Okui Masami

Okui Masami promoting Sophia (2017)

Okui Masami (奥井雅美) is Japanese pop artist who is well known for her songs used in anime. She was formerly signed under King Records, but she's now under Lantis after her own record label, evolution was terminated in 2011. It was under the Geneon umbrella. She is good friends and has often worked with Yonekura Chihiro (the two even formed the short-lived duo r.o.r/s) and Hayashibara Megumi.

Profile

• Date of Birth: March 13, 1968 (1968-03-13)
• Place of Birth: Itamishi, Hyougo Prefecture, Japan
• Family: Mother (Her father was died when she was little girl)
• Blood Type: A
• Favorite Artists: Matsuda Seiko, Matsutoya Yumi, Takeuchi Mariya, Hamada Mari, LAZY (former), Bon Jovi, and Aerosmith
• Bands / Groups:
  • r.o.r/s (2003)

Information

Okui Masami promoting mitsu

Okui Masami was born in Itami. She was little, when her parents were divorced, and her father died. After it, Masami oved with her mother to Osaka. She doesn't have sibling.

From a young age, Okui was taught how to play the piano. It wasn't until Middle School when Masami was introduced to pop and rock music. She eventually ended-up joining a band. She then terminated her studies for the escalator entrance exam to college. Instead, she applied at the Osaka University of Arts. Halfway through the first semester, she dropped out and decided to move to Tokyo to pursue a working career.

In 1989, Okui got a job as a back-up singer during Saito Yuki's tour. She started getting more singing gigs. She also continued as a back-up singer performing with such acts as Wink and Harada Tomoyo.

On 1993.08.21, Okui released her debut single "Dare Yori mo Zutto..." under King Records. After its release, she switched her focus on her solo career and began releasing on a regular basis: an album and three to four singles a year.

Masami's second album, "V-sit" turned out to be her best selling. This album is her first to incorporate more of a rock sound. It contains some of her best known songs from the Slayers, Sorcerer Hunters, and Starship Girl Yamamoto Yohko anime series'. Her most successful single is 1999's, "Tenshi no Kyuusoku". The song was used as the theme song to the Starship Girl Yamamoto Yohko anime.

Since her debut, Okui has been taking over more and more aspects of her music. First, taking over writing lyrics, composing music, and even producing. Her seventh album, "DEVOTION", was her first album that she completely produced herself. She has since gone on to publish a monthly column in the NewType anime magazine and has also co-hosted the TV-Osaka music program "M-VOICE".

In 2003, Okui started working with other artists. Early in the year, she started working with super group JAM Project. She soon became the vocalist of the group and has been releasing with them since. Later that year, Masami teamed up with Yonekura Chihiro to from the duo "r.o.r/s". Together, the girls released two singles and an album before returning to their other works.

In 2004, Okui left King Records. She then signed with Geneon who gave her her own record label which she named evolution Records. Afterward, she debuted on the label with the single, "Olive". The evolution has been discontinued in 2011, that's why she didn't released new album or single. She signed to with the label, Lantis, where she released two more studio albums.

Okui has also written lyrics and composed music for several other artists. She has worked on several tracks for Ishida Yoko, Mizuki Nana, and Shimokawa Mikuni. Recently, she has begun scouting and auditioning: looking to find new artists for her label. Ohmi Tomoe is a Japanese pop singer who Okui has signed to her label and has begun producing. She has so far released four singles, with all lyrics and some of the music composed by Okui.

In 2015 she released her latest single: Takarabako -TREASURE BOX-, which was used as the opening song of the anime series: SHIROBAKO. Due the popularity of the anime, the single became successful, it reached #15 on the Oricon weekly charts, and it became her best-charted single to date. After this, she released her latest album: Symbolic Bride, and despite the success of the single, it became her worst selling album to date. It was promoted poorly, and Makkun declared in an interview, she had more spare time in the JAM Project schedule, so she could make a new studio album.

Discography

Okui Masami promoting i-magination

Albums

• [1995.04.21] Gyuu
• [1996.09.21] V-sit
• [1997.09.26] Ma-KING
• [1998.09.23] Do-can
• [1999.08.27] Her-Day
• [2000.08.23] NEEI
• [2001.08.29] DEVOTION
• [2002.09.04] crossroad
• [2004.02.04] ReBirth
• [2005.02.02] Dragonfly
• [2006.02.24] God Speed
• [2006.10.04] evolution
• [2007.10.03] Masami Life
• [2009.02.25] Akasha
• [2010.02.03] i-magination
• [2012.07.04] Love Axel
• [2015.06.10] Symbolic Bride
• [2018.08.21] Happy End
• [2021.03.13] 11-elevens-

Okui Masami promoting Love Axel (2012)

Best Albums

• [2001.03.21] S-mode #1
• [2004.02.25] S-mode #2
• [2005.02.23] S-mode #3
• [2008.02.06] Ooku (大奥)
• [2023.03.08] Mas"ami Okui"terpiece

Mini-Albums

• [2002.11.22] angel's voice

Cover Albums

• [2003.05.11] Masami Kobushi (マサミコブシ)
• [2009.08.21] Self Satisfaction
• [2011.02.02] Self Satisfaction II

Live Albums

• [1999.06.04] BEST-EST
• [2000.11.23] Li-Book 2000

Okui Masami promoting Symbolic Bride (2015)

Tribute Albums

• [2008.06.25] TRIBUTE TO MASAMI OKUI ~Buddy~

Singles

• [1993.08.21] Dare Yori mo Zutto... (誰よりもずっと...)
• [1993.11.26] Yume ni Konnichiwa ~Willow Town Monogatari~ (夢にこんにちわ ～ウイロータウン物語～)
• [1994.01.21] I WAS BORN TO FALL IN LOVE
• [1994.03.05] REINCARNATION
• [1994.08.05] My Jolly Days
• [1994.12.21] It's DESTINY -Yatto Meguri Aeta- (It's DESTINY -やっと巡り会えた-)
• [1995.05.24] Get along (with Hayashibara Megumi)
• [1995.11.03] MASK (with Matsumura Kasumi)
• [1996.01.24] Shake it
• [1996.04.24] Give a reason (with Hayashibara Megumi)
• [1996.12.05] naked mind
• [1997.03.05] J

Okui Masami promoting Innocent Bubble (2017)

• [1997.05.21] Rinbu-revolution (輪舞-revolution)
• [1997.05.21] Rinbu-revolution / truth (輪舞-revolution / truth) (with Yumi Luca)
• [1997.06.21] Souda, Zettai. (そうだ、ぜったい。)
• [1998.05.22] Birth
• [1998.08.07] AKA (朱 -AKA-)
• [1998.11.27] Never die
• [1999.03.13] Key
• [1999.05.08] Tenshi no Kyuusoku (天使の休息)
• [1999.07.02] labyrinth / Toki ni Ai wa (labyrinth / 時に愛は)
• [1999.11.26] Sore wa Totsuzen Yatte Kuru (それは突然やってくる)
• [1999.12.03] only one, No.1
• [2000.04.26] OVER THE END
• [2000.07.21] TURNING POINT
• [2000.07.21] CUTIE
• [2000.08.03] Just do it
• [2001.02.07] Sora ni Kakeru Hashi (空にかける橋)
• [2001.03.21] Megami ni Naritai ~for a yours~ (女神になりたい ～for a yours～)
• [2001.04.24] Shuffle
• [2001.07.25] DEPORTATION ~but, never too late~
• [2002.08.22] HAPPY PLACE
• [2003.11.27] SECOND IMPACT
• [2004.12.08] Olive
• [2005.05.11] TRUST / A confession of TOKIO
• [2006.01.25] mitsu (蜜 -mitsu-)
• [2006.05.10] zero-G-
• [2006.08.09] WILD SPICE
• [2007.01.26] Remote Viewing
• [2007.07.04] It's my life
• [2007.07.25] RING
• [2007.11.21] INSANITY
• [2008.11.05] Melted Snow
• [2009.05.13] Starting Over
• [2009.08.21] Miracle Upper WL feat. May'n (ミラクル・アッパーWL)
• [2010.04.21] Renka Tairan (恋華大乱)
• [2012.08.08] -Side SunRise- Sora no Uta (ソラノウタ)
• [2015.02.25] Takarabako -TREASURE BOX- / Platinum Jet (宝箱-TREASURE BOX- / プラチナジェット)
• [2017.08.30] Innocent Bubble (イノセントバブル)
• [2017.11.22] Sophia (ソフィア)

Digital Singles

• [2019.12.22] Blood Blade -Hikari to Yami no Kanata ni- (Blood Blade -光と闇の彼方に-)
• [2020.09.01] Ave Maria

Split Singles

• [1996.04.17] Senobi wo Shite Follow You (背伸びをした Follow You) (Iwao Junko and Okui Masami)
• [2010.12.17] Good-bye crisis (Okui Masami & Shimotsuki Haruka) (Digital)

Video Releases

• [1997.12.22] Ma-KING Concert' 97
• [1999.01.22] Do-can diary
• [1999.08.27] A-Day
• [1999.12.23] Live in Hibiya -no cut-
• [2000.08.23] B-Day
• [2000.12.21] document '00
• [2001.09.05] Birth Live '01
• [2001.12.05] C-Day
• [2002.06.05] Live Devotion
• [2003.11.27] V-mode -10th Anniversary-
• [2004.12.22] GIGS 2004 ReBirth
• [2005.08.08] GIGS 2005 Dragonfly
• [2006.10.07] GIGS 2006 GodSpeed
• [2007.10.01] GIGS 2006 evolution
• [2009.03.25] GIGS 2007 Masami Life

Compilations / Other

• [2009.05.27] My Resolution ~Ano Tokei no Shita de~ (～あの時計の下で～) (Summer of Love feat. Okui Masami)
• [2009.10.25] DreamParty Memorial CD Vol.5 Sparkling / No Dream no Life
• [2009.12.09] Gundam Tribute from Lantis (#9 DREAMS )
• [2013.05.16] The Galaxy Express 999
• [2013.11.27] CR Tekken Theme Song Album "KO.BU.SHI ~Tekken~" (#6 Kokoro Strike)
• [2019.05.27] ANIMELO SUMMER LIVE 2019 THEME SONG CROSSING STORIES

External Links

• Official Website
• Oricon Profile
• Official Blog
• Official Twitter