Until her death in 2007, Japanese singer/songwriter Izumi Sakai was the voice behind ZARD's beloved sentimental soft rock songs. These tunes are gentle but upbeat, and often deploy rock instrumentation in place of the sweeping orchestral arrangements usually heard in J-pop ballads. While Sakai remained elusive throughout her career (with just a small handful of television appearances), her presence can still be felt all over ZARD's music, through her lovely voice and encouraging lyrics.