Kenshi Yonezu facts for kids

Kenshi Yonezu (米津 玄師, Yonezu Kenshi, born March 10, 1991) is a very popular Japanese singer, songwriter, and illustrator. He first became known for making music using Vocaloid software under the name Hachi (ハチ) starting in 2009.

In 2012, he began releasing music using his own voice, under his real name. His songs have sold millions of copies in Japan, both as physical CDs and digital downloads. His 2022 song "Kick Back" became a huge hit around the world. It was even certified Gold in the United States, selling over 500,000 copies. This was the first time a song with Japanese lyrics achieved this!

Kenshi Yonezu's Journey in Music

Early Days and Discovering Music

Kenshi Yonezu was born in Tokushima, Japan. Growing up, he sometimes found it a bit hard to connect with other people. He later learned he had high-functioning autism, which helped him understand himself better.

His musical journey began in 2006 when he was in junior high school. He formed a band called Late Rabbit Edda with his friend Hiroshi Nakajima. Kenshi was the singer and songwriter, and sometimes played guitar.

He started sharing his songs online. Between 2008 and 2009, he uploaded 24 original songs to a video website called Nico Nico Douga. Even though these early songs didn't get many views, it was a start!

The Rise of Hachi and Vocaloid Music

After high school, Kenshi moved to Osaka to study fine arts. While there, he began using Vocaloid software to create music. Vocaloid lets you make songs using computer-generated voices, like Hatsune Miku.

His Vocaloid songs quickly became very popular. In 2009, his song "Musunde Hiraite Rasetsu to Mukuro" (結ンデ開イテ羅刹ト骸) was viewed over a million times! He released two self-produced albums in 2010, Hanataba to Suisō and Official Orange.

Many of his Vocaloid songs were featured on popular albums and even in video games like Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA Extend. By 2012, seven of his songs as Hachi had reached over a million views online, including the super popular "Matryoshka."

Kenshi also joined an animation group called Minakata Kenkyūjo. He stopped uploading Hachi Vocaloid videos for a few years in 2011 to focus on new projects.

Becoming Kenshi Yonezu: Solo Career

In 2011, Kenshi and other internet musicians created Balloom, an independent music label. This helped them share their music more widely. In 2012, he released his first album, Diorama, under his real name. This album was a big success and even won an award!

In 2013, he signed with a major record label, Universal Music Japan. He wanted to work with other musicians who shared his passion. His first single with Universal was "Santa Maria."

He continued to release popular albums like Yankee (2014), Bremen (2015), and Bootleg (2017). Songs like "Uchiage Hanabi" and "Peace Sign" became huge hits. Bootleg even won Album of the Year at the 60th Japan Record Awards, making him a national star.

Big Performances and Global Reach

On December 31, 2018, Kenshi Yonezu made his first live TV appearance on Japan's famous 69th NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen show. He performed his hit song "Lemon" from his hometown of Tokushima. This was a special moment for his fans!

In 2019, he wrote the lyrics for Masaki Suda's song "Machigaisagashi," which won an award for Best Pop Video. His songs "Uma to Shika" and "Paprika" (which he produced) also topped the charts. He even held his first concerts outside Japan, in China and Taiwan!

Kenshi Yonezu co-wrote "Kite" for the famous Japanese boy band Arashi, which was the theme song for the 2020 Summer Olympics coverage. In 2020, he performed during Fortnite's Party Royale, sharing songs from his album Stray Sheep.

In 2022, he released "Kick Back," which became the opening theme for the popular anime series Chainsaw Man. In 2023, he created theme songs for the video game Final Fantasy XVI ("Tsuki wo miteita - Moongazing") and Hayao Miyazaki's film The Boy and the Heron ("Spinning Globe").

His sixth studio album, Lost Corner, was released on August 21, 2024.

Kenshi Yonezu's Artistry

Kenshi Yonezu writes and composes all of his own music. For his early Vocaloid songs and his album Diorama, he did everything himself: arranging, programming, mixing, and playing all the instruments! When he joined Universal, he started working with a band.

He is inspired by Japanese bands like Bump of Chicken and Asian Kung-Fu Generation. For his lyrics, he looks to Japanese authors like Kenji Miyazawa. As an illustrator, he admires the drawings of Edward Gorey. He usually creates songs on his guitar, but sometimes uses drums to find a melody.

Kenshi sees his music career in two parts: Hachi, who makes Vocaloid songs for the Nico Nico Douga community, and Kenshi Yonezu, who uses his own voice. While he used to keep these two styles separate, he now feels the lines between them are blurring.

He has also produced music for other artists. He composed "Nilgiri" for singer Lasah and "Escape Game" for anime singer LiSA. He even worked on a remix for the anime Anohana.

Even though he doesn't perform live very often, his concerts are very special events for his fans. His first concert as Kenshi Yonezu was in 2014.

Kenshi Yonezu also illustrates all of his own music videos and album covers. He started drawing and making flash animation videos when he was just 10 years old. He uses computer programs like Adobe Photoshop Elements to create his amazing artwork. His illustrations are so popular that they even appear in a music magazine called Rockin' On Japan!

For making songs, Kenshi uses music software called Cakewalk Sonar. He started with Vocaloid 2 and Hatsune Miku voices. Later, he began using other Vocaloid voices like Megurine Luka and Gumi, and even his own voice in some Hachi songs.

He has shared that Susumu Hirasawa's song "MOTHER" changed his life. He said that Susumu Hirasawa's music had a unique sound he'd never heard before, and it made him want to create music with a similar balance.

Discography

• Diorama (2012)
• Yankee (2014)
• Bremen (2015)
• Bootleg (2017)
• Stray Sheep (2020)
• Lost Corner (2024)

Awards and Achievements

Kenshi Yonezu has won many awards throughout his career for his music and artistry. Some of his notable achievements include:

• Winning the CD Shop Awards multiple times for his albums Diorama, Yankee, and Bremen. These awards are voted on by music store staff.
• Receiving the Excellent Album Award at the 57th Japan Record Awards for Bremen in 2015.
• Being named Best Male Artist at the Space Shower Music Awards in 2018, 2019, and 2020.
• Winning Best Opening at the 2nd Crunchyroll Anime Awards in 2017 for his song "Peace Sign" from the My Hero Academia Season 2 anime.
• His album Bootleg won Album of the Year at the 60th Japan Record Awards in 2018.
• His song "Lemon" won Best Video of the Year and Best Male Video at the MTV VMAJ in 2018, and also won the Theme Song Award at the International Drama Festival in Tokyo.
• He received a Special Award at the 61st Japan Record Awards in 2019, and the song "Paprika" (which he produced) won the Grand Prix.
• His album Stray Sheep was named Top Album of the Year at the Billboard Japan Music Awards in 2020.

See also

In Spanish: Kenshi Yonezu para niños