YUKI is a Japanese singer/song-writer formerly part of JUDY AND MARY. She made her solo debut in 2002.
YUKI's first appearance in the music scene was in 1993 as the lead singer and lyricist of JUDY AND MARY. YUKI had co-founded JAM in 1991 with bassist Onda Yoshihito. JAM enjoyed huge success in the 90s, releasing seven albums, twenty-two singles and embarking on several national stadium tours throughout their 10-year career. During a JUDY AND MARY hiatus in 1999, YUKI sang in the super-group NiNa alongside Kate Pierson of the B=52's and released one album with the group. Also, in November of 1999, YUKI collaborated with alternative singer Chara and released the single, "Ai no Hi 3tsu Orange" which sold over 200,000 copies. Following JAM's break-up in 2001, YUKI joined the all-girl rock band Mean Machine as back-up vocalist, lyricist and one of two drummers. In 2002 she debuted as a solo artist with "the end of shite" and has been enjoying a successful solo career since.
Aside from music, YUKI is a model for the photography group SLEEP. She was the subject of their photobook "SLEEP -footsteps of dream-" (released in November of 2003) which featured both photographs of the singer as well as her poetry. She also wrote and illustrated a monthly journal page for "What's In" magazine. Those pages were later used in her autobiographies, Girly Swing, Boogie, and Tree. Three companion photobooks/biographies, Girly Rock, Girly Folk and Girly Wave have also been released. YUKI has also worked as a radio DJ.
Throughout her career YUKI has collaborated with many artists, such as musicians Glay, Halcali, Suneohair, Ging Nang Boyz and Chara, modern artist Nagi Noda and stylists Hirano Ayako and THROUGH.
YUKI is one of Japan's most recognized vocalists, known for her unique voice, popular fashion style and energetic live performances. Her musical style has constantly undergone change throughout her career. In the early 90s, with JUDY AND MARY, her music was upbeat pop-punk, but by the end of the decade JAM's sound had evolved into experimental rock. She continued in the rock stream, and her albums with NiNa and Mean Machine were pure rock. Her debut album, 2002's PRISMIC, featured a more alternative rock sound, and was followed by the bluesy Commune in 2003. In 2005, YUKI released her 3rd album, joy, which was a departure from rock, being very much a pop album. YUKI continued this trend with 2006's Wave, and her releases Biscuit, Hoshikuzu Sunset and Wonderline in 2007.
Like Chara, Shiina Ringo, and other female Japanese musicians, YUKI is often compared to Icelandic musician Bjork. Her voice is usually loved or hated, due to it's high-pitched, and almost childish, tone. Though primarily a singer and lyricist, YUKI can also play guitar, drums, tenor sax and piano (and pianica). She wrote, or co-wrote, nearly all of the lyrics for JUDY AND MARY and continues to write her own lyrics as a solo artist, with almost no exceptions. Her lyrics are often abstract and poetic, featuring themes such as youth, heartbreak, sex, hope and love. She has also fully composed several of her songs, including the single "66db" and several tracks on Prismic.
In September 2000, YUKI married Magokoro Brothers frontman, YO-KING. YUKI can be seen wearing her thin silver wedding band in her solo videos and photographs. She gave birth to their first son on April 18, 2003, however the child died from unknown causes on March 17, 2005. YUKI gave birth to her second child on August 29, 2006. YUKI and YO-KING have written one known song together, the tune "Densetsu no Futari" on HALCALI's album Ongaku no Susume. YUKI is known for being quite private about her personal life.
To date, YUKI has released five albums, sixteen singles, three DVDs and six biographical books. Her achievements include three #1 albums and twelve Top 10 singles. She has sold over 2.19 million copies of her albums and singles. On October 3rd, 2007, YUKI released five-star, a compilation of all her singles in chronological order, to celebrate her fifth year as a solo artist. On December 12th, 2007, YUKI released her 16th official single, entitled "Wonderline." YUKI's next release will be YUKI VIDEO 2, a DVD containing all her music videos since the release of Wave, in March 19th, followed by the release of a new single, Kisha ni Notte on April 16th, and tour DVD, YUKI LIVE "5-star" ~The gift will suddenly arrive~ on May 28th.
Trivia
* Before forming JUDY AND MARY YUKI had worked as a tour guide and a beautician.
* GLAY is from the same home town as YUKI (Hakodate), and she and the band have been acquaintances since the late 1980s. YUKI has also occasionally appeared on GLAY albums.
* YUKI cites 1980s band REBECCA as a huge source of inspiration. (As she said: "私の音楽はここから始まった"; "the place where my music began")
