, known professionally as Ruan (stylized as RUAN) is a

Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...

singer. She is a member of the girl group Moonchild.

Biography

Ruann was born in Osaka Prefecture in 2003. Interested in music from a young age, Ruann taught herself instruments such as acoustic guitar, piano as well as Korean and English through learning apps. Her early exposures to the world of entertainment included an appearance on ''Kanjani no Shiwake 8'', where she covered

Lady Gaga Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta ( ; born March 28, 1986), known professionally as Lady Gaga, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She is known for her image reinventions and musical versatility. Gaga began performing as a teenag ...

's "

Telephone A telephone is a telecommunications device that permits two or more users to conduct a conversation when they are too far apart to be easily heard directly. A telephone converts sound, typically and most efficiently the human voice, into el ...

" in 2013, and when she was chosen to sing the theme song for the

kabuki is a classical form of Japanese dance-drama. Kabuki theatre is known for its heavily-stylised performances, the often-glamorous costumes worn by performers, and for the elaborate make-up worn by some of its performers. Kabuki is thought ...

adaptation of the manga ''

One Piece ''One Piece'' (stylized in all caps) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Eiichiro Oda. It has been serialized in Shueisha's ''shōnen'' manga magazine ''Weekly Shōnen Jump'' since July 1997, with its individual chapte ...

'', '' Super Kabuki II: One Piece'', "Tetote", a composition written by Yujin Kitagawa of the Japanese band

Yuzu Yuzu (''Citrus junos'', from Japanese or ) is a citrus fruit and plant in the family Rutaceae of East Asian origin. Yuzu has been cultivated mainly in East Asia, though recently also in New Zealand, Australia, Spain, Italy, and France. ...

. Ruann uploaded videos on social media of covers and busking performances. One of these performances was seen by Taka, the vocalist of the band

One Ok Rock (stylized in all caps as ONE OK ROCK) is a Japanese rock band, formed in Tokyo, Japan, in 2005. Originally five members, the band currently consists of vocalist Takahiro Moriuchi, guitarist and bandleader Toru Yamashita, bassist Ryota Kohama ...

, who asked Ruann to perform their song "Wherever You Are" as a special guest during their 2017 '' Ambitions'' tour. In summer 2017, she released her first extended play ''Spice 13 Acoustic EP''. Her first release as Ruann was "Get the Glory", a digital single released in January 2018 used to promote

Cygames is a Japanese video game development studio established in 2011 by CyberAgent. Mobile and E-commerce company DeNA acquired a 24% stake in the studio in 2012, and Nintendo acquired another 5% stake in 2018, leaving CyberAgent with 69% of the s ...

, followed by "I Am Standing", a song used as the ending theme song for the anime '' March Comes in Like a Lion''. In August, Ruann announced her major label debut through

Toy's Factory is a Japanese record label founded in the late 1980s as a subsidiary of the entertainment company VAP, based in Japan. On May 30, 1990, it was established as an independent company. Toy's Factory, as of the first half of 2012, is the four ...

. Her single "There's No Ending", used as the theme song for the film '' Anemone: Psalm of Planets Eureka Seven: Hi-Evolution'' (2018), was her most successful release to date, and her first release to chart on a ''

Billboard Japan ''Billboard Japan'' is a sister organization of the U.S.-based music magazine '' Billboard''. It is operated by the Japanese Osaka-based company Hanshin Contents Link (a subsidiary of Hanshin Electric Railway is a Japanese private railway compa ...

'' subchart. In March 2019, Ruann's official website announced that she was taking a hiatus due to poor health. In June, Ruann tweeted that her contract with Toy's Factory had ended, and in July announced that she would make her debut in Korea with the song "Beep Beep", which was released simultaneously in Japan and Korea. Korean production team

Black Eyed Pilseung Black Eyed Pilseung () is a South Korean music production and songwriting duo made up of Rado (Song Joo-young) and Choi Kyu-sung, formed in 2014. They have produced hit songs such as Sistar's " Touch My Body"; Miss A's " Only You"; Twice's "Lik ...

produced the song, while the music video featured a routine produced by choreographer Lia Kim. Following issues with the copyright ownership of her stage name, Ruann stopped posting in July 2020. In October, all of her social media accounts were cleared of content. Her social media accounts and her official website were deleted on October 31, 2020. After over a year of absence from the entertainment industry, Ruann reappeared in January 2022 as one of the trainees on LDH and

HYBE Labels Hybe Co., Ltd. (, stylized as HYBE Corporation) is a South Korean multinational entertainment company established in 2005 by Bang Si-hyuk as Big Hit Entertainment Co., Ltd. The company operates as a record label, talent agency, music production ...

’s reality program ''iCON-Z'' under her birth name, Ohyama Ruan. She finished in third place, thus becoming a member of Moonchild.

Artistry

Ruann's influences include

Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over a ...

and

Taylor Swift Taylor Alison Swift (born December 13, 1989) is an American singer-songwriter. Her discography spans multiple genres, and her vivid songwriting—often inspired by her personal life—has received critical praise and wide media coverage. Bo ...

. She composes music on the guitar.

Discography

Extended plays

Singles

Promotional singles

References

External links

Former official Sony Music Japan label profileFormer official Toy's Factory label profile
{{Authority control 2003 births 21st-century Japanese singers 21st-century Japanese women singers English-language singers from Japan Korean-language singers of Japan Living people Japanese women singer-songwriters Japanese singer-songwriters Japanese women pop singers Musicians from Osaka Prefecture LDH (company) artists