YUI

Yui Yoshioka, known as YUI, is a Japanese singer, musician, and actress born in Koga, Fukuoka Prefecture, on March 26, 1987. Her musical journey began when she started playing the guitar in her hometown and in 2004, she auditioned for Sony Music, securing a successful deal, which launched her professional career. Her debut album, From Me to You, released in 2006, achieved national success, reaching an impressive number 4 on the charts, while her single "Feel My Soul" gained similar popularity, landing at number 8. Not just excelling in music, Yui also caught the attention of film producers, earning accolades for her lead role in the movie Taiyou no uta (Song of the Sun) in 2006, where she portrayed a young artist. Yui continued her musical journey with a string of hits, including "Good-bye Days" (number 8), the first single from her album Can't Buy My Love (2007), which topped the charts and received a platinum certification. Her success continued with albums like I Loved Yesterday (2008), Holidays in the Sun (2010), and How Crazy Your Love (2011), as well as compilation albums Green Garden Pop (2012) and Orange Garden Pop (2012) earning platinum status on each. Between 2007 and 2011, eight of her songs reached Number 1 on the Oricon charts, with four topping the Billboard Japan Hot 100: "Summer Song" (2008), "Again" (2009) "It's All Too Much" (2009), and "Gloria" (2010). In 2012, Yui announced her retirement as a soloist, forming the group Flower Flower in 2013, releasing the album Mi in 2014, which charted at number 5, before taking a short hiatus to focus on motherhood. She later returned to the stage with the same group in 2016, releasing single "Takaramono (宝物)," followed by albums Spotlight (2018) and Target (2020). Eventually, Yui resumed her solo career with the mini-album Natural (2021). In 2023, her compilation album Orange Garden Pop returned to the charts, landing at number 51.