Raychell (born January 13, 1985) is a musician, singer, actress and voice actress who is affiliated with Ace Crew Entertainment. She made her major debut as a singer in 2010 under the name Lay. In 2019, she made her voice acting debut as the character Rei "LAYER" Wakana in the multimedia franchise BanG Dream!, and later was cast as the character Shano Himegami in D4DJ. She was also a member of the visual kei band Shazna.

Raychell
Also known asLay
Born (1985-01-13) January 13, 1985 (age 39)
Occupation(s)Musician, singer, actress, voice actress
Instrument(s)Bass guitar, vocals
Years active2009–present

Biography

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Music career

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Raychell was born on January 13, 1985.[1][2] She had been performing as an artist under the name Ray since at least 2009, when she released the song "Love U", which was used in commercials for the company Tokai Network Club.[3] In 2010, she made her major debut with Avex under the stage name Lay.[2] Her stage name Ray was inspired by Ray Charles, while the name Lay was meant to represent lying down, and her belief that singing while lying down would heal listeners.[4] Her first single "Kono Ai de Aru Yō ni" (この愛であるように) was released on June 2, 2010;[1] the title track is used as the theme song to the film The Poem of Our Time.[3] Her second single "Smiling!" was released on May 4, 2011; the title track is used as an ending theme to the Tamagotchi! anime series.[5] In 2013, she changed her stage name to Raychell and released her first solo album L R.[1][6] She released her third single "Hikari" (ひかり) on November 13, 2013,[7] and her fourth single Stay Hungry on June 18, 2014; "Stay Hungry" was used as the opening theme to the television drama Hakata Stay Hungry.[8] She released the mini-album The 3rd on February 4, 2015,[9] and the mini-album 0 on January 20, 2016.[10] She released the album Are You Ready to Fight on March 1, 2017,[11] and later that year joined the band Shazna as its second vocalist following the band's resumption of activities.[1]

In 2019, as part of the multimedia project BanG Dream!, Raychell became a member of the band Raise A Suilen, serving as its vocalist and bassist.[12]

Acting career

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Raychell made her voice acting debut in 2019 when she was cast as the character Rei "Layer" Wakana in BanG Dream.[12] She was later cast as Shano Himegami in the mixed media project D4DJ.[13] In 2021, she was cast as Elena Hanakaze in the anime series Joran: The Princess of Snow and Blood.[14]

Filmography

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Anime

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2019
2020
2021
2022
  • BanG Dream! Poppin'Dream!, Rei "Layer" Wakana[18]

Discography

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Singles

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  • "Kono Ai de Aru Yō ni" (この愛であるように) (June 2, 2010)[3]
  • "Smiling!" (May 4, 2011)[5]
  • "Hikari" (ひかり) (November 13, 2013)[7]
  • "Stay Hungry" (June 18, 2014)[8]

Albums

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  • L R (April 24, 2013)[6]
  • Are You Ready to Fight (March 1, 2017)[11]

Mini-albums

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  • The 3rd (February 4, 2015)[9]
  • 0 (January 20, 2016)[10]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d "Raychell(レイチェル) | エースクルー・エンタテインメント" (in Japanese). Ace Crew Entertainment. Retrieved June 5, 2021.
  2. ^ a b "この愛であるように/Lay" (in Japanese). Sony Music. Retrieved June 5, 2021.
  3. ^ a b c "この愛であるように(DVD付)" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved June 5, 2021.
  4. ^ ROCK AND READ girls (in Japanese). Shinko Music Entertainment. May 25, 2019. p. 104.
  5. ^ a b "Smiling!" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved June 5, 2021.
  6. ^ a b "L■R" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved June 5, 2021.
  7. ^ a b "ひかり" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved June 5, 2021.
  8. ^ a b "Stay Hungry" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved June 5, 2021.
  9. ^ a b "THE 3RD" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved June 5, 2021.
  10. ^ a b "0" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved June 5, 2021.
  11. ^ a b "Are you ready to FIGHT" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved June 5, 2021.
  12. ^ a b c d Komatsu, Mikikazu (July 18, 2018). "BanG Dream! Franchise's 3rd Girls Band Reveals Their Official Name "RAISE A SUILEN"". Crunchyroll. Retrieved June 5, 2021.
  13. ^ a b c "D4DJプロジェクト新キャスト発表!". D4DJ (in Japanese). September 23, 2020. Retrieved June 4, 2021.
  14. ^ a b "Joran: The Princess of Snow and Blood Anime's Video Reveals Cast, Staff, Story, April 6 Debut". Anime News Network. February 9, 2021. Retrieved June 5, 2021.
  15. ^ "STAFF&CAST | 「BanG Dream! ガルパ☆ピコ~大盛り~」公式サイト". BanG Dream! (in Japanese). Retrieved June 7, 2021.
  16. ^ "CAST・STAFF | 劇場版「BanG Dream! FILM LIVE 2nd Stage」公式サイト". BanG Dream! (in Japanese). Retrieved October 8, 2021.
  17. ^ "STAFF&CAST | 「BanG Dream! ガルパ☆ピコ ふぃーばー!」公式サイト". BanG Dream! (in Japanese). Retrieved October 8, 2021.
  18. ^ "CHARACTER | 劇場版「BanG Dream! ぽっぴん'どりーむ!」". BanG Dream! (in Japanese). Retrieved December 8, 2022.
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