Yuko Ando

Yuko Ando is a Japanese singer-songwriter and actress. She was born on May 9, 1977, in Kanagawa Prefecture. While initially pursuing filmmaking in college, she transitioned into the entertainment sector, landing minor roles in TV dramas, notably Ikebukuro West Gate Park (2000). Recognized for her singing prowess during an audition, she steered her career towards singing-songwriting. Soon after, Yuko Ando released her debut mini-album Sally (2003) via the Avex sub-label, Cutting Edge. She rose to fame in 2005 when her song "Nouzenkatsura (Reprise)" was used in a commercial ad, propelling her second album, Merry Andrew (2005), into the Top 10 and selling over 100,000 copies. Consequently, she was dubbed the "late-blooming princess" and a standout "singer-songwriter of the next generation." In 2006, she embarked on her inaugural live tour. 2009 saw the release of the compilation album The Best 03-09, featuring handpicked songs by Yuko Ando herself. That year, she also crafted "Paxmaveiti," the ending theme for the game Professor Layton and the Last Specter. Over time, she's released albums like shabon songs (2007) and JAPANESE POP (2010), and ITALAN (2017). In 2023, she released the album 脳内魔法, which debuted at number 80 on the Top 100 of the Japanese Albums Chart.