Jin Akanishi

Japanese singer/actor Jin Akanishi is best known as one of the two lead singers in the hugely popular J-Pop band Kat-Tun. Before their debut in 2001, Akanishi had already established himself as both a singer and an actor on Japanese TV, appearing in comedies and musical shows. Once Kat-tun began in earnest, Akanishi became the break-out star of the group. He released his first solo single, "Eternal," in March of 2011; he reached out to the U.S. market in November of 2001 with the "Test Drive" single. Both this release and its follow-up, "Sun Burn Down," peaked at number one online, showing that Akanishi did indeed have global appeal. ~ Tim Sendra