Hitomi Shimatani
Encyclopedia
, is a female pop
singer signed to the Avex Trax
label.
Shimatani started her career as an Enka
singer with the release of her debut single in 1999, but later decided to get into the dance
/pop
style for her music. Shimatani's music has also appeared in video games and also anime
series.
. Hitomi was chosen out of around 200,000 other girls who participated and received a recording contract with avex. However, before starting her music career, she wished to finish high school—to which avex agreed, but with the stipulation that Shimatani attend vocal lessons at the same time. She agreed. She also liked playing tennis when she was young.
song. Although the single received much critical acclaim and even won some awards, it sold rather poorly, causing either Shimatani, avex, or both to decide that "Ōsaka no onna" was to be both the beginning and the end of Shimatani's enka career. She started to record more songs and in 2000 she released her second single, , which was drastically different, stylistically, than her previous with its extremely pop
leanings.
Before she started her pop career, a single titled "涙くんさよなら" (Namida-kun Sayonara) was released under the name Blue-eye Land.
's song "Doesn't Really Matter
". The single became a hit, eventually selling over 200,000 copies, and vaulted Shimatani into the spotlight. Since then, Shimatani has often been compared with the top artists on avex trax. She has released six studio albums, one "best-of" compilation, a special concept album entitled "crossover", a winter mini-album, a cover album, an overall total of twenty-seven singles and 8 DVD's containing videos and live performances.
Shimatani often uses "exotic-sounding" titles for her songs, including such tracks as (which references the famous Greek myth), (Italian for "hawk"), bella flor and La Fiesta (in Spanish, "beautiful flower" and "the celebration", respectively). She has also been recognized by anime
and video game fans around the globe for songs like Angelus, which was used as an opening theme for the InuYasha
anime series, Falco
as the 1st opening of The Law of Ueki
, Taiyou No Hana Destiny for the anime series BlackJack 21, and Garnet Moon, the main theme from the PlayStation 2
video-game "Another Century's Episode". and are expected to appear in "Another Century's Episode 3 THE FINAL".
Although dance-pop/techno-pop and Latin-styled music were a staple of much of Shimatani's earlier career, she has recently been working extensively in a sound which many have termed "crossover" (named so after the album on which it first made an appearance) -- a blend of traditional pop sensibilities with heavy orchestral and classical-music infusion.
On March 7, 2007, Shimatani released her 6th studio album, Prima Rosa
.
On December 5, 2007, Shimatani released her first cover album, Otoko Uta ~cover song collection~
.
After releasing her 27th single "泣きたいなら" in March 2008, Tokyograph announced that Shimatani's song titled "WAKE YOU UP" is to be the theme song of K-tai Investigator 7
, which started airing in early April 2008, while just a few days later the news about "Wrestling Asia Senshuken 2008" program came out, saying that Hitomi will be doing yet another song for it, "Marvelous" (the previous one was "Neva Eva" which was released back in 2007). In late April 2008, the new single was announced by both Neowing and CDJapan, "WAKE YOU UP/雨の日には 雨の中を 風の日には 風の中を/Marvelous" and it is said it will be a triple A-side, with all the songs having a promotional video.
On July 16, 2008, Hitomi released her seventh studio album, Flare
. On March 4, 2009, she released her thirtieth single, SMILES
, which is being used as the theme song for the drama Parallel, in which Shimatani herself stars.
(She is my only Madonna / ...and I love her). Though she wasn't actually in the movie, she did a cover of Vanessa Hudgens' song "When There Was Me And You", titled "Anata To Ita Toki" ("When I Was with You"), from the hit Disney film High School Musical
.
In 2007, she was chosen to play the lead role of Anne Shirley
during the touring performance of Anne of Green Gables in Japan.
In 2011 she became part of the rock musical Rock of Ages, along with other musicians such as Takanori Nishikawa
and Misono
. On October 1, 2011, Hitomi started her own radio program called Eyes on Me in FM Yokohama.
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 signed to the Avex Trax
Avex Trax
, listed in the Tokyo Stock Exchange as 7860 and abbreviated as AGHD, is the holding company for a group of entertainment-related subsidiaries based in Japan...
label.
Shimatani started her career as an Enka
Enka
is a popular Japanese music genre considered to resemble traditional Japanese music stylistically. Modern enka, however, is a relatively recent musical form which arose in the context of such postwar expressions of modern Japanese nonmaterial nationalism as nihonjinron, while adopting a more...
singer with the release of her debut single in 1999, but later decided to get into the dance
Dance music
Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole musical piece or part of a larger musical arrangement...
/pop
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...
style for her music. Shimatani's music has also appeared in video games and also 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....
series.
Early life
Hitomi Shimatani's childhood dream, like many others, was to become a famous singer. At the age of seventeen, when she was still in high school, Shimatani decided to pursue this goal and attended "The Japan Audition 1997" hosted by the music label avex traxAvex Trax
, listed in the Tokyo Stock Exchange as 7860 and abbreviated as AGHD, is the holding company for a group of entertainment-related subsidiaries based in Japan...
. Hitomi was chosen out of around 200,000 other girls who participated and received a recording contract with avex. However, before starting her music career, she wished to finish high school—to which avex agreed, but with the stipulation that Shimatani attend vocal lessons at the same time. She agreed. She also liked playing tennis when she was young.
As an Enka singer
After having finished school and feeling ready to her first step as a young singer, in 1999 Hitomi released her first single called , an enkaEnka
is a popular Japanese music genre considered to resemble traditional Japanese music stylistically. Modern enka, however, is a relatively recent musical form which arose in the context of such postwar expressions of modern Japanese nonmaterial nationalism as nihonjinron, while adopting a more...
song. Although the single received much critical acclaim and even won some awards, it sold rather poorly, causing either Shimatani, avex, or both to decide that "Ōsaka no onna" was to be both the beginning and the end of Shimatani's enka career. She started to record more songs and in 2000 she released her second single, , which was drastically different, stylistically, than her previous with its extremely pop
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...
leanings.
Before she started her pop career, a single titled "涙くんさよなら" (Namida-kun Sayonara) was released under the name Blue-eye Land.
As a pop singer
Mainstream success did not come until the release of Shimatani's third single, entitled , a Japanese version of Janet JacksonJanet Jackson
Janet Damita Jo Jackson is an American recording artist and actress. Known for a series of sonically innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows, television and film roles, she has been a prominent figure in popular culture for over 25 years...
's song "Doesn't Really Matter
Doesn't Really Matter
"Doesn't Really Matter" is a song recorded by American R&B-pop singer Janet Jackson for the soundtrack to the 2000 film Nutty Professor II: The Klumps...
". The single became a hit, eventually selling over 200,000 copies, and vaulted Shimatani into the spotlight. Since then, Shimatani has often been compared with the top artists on avex trax. She has released six studio albums, one "best-of" compilation, a special concept album entitled "crossover", a winter mini-album, a cover album, an overall total of twenty-seven singles and 8 DVD's containing videos and live performances.
Shimatani often uses "exotic-sounding" titles for her songs, including such tracks as (which references the famous Greek myth), (Italian for "hawk"), bella flor and La Fiesta (in Spanish, "beautiful flower" and "the celebration", respectively). She has also been recognized by 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 video game fans around the globe for songs like Angelus, which was used as an opening theme for the InuYasha
InuYasha
, also known as , is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Rumiko Takahashi. It premiered in Weekly Shōnen Sunday on November 13, 1996 and concluded on June 18, 2008...
anime series, Falco
Falco (song)
"Falco" is Hitomi Shimatani's 19th single under Avex Trax. It was released on August 10, 2005. The single reached #11 on the Oricon charts and sold 36,008 copies. "Falco" is an Italian word which means "hawk"...
as the 1st opening of The Law of Ueki
The Law of Ueki
is a Japanese manga series by Tsubasa Fukuchi. It was first serialised in the manga magazine Weekly Shōnen Sunday in 2002 and ended in 2005. Sixteen tankōbon volumes was compiled and published by Shogakukan. An anime adaptation was first broadcast on TV Tokyo on April 4, 2005, ended with 51...
, Taiyou No Hana Destiny for the anime series BlackJack 21, and Garnet Moon, the main theme from the PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
video-game "Another Century's Episode". and are expected to appear in "Another Century's Episode 3 THE FINAL".
Although dance-pop/techno-pop and Latin-styled music were a staple of much of Shimatani's earlier career, she has recently been working extensively in a sound which many have termed "crossover" (named so after the album on which it first made an appearance) -- a blend of traditional pop sensibilities with heavy orchestral and classical-music infusion.
On March 7, 2007, Shimatani released her 6th studio album, Prima Rosa
Prima Rosa
Prima Rosa is Japanese pop singer Hitomi Shimatani's sixth studio album. There is both a CD and CD+DVD format. "Prima Rosa" is in Italian and means "First Rose".-CD track listing:# Ramblin'# 君の声...
.
On December 5, 2007, Shimatani released her first cover album, Otoko Uta ~cover song collection~
Otoko Uta ~cover song collection~
Otoko Uta: Cover Song Collection is Japanese pop singer Hitomi Shimatani's first cover album. It is available in both CD and CD+DVD format.-CD track listing:# # #...
.
After releasing her 27th single "泣きたいなら" in March 2008, Tokyograph announced that Shimatani's song titled "WAKE YOU UP" is to be the theme song of K-tai Investigator 7
K-tai Investigator 7
is a 2008 Japanese television drama that aired from April 2, 2008 to March 18, 2009. It was a joint collaboration between WIZ and Production I.G. Directed by Takashi Miike, it is described as a science fiction tokusatsu action drama. It was replaced in its time slot by an animated cartoon, Mainichi...
, which started airing in early April 2008, while just a few days later the news about "Wrestling Asia Senshuken 2008" program came out, saying that Hitomi will be doing yet another song for it, "Marvelous" (the previous one was "Neva Eva" which was released back in 2007). In late April 2008, the new single was announced by both Neowing and CDJapan, "WAKE YOU UP/雨の日には 雨の中を 風の日には 風の中を/Marvelous" and it is said it will be a triple A-side, with all the songs having a promotional video.
On July 16, 2008, Hitomi released her seventh studio album, Flare
Flare (album)
Flare is the Japanese pop singer Hitomi Shimatani's seventh studio album. It is available in both CD and CD+DVD format.-CD track listing:# Heavenly# Start...
. On March 4, 2009, she released her thirtieth single, SMILES
Smiles (Hitomi Shimatani song)
"Smiles" is the thirtieth single from Japanese pop singer, Hitomi Shimatani. It was released on March 4, 2009. The title track is the theme song for the Japanese movie, Parallel, starring Shimatani.- Track listing :# Smiles# Stay with Me...
, which is being used as the theme song for the drama Parallel, in which Shimatani herself stars.
As an actress
Shimatani had a part in the Prince of Tennis Live-Action Film as the character of Sumire Ryuzaki. She plays a young and optimistic girl who is Nanjiro Echizen's classmate. She was also in the 11-episode drama Boku dake no MadonnaBoku dake no Madonna
, sometimes shortened to , is a drama series that aired in Japan on Fuji TV in 2003. In English it is often called You are my only Madonna / ...and I Love Her.- Cast :* Takizawa Hideaki as Suzuki Kyouichi* Hasegawa Kyoko as Kataoka Surumi...
(She is my only Madonna / ...and I love her). Though she wasn't actually in the movie, she did a cover of Vanessa Hudgens' song "When There Was Me And You", titled "Anata To Ita Toki" ("When I Was with You"), from the hit Disney film High School Musical
High School Musical
High School Musical is a 2006 American television film, first in the High School Musical film franchise. Upon its release on January 20, 2006, it became the most successful film that Disney Channel Original Movie ever produced, with a television sequel High School Musical 2 released in 2007 and...
.
In 2007, she was chosen to play the lead role of Anne Shirley
Anne Shirley
Anne Shirley is a fictional character introduced in the 1908 novel Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery. Montgomery wrote in her journal that the idea for Anne's story came from relatives who, planning to adopt an orphaned boy, received a girl instead...
during the touring performance of Anne of Green Gables in Japan.
In 2011 she became part of the rock musical Rock of Ages, along with other musicians such as Takanori Nishikawa
Takanori Nishikawa
is a renowned Japanese singer and actor. He performs as T.M.Revolution , which stands for although the name stems from the famous 80s pop electronic band TM Network...
and Misono
Misono
, who performs under the mononym Misono , is a Japanese singer-songwriter from Kyoto. She is also the younger sister of Japanese singer Kumi Koda. Misono was the lead singer of pop band Day After Tomorrow, until the group disbanded in 2005. In 2006, Misono made her debut as a solo artist, remaining...
. On October 1, 2011, Hitomi started her own radio program called Eyes on Me in FM Yokohama.