Ok. So I realised this part of discussion is not doing well so what I'm gonna do is give you info on various jmusic artists. I'll start with some of the most famous ones and I can search for info upon requests, if they come.

Ayumi Hamasaki

Vocal: Ayumi Hamasaki
B-Day: 10/02/1978

Started: 1997
Status: Active

Profile
Ayumi first started her career by traveling to New York city in 1997 for vocal lessons. Returning in 1998, she released her first single titled Poker Face. It only sold around 40,000 copies. Little did Ayumi know, but her success would rise significantly. In August 1998, Ayumi released her third single, Trust. This single sold over 180,000 copies! Ayumi’s career began to skyrocket. The following year Ayumi released her first album and sold 1.5 million copies! Since then Ayumi has been one of the top JPOP queens in the music industry. Each album released has sold millions of copies (some as much as 4.2 million!). One of the greatest features Ayumi provides is her beautiful lyrics that she composes. She has also had the honor to do the ending theme Dearest for the anime Inuyasha as well!

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I can also add that before the year 1997, Ayu was a model and that she has her own clothes label, I believe it was Material Girls or sth like that.


Discography

Albums
(miss)understood
A Song for XX
ayu-mi-x
LOVEppears
Super Eurobeat presents ayu-ro-mix
ayu-mi-x II
ayu-mi-x II (accoustic ver.)
ayu-mi-x II (non-stop mega mix)
Duty
ayu-mi-x III (non-stop mega mix)
ayu-mi-x III(accoustic ver.)
Best
Super Eurobeat presents ayu-ro mix2
Cyber TRANCE presents ayu-trance
I am...
ayu-mi-x IV (non-stop mega mix)
ayu-mi-x IV (accoustic ver.)
Cyber TRANCE presents Ayu Trance2
Rainbow
A Ballads
Rainbow
RMX Works from Super Eurobeat
RMX Works from Cyber Trance
RMX Works from ayu-mi-x V
Memorial address
My Story


Singles
Blue Bird
Startin’ / Born to Be
Bold and Delicious
Heaven
Fairyland
Step you / is this LOVE?
Nothing from Nothing
Poker Face
You
Trust
For My Dear
Depend on You
Whatever
Love ~Destiny
To Be
Boys and Girls
Monochrome
Appears
Kanariya
Fly High
Vogue
Far Away
Seasons
Surreal
Audience
M
Unreleased Ver. Hex Hector
Unreleased Ver. Junior Vasquez
Unreleased Ver. Thunderpuss Soul Solution
Unreleased Ver. System F Vincent De Moor
Evolution
Never Ever
Endless Sorrow
Unite!
Dearest
ayu-mi-x-III:006
ayu-mi-x-III:005
ayu-mi-x-III:004
ayu-mi-x-III:003
ayu-mi-x-III:002
ayu-mi-x-III:001
A song is born
Daybreak
Free and Easy
Voyage
&
Forgiveness
No Way to Say
Moments
Inspire
Carols


Dir en Grey

Vocals: Nishimura Tooru (Kyo)
Guitar: Niikura Kaoru
Guitar: Andou Daisuke (Die)
Bass: Hara Toshimasa (Toshiya)
Drums: Terachi Shinya
Started: 1997
Status: Active

Profile
Dir en grey is a Japanese rock band formed in 1997 and was formerly known as Laadie’s with Kyo on vocals, Kaoru and Die on guitars, Kisaki on bass and Shinya on drums. The band disbanded and re-grouped briefly as Deathmask after recruiting Toshiya as their new bassist but changed their name as Dir en grey after performing in a show in Nagano, early in the year 1997. They released their first EP, Missa, a few months later. Dir en grey became the first Japanese indie band to have their singles, JEALOUS and -I’ll-, to reach the top ten on the Oricon charts. Apparently, they caught the attention from X Japan’s Yoshiki Hayashi, who produced and arranged the singles for the band’s next album, GAUZE, which was released in 1999.

Dir en grey released three albums in three years. They released MACABRE in 2000 and Kisou in 2002. in 2003, their second EP, Six Ugly, and a few months later, VULGAR, were released.

In 2005, their It Withers and Withers tour were sold out in Berlin and Paris. Their Withering to Death album reached #31 in the Finnish album charts and their single, CLEVER SLEAZOID reached #15 in the Finnish singles chart. Their first concert in the US in early 2006 and they performed in Austin, Texas, New York and Los Angeles. The American release of Withering to Death followed soon after.

They had announced a new single titled Ryoujyoku no Ame, which will be released on July 26, 2006. Rumours had it that there would be a release of new album later this year but it seems that it is unlikely to happen as Dir en grey has extensive live schedule.

Dir en grey was originally a Visual Kei band but they have since opt to dress down in the recent years. Their music style changes and this made the genre they should be categorized in, to be difficult to classified but they are generally categorized under Rock.

Discography

Albums
Withering to Death
Vulgar
Six Ugly
Kisou
Gauze
Missa
Macabre


Singles
Agitated Screams of Maggots
Ryojoku no Ame
Clever sleazoid
Saku
The Final
Kasumi
Drain Away
Child Prey
Embryo
Myaku
[KR] Cube
Taiyo no Ao
Jealous
I’ll

Post edited by: Aoitsuki, at: 2006/10/01 16:17

X Japan

Bass: Heath
Guitar: Pata
Vocals: Toshi
Piano/Drums: Yoshiki
Guitar/Vocal: Hide
Bass: Taiji

Started: 1980
Status: Disbanded

Profile
X Japan was a visual rock band that started their career in the 1980s. Yoshiki and Toshi were the first to start the band. More members were added and the band X was created. Their first singles were I’ll Kill you and Orgasm. Around this time, Pata and Taiji joined the group. In 1988, the album Vanishing Vision was released and became a immediate success. Two albums followed, and X wanted to introduce their stuff in the US but there just was not any market for visual bands at the time. The band also changed their name to X Japan because there was already a band in the US called X. It was around this time that Taiji also left the band and was replaced by Heath. X Japan, although popular, continued to face problems. In 1997, X Japan was disbanded after Toshi decided to leave. In 1998, Hide committed suicide. Yoshiki, being one of the original members left, took time off after the incident. He finally came back into the spotlight in 2002 when he joined the band Globe.

Discography

Albums
Vanishing Vision
Blue Blood
Jealousy
Art of Life
Dahlia


Singles
Forever Love
The Last Song
Say Anything
I’ll Kill You
Orgasm


Compilations
Trance X
X Japan Best Fan
The Last Live
X Japan Perfect Best
Star Box
X Japan on Piano
Art of Life Live
X Japan Live in Hokkaido Bootleg
Singles - Atlantic Years
Ballad Collection
Live Live Live Extra
Live Live Live
B.O.X. (Best of X)
Tokyo Dome Live (On the Verge of Destruction)
X Singles
Eternal Melody
Symphonic Silent Jealousy
Symphonic Blue Blood

Hikaru Utada

Vocals: Hikaru Utada
B-Day: 01/19/1983

Started: 1998
Status: Active

Profile
Hikaru Utada (aka Hikki) was born into a family of musical talents in New York, USA. Her mother had been quite famous in the 70s, using the name Keiki Fuji. Her father was a producer. Hikki produced her first album in English, called Precious, during the mid 1990s; however, nothing great came of it. In 1998, Hikki tried yet again, this time debuting in Japan with the album First Love. First Love sold 10 million copies and became the best selling album in Japan. Since then, Hikki has yet again tried her luck with English songs. She sang the song Blow My Whistle for Rush Hour 2 and the opening theme to Disney’s Kingdom Hearts. Hikki has also made a English album.

Japanese Discography

Albums
Ultra Blue
Exodus
Utada Hikaru Single Collection vol.1
Deep River
Distance
First Love


Singles
Boku wa Kuma Special Package
Keep Tryin’
Passion
Be My Last
Dareka no Negai ga Kanau Koro
Colors
Hikari
Traveling
For You/Time Limit
Wait and See -Risk-
Addicted to you
First Love
Automatic


US/UK Discography

Albums
Exodus
Precious

Whoa~ *is blinded* You sure know a lot XD
Just on a random note, I read on the Mandarin newspapers that apparently Utada Hikaru's mom brought $420,000 worth of US money into the States and got it confiscated o__o;;

Huh? Really? I never thought about stuff like that Sure is surprising.....