Anly (born January 20, 1997) is a Japanese pop singer-songwriter from Ie, Okinawa. She started playing the guitar at six years old, and started writing music in junior high school. In high school, she played live at various locations in Okinawa and Tokyo, allowing her to release two indie singles in 2015 before being signed to Sony Music Records. She released her debut single "Taiyō ni Warae" in 2015 and her debut album Anly One in 2017.

Anly
Born (1997-01-20) January 20, 1997 (age 27)
Ie, Okinawa, Japan
GenresJ-pop
Occupation(s)Singer-songwriter
Years active2014–present
LabelsSony Music Records
Websitewww.anly-singer.com

Biography edit

Early life and career edit

Anly was born on Iejima, an island in Okinawa, Japan. Anly started playing the guitar after her father bought her one at six years old.[1] Anly grew up without access to a computer or the Internet at home, and often listened to blues and rock CDs her father bought while strumming her guitar. After her father taught her the basic chords, she learned the rest mainly on her own up through when she was in third grade, at which time she began to play songs by ear.[1][2][3] She had wanted to be a singer from a young age, but because she wanted to sing her own songs, she began writing lyrics when she was in her second year of junior high school. The following year as a third year in junior high school, she also started composing her own music, and she thought about becoming a singer-songwriter.[4]

Due to there not being a high school on Iejima, Anly moved to Naha when she started high school.[2][3] Anly joined the marching band in high school playing the trombone, but continued to write music between club activities. She resigned from the marching band in her second year of high school when she became serious about aiming to be a professional singer-songwriter. Anly began performing at live houses on Iejima and later in Naha.[2][3][5] Anly released her first indie single "Sixteen" on January 19, 2015.[6] After graduating from high school in early 2015, she was selected to open for Miwa at a live house in Naha as part of Miwa's acoustic live tour Acoguissimo in June.[2][7] Later that year, she was discovered at a live house in Shimokitazawa, Setagaya, Tokyo and was employed as a reporter for J-Wave for the 2015 Fuji Rock Festival and the 2015 Summer Sonic Festival.[2][7][8] Anly released her second indie single "Bye-Bye" on August 26, 2015, which included a cover of Gabrielle Aplin's "Please Don't Say You Love Me".[2][9]

Major debut edit

Anly signed to Sony Music Records in 2015 and released her debut single "Taiyō ni Warae" (太陽に笑え) on November 25, 2015.[10] In 2016, Anly released her second single "Egao / Ii no" (笑顔/いいの) on March 23 and her third single "Emergency" on June 15.[11][12] Included on "Emergency" as a B-side is a cover of Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven".[12] She released her fourth single "Kara no Kokoro" (カラノココロ) on January 18, 2017; the song was used as the final opening theme to the Naruto: Shippuden anime series.[13][14] Anly played a musician in the 2017 Japanese film Shinjuku Swan II.[15] Anly collaborated with Sukima Switch to release the single "Kono Yami o Terasu Hikari no Mukō ni" (この闇を照らす光のむこうに) on March 1, 2017.[16] She released her debut studio album Anly One on April 26, 2017.[17] Anly released her fifth single "Hokuto Shichisei" (北斗七星) on August 9, 2017.[18] Anly's sixth single "Venus" was released on November 29, 2017, and it included a cover of the Beatles' "Come Together".[19]

Anly's seventh single "Beautiful" was released on February 28, 2018, and it included a cover of Ed Sheeran's "Shape of You". "Beautiful" is used as the ending theme to the 2018 anime series The Seven Deadly Sins: Revival of The Commandments.[20] Anly released her second studio album Loop on July 25, 2018.[21] Anly released "Sunshine" as a digital single on December 5, 2018.[22] Anly collaborated with Hiroyuki Sawano on the single "Tranquility", released on October 2, 2019; the song was used as the ending theme to the anime film series Legend of the Galactic Heroes: The New Thesis - Stellar War.[23] She released her third studio album Sweet Cruisin' on April 8, 2020.[24] Anly's eighth single "Seishun (Star Wink)" (星瞬 ~Star Wink~) was released on January 6, 2021; the song is used as the theme song for the 2021 film Natsume's Book of Friends: The Waking Rock and the Strange Visitor.[25] Her ninth single "Voltage" was released on February 16, 2022; the song is used as the 19th ending theme song for the anime series Boruto: Naruto Next Generations.[26] She released her fourth studio album Quarter on October 12, 2022.[27]

Discography edit

Studio albums edit

List of albums, with selected chart positions
Title Album details Peak positions
JPN
[28]
Anly One
  • Released: April 26, 2017
  • Label: Sony Music
  • Formats: CD, CD+DVD
24
Loop
  • Released: July 25, 2018
  • Label: Sony Music
  • Formats: CD, CD+DVD
52
Sweet Cruisin'
  • Released: April 8, 2020
  • Label: Sony Music
  • Formats: CD, CD+DVD
43
Quarter
  • Released: October 12, 2022
  • Label: Sony Music
  • Formats: CD
36

Singles edit

List of singles, with selected chart positions
Title Year Peak chart positions Album
JPN Oricon
[28]
JPN Hot 100
"Sixteen" 2015 Non-album single
"Bye-Bye"
"Taiyō ni Warae"[Jp 1] 107 35[29] Anly One
"Egao"[Jp 2] 2016 140
"Ii no"[Jp 3]
"Emergency" 113
"Kara no Kokoro"[Jp 4] 2017 34 47[30]
"Hokuto Shichisei"[Jp 5] 69 Loop
"Venus" 83 89[31]
"Beautiful" 2018 62
"Sunshine" Sweet Cruisin'
"Seishun (Star Wink)"[Jp 6] 2021 33 Quarter
"Voltage" 2022 55
"—" denotes releases that did not chart or were ineligible to chart.

Collaborations edit

List of singles, with selected chart positions
Title Year Peak chart positions Album
JPN Oricon
JPN Hot 100
"Kono Yami o Terasu Hikari no Mukō ni"[Jp 7] (with Sukima Switch) 2017 23[16] 6[32] Anly One
"Tranquility" (with SawanoHiroyuki[nZk]) 2019 24[33] Non-album single
"—" denotes releases that did not chart.

Music videos edit

List of music videos
Title Year Director(s)
"Bye-Bye" 2015 Yūsuke Fukase[34][35]
"Taiyō ni Warae"
"Don't give it up! feat. Gabrielle Aplin"
"Egao" 2016 Yūsuke Fukase[36][37]
"Emergency"
"Kara no Kokoro" 2017 Hideaki Sunaga[38]
"Hokuto Shichisei" Atsunori Tōshi[39]
"Venus"
"Beautiful" 2018
"Seishun (Star Wink)" 2021
"Voltage" 2022

Notes edit

  1. ^ (太陽に笑え)
  2. ^ (笑顔)
  3. ^ (いいの)
  4. ^ (カラノココロ)
  5. ^ (北斗七星)
  6. ^ (星瞬 ~Star Wink~)
  7. ^ (この闇を照らす光のむこうに)

References edit

  1. ^ a b "【インタビュー】Anly、「太陽に笑え」は未来や今の自分へのメッセージの歌かな" (in Japanese). Barks. November 23, 2015. Retrieved April 27, 2017.
  2. ^ a b c d e f "ドラマにCMソング…注目の女性SSW、Anlyがデビュー!" (in Japanese). Mynavi. December 4, 2015. Archived from the original on December 8, 2015. Retrieved April 27, 2017.
  3. ^ a b c "Anly「太陽に笑え」インタビュー" (in Japanese). Natalie. p. 1. Retrieved April 27, 2017.
  4. ^ "Anly「太陽に笑え」インタビュー" (in Japanese). Natalie. p. 2. Retrieved April 27, 2017.
  5. ^ "ドラマ『サイレーン』主題歌で話題に 18歳のシンガーソングライター、Anlyの突き抜けた才能" (in Japanese). Real Sound. November 5, 2015. p. 1. Retrieved April 27, 2017.
  6. ^ "Sixteen – Single" (in Japanese). iTunes Store. January 19, 2015. Retrieved April 27, 2017.
  7. ^ a b "松坂桃李主演、新ドラマ「サイレーン」主題歌に沖縄・伊江島出身のシンガーソングライター"Anly"が抜擢" (in Japanese). Mynavi. October 5, 2015. Archived from the original on July 31, 2017. Retrieved April 27, 2017.
  8. ^ "ドラマ『サイレーン』主題歌で話題に 18歳のシンガーソングライター、Anlyの突き抜けた才能" (in Japanese). Real Sound. November 5, 2015. p. 2. Retrieved April 27, 2017.
  9. ^ "Bye-Bye" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved April 27, 2017.
  10. ^ "太陽に笑え(初回生産限定盤)" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved April 27, 2017.
  11. ^ "笑顔/いいの(初回生産限定盤)" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved April 27, 2017.
  12. ^ a b "EMERGENCY(初回生産限定盤)" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved April 27, 2017.
  13. ^ "カラノココロ(初回生産限定盤)" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved April 27, 2017.
  14. ^ "Naruto Shippūden Anime Reveals More Information About New 'Boyhood' Arc". Anime News Network. October 20, 2016. Retrieved April 27, 2017.
  15. ^ "Anlyの新曲が「新宿スワンII」劇中歌に、綾野剛との共演も" (in Japanese). Natalie. December 12, 2016. Retrieved April 27, 2017.
  16. ^ a b "この闇を照らす光のむこうに" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved April 27, 2017.
  17. ^ "anly one(初回生産限定盤)" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved April 27, 2017.
  18. ^ "北斗七星" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved June 19, 2017.
  19. ^ "Venus" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved November 3, 2017.
  20. ^ "Beautiful" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved December 13, 2017.
  21. ^ "Loop" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved June 24, 2018.
  22. ^ "Anly、新曲「Sunshine」が紀陽銀行とFM802の新しいプロジェクト「NAMBA SQUARE」のイメージソングに". Billboard (in Japanese). November 16, 2018. Retrieved December 28, 2018.
  23. ^ "SawanoHiroyuki [nZk]、『銀河英雄伝説 Die Neue These 星乱』EDテーマでAnlyとコラボ". Barks (in Japanese). July 12, 2019. Retrieved September 5, 2019.
  24. ^ "Sweet Cruisin'" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved April 14, 2020.
  25. ^ "New Natsume's Book of Friends Anime Film's Trailer Previews Anly's Theme Song". Anime News Network. December 4, 2020. Retrieved December 4, 2020.
  26. ^ "Voltage" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved January 14, 2022.
  27. ^ "QUARTER(初回生産限定盤)" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved October 19, 2022.
  28. ^ a b "Anlyの作品" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved October 19, 2022.
  29. ^ "Japan Billboard Hot 100". Billboard (in Japanese). December 7, 2015. Retrieved April 27, 2017.
  30. ^ "Japan Billboard Hot 100". Billboard (in Japanese). January 30, 2017. Retrieved April 27, 2017.
  31. ^ "Japan Billboard Hot 100". Billboard (in Japanese). December 11, 2017. Retrieved January 19, 2018.
  32. ^ "Japan Billboard Hot 100". Billboard (in Japanese). March 13, 2017. Retrieved April 27, 2017.
  33. ^ "Tranquility/Trollz" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved October 27, 2019.
  34. ^ "Bye-Bye" (in Japanese). Space Shower Networks. Retrieved April 27, 2017.
  35. ^ "太陽に笑え" (in Japanese). Space Shower Networks. Retrieved April 27, 2017.
  36. ^ "笑顔" (in Japanese). Space Shower Networks. Retrieved April 27, 2017.
  37. ^ "Emergency" (in Japanese). Space Shower Networks. Retrieved April 27, 2017.
  38. ^ "カラノココロ" (in Japanese). Space Shower Networks. Retrieved April 27, 2017.
  39. ^ "北斗七星" (in Japanese). Space Shower Networks. Retrieved November 3, 2017.

External links edit