Kokia's exquisitely honed brand of J-pop has brought her a number of theme song contracts for video games, TV shows, and anime series, and has won her a devoted fan base, not just in Japan but overseas (particularly France) as well. Born Akiko Yoshida in 1976, Kokia debuted in 1998 with "For Little Tail," which was featured on the soundtrack for the Tail Concerto video game. Her debut full-length, Songbird, released in 1999, failed to chart, prompting a hiatus that ended in 2001 with Trip Trip and its follow-up, Remember Me, which became her best-selling release. After a few albums in the mid-2000s, Kokia picked up the pace, releasing three albums in 2008 and two more in 2009. Her 11th album, Real World, was released in 2010. ~ Alexey Eremenko