Nana Kitade
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is a Japanese singer-songwriter and musician. In addition to being the lead singer of the rock band The Teenage Kissers, she has success as a solo artist, model, actress, and fashion designer. Kitade is particularly known for her songs appearing in various
anime is a Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, , in Japan and in Ja ...
, TV shows,
dorama , also called or J-drama, are television programs that are a staple of Television in Japan, Japanese television and are broadcast daily. Format All major Television networks, TV networks in Japan produce a variety of Drama (genre), drama serie ...
s and movie opening and endings. Kitade was featured on the cover of the ''
Gothic & Lolita Bible was a quarterly Japanese fashion mook which focuses on the Gothic and Lolita fashions. It was first published in 2001 by Index Communications, and is a spin-off of the Japanese fashion magazine ''Kera''. In February 2008, an English-language ve ...
'', as well as featured in '' Neo'' and ''Kera'' magazines. She has toured Asia, Europe, and North America.


Life and career


1987–2001: early life

As a child, Kitade wanted to be a singer and/or an anime artist. She started learning the piano at the age of three and wrote her own lyrics at twelve. In junior high school, she became a fan of
Ringo Shiina , known by her stage name , is a Japanese singer, songwriter and musician. She is also the founder and lead vocalist of the band Tokyo Jihen. She describes herself as "". She was ranked number 36 in a list of Japan's top 100 musicians compiled ...
and learned to play the guitar, traveling frequently to Tokyo for singing lessons.


2002–05: debut and ''18: Eighteen''

In February 2002 Kitade passed a
Sony Music Japan , often abbreviated as SMEJ or simply SME, and also known as Sony Music Japan for short (stylized as ''SonyMusic''), is a Japanese music arm for Sony. Founded in 1968 as CBS/Sony, SMEJ is directly owned by Sony Group Corporation and is opera ...
audition and was chosen as the
Sapporo is a Cities designated by government ordinance of Japan, designated city in Hokkaido, Japan. Located in the southwest of Hokkaido, it lies within the alluvial fan of the Toyohira River, a tributary of the Ishikari River. Sapporo is the capital ...
area representative and was given the opportunity to debut as a singer. In March 2003, the demo which she submitted caught the attention of
Susumu Nishikawa ''Diamond Head'' was a Japanese band formed of session musicians and producers. They first gained notability as the backing and touring band for Hitomi Yaida. History Working as a band in their own right they wrote and performed the song "l ...
,
session guitarist A session musician (also known as studio musician or backing musician) is a musician hired to perform in a recording session or a live performance. The term sideman is also used in the case of live performances, such as accompanying a record ...
and Ringo Shina's
sideman A sideman is a professional musician who is hired to perform live with a solo artist, or with a group in which they are not a regular band member. The term is usually used to describe musicians that play with jazz or rock artists, whether solo o ...
at the time of the debut. She signed a deal with
SME Records , often abbreviated as SMEJ or simply SME, and also known as Sony Music Japan for short (stylized as ''SonyMusic''), is a Japanese music arm for Sony. Founded in 1968 as CBS/Sony, SMEJ is directly owned by Sony Group Corporation and is opera ...
, a subgroup of Sony Music Japan. On October 29, 2003, she debuted with the single "
Kesenai Tsumi is the debut single by Japanese rock singer Nana Kitade.Nana Kitade Discography
", which was used as the first ending theme song of the popular anime ''
Fullmetal Alchemist is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Hiromu Arakawa. It was serialized in Square Enix's shōnen manga, manga anthology magazine ''Gangan Comics#Monthly Shōnen Gangan, Monthly Shōnen Gangan'' between July 2001 and June ...
''. The single reached number 14 on the Oricon charts and stayed on the charts for twenty-two weeks. With the success of "Kesenai Tsumi", Kitade then released "Kesenai Tsumi: Raw 'Breath' Track", a slower version of the song, which charted on the
Oricon , established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics Statistics (from German language, German: ', "description of a State (polity), state, a country") is the discipline that ...
charts and peaked at number 87. On November 1, Kitade appeared on the
NHK , also known by its Romanization of Japanese, romanized initialism NHK, is a Japanese public broadcasting, public broadcaster. It is a statutory corporation funded by viewers' payments of a television licence, television license fee. NHK ope ...
television program ''Pop-jam''. Her second single, "
Utareru Ame is the second single by Japanese rock singer Nana Kitade is a Japanese singer-songwriter and musician. In addition to being the lead singer of the rock band The Teenage Kissers, she has success as a solo artist, model, actress, and fashion ...
", was released February 4, 2004, and peaked at No. 55 on the Oricon singles chart. Her third single was released July 22, called "Hold Heart", which peaked at No. 95 on the Oricon chart. From July 25 to August 15 Kitade had her first tour, touring 7 cities, performing 8 shows. Starting September 30, the song " Pureness" was featured as the ending theme of the anime ''
Beet the Vandel Buster is a Japanese manga series written by Riku Sanjo and illustrated by Koji Inada. The manga ran in Shueisha's ''Monthly Shōnen Jump'' from 2002 to 2006. After a nearly ten-year hiatus, the series resumed in '' Jump SQ.Crown'' in 2016, befor ...
''. "Pureness" was released as a single on November 17, and peaked at No. 60 on the Oricon chart. On June 1, 2005, Kitade's fifth single, "
Kiss or Kiss is a Japanese singer-songwriter and musician. In addition to being the lead singer of the rock band The Teenage Kissers, she has success as a solo artist, model, actress, and fashion designer. Kitade is particularly known for her songs appear ...
" was released. The song was used as the theme song of the
Nippon Television JOAX-DTV (channel 4), branded as (NTV) or Nippon TV, is a Japanese television station serving the Kantō region as the flagship station of the Nippon News Network and the Nippon Television Network System, owned and operated by the , a sub ...
drama ''Anego'', and peaked at No. 11 on the Oricon singles chart, becoming Kitade's highest charting single to date. Her sixth single, "
Kanashimi no Kizu "Kanashimi no Kizu" (Scars of Sadness) is Nana Kitade's sixth single. It debuted at #26 and charted for 5 weeks on the Oricon Charts. Kanashimi no kizu was the theme song of PS2 game ''Fullmetal Alchemist is a Japanese manga series wr ...
", was released July 20 and peaked at No. 26 on the Oricon chart. The song was used as the theme song of
PS2 The PlayStation 2 (PS2) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on 4 March 2000, in North America on 26 October, in Europe on 24 November, in Australia on 30 November, ...
game '' Fullmetal Alchemist 3: Kami wo Tsugu Shoujo''. On August 1 Kitade participated in the 2005 Hong Kong Comic Festival as the first ever Japanese artist to appear. On August 24, 2005, Kitade's debut album, '' 18: Eighteen'', was released. The album ranked number 16 on the Oricon albums chart. The song "Alice" from the album was used as the image song for the movie ''Shinku''. On August 28, she participated in Bokura no Ongaku Live on the Odaiba Bouken'ou specially installed stage. A part of this was shown to the public on ''Bokura no Ongaku 2''. On September 7, she held her first one-man live show, which was titled ''Nana Kitade Live Showcase '18: Eighteen, in Shibuya-Ax. On December 7, she released a DVD called ''Nana Kitade: 18Movies''. The DVD consists of all her music videos up until this point, clips from her one-man live show, commercials for her releases, and a studio recording of "Kesenai Tsumi".


2006: ''Slave of Kiss'', ''Cutie Bunny'', and ''I Scream''

On February 8, 2006, Kitade released her first EP, ''
Slave of Kiss ''Slave of Kiss'' is the first EP released by Nana Kitade. "Kiss" is a cover of a Princess Princess song of the same name. A month later, the song was placed on the Princess Princess tribute album, "14 Princess ~Princess Princess Children~" as t ...
'', which peaked at No. 79 on the Oricon chart. The EP included a cover of the Princess Princess song, "Kiss". The cover also appeared on the Princess Princess tribute album, ''14 Princess: Princess Princess Children''. Beginning on April 27, 2006, Kitade released 13 songs in a row. These were available exclusively via cell phone downloads, each for 100 yen. Each song was released on the 7th, 17th, or 27th of each month until August 27, 2006. Most of the songs were covers of 1980s hit songs, but a few tracks were new. On June 6 American
anime convention An anime and manga convention (often called just anime convention) is a fan convention with a primary focus on anime, manga and Japanese culture. Anime conventions are commonly multi-day events hosted at convention centers, hotels or college cam ...
Otakon Otakon ( ) is an annual three-day anime convention held during July/August. From 1999 to 2016, it took place at the Baltimore Convention Center in Baltimore, Baltimore, Maryland's Inner Harbor district; in 2017, it moved to the Walter E. Washing ...
announced that Kitade would be a musical guest for Otakon 2006 in August. ''18: Eighteen'' was released in the United States through
Tofu Records was a US record label of Sony Music Entertainment Japan that was launched in 2003 to distribute Japanese Sony artists in the United States until its closure in 2007. Their first signed artist was T.M.Revolution, and they used the anime fandom ...
on July 11, 2006. On July 12 Kitade released her second EP, '' Cutie Bunny'', which contained six of the released cell phone songs. On August 2, she made an in-store performance at San Francisco's
Virgin Megastore Virgin Megastores is an international entertainment retailing chain, founded in early 1976 by Richard Branson as a record shop on London's Oxford Street. In 1979 the company opened their first Megastore at the end of Oxford Street and Tottenh ...
and gave her first US radio interview with
EigoMANGA eigoMANGA is a comic book publishing company that produces original Japanese-influenced comics and digital media. eigoMANGA has been underway since its conception in 2000. The company is based in San Francisco, California. History eigoMANGA ...
's radio program,
Shibuya Airwaves Shibuya Airwaves was a radio program produced by eigoMANGA created by Oscar Gutierrez Jr., Tetsuro Mori, and Austin Osueke. The show aired on 1550 AM KYCY in San Francisco, CA, and first aired on September 24, 2005. The program was composed o ...
. Then, on August 4, she made her first East Coast performance at the Ram's Head Live at
Otakon Otakon ( ) is an annual three-day anime convention held during July/August. From 1999 to 2016, it took place at the Baltimore Convention Center in Baltimore, Baltimore, Maryland's Inner Harbor district; in 2017, it moved to the Walter E. Washing ...
. On October 4, 2006, Kitade released her eighth single," Kibou no Kakera", which was used as the opening theme song for the anime ''
Demashita! Powerpuff Girls Z is a 2006 Japanese anime television series created to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Toei Animation. Planned by Cartoon Network and produced by TV Tokyo, Aniplex, and Toei Animation, the series is directed by Iku Ishiguro, with Yoshio U ...
''. The single peaked at No. 64 on the Oricon singles chart. On December 6, she released her second studio album, '' I Scream'', which featured a cover of
Green Day Green Day is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Rodeo, California, in 1987 by lead vocalist and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong and bassist and backing vocalist Mike Dirnt, with drummer Tré Cool joining in 1990. In 1994, their majo ...
's " Basket Case".


2007–09: ''Berry Berry Singles'' and ''Bondage''

On July 3, 2007, the song " Antoinette Blue" began being used as the fourth ending theme for the anime ''
D.Gray-man ''D.Gray-man'' is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Katsura Hoshino. Set in an alternate 19th century, it tells the story of a young Allen Walker, who joins an organization of exorcists named the Black Order. They use an ...
'' On July 7, Kitade performed at fifth annual
Japan Expo Japan Expo is a convention on Japanese popular culture – the largest of its kind outside Japan – taking place in Paris, France, although it has branched out into a partnership festival – Comic-Con Paris, Kultima – and expanded to inclu ...
in Paris, France. "Antoinette Blue" was released as Kitade's ninth single on September 5. On November 14 she released her first compilation album, ''
Berry Berry Singles ''Berry Berry Singles'' is an album by Nana Kitade, released in November 2007. It is her first compilation album, and it features the singles "Kesenai Tsumi", "Kiss or Kiss", and " Antoinette Blue", along with other songs for nine songs total. It ...
''. Kitade's tenth single, " Suicides Love Story" was released March 5, 2008. The song was used as the ending theme to the
Aniplex Aniplex, Inc. (株式会社アニプレックス, ''Kabushiki-gaisha Anipurekkusu'') is a Japanese entertainment company and a subsidiary of Sony, Sony Group Corporation, founded in September 1995 by Sony Music Entertainment Japan. The company fo ...
anime '' Persona: Trinity Soul'', and peaked at No. 64 on the Oricon singles chart. On March 26, Kitade released her 11th single, " Siren", under the alias, ''Ruby Gloom''. The song peaked at No. 189 on the Oricon chart and was used as the theme song to the Japanese dub of the Canadian cartoon, ''
Ruby Gloom ''Ruby Gloom'' is a Canadian animated television series based on the Mighty Fine apparel line of the same name, created by illustrator Martin Hsu. It was produced by Nelvana and aired on YTV in Canada. The series aired from October 15, 2006, to ...
''. Her 12th single, " Punk&Baby's" was released July 23. The song peaked at No. 108 on the Oricon chart and was used as the introduction theme song to the TV program ''Rank Okoku'' for June and July 2008. On the same day a tribute album to
Cyndi Lauper Cynthia Ann Stephanie Lauper ( ; born June 22, 1953) is an American singer, songwriter and actress. Known for her distinctive image, featuring a variety of hair colors and eccentric clothing, and for her powerful four-octave vocal range;Jerome, ...
was released, titled '' We Love Cyndi – Tribute to Cyndi Lauper'', which featured Kitade doing a cover of the 1983 hit song "
She Bop "She Bop" is a song by American singer-songwriter Cyndi Lauper, written by Lauper, Stephen Broughton Lunt, Gary Corbett, and Rick Chertoff, and produced by the lattermost. It was released on July 2, 1984, via Portrait Records as the third singl ...
". On August 1 Nana Kitade was announced as a musical guest at the 10th AnimagiC convention in
Bonn Bonn () is a federal city in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia, located on the banks of the Rhine. With a population exceeding 300,000, it lies about south-southeast of Cologne, in the southernmost part of the Rhine-Ruhr region. This ...
, Germany. Starting October 4, the song " Tsukihana" was used as the opening theme to the
Aniplex Aniplex, Inc. (株式会社アニプレックス, ''Kabushiki-gaisha Anipurekkusu'') is a Japanese entertainment company and a subsidiary of Sony, Sony Group Corporation, founded in September 1995 by Sony Music Entertainment Japan. The company fo ...
anime '' Jigoku Shoujo Mitsuganae''. "Tsukihana" was released as Kitade's 13th single on February 4, 2009. It peaked at No. 22 on the Oricon singles chart. On March 11, 2009, Kitade released her third studio album, '' Bondage''. ''Bondage'' peaked at No. 85 on the Oricon albums chart. On May 5, it was announced on Kitade's official website that she had to cancel an upcoming live show due to poor physical health. On June 1 Sony Music Japan announced Kitade was taking a break from all activities.


2009–12: Loveless and ''Ai to Hate''

On October 2, 2009, Kitade announced she would begin working on a duo project with Japanese guitarist, Taizo, called Loveless. On October 11 it was announced on Loveless's official site that Kitade's contract with Sony Music Japan has come to an end. Throughout 2010, Kitade toured Tokyo, Japan, promoting Loveless. Due to increased interest and popularity from fans overseas, Kitade released a live video on October 24 of her October 9 performance at Shinjuku Marz. In December, Kitade and Taizo traveled to Germany where Loveless was signed to German-based label, ''Spark & Shine'', and began recording new material. In 2011, the songs "Little Tears" and "Love. Lust Free" were released on the duo's official
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page. Starting April 8, Kitade and Taizo set out on a European tour, titled ''Nana Kitade feat. Loveless Europe Tour''. The tour began in France and ended May 4 in the
Netherlands , Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...
. During the tour, Kitade also performed in Germany,
Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...
,
Austria Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...
,
Hungary Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning much of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia and ...
,
Croatia Croatia, officially the Republic of Croatia, is a country in Central Europe, Central and Southeast Europe, on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. It borders Slovenia to the northwest, Hungary to the northeast, Serbia to the east, Bosnia and Herze ...
,
Morocco Morocco, officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It has coastlines on the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to Algeria–Morocc ...
, the United Kingdom,
Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe. Featuring Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in continental Europe, Portugal borders Spain to its north and east, with which it share ...
, and Spain. On June 10, Loveless released their first (and only) EP, '' Ai to Hate''. In December 2012 it was announced that Loveless had been disbanded and that Kitade and Loveless had been dropped from Spark and Shine.


2012–2016: The Teenage Kissers

On December 24, 2012, Kitade announced she was forming a new band along with drummer Mai Koike and bassist Hideo Nekota, called The Teenage Kissers.Members , The Teenage Kissers
Official Site
The band's debut single " Ghost Bitch" was released in a special physical edition February 20, 2013, and was distributed only at live shows.Ghost Bitch: Special Edition , The Teenage Kissers
Official Site
On April 6, 2013, Tsubasa Nakada joined the band as lead guitarist. On June 16, 2013 "Ghost Bitch" was re-released in digital format through the Media Factory music label.
Official Site
The band's second single, "Night Night Night" was released July 5, 2013.
Official Site
The band's third single, "TYTD", was released July 7, 2013.
Official Site
The band's first EP, '' Perfectly Dirty'', was released in Japan October 16, 2013, and internationally October 30, 2013.Perfectly Dirty , The Teenage Kissers
Official Site
The EP was well received in Japan as well as overseas. Also the EP is the first Nana's EP to receive the Parental Advisory Explicit Content label in its jacket, making this CD the first in her career to have that label on it. The EP peaked at number 224 on the
Oricon Albums Chart The Oricon Albums Chart is the Japanese music industry standard albums popularity chart issued daily, weekly, monthly and yearly by Oricon. Oricon originally published LP, CT, Cartridge and CD charts prior to the establishment of the Oricon A ...
. In 2014, THE TEENAGE KISSERS announced their first full-length album, '' Virgin Field'' on May 9, with a July 9, 2014, release date. The album consists of 13 tracks, including a cover of Velvet Underground song "Sunday Morning" on May 29, 2014, the band announced their first national tour RIPE TOMATO TOUR. On June 6, 2014, THE TEENAGE KISSERS released a single titled '' I Love You and Kiss Me'' exclusively on the Japanese iTunes store, the single quickly rose up the ranks and peaked at rank 6 on the Japanese iTunes store alternative music category. The band released their fourth single, " Feel Sick" November 10, 2013.Feel Sick , The Teenage Kissers
Official Site
On May 9, 2014, the band announced their first full-length studio album, '' Virgin Field''. The band's fifth single, " I Love You and Kiss Me" was released exclusively through the iTunes Store June 6, 2014.THE TEENAGE KISSERS、最新アルバム収録曲「I Love You And Kiss Me」を先行配信
Barks.jp
The song was previously included as a bonus track on the special edition of the single " Ghost Bitch". The song was used as the opening song for the show ''Rank Kingdom'' for the months of June and July 2014.I Love You and Kiss Me , The Teenage Kissers
Official Site
The song became the most successful for the band, peaking at rank 6 on the Japanese iTunes store alternative music category. The band's sixth single, a double a-side vinyl, "Needle / Crystal Swan" was released June 30, 2014.
Official Site
''Virgin Field'' was released July 9, 2014.
Official Site
The album features the previous singles "Feel Sick", "I Love You and Kiss Me", "Needle" and "Crystal Swan" as well as a cover of the song " Sunday Morning" by
The Velvet Underground The Velvet Underground were an American Rock music, rock band formed in New York City in 1964. Its classic lineup consisted of singer and guitarist Lou Reed, Welsh multi-instrumentalist John Cale, guitarist Sterling Morrison, and percussionis ...
.THE TEENAGE KISSERS 1stフルアルバム『VIRGIN FIELD』が7月9日にリリース決定!
PR Times
The album peaked at No. 242 on the Oricon Albums Chart. The Teenage Kissers released their seventh single, a double a-side, "Howl / Magical Forest" January 16, 2015, as an exclusive cassette tape available only at the band's One Man Tour.
Official Site
On June 19, 2015, the band announced their second EP, '' Lightning Machine'' to be released August 5, 2015, through Gaze Records. The EP will feature the previous single, "Night Night Night".Lightning Machine , The Teenage Kissers
Official Site
The music video for "Psychic Haze", a song from the EP, was posted to the band's official YouTube page July 20, 2015. The band's final single was released September 23, 2015. It is a double a-side single featuring a remix of "Violent Lips" by Araki of Storoboy and a remix of "Out of Control" by Toru Matsumoto of TRMTRM. On May 20, 2016, the band announced they would be going on hiatus to focus on their respective solo projects.


2016–present: return to solo career and 4th album

In September 2016 Nana Kitade returned to her solo career with the release of her 13th single, " Bad Babe's Dreamer". Kitade released her 14th single, " Last Snowdome", December 19, 2016. Nana released her fourth album, " VIOLET BLAZE", on 2017/05/03.


Fashion and modeling

With the 2005 release of "Kiss or Kiss", Kitade revealed her new Gothic Lolita inspired look. She gained the interest of Lolita clothing companies such as Baby, The Stars Shine Bright, of which she has repeatedly stated to be her favorite brand. In 2007 she began appearing monthly prints of Kera Magazine wearing Gothic Lolita styled clothes. In February 2008 Kitade did a cover feature interview for the US edition of Gothic & Lolita Bible. In Europe, Nana Kitade was featured in the 50th Issue of Neo Magazine in August 2008. Kitade was considered a Lolita fashion icon for many teenage girls around the world. After her first 2009 hiatus and her rebranding with Loveless, she started to adopt a more adult-like/ero/gothic and aristocrat style, before going back to a more girlish and grungy style with The teenage kissers. Her 4th studio album, Violet Blaze, and more precisely her music videos of her songs Bad Babe's Dreamer, Make Believe and Just A Day marked her collaboration with Japanese director and fashion designer Kanae Higashi, who owns the brand rurumu. Nana Kitade will keep on showcasing a very strong and personal sense of feminine fashion, often going back to lolita - as she from time to time will be seen modeling for japanese brands such as Victorian Maiden and Moi Même Moitié over the years - as seen on her socials.


Discography

* '' 18: Eighteen'' (2005) * '' I Scream'' (2006) * '' Bondage'' (2009) * '' Violet Blaze'' (2017)


Tours

* Nana Kitade Tour (2004) * Nana Kitade feat. Loveless Europe Tour (2011)


References


External links


Nana Kitade
Official Sony Page {{DEFAULTSORT:Kitade, Nana Singers from Sapporo Sony Music Entertainment Japan artists Sony BMG artists 1987 births Living people Japanese women rock singers Japanese women pop singers Japanese rock musicians 21st-century Japanese singer-songwriters 21st-century Japanese women singers