BONNIE PINK

Biography

Kaori Asada (浅田 香織, Asada Kaori; born 16 April 1973), known by her stage name Bonnie Pink, is a Japanese singer-songwriter and musician. She writes and composes all her songs, and plays guitar and piano. Asada has said that the name Bonnie Pink is random and has no special meaning; she chose it because it was easy to remember and because she thought the words were cute together.

History

Bonnie Pink debuted in 1995 with the single "Orenji", under her real name, Asada Kaori. Her first album, Blue Jam×Blue Jam21 September 1995 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 8 tracks1Scarecrow4:222Curious Baby4:483キャンディ２つの散歩4:314背中3:525Freak5:236Too Young To Stop Loving4:447Maze of Love7:198オレンジ5:52, was released that same year under the Pony Canyon record label. She described it as a "mixture of bitter honey, blues music, momentary silence, irresistible madness, teardrops, sour grapes, hopeful bombs, big big love, and a few green apples" in the jacket. It introduced her unique style of music that has been defined as an off-beat mix between jazz, blues, and pop rock. The next year Bonnie Pink produced an album together with artists Tore Johansson, Swedish producer for The Cardigans, and Mitchell Froom. The song "It's Gonna Rain!×It's Gonna Rain!18 June 1997 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 3 tracks1It's Gonna Rain!4:362かなわないこと3:243It's Gonna Rain! (instrumental)4:35" was the fifth ending of the popular Rurouni Kenshin anime. She wrote her third album, Evil & Flowers (1998), while in isolation in the Swedish countryside. She hoped to find inspiration there, but became depressed. She put her feelings of frustration into the songs.
She went to New York alone to take a vacation and to study music after having released her third album in 1998. She went back in 1999 and contracted with Warner Music Japan.

Let Go

On her fourth album, Let Go×Let go5 April 2000 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 13 tracks1Sleeping Child4:072Fish3:493Trust3:254Reason3:055過去と現実3:566Tears For Leo3:377Call My Name3:358Run With Yourself4:309Shine3:3710Shadow3:3611Rumblefish4:4112You Are Blue, So Am I4:1913Refrain2:29, she worked with Mitchell Froom, New York producer of Elvis Costello, Cibo Matto, and Suzanne Vega. He gave her co-production credit for the album because he was so impressed with her. Her fifth album, Just a Girl×Just a Girl24 October 2001 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 13 tracks1SWEET3:442Communication4:443Building A Castle3:134Thinking of You (album mix)4:585コイン3:366LIVE LIFE (interlude)0:327再生3:528Take Me In4:349Are You Sure?4:5710Movin' On3:5511僕じゃなかったなら3:3512眠れない夜 (album mix)4:3413Just a Girl4:58, came out in 2001. The next year she collaborated with other artists and released Re-Pink, a remix album. Present came out in 2003 and Even So in 2004. Golden Tears, which features the single "So Wonderful×So Wonderful3 August 2005 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 5 tracks1So Wonderful3:302Cotton Candy3:543Robotomy (Flaming Feathers mix)3:544So Wonderful (instrumental)3:305Cotton Candy (instrumental)3:49", came out in 2005, and she performed at SXSW that same year as part of Japan Nite.

"Love Is Bubble"

Bonnie Pink released the single "Love Is Bubble×LOVE IS BUBBLE10 May 2006 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 4 tracks1LOVE IS BUBBLE3:202オレンジ (2005.09.23 live at Shinsaibashi CLUB QUATTRO)5:173Do You Crash? (2005.09.21 live at SHIBUYA-AX)5:324LOVE IS BUBBLE (instrumental)3:17" in May 2006. Her June 2006 single "A Perfect Sky×A Perfect Sky28 June 2006 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 4 tracks1A Perfect Sky4:082Free5:223interlude -siesta-1:444A Perfect Sky (instrumental)4:05", featured in an Anessa makeup commercial with popular model Yuri Ebihara, reached number 5 on the Oricon singles charts, making it the most successful single in Bonnie Pink's career. Her "best of" album sold out quickly on Amazon Japan and reached number two on the Oricon charts and continued to chart in the top 30 becoming one of the top selling albums of the year. In November 2006, she was featured in M-Flo's single "Love Song". The single was a hit for both M-Flo and Bonnie Pink, and debuted at number 7 on the Oricon daily charts and reached number 9 on the Oricon weekly chart, gaining Bonnie Pink another top 10 single.

Themes for anime

Her song "Cotton Candy" was used as the ending theme for the anime Guyver: The Bioboosted Armor in 2005, and "Love Is Bubble×LOVE IS BUBBLE10 May 2006 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 4 tracks1LOVE IS BUBBLE3:202オレンジ (2005.09.23 live at Shinsaibashi CLUB QUATTRO)5:173Do You Crash? (2005.09.21 live at SHIBUYA-AX)5:324LOVE IS BUBBLE (instrumental)3:17" was the theme song for the Japanese movie Memories of Matsuko, in which she also featured. Her single "Last Kiss×Last Kiss7 April 2004 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 4 tracks1Last Kiss4:2325 more minutes3:233Last Kiss (instrumental)4:254I'm in the mood for dancing3:35", which appears as the last song on her greatest hits album, was the ending theme to the popular Gantz anime.

"Anything for You"

Bonnie Pink's single "Anything for You×Anything for You28 March 2007 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 3 tracks1Anything for You4:112Love Song (UC a.k.a DJ UPPERCUT REMIX)5:563Anything for You (instrumental)4:07", although not as successful as "A Perfect Sky×A Perfect Sky28 June 2006 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 4 tracks1A Perfect Sky4:082Free5:223interlude -siesta-1:444A Perfect Sky (instrumental)4:05", still reached number 9 on the Oricon charts, achieving moderate success. Bonnie Pink, shortly after releasing her previous single, began performing on popular TV music shows and promoting her latest single, "Water Me×Water Me6 June 2007 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 5 tracks1Water Me3:522Gimme A Beat3:263MAGICAL MYSTERY TOUR4:254Water Me (instrumental)3:515Gimme A Beat (instrumental)3:24", which was the theme song for the popular TV drama Watashitachi no Kyōkasho ("Our Textbooks") a dark, melancholy drama about a young girl's suicide and the effect on her school. The single "Water Me" reached number 6 on Oricon on its release date and number 8 on the weekly charts. On 7 July 2007, Bonnie Pink performed at Live Earth in Kyoto.

Thinking Out Loud

Bonnie Pink's album Thinking Out Loud×Thinking Out Loud25 July 2007 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1Gimme A Beat3:542Broken hearts, city lights and me just thinking out loud3:343Burning Inside4:284慰みブルー3:595Imagination3:556A Perfect Sky (Philharmonic Flava)4:327Lullaby3:288坂道3:569Water Me3:5010Catch the Sun4:1711Chances Are2:5512Anything For You4:11 was released on 25 July 2007, her first album to be sold in both CD and CD+DVD formats. The first press of both editions came with an access ticket containing the AD/Password to reserve tickets for her tour, "Bonnie Pink Tour 2007 'Thinking Out Loud' Final at Nippon Budokan" on a special designated website. The CD pre-orders made the album number 1 on the Amazon.com Japan Top Sellers. The album debuted at number 4 on the Oricon Daily Charts and number 5 on the weekly charts selling approximately 53,605 copies. As of 5 September 2007, her album had sold approximately 90,000 copies. Bonnie Pink was on her "Thinking Out Loud Tour" from late 2007 to early 2008.

I and Ai

In April 2008, Bonnie Pink made a guest performances for Domoto Tsuyoshi's solo project 244 Endli-x album I and Ai. She was featured on the last track, "Say Anything", which she wrote the lyrics to with Domoto.

"Ring a Bell"

The English version of Bonnie Pink's single "Ring a Bell×Ring a Bell16 April 2008 · Single · SoundtrackSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Ring a Bell4:05" was used as the theme song for the American release of the Xbox 360 game Tales of Vesperia. The single was released in Japan and America on iTunes to celebrate Bonnie Pink's 35th birthday. Its Japanese counterpart, "Kane o Narashite", was released on 6 August 2008. Bonnie Pink's thirtieth single, "Joy / Happy Ending", was released on 8 April 2009. One, her 10th studio album, followed on 13 May 2009.