Miho Fukuhara
Encyclopedia
is a Japanese
pop star who made an indies debut in 2006, releasing a single titled "The Roots" and mini-album titled Step Out. In early 2008, she made her major-label debuted under Sony Music Entertainment Japan
. Her debut single, "Change
", was the number ninety-two yearly song on the Billboard Japan Hot 100 Singles year-end charts for 2008. With her single "Let It Out
", she had her first major anime
tie-in with Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood.
Tribute album
singing "Because You Loved Me
".
" was a big hit in terms of radio airplay, reaching as high as the top 3, but only managing the 14th position in terms of sales. The single came in only one format, which is unusual for Japanese maxi single
s in this age. She released her second single, "Himawari
", to even more lackluster success than "Change". It failed to impact top 10 in terms of airplay and also only narrowly made the top 25 in the sales category. It wasn't until her third single, Yasashii Aka
, that she had real major success. It was, first and foremost, her first single to be released in multiple formats. Although it was neither as strong on airplay or as a seller as "Change" was, it sold well digitally, and become her first single to become certified by the RIAJ. It was the number 17 song of December 2008 and quickly become certified gold. Her followup song, Love: Winter Song
would match the success of "Yasashii Aka" similarly and ultimately surpass it, also going gold and becoming the number 10 song of January 2009.
She released her debut album Rainbow
, which was mainly penned and co-produced by Fukuhara herself, in January, 2009, with "Yuki no Hikari
" as the digital/radio single helping to promote the album. "Yuki no Hikari" peaked at #50 on the Japan Hot 100
, becoming her lowest charting single. With strong label backing, however, the album peaked at #2 and was beat only by the successful 7th album
by legendary pop-star Kumi Koda
. Rainbow went on to sell nearly 100,000 copies and become certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of Japan
. Fukuhara later embarked on the successful Rainbow Tour 2009, which spanned 6 shows spanning multiple cities. She performed a mix of covers, original songs from Rainbow, and b-sides.
" in June 2009. It was another major airplay hit, peaking at number 3. Overall, the single peaked at number 5, but only received number 26 for sales. She quickly announced her next single, "Let It Out
", second ending theme to popular anime
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood in early July. "Let It Out" is both Fukuhara's first major anime tie-in and her first single to be released in 3 separate formats, and was released on September 9, 2009. While it was a much bigger hit than "Hanabi Sky", it still fared relatively poorly in terms of both physical and digital sales in comparison to her previous singles "Love: Winter Song", "Change" and "Yasashii Aka".
Her next single, "Nande Nakitaku Nacchau n Darou" was set for release on December 12, 2009. The song's coupling song, "Cry No More", was described as a song which would make you cry.
1 Digital/Radio single
Japanese people
The are an ethnic group originating in the Japanese archipelago and are the predominant ethnic group of Japan. Worldwide, approximately 130 million people are of Japanese descent; of these, approximately 127 million are residents of Japan. People of Japanese ancestry who live in other countries...
pop star who made an indies debut in 2006, releasing a single titled "The Roots" and mini-album titled Step Out. In early 2008, she made her major-label debuted under 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....
. Her debut single, "Change
Change (Miho Fukuhara song)
"Change" is the major-label debut single by Japanese soul singer Miho Fukuhara, telling of a girl who talks playfully about she loves a man, going as far as saying things like "I hate, hate, hate you! Just kidding, I love you!". The single was released on April 16, 2008 to decent success regarding...
", was the number ninety-two yearly song on the Billboard Japan Hot 100 Singles year-end charts for 2008. With her single "Let It Out
Let It Out (song)
"LET IT OUT" is the sixth major-label physical single by Japanese soul singer Miho Fukuhara, released on September 9, 2009. The title song "LET IT OUT" is the 2nd ending theme for the anime Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood and also Fukuhara's first major anime tie-in. The single comes in three...
", she had her first major 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....
tie-in with Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood.
Early Endeavors
Fukuhara, initially, was signed to the independent, local Sapporo-based Yumechika Records label and released her debut single and mini album, titled "The Roots" and Step Out respectively. She performed in-store lives to sell her records during 2006, which prompted Sony Music Japan to pick her up as a performing artist. Her first major-released appearance was on a Celine DionCeline Dion
Céline Marie Claudette Dion, , , is a Canadian singer. Born to a large family from Charlemagne, Quebec, Dion emerged as a teen star in the French-speaking world after her manager and future husband René Angélil mortgaged his home to finance her first record...
Tribute album
Tribute album
A tribute album is a recorded collection of cover versions of songs or instrumental compositions. Its concept may be either various artists making a tribute to a single artist, a single artist making a tribute to various artists, or a single artist making a tribute to another single artist.There...
singing "Because You Loved Me
Because You Loved Me
"Because You Loved Me" is a song from Céline Dion's album Falling into You, released as the first single on February 19, 1996 in North America and Japan. In other parts of the world it was released in May 1996 as the second single, after "Falling into You"....
".
Meager Beginnings & Rainbow
Taking the hot-seat in headlining her own career, she released her first single in early 2008 to varied success. Penning her own lyrics and co-producing the song, "ChangeChange (Miho Fukuhara song)
"Change" is the major-label debut single by Japanese soul singer Miho Fukuhara, telling of a girl who talks playfully about she loves a man, going as far as saying things like "I hate, hate, hate you! Just kidding, I love you!". The single was released on April 16, 2008 to decent success regarding...
" was a big hit in terms of radio airplay, reaching as high as the top 3, but only managing the 14th position in terms of sales. The single came in only one format, which is unusual for Japanese maxi single
Maxi single
A maxi single or maxi-single is a music single release with more than the usual two tracks of an a-side song and a b-side song.-The first maxi singles:...
s in this age. She released her second single, "Himawari
Himawari (song)
is the second major-label physical single by Japanese soul singer Miho Fukuhara, and was released on July 16, 2008 to mild success regarding sales and decent success in terms of radio airplay...
", to even more lackluster success than "Change". It failed to impact top 10 in terms of airplay and also only narrowly made the top 25 in the sales category. It wasn't until her third single, Yasashii Aka
Yasashii Aka
is the third major-label physical single by Japanese soul singer Miho Fukuhara, and was released on November 5, 2008. The song is about the pains Fukuhara faced when moving from Sapporo to Tokyo.-Track listing:-Oricon overall sales chart:...
, that she had real major success. It was, first and foremost, her first single to be released in multiple formats. Although it was neither as strong on airplay or as a seller as "Change" was, it sold well digitally, and become her first single to become certified by the RIAJ. It was the number 17 song of December 2008 and quickly become certified gold. Her followup song, Love: Winter Song
Love: Winter Song
"Love " is the fourth major-label physical single by Japanese soul singer Miho Fukuhara, and was released on December 10, 2008. The song received much success and is currently Fukuhara's top selling and top peaking single on the Oricon charts...
would match the success of "Yasashii Aka" similarly and ultimately surpass it, also going gold and becoming the number 10 song of January 2009.
She released her debut album Rainbow
Rainbow (Miho Fukuhara album)
-Oricon Overall Sales Chart :-Physical sales and rank:-Certifications from Rainbow:*From Rainbow*"Yasashii Aka"*"Love: Winter Song"...
, which was mainly penned and co-produced by Fukuhara herself, in January, 2009, with "Yuki no Hikari
Yuki no Hikari
"Yuki no Hikari" is the first major-label digital single by Japanese soul singer Miho Fukuhara, which was released to radio stations and digital outlets along with her debut album Rainbow. The song was never realized as a stand-alone digital single, but only as a part of the album...
" as the digital/radio single helping to promote the album. "Yuki no Hikari" peaked at #50 on the Japan Hot 100
Japan Hot 100
The Japan Hot 100 is a music singles chart in Japan. It is compiled by Billboard and Hanshin Contents Link ever since February 2008. The chart is updated every Wednesday at billboard-japan.com and every Thursday at billboard.com ....
, becoming her lowest charting single. With strong label backing, however, the album peaked at #2 and was beat only by the successful 7th album
Trick (album)
Trick is the seventh studio album released by J-Urban singer Kumi Koda. It was released on January 28, 2009, available in CD and CD+2DVD format. The CD contains ten previously unreleased songs as well as the CD singles Moon Crying, That Ain't Cool, Taboo, and Stay with Me...
by legendary pop-star Kumi Koda
Kumi Koda
, better known by her stage name , is a Japanese singer and songwriter from Kyoto, known for her urban and R&B songs. Having debuted in 2000 with the single "Take Back", Koda gained fame for her seventh single, "Real Emotion/1000 no Kotoba", the songs of which were used as themes for the video game...
. Rainbow went on to sell nearly 100,000 copies and become certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of Japan
Recording Industry Association of Japan
The Recording Industry Association of Japan is an industry trade group composed of Japanese corporations involved the music industry...
. Fukuhara later embarked on the successful Rainbow Tour 2009, which spanned 6 shows spanning multiple cities. She performed a mix of covers, original songs from Rainbow, and b-sides.
Post-Rainbow
Following her debut album, she released her next single "Hanabi SkyHanabi Sky
"Hanabi Sky" is the fifth major-label physical single by Japanese soul singer Miho Fukuhara, released on June 17, 2009. The DVD includes a live version of the song, "I Wish I Was a Punk Rocker ", which is a cover of a song originally by Sandi Thom.-Track listing:Source: - Charts :...
" in June 2009. It was another major airplay hit, peaking at number 3. Overall, the single peaked at number 5, but only received number 26 for sales. She quickly announced her next single, "Let It Out
Let It Out (song)
"LET IT OUT" is the sixth major-label physical single by Japanese soul singer Miho Fukuhara, released on September 9, 2009. The title song "LET IT OUT" is the 2nd ending theme for the anime Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood and also Fukuhara's first major anime tie-in. The single comes in three...
", second ending theme to popular 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....
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood in early July. "Let It Out" is both Fukuhara's first major anime tie-in and her first single to be released in 3 separate formats, and was released on September 9, 2009. While it was a much bigger hit than "Hanabi Sky", it still fared relatively poorly in terms of both physical and digital sales in comparison to her previous singles "Love: Winter Song", "Change" and "Yasashii Aka".
Her next single, "Nande Nakitaku Nacchau n Darou" was set for release on December 12, 2009. The song's coupling song, "Cry No More", was described as a song which would make you cry.
Albums
| Release | Title | Weekly Peak Position | Sales |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Step Out (EP) | - | - |
| 2009 | Rainbow Rainbow (Miho Fukuhara album) -Oricon Overall Sales Chart :-Physical sales and rank:-Certifications from Rainbow:*From Rainbow*"Yasashii Aka"*"Love: Winter Song"... |
2 | 93,363 |
| 2010 | Music Is My Life | 5 | 21,564 |
| 2010 | Regrets of Love (EP) | - | - |
| 2011 | THE SOUL EXTREME EP (EP) | - | - |
Singles
| Release | Title | Peak(Oricon) | Peak(Billboard) | Sales | Album |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | "The Roots" | - | - | - | |
| 2008 | "Change Change (Miho Fukuhara song) "Change" is the major-label debut single by Japanese soul singer Miho Fukuhara, telling of a girl who talks playfully about she loves a man, going as far as saying things like "I hate, hate, hate you! Just kidding, I love you!". The single was released on April 16, 2008 to decent success regarding... " |
14 | 4 | 25,086 | "Rainbow Rainbow (Miho Fukuhara album) -Oricon Overall Sales Chart :-Physical sales and rank:-Certifications from Rainbow:*From Rainbow*"Yasashii Aka"*"Love: Winter Song"... " |
| "Himawari Himawari (song) is the second major-label physical single by Japanese soul singer Miho Fukuhara, and was released on July 16, 2008 to mild success regarding sales and decent success in terms of radio airplay... " |
24 | 15 | 6,438 | ||
| "Yasashii Aka Yasashii Aka is the third major-label physical single by Japanese soul singer Miho Fukuhara, and was released on November 5, 2008. The song is about the pains Fukuhara faced when moving from Sapporo to Tokyo.-Track listing:-Oricon overall sales chart:... " |
24 | 11 | 10,789 | ||
| "Love: Winter Song Love: Winter Song "Love " is the fourth major-label physical single by Japanese soul singer Miho Fukuhara, and was released on December 10, 2008. The song received much success and is currently Fukuhara's top selling and top peaking single on the Oricon charts... " |
14 | 10 | 20,954 | ||
| 2009 | "Yuki no Hikari Yuki no Hikari "Yuki no Hikari" is the first major-label digital single by Japanese soul singer Miho Fukuhara, which was released to radio stations and digital outlets along with her debut album Rainbow. The song was never realized as a stand-alone digital single, but only as a part of the album... "1 |
— | 50 | — | |
| "Hanabi Sky Hanabi Sky "Hanabi Sky" is the fifth major-label physical single by Japanese soul singer Miho Fukuhara, released on June 17, 2009. The DVD includes a live version of the song, "I Wish I Was a Punk Rocker ", which is a cover of a song originally by Sandi Thom.-Track listing:Source: - Charts :... " |
26 | 5 | 3,601 | "Music Is My Life" | |
| "Let It Out Let It Out (song) "LET IT OUT" is the sixth major-label physical single by Japanese soul singer Miho Fukuhara, released on September 9, 2009. The title song "LET IT OUT" is the 2nd ending theme for the anime Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood and also Fukuhara's first major anime tie-in. The single comes in three... " |
10 | 14 | 9,170 | ||
| "Nande Nakitaku Nacchau n Darō" | — | — | — | ||
| 2010 | "Mirai/Moshikashite" | 33 | — | 3,430 | |
1 Digital/Radio single
Certifications
- From RainbowRainbow (Miho Fukuhara album)-Oricon Overall Sales Chart :-Physical sales and rank:-Certifications from Rainbow:*From Rainbow*"Yasashii Aka"*"Love: Winter Song"...
- "Yasashii AkaYasashii Akais the third major-label physical single by Japanese soul singer Miho Fukuhara, and was released on November 5, 2008. The song is about the pains Fukuhara faced when moving from Sapporo to Tokyo.-Track listing:-Oricon overall sales chart:...
"
-
- Japan Downloads certification: Gold (100,000)
- "Love: Winter SongLove: Winter Song"Love " is the fourth major-label physical single by Japanese soul singer Miho Fukuhara, and was released on December 10, 2008. The song received much success and is currently Fukuhara's top selling and top peaking single on the Oricon charts...
"
- "Love: Winter Song
- Japan Downloads certification: Gold (100,000)
- Japan Downloads certification: Gold (100,000)