Hiroko Shimabukuro

Biography

Hiroko Shimabukuro (島袋 寛子, Shimabukuro Hiroko; born 7 April 1984), best known mononymously as hiro, is a Japanese singer. She debuted as a member of the popular girl group Speed in 1996. In 1998, hiro released her first solo song, "Mitsumete Itai", as a B-side to Speed's single "All My True Love". She made her official solo debut in 1999 with the single "As Time Goes By×AS TIME GOES BY18 August 1998 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 5 tracks1AS TIME GOES BY5:102夏の背中4:333Delicious4:534AS TIME GOES BY (Instrumental)5:105夏の背中 (Instrumental)4:31", which sold 800,000 copies in Japan. In 2022 she released her fourth studio album called "0".

Charting and sales

Her first album, Brilliant×Brilliant31 January 2001 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 16 tracks1INTRO〜Going to the Future〜1:422Sweet Love4:313AS TIME GOES BY5:084Love Wing3:075STEP BY STEP5:166BRILLIANT4:297Bright Daylight5:288Treasure (album version)4:559You Make Me Cry4:4210In Season4:5811Give it to Myself4:3112Brand-New Smile for Me4:5513見つめていたい4:0514Delicious4:4915LOOK BACK ON THE TIME5:2416Close My Eyes4:40 charted in Japan at number 4 for five weeks, selling 400,000 copies. Her second album, Naked and True×Naked and True7 August 2002 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 16 tracks1ME AND YOU (Riding Waves)5:152Confession5:113Notice My Mind3:494Day After Day3:305Seaside Holiday & The Sun4:016Naked and True3:517CRAZY4:098Your Innocence4:409For a Long Night5:0210Eternal Place5:3611Love You4:5312ナミダ3:4013見つめていたい (DJ Hasebe remix Part -1)4:5814しあわせの道 (album version)3:4115ON MY WAY5:4516島歌4:40, reached number 1, and she released a best singles album that charted in the top 10.
In August 2004, hiro released an all-English jazz album under the name of Coco d'Or. Her single "Hikari no naka de" was featured on the soundtrack to the movie Devilman. A year later, she released another song, "Clover×clover3 August 2005 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks · 2 discsDisc 11clover4:572Be Alright4:323clover (Instrumental)4:574Be Alright (Instrumental)4:31Disc 21clover Music Clip2clover 30 Seconds Spot(Animation Version)3clover 15 Seconds Spot(Animation Version)4clover 60 Seconds Spot(Animation Plus Version)5clover 30 Seconds Spot(Original Version)6clover 15 Seconds Spot(Original Version)7clover 60 Seconds Spot(Original Version)8clover Music Clip Makeing", tied to anime Black Jack, selling 20,000 copies. Her two CDs released in 2006 sold considerably less, "Hero" selling 7,000 copies and "Itsuka Futari de" 9,000.

Performances

She performed in the United States at Seattle's Sakura-Con in April 2004.

Personal life

Shimabukuro married actor Saotome Yuki on February 12, 2018. They divorced on January 31, 2023.
Shimabukuro is a radio host for "Ii ne! Okinawa!" 『いいね!Okinawa!』every Saturday at 12:25 p.m. for FM-Okinawa.
On January 31, 2023, Shimabukuro Hiroko and stage actor Saotome Yuki took to their Instagram accounts to announce their divorce. According to reports, the two filed for divorce on the 30th.

Albums

Brilliant, 2001. Number 2, 7 weeks, 430,000 copies
Naked and True, 2002. Number 2, 7 weeks, 236,000 copies
寛 シングル・コレクション (Regular Edition), 2006. (hiro Singles Collection) Number 7, 6 weeks, 47,000 copies
私の沖縄, 2013. (Watashi no Okinawa) Number 13, 4 weeks,
0, 2022.

Albums (As Coco d'Or)

Coco d'Or, 2004.
Coco d'Or Parfait, 2005.
Coco d'Or 2, 2006.
The Winter Selection, 2010.
Coco d'Or 3, 2011.

Singles

As Times Goes By, 1999. Number 2, 13 weeks, 812,020 copies
Bright Daylight, 2000. Number 2, 10 weeks, 427,770 copies
Treasure, 2000. Number 2, 15 weeks, 602,390 copies
Your Innocence, 2001. Number 3, 9 weeks, 227,970 copies
Confession, 2001. Number 3, 9 weeks, 172,180 copies
Love You, 2002. Number 3, 5weeks, 103,750 copies
Eternal Place, 2002. Number 2, 7 weeks, 85,430 copies
Notice my mind, 2002. Number 8, 4 weeks, 37,600 copies
Baby Don't Cry, 2003. Number 9, 6 weeks, 38,056 copies
愛が泣いてる, 2003. (Ai ga Naiteru) Number 12, 6 weeks, 29,546 copies
光の中で, 2004. (Hikari no Naka de) Number 12, 7 weeks, 28,954 copies
Clover, 2005. Number 18, 5 weeks, 20,358 copies
ヒーロー☆, 2006. (Hero) Number 40, 3 weeks, 7,000 copies
I will take you/いつか二人で, 2006. (I will take you/Itsuka futari de) Number 18, 7 weeks, 20,000 copies
童神, 2013. (Warabigami)

Vinyls

Baby don't cry, 2003.
愛が泣いてる, 2003. (Ai ga Naiteru)
Coco d'Or (Coco d'Or), 2004.
Coco d'Or 2 (Coco d'Or), 2006.

Digital Singles

The Christmas Song (Coco d'Or), 2010.
Something Great, 2021.
Water Mirror, 2022.

Video Releases

BRILLIANT ON FILMS, 2001.
Naked and True Clips, 2003.
寛 クリップ・コレクション, 2006. (hiro Clip Collection)

Box Sets

寛 スペシャル・ボックス, (hiro Special Box), 2006. Number 26, 2 weeks, 9,000 copies (Limited Release Edition)
UTAUTAI, 2023. (Limited Release)

Compilations / Other

SPEED- ALL MY TRUE LOVE (#2 "Mitsumetetai"), 1998.
FLOWER FESTIVAL 〜VISION FACTORY presents (#1 "Sakura"), 2008.
Aku Yu Tribute Special Songs ~Asahi no Youni~ (#2 "Tsukami Sokoneta Shiawase ni"), 2017.
Sungje - Yume no Kaika ~Yume ga Yume de Owaranaiyoni~ (#5 "Oyasumi" with Shimabukuro Hiroko), 2018.

Movies

Andromedia, 1998, as Mai.
Backdancers!, September 2006, as Yoshika.