神田沙也加

Biography

[edit] 2006

In January 2006, Ayaka recorded "I Believe" as the opening theme for the Japanese Drama, Rondo. The full single was first released as a downloadable only single and would go on to become one of the fastest downloadable song to reach 1,000,000 sales as well as becoming the 3rd highest selling downloadable debut single for a female artist.^[2]

Ayaka's second single "Melody: Sounds Real" peaked at number 14 on the Oricon charts has gone on pass the 20,000 mark.^[3]

"Real Voice" was Ayaka's third single and was used as the ending theme to the Japanese Drama, Suppli. A B-Side single from "Melody ~Sounds Real~" known as "Blue Days" was also used as an insert song for the same show. "Real Voice" was released on July 17, 2006, and has sold over 50,000 copies.^[4]

Weeks before the scheduled release of Ayaka's first album, "First Message", the album was cancelled. In its place, the single "Mikazuki" was released as a rerecorded version of the same song from 2005. "Mikazuki" has become Ayaka's highest charting single, selling 40,091 copies within its first week and taking the highest spot on the Oricon weekly charts. The single would then go on to sale over 300,000 copies.^{[citation needed]}

On November 1, 2006, Ayaka's first album "First Message" was released after several delays. It sold 350,580 copies within its first week, making it the highest selling album of the week as well as the highest selling debut album for a female artist in 7 years. The album went on to sell 1,003,412 copies and stayed within the top two positions on the Oricon charts for four weeks straight before being listed as the 13th highest selling album of 2006.^[5]

[edit] 2007

On February 28, 2007, a new single was released. The song Winding Road was a collaboration with label mates Kobukuro and used to promote a new line of cars. The single reached a peak position of #2 on the Oricon charts.^[6]

The 5th single from Ayaka was used as the ending theme to Last Love, a Japanese movie that was released one month prior to the single. Peaking at #2, the single has since sold over 70,000 copies. Ayaka also performed Jewelry Day, among many other songs, at the Japanese leg of Live Earth in Tokyo on July 7, 2007.

Ayaka's 6th single, 'Why", released on September 5, was used for Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII, a PSP game by Square-Enix, as the theme song to the game. Peaking at #5 on the Oricon charts, the single sales totalled over 65,000 copies.

In November, Ayaka released her first digital single, For Today, which was used for a Pocky commercial. At the end of 2007 ayaka performed "Peace Loving People (special piano version)" in the annual music show Kōuhaku Uta Gassen.

[edit] 2008

On February 29, 2008, her first starring live event, Power Of Music was held. On March 5, 2008, Ayaka's first single of 2008, Te o Tsunagō / Ai o Utaō was released. It was a double A-side single, first track used as a theme song for the movie, Nobita and the Green Giant Legend 2008, and the second track was used for Beauté de Kosé's "Esprique Precious" commercial. Her second single of the year, Okaeri, was released in May 2008. Okaeri is used as the theme song of the drama Zettai Kareshi. Ayaka also attended an interview after Okaeri's production with Mizushima Hiro, who played a character in the live-action drama of Zettai Kareshi. The two got on well, and began dating soon after.

Her second album Sing to the Sky was released on June 25, 2008. It reached #2 on the Oricon Weekly Charts and has thus far sold over 600,000 copies.

Anata to, the second collaboration single with Kobukuro, was released on September 24, 2008.

Ayaka sang 'Okaeri' at the 59th annual Kōuhaku Uta Gassen.

[edit] 2009

On February 22, 2009, Ayaka married actor Hiro Mizushima. On April 2, Ayaka's diagnosis of Graves' disease was made public.^[7][8] She plans to continue singing until the end of 2009, and will then put her career on hold.^[9]

On April 22, 2009, Ayaka released her second double A-side single "Yume wo Mikata ni / Koikogarete Mita Yume". Featuring two songs, "Yume wo Mikata ni" and "Koi Kogarete Mita Yume", the single also include a live version of "Kimi ga Iru Kara" that was recorded from her live performance in February at Shibuya-AX. She released another single, "Minna Sora no Shita" on July 8 of the same year.

In September, a best of Ayaka album called Ayaka's History 2006-2009 was released and contains two discs: the first disc comprising all her single tracks and the second disc comprising songs selected by fans. It sold almost 350,000 copies in its first week, the highest for a female artist of 2009, and ranked number one on the charts for two consecutive weeks. About a month and a half after its release, the album reached a million copies shipped, making it the only album by a solo artist to do so in 2009.^[10]

Ayaka's song, "Mikazuki" has also been slated to be turned into a drama by TBS. Its focus on long distance relationships is to be the inspiration for the drama. The main actors are Narumi Riko and Tanimura Mitsuki, and the drama is scheduled to air in September.

Awards

• Audience Request Award (39th Yusen Taisho 2006, 12.16)
• Best New Artist (48th Japan Record Awards 2006, 12.30)
• New Artist Award (48th Japan Record Awards 2006, 12.30)
• Gold Artist Award(49th Japan Record Awards 2007, 12.30)
• Gold Artist Award (2008 Best Hit Kayousai)
• Best Artist Award (Japan NTV Awards 2008, 12.16)

1. ^ "Yahoo Japan Article about Ayaka's marriage". http://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20090403-00000000-oric-ent. Retrieved 2009-04-03. 
2. ^ "Oricon profile for I Believe". http://www.oricon.co.jp/music/release/d/634232/1/. Retrieved 2007-05-08. 
3. ^ "Oricon profile for melody~". http://www.oricon.co.jp/music/release/d/650564/1/. Retrieved 2007-05-08. 
4. ^ "Oricon profile for Real Voice". http://www.oricon.co.jp/music/release/d/662563/1/. Retrieved 2007-05-08. 
5. ^ "Oricon profile for First Message". http://www.oricon.co.jp/music/release/d/677269/1/. Retrieved 2007-05-08. 
6. ^ "Oricon profile for Winding Road". http://www.oricon.co.jp/artists/415813/. Retrieved 2007-07-09. 
7. ^ "Mizushima Hiro and Ayaka married". http://www.japan-zone.com/news/2009/04/04/mizushima_hiro_ayaka_married.shtml. Retrieved 2009-04-06. 
8. ^ "Yahoo Japanese article about Hiro Mizushima and Ayaka's marriage and Ayaka's diagnose of Graves' disease". http://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20090403-00000045-spn-ent. Retrieved 2009-04-06. 
9. ^ "Ayaka puts her music career on hold". http://www.tokyograph.com/news/id-4601. Retrieved 2009-04-06. 
10. ^ "Ayaka's best album breaks 1 million". Tokyograph. 2009-11-05. http://www.tokyograph.com/news/id-5450. Retrieved 2009-11-05. 

• Ayaka's Official Website on Ken-on
Official Website on Warner Music Japan