Miho Fukuhara

Miho Fukuhara asserted her place among J-pop's leading figures toward the end of the 2000s after launching her recording career in 2006 and securing placement on the annual Japanese Top 100 listing by 2008. Attractive looks and firm label backing contributed to her ascent, yet her commanding voice, which recalled Mariah Carey, proved decisive even though her own approach favored 1980s-inspired pop ballads over R&B. Born in 1987 on the northern island of Hokkaido into a musical household, the future star gained early familiarity with her parents' extensive record collection.

Her first public recognition arrived in 2002 when she won over the panel at a regional karaoke contest with a rendition of Carey's "All I Want for Christmas Is You," though she waited until after high-school graduation before pursuing music professionally. The single "The Roots," issued in 2006 on Yumechika Records and containing a cover of Stevie Wonder's "Sir Duke," marked her initial release and was soon followed that same year by the independent EP Step Out. Live performances at the local HMV outlet helped move more than 6,000 copies, signaling that a major-label contract would follow. Sony signed her in 2007.

Her first contribution to the label was another cover, Celine Dion's "Because You Loved Me," recorded that year for a Dion tribute album. Original material came next with the 2008 debut major single "Change," which reached the Oricon Top 20 and later ranked number 92 on the Japanese yearly singles chart. Two further 2008 releases, "Yasashii Aka" and "Love: Winter Song," both earned gold certification in Japan and cleared the path for the 2009 debut album Rainbow, which climbed to number two on the charts and surpassed 93,000 units sold.