Ayaka - the new Utada Hikaru?
Ayaka Lida (絢香) who goes by the stage name Ayaka, is 19 year old singer songwriter from Osaka who debuted earlier this February with the ballad I believe, which was the theme song for TV drama Rondo (starring Takenouchi Yutaka and Choi Ji Woo).
This single reached #3, making it the highest debut single rank reached by a female singer/songwriter since Utada Hikaru’s Automatic in 1998. Ayaka’s first album First Message has sold over 2 million copies since Novemeber 1st making her the bestselling new Japanese act of the year.
Some music scene commentators are calling her the new Utada Hikaru, and there’s certainly a great voice behind this new singer.
You can read more information about Ayaka here and here.
Ayaka Music Videos
I believe
I Love You by Yutaka Ozaki
Jewelry day
Mikazuki
Melody Sounds real
Winding Road - Ayaka and Kobukuro
Like Ayaka’s music? See and purchase more here.
Other Japansugoi.com articles of possible interest
- Leah Dizon suprises Utada Hikaru on Japanese TV
- Ayaka Noda is Miss Flash 2008
- Japanese Utada Hikaru Impersonator video
- Ayaka Komatsu, actress, gravure idol
- Jpop version of “Last Christmas”
- Leah Dizon suprises Utada Hikaru clip (full version)
- Coconuts Musume ココナッツ娘 Flashback
- Utada Hikaru's mother Fuji Keiko
- Aya Hirano 平野 綾 in Jpop idol unit Springs
- Miyuu Sawai, actress, gravure idol
BUY COOL JAPANESE STUFF HERE?
Subscribe to Everything cool about Japan
(Japan Sugoi)
March 16th, 2007 at 5:35 pm
Ayaka has the potential to be the new Hikki but so far so really big splash in follow up album
May 30th, 2007 at 11:04 pm
Dunno if she will be like Hikki, but one thing I know for sure she is GOOD !!!
January 3rd, 2008 at 2:56 pm
i might be biased, but i don’t think anyone will ever be as good as hikki. XD ayaka is good and i really like her songs, especially i believe and she has a great voice and everything, but hikki’s at a different level, to me at least.
January 4th, 2008 at 4:42 am
She’s awesome. I’m just happy that JPOP is getting some more Artist who can actually sing. I love Ayumi like the next person but she cannot sing. Utada is amazing, I think we should stop trying to replace people and allow others to come in and, be great as well. They are all amazing! YAY for her!
March 3rd, 2008 at 8:56 am
I like her,but I saw her at bodukan and WTH is up with her Big hair,she has a really good voice though.Well for me no one will ever be as good as Hikki,I love her and her music,and no matter how you say it Ayaka is Ayaka therefore no offense she will never be the next Hikki,her music can be as good as Hikki’s,but that’s pretty much it for me.
April 8th, 2008 at 5:34 pm
Omgosh.. no way..
April 21st, 2008 at 3:53 pm
LOL. Ayaka has a good voice *compared to other baby-ish voices of JPOP artists WTF* so as Hikki. I think they’re different though. Reeally…Ayaka can’t be the new Hikki. She’s Ayaka. *lol* besides, the only thing i find common about them is the uniqueness of their voice, you can determine whether this is Ayaka’s or Hikki’s.
June 9th, 2008 at 10:09 am
I have not really liked any Jpop artist other than Utaka Hikaru and YUI. As you can tell, they are rather different from the Jpop pack in that they can actually sing and write their own music. However, I immediately loved Ayaka’s singing style and music the moment I heard the ending credits to Zettai Kareshi.
Ayaka’s music is very soothing to the ears (none of that hight pitched techno morphed music) and she can actually sing and sing very well. I don’t know if she can become another Utada Hikaru as she has such a different unmatched style, however Ayaka has the potential to become a really well respected and established artist. I just hope she doesn’t sell out and become “just another jpop idol”. I love her single too and highly recommend it.
July 17th, 2008 at 6:30 pm
Hmmm…. I think that she can get very very famous, but as herself not as someone else like Utada Hikaru. Because after all she’s not a copy of someone else…. she’s different from Hikki. She has her own special style. Like Hikki herself.
December 5th, 2008 at 3:12 pm
She has a powerful voice, and i like it.
I think she’s better than Hikki.
April 29th, 2009 at 1:54 pm
I don’t think you can really compare her to Hikki. Ayaka has her own style that are uniquely her. I love the way she puts forth so much emotion in all of her songs; the little nuances here and there add so much more flavor to the songs too
I love both her and Hikki as separate artists - just because they ARE different in every way. They are unlike each other because they both have different styles of singing (and diff. interpretations of their music). With that said, I believe that what IS being compared is how recognizable their voices are apart from other countless singers in Japan.
*** On a completely random note, her voice ‘reminds’ me of one Italian/American singer that I adore - Lara Fabian. ***