Joe Inoue
Encyclopedia
is a Japanese American
rock musician signed to Sony Music Entertainment Japan
's Ki/oon Records
label. He was born and grew up in Los Angeles
, California
, to two Japanese immigrants. It was not until middle school that he became interested in music and that eventually led him to start his musical career in 2007. Inoue performs every instrument on his recordings in addition to writing and composing the pieces on his own. Although he was brought up in the United States and English is his first language, nearly all of his lyrics are in Japanese. He claims to have learned to speak Japanese fluently by reading manga
and watching anime
.
He gained prominence when his song "Closer" was used as the fourth opening theme for Naruto: Shippuden. His fifth single "Kaze no Gotoku" was used as the second theme song for the Yorinuki Gin Tama-san anime.
Inoue contributed to tetsuya's 2011 solo album Come On! by rapping on the track "EDEN" and later wrote and was featured on Totalfat's 2011 single "World of Glory", later included on the album Damn Hero. He also wrote the track "Adrenaline" on high school friend and fellow musician Yoko Yazawa
's sophomore album Give Me!!!.
Japanese American
are American people of Japanese heritage. Japanese Americans have historically been among the three largest Asian American communities, but in recent decades have become the sixth largest group at roughly 1,204,205, including those of mixed-race or mixed-ethnicity...
rock musician signed to 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....
's Ki/oon Records
Ki/oon Records
is a Japanese record label, a subsidiary of Sony Music Japan.-Artists:Their artists include L'Arc-en-Ciel, Asian Kung-Fu Generation, FLOW, Home Made Kazoku, Puffy AmiYumi, Polysics, Pushim, chatmonchy, Denki Groove, The Babystars, DOES, Guitar Wolf, Miki Furukawa, Nico Touches the Walls, plingmin,...
label. He was born and grew up in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, to two Japanese immigrants. It was not until middle school that he became interested in music and that eventually led him to start his musical career in 2007. Inoue performs every instrument on his recordings in addition to writing and composing the pieces on his own. Although he was brought up in the United States and English is his first language, nearly all of his lyrics are in Japanese. He claims to have learned to speak Japanese fluently by reading manga
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
and watching 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....
.
He gained prominence when his song "Closer" was used as the fourth opening theme for Naruto: Shippuden. His fifth single "Kaze no Gotoku" was used as the second theme song for the Yorinuki Gin Tama-san anime.
Inoue contributed to tetsuya's 2011 solo album Come On! by rapping on the track "EDEN" and later wrote and was featured on Totalfat's 2011 single "World of Glory", later included on the album Damn Hero. He also wrote the track "Adrenaline" on high school friend and fellow musician Yoko Yazawa
Yoko Yazawa
is a Japanese singer-songwriter, formerly the lead vocalist of The Generous. She is Eikichi Yazawa's eldest daughter, and her mother is one quarter American. While she was 12, she went to school in Los Angeles at the Ojai Valley School and Palos Verdes Peninsula High School. In 2010, she made her...
's sophomore album Give Me!!!.
Singles
- "Hello!Hello! (Joe Inoue song)"Hello!" is the debut single by Japanese-American recording artist Joe Inoue. It is the first single off of his album Me! Me! Me!. The single peaked on the Oricon Weekly Singles Charts at 189, remaining on the charts for only one week...
" - July 16, 2008 - "CloserCloser (Joe Inoue song)"Closer" is the second single by Japanese-American recording artist Joe Inoue. The song was used as one of the opening themes of Naruto: Shippūden. "Closer" is the most successful of Inoue's singles, peaking at 22 on the Oricon Weekly Singles Charts and remaining on the charts for seven weeks...
" - December 17, 2008- Naruto: Shippuden Opening #4
- "MaboroshiMaboroshi (song)is the third single by Japanese-American recording artist Joe Inoue, and the last of his singles off of Me! Me! Me!. The single stayed on the Oricon Weekly Singles Charts for 1 week and peaked at 156. The title track was used as a theme song for the Uchikuru!? variety show...
" - February 18, 2009 - "Go!Go! (Joe Inoue song)is Japanese-American recording artist Joe Inoue's fourth single, and the first off of his second album Dos Angeles. Inoue worked with producer Mine-Chang on the single, which is described as an electro-pop tune.-Track listing:# – 3:39...
" - July 22, 2009 - "Kaze no GotokuKaze no Gotokuis Japanese-American recording artist Joe Inoue's fifth single, and the second from his album Dos Angeles. The song was used for the opening theme of a season of the reruns of the anime Gin Tama known as Yorinuki Gin Tama-san. "Kaze no Gotoku" remained on the Oricon Weekly Singles Charts for three...
" - August 4, 2010- Yori Nuki Gin Tama-san Opening #2
Digital singles
- "Very Big X'Mas" - November 25, 2009
- "Lights" - April 21, 2010
- "Closer (English Version)" - May 19, 2010
Compilations
- White Out 4: Real Snowboarder's Compilation - December 9, 2007
- Track 3: "Kakusei"
- Best Hit: Naruto - July 14, 2010
- Track 5: "Closer"
Featured vocals
- RYUKYUDISKO's pleasure - September 23, 2009
- Track 6: "OK Sampler"
- TETSUYA's COME ON! - January 5, 2011
- Track 5: "EDEN"
- TOTALFAT's "World of Glory with JOE INOUE" - May 4, 2011
- Track 1: "World of Glory with JOE INOUE"
- Track 2: "Don't Cry!! with JOE INOUE"
- TOTALFAT's DAMN HERO - May 25, 2011
- Track 5: "World of Glory with JOE INOUE (DAMN HERO Ver.)"