generasia:Featured article for 2009 week 43

May'n

May'n is a Japanese pop singer managed by HoriPro talent agency. When she was 13, she participated in the "Love Music Audition" held by HoriPro talent agency and was one of four chosen out of 34,911 hopefuls. In the year 2005, she debuted as an urban singer under stage name Nakabayashi May on the Universal Music Japan in 2005 but later transfered to Victor Entertainment.

In May 2008, she redebuted under a new stage name May'n (delivered from May Nakabayashi) with the single "Diamond Crevasse / Iteza☆Gogo Kuji Don't be late" as the fictional idol Sheryl Nome in Macross Frontier. Thank to to the popularity of the anime series, the single reached #3 on the Oricon weekly charts and later became the 66th best selling single of the year. In August 2008, May'n collaborated with Nakajima Megumi and Kanno Yoko for another single, "Lion". In January 2009, May'n released her debut mini-album, "May'n☆Street", reaching #2 on Oricon charts. Her third single, "Kimi Shinitamou Koto Nakare" was scheduled for May 6 and was used as the opening theme for the anime Shangri-La.

In Fall 2009, May'n reprises her role as Sheryl Nome for the movie Macross Frontier ~Itsuwari no Utahime~. On October 21, the same day as her 20th anniversary, she released two singles simultaneously: "pink monsoon" which is described as Sheryl Nome's debut single and a digital single titled "my teens, my tears", a tribute to her teenage days.