Lisa

Biography

Elizabeth Sakura Narita (成田・エリザベス・サクラ, Narita Erizabesu Sakura; born 26 October 1974), better known by her stage name Lisa (stylized as LISA), is a Japanese singer, songwriter and producer. In 1998, she debuted as a member of the Japanese urban contemporary group M-Flo with Verbal and Taku Takahashi. In 2002, she left the band in order to pursue a solo project and released seven albums as a soloist. In December 2017, she rejoined as a member of M-Flo.

Early life, M-Flo

Lisa was born in Tokyo on October 26, 1974, to a Colombian mother and Japanese father. As a child, Lisa was often bullied due to her mixed race heritage. She attended two international schools in Tokyo: the Seisen International School and the American School in Japan. Lisa found solace in music in her school choir, which grew her interest in music and was often the only reason she would come to school.
At the age of 18, Lisa debuted as a singer, with the single "Out of Cry" (1993) released through Tokuma Japan Communications. In 1994, Lisa collaborated with former Mute Beat keyboardist and producer Hiroyuki Asamoto's project Ram Jam World under the moniker Chica Colombiana, releasing an album of Latin and reggae inspired music in English, Spanish, and Japanese. Later in 1994, Lisa changed labels for her solo career to Kitty Enterprises and released the single "Sea of the Stars×Sea of the Stars25 June 1994 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 4 tracks1Sea of the Stars4:222Sea of the Stars (ビデオ Ver.)1:343Sea of the Stars (オーケストラ Ver. ショート)1:334Sea of the Stars (オリジナル・カラオケ)4:22", which was used as the third opening theme song for the anime Legend of the Galactic Heroes. Lisa continued to work with Ram Jam World, including on their album Rough and Ready (1997) and extended play Sekai (1998). Between 1993 and 1998, Lisa changed management companies and music labels 10 times, and found that the companies were more interested in providing her songs written by veteran songwriters than showing any interest in the music she wrote, which Lisa found disheartening.
In 1998, Lisa began collaborating with Taku Takahashi and Verbal, two former classmates of hers from high school. Takahashi and Verbal held dance parties, which Lisa used to attend and improvise vocals during Takahashi and Verbal's performances. In 1998, Takahashi began professionally working as a producer and a remixer, after being pushed towards making music by entering a TV music competition. Takahashi's first project was to release a cover of Barbra Streisand's "The Way We Were", featuring vocals by Ceybil Jeffries and Verbal. One of the group's early songs was "Been So Long", which included Lisa as a featured vocalist, was highly praised by Masaji Asakawa from the DJ group GTS, which lead to the formation of M-Flo as a three-person group. "The Way We Were" was released as an independent single and sold out almost immediately. Because of the strong response to the single, they asked Lisa if she wanted to join their project as a full-time member. "Been So Long" was released as an independent single in December 1998. After promotion though radio stations such as J-Wave, the single was even more successful, which led to the band signing a contract with Avex Trax, and in 1999 the group released their major label debut single The Tripod E.P. (featuring "Been So Long" as one of the single's A-sides). The single was a success, reaching number nine on the Oricon singles chart.
Between 1999 and 2001, the band saw great success with their albums Planet Shining (2000) and Expo Expo (2001) and singles such as "LOT (Love or Truth)" (1999) (the theme song of the Ai Kato-starring drama Best Friend), "How You Like Me Now?" (2000) and "Come Again" (2001). Songs from the sessions of these albums featured vocals by Lisa on most songs, including three songs featuring Lisa alone without rap from Verbal ("Come Back to Me" (1999), "One Sugar Dream" (2000) and "Yours Only," (2001)).

Solo debut

In January 2002, Lisa released her solo debut single "Move On×move on9 January 2002 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 4 tracks1move on2move on (the move you mix)3where peace belongs4move on (さあ、あなたが歌う番ですよ mix)", which reached number seven on Oricon's single charts, and is currently Lisa's most sold single. In April of the same year she announced that she was leaving M-Flo to focus on herself as an artist and as a singer-songwriter, deciding to do this at the peak of M-Flo's popularity. In late May, Lisa released her first single away from M-Flo, "Babylon no Kiseki", a rock collaboration with Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra. In April 2003, Lisa released her debut album Juicy Music×JUICY MUSIC16 April 2003 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 17 tracks1Juicy World 〜Introlude〜0:492Superstar4:533Galaxy5:144You are beautiful 〜Interlude〜0:255NATURAL COLOR4:346Best Wishes (original)5:347move on4:358inspiration4:559The Shwing4:2110What you gonna do? 〜break〜0:2511I Promise5:1212言えなくても・・・4:1113i’m all you5:0914Let me cry6:4415バビロンの奇跡3:3116Sayonara Juicy 〜call & response〜1:4117Best Wishes (extended wishes w/o intro)6:06, which reached number five on Oricon's albums chart. Between 2003 and 2004, Lisa wrote three songs for R&B singer Koda Kumi's albums Grow into One (2003) and Feel My Mind (2004). Koda, alongside pop/rap group Heartsdales, was also featured on Lisa's single "Switch", which was the leading single from Lisa's second album Gratitude×GRATITUDE30 June 2004 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 19 tracks · 2 discsDisc 11Opening act : The calling1:132i am pop4:223SWITCH5:264So Beautiful4:595Remember me5:356Peace in Love4:357believe, believe4:398GET REAL3:489Interlude : How did it move you?0:4810永遠4:2411My Dearest4:0212Gracias a Dios4:5413Gratilude : Ending act : Thank you2:13Disc 21午前3時のオプ(3.A.M. OP)5:122LUCKY STAR5:183とんぼ5:214Time After Time4:525Why do fools fall in love3:186I ONLY WANT TO BE WITH YOU3:56 (2004).
M-Flo's albums subsequent to Lisa's departure were inspired by American hip-hop group The Neptunes' method of collaborating with vocalists, while continuing to release music under their own name. Even after Lisa left the group, the trio remained friends, and in 2005 for the group's album Beat Space Nine, Lisa returned to work with M-Flo on the song "Tripod Baby". Lisa agreed to sing on the album due to a gap in her schedule, and recorded the song together with Takahashi and Verbal in June 2005, two months before the album's release. For the song, Verbal stated that they had wanted to recapture the "groove" of working together as a three-person band.
In 2006, Lisa released an R&B concept album God Sista×GOD SISTA23 March 2006 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 13 tracks1It's On4:142GOD SISTA4:523hit da spot4:574Special Love5:075bootylectric3:116We Ride4:227I,Rhythm (LOS KALIBRES RAGGAETON REMIX)3:598Come Back To Me (7 Winsor Avenue Kingston 5)5:059I Promise5:1210Sweetest3:4611GET REAL3:5012Remember me5:3713SWITCH (DJ WATARAI REMIX)5:35 (2006), as well as her third original album Elizabeth×ELIZABETH25 October 2006 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 14 tracks1I,Rhythm3:292TRIPOD BABY –CLASH the SOUND Remix–6:063It’s On4:154lonely5:345on the lockdown4:216Precious Message –R.Yamaki’s Groove Mix–4:327do yo thing3:428OUCH!3:019boy crazy4:5410hit da spot4:5711Stay, forever4:3612SHOWTIME4:2113MATADOR DE CORAZON3:4714Stay, forever –Acoustic Ver.–4:20 (2006). Neither release charted in the top 40 in Japan. In 2007, Lisa's first greatest hits album Lisabest: Mission on Earth 9307 reached number 28, her first top 40 release since 2004.
Between 2008 and 2009, Lisa released the luxury disco series: two extended plays and one studio album of primarily dance music, culminating in her fourth original album Disco Volante×Disco Volante11 November 2009 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 15 tracks1falling for you…4:372frozen3:463traveler5:364SEND MY HEART4:295Leave4:016Love4:507shake my heart4:308crave5:429planet love6:0510Alone4:0211other side of now3:4512FIRE WOO FOO FOO4:4713HOUSE NATION4:1014MY ONE STAR5:2415SOUND BOY THRILLER6:04. During this period, Lisa collaborated with the members of M-Flo often: "Bad Men!" (2008) and "Falling for You..." (2009) from the luxury disco series was co-written with M-Flo member, and Lisa featured on M-Flo's songs "Love Comes and Goes" from Award Supernova: Loves Best (2008) and "Sound Boy Thriller" from MF10: 10th Anniversary Best (2009). Lisa was a featured vocalist for a song the Ravex project (a dance music project collaboration between Shinichi Osawa, Tomoyuki Tanaka and Takahashi), and Lisa and Takahashi worked together co-writing music: "Sweet Rishi Boy" (2009) for rock musician Anna Tsuchiya, and two songs from the 2010 anime Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt's soundtrack.
In 2012, Lisa released her studio album Family×Family16 May 2012 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracks1New Days4:502Smile Again4:393Your Birthday4:214瞳をとじて5:315Pages...4:416color4:247Angel4:408Never Alone5:069Winter Sky5:4610Family5:51, which featured collaborations with Jamosa and Kotaro Oshio; the release did not chart in the top 300 albums. After this album, Lisa's contract with her management company Artimage expired.

M-Flo revival

In 2016, Lisa returned to music, collaborating with Taku Takahashi on several projects: Avex Nico presents Kid's Songs Vol. 1, a Takahashi-produced album of children's songs sung in English, two songs co-written songs for the boy band NEWS, and an appearance on the drama Hito wa Mitame ga 100 Percent original soundtrack. In 2016 and 2017, Lisa started performing concerts alongside Takahashi and Verbal. As they all enjoyed the experience, they decided to reunite as a three-member band, and in March 2018 released "The Tripod EP 2".

Artistry

Lisa considers Cyndi Lauper, Madonna and Whitney Houston her musical influences. For her solo debut, Lisa was inspired by Madonna's focus on overseeing all aspects of music production.