird was able to become the lyricist and producer for her own music.
Pseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
for the Japanese singer Kitayama Yuki (北山有紀) born December 9, 1975.
History
Kitayama graduated from Notre Dame Academy, a girls-only high school in the Kansai region. She then attended Kansai UniversityKansai University
, or , is a private non-sectarian and coeducational university located in Suita, Osaka, Japan and in two other locations: Osaka City; and Takatsuki, Osaka.-History:Kansai University was founded as Kansai Law School in November 1886, in Osaka...
and graduated with a undergraduate degree in sociology
Sociology
Sociology is the study of society. It is a social science—a term with which it is sometimes synonymous—which uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about human social activity...
. While she was in university, she was a member of the school's light music club.
She spent a year in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
after graduating. Returning to Osaka
Osaka
is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...
in the late 1990s, she started her singing career by singing at various jazz club
Jazz club
A jazz club is a venue where the primary entertainment is the performance of live jazz music. Jazz clubs have been in large rooms in the eras of Orchestral jazz and big band jazz and when its popularity as a dance music was common...
s. After achieving fame in the locality, she was discovered by record producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
Shinichi Osawa, better known as Mondo Grosso.
In 1998, Kitayama was featured in Zeebra
Zeebra
, real name , is a Japanese hip hop artist, who made his first appearance in 1995. Zeebra is a former member of the hip-hop group King Giddra, which also included DJ Oasis and K Dub Shine, and the older brother of fellow hip-hop artist SPHERE of INFLUENCE...
's Mirai e no Kagi (Osawa's Realized Mix) released in the mini-album The Rhyme Animal Remix EP.1. She came up with the alias bird around this time because her head resembled a bird's nest during her debut. Moreover, she expressed that she wanted her music to echo the song of small birds.
On March 20, 1999, she released her first single Souls on Osawa's label RealEyes. In July of the same year, bird released her first eponymously titled album on the Sony Music Japan label, which sold over 700,000 copies and won her the award of Japan Gold Record for Newcomers.
After RealEyes became independent from Sony Records, bird was able to become the lyricist and producer for her own music.
Singles
| Release Date | Title | Chart Position |
|
| 1st | March 20, 1999 | SOULS | 44 |
| 2nd | June 30, 1999 | BEATS | 27 |
| 3rd | August 25, 1999 | 君の音が聴こえる場所へ | 76 |
| 4th | October 6, 1999 | 空の瞳 | 14 |
| 5th | December 1, 1999 | 満ちてゆく唇 | 70 |
| 6th | January 21, 2000 | SOULS （Peach Bossa Mix） | |
| 7th | April 1, 2000 | GAME | 25 |
| May 1, 2000 | LIFE MONDO GROSSO feat bird |
||
| 8th | September 27, 2000 | オアシス | 24 |
| 9th | November 22, 2000 | マインドトラベル | 73 |
| 10th | January 31, 2001 | マーメイド3000 | 82 |
| 11th | 7 March 2001 | 桜 | |
| 12th | August 22, 2001 | flow | 42 |
| 13th | December 5, 2001 | ZERO | 73 |
| 14th | February 6, 2002 | 私的パートナー | 80 |
| 15th | April 24, 2002 | 散歩しよう | |
| 16th | August 21, 2002 | フラッシュ | |
| 17th | September 10, 2003 | チャンス | 144 |
| 18th | July 22, 2004 | ハイビスカス | 155 |
| 19th | September 1, 2004 | 髪をほどいて | |
| 20th | August 24, 2005 | 童神 | 140 |
| June 28, 2006 | ファーストブレス | ||
| 21st | October 4, 2006 | SPARKLES | 199 |
| 29 November 2006 | 君が笑う方へ Taiji All Stars feat bird |
||
| 22nd | July 11, 2007 | BATUCADA | 44 |
| 23rd | July 23, 2008 | サマーヌード／ダンシング・シスター | |
| March 13, 2010 | Soul Shine Baker Brothers feat bird |
Albums
| Release Day | Title | Chart Position |
|
| 1st | July 23, 1999 | bird | 8 |
| November 10, 1999 | bird －LIMITED SILVER EDITION | 8 | |
| 2nd | November 22, 2000 | MINDTRAVEL | 5 |
| 3rd | March 6, 2002 | 極上ハイブリッド | 11 |
| 4th | October 8, 2003 | DOUBLE CHANCE | 22 |
| 5th | September 23, 2004 | vacation | 46 |
| 6th | October 4, 2006 | BREATH | 50 |
| 7th | May 25, 2011 | NEW BASIC |
Other albums
| Release Date | Title | Chart Position |
|
| Live | May 23, 2001 | LIVE! tour 2000+1 | 21 |
| Best Of | September 28, 2005 | bird's nest | 27 |
| Cover Album | November 28, 2007 | BIRDSONG EP -cover BEATS for the party- | 66 |
| Cover Album | August 6, 2008 | MY LOVE | 69 |
| Best Of | September 24, 2008 | Free Soul Collection | 246 |
| Best Of | April 29, 2009 | covers |
VHS・DVD
| Release Date | Title |
|---|---|
| VHS、DVD March 23, 2000 |
tour 1999 live! |
| VHS、DVD May 23, 2001 |
bird tour 2000＋1 live |
| VHS、DVD September 19, 2001 |
bird clips! #1 |
| DVD October 9, 2005 |
bird LIVE! '04-'05 |
External links
- bird-watch - Official Site
- bird - Sony Music Japan - bird's page at Sony Music Japan
- bird - Universal J - bird's page at Universal Music J