I have a thang, as Isaac Hayes would say, for Yuki Koyanagi. Maybe it's her sultry pout. Maybe it's her bleached-blonde hair. Or it could be her gloriously trashy fashion sense.
Koyanagi burst onto the J-pop scene in September 1999 with the single "Anata no Kiss o Kazoemassho (I'm Going to Count Your Kisses)." The cover of that CD established the Koyanagi look, showing her leaning against a wall, wearing a silver lame tank top, with a half-sneer, half-pout distorting her lovely face.
As for her music . . . well, she ain't a half-bad singer. Like most female Japanese vocalists who've debuted since Misia and Hikaru Utada established the prevalent pop/R&B template, Koyanagi's music is rooted in American soul. And like any decent soul singer, she knows how to breathe, how to project and, most importantly, how to emote. You can hear the passion in her voice.
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