Ayaka | |
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Ayaka performing in Matsuyama during her 2012 tour
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Native name | 絢香 |
Born |
Ayaka Iida (飯田 絢香) December 18, 1987 Moriguchi, Osaka, Japan |
Occupation | |
Years active | 2006–2009, 2011–present |
Height | 157 cm (5 ft 2 in) |
Spouse(s) | Hiro Mizushima (m. 2009) |
Children | 1 |
Website | room-ayaka |
Musical career | |
Genres | Pop |
Instruments | Vocals |
Labels |
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Associated acts | Kobukuro |
Ayaka Iida (飯田 絢香 Iida Ayaka, born December 18, 1987), known mononymously as Ayaka, is a female Japanese singer, songwriter and record producer formerly signed to Warner Music Japan. Born in Osaka, she moved to Tokyo to pursue a singing career. She married actor Hiro Mizushima on February 22, 2009.
In the summer of 2003, Ayaka began a live performance in her hometown of Osaka. In the spring of 2004, she started going to the music school "Voice", the principal of which is her former music producer Yoshihiko Nishio, in Fukuoka. She commuted between Osaka and Fukuoka every weekend and started to learn a songwriting under the direction of Nishio. She eventually transferred to another high school in Fukuoka. The demo of songs which she produced in "Voice" was soon brought to the music industry and led to her contract with Warner Music Japan.
In January 2006, Ayaka recorded "I Believe" as the opening theme for the Japanese drama Rondo. The full single was first released as a download-only single and went on to become one of the fastest songs to reach 1,000,000 downloads, as well as becoming the 3rd-highest-selling download debut single for a female artist.
Ayaka's second single "Melody (Sounds Real)" peaked at number 14 on the Oricon charts has gone on pass the 20,000 mark.
"Real Voice" was Ayaka's third single and was used as the ending theme to the Japanese drama Suppli. "Blue Days", the b-side from "Melody (Sounds Real)", was also used as an insert song for the show. "Real Voice" was released on July 17, 2006, and has sold over 50,000 copies.
Weeks before the scheduled release of Ayaka's debut album, "First Message", the album was cancelled. In its place, the single "Mikazuki" was released as a rerecorded version of the same song from 2005. "Mikazuki" became Ayaka's highest charting single, selling 40,091 copies within its first week and taking the highest spot on the Oricon weekly charts, remaining in the charts for 41 weeks. The single sold over 300,000 copies.