Tomomi Kahala

Biography

Tomomi Kahara (華原 朋美, Kahara Tomomi) (formerly Tomomi Kahala) born Tomomi Shimogawara (下河原 朋美, Shimogawara Tomomi) on August 17, 1974 in Tokyo), is a Japanese pop singer. She is famous for working with Tetsuya Komuro who gave her much success in the 1990s, which led to her deep dip in popularity after 1999, the year in which she released her first non-TK produced album, One Fine Day×One Fine Day25 November 1999 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1Don't Wanna Escape(D-Z Hyper Remix)4:452A Broken Wing4:583Future5:264True Mind5:095my family6:066Only Once Generation4:347Blue Sky4:518be honest(Rearrange Version)5:049as A person(as A....)4:3410Don't Wanna Escape5:5211as A person(Classic Version)5:10. Tomomi Kahara and Tetsuya Komuro dated for a few years, but they suffered from personal problems which led to their breakup. After a period of sickness, Kahara's talent agency terminated her contract on June 29, 2007.

Before 1995: Early life and career

Kahara was born in Koto, Tokyo in 1974. She attended Showa Gakuin Elementary, Shoin Junior, and Senior High School. She started her horse-riding lesson when she was three, and later received the 4th place in the National Sports Festival of Japan in 1992. Before she started her career as a singer, she worked as a model, and appeared in fashion magazines such as CanCam and Vivi as well as TV shows.

1995–1997: Rise to fame

While working with Tetsuya Komuro, her first single "Keep Yourself Alive×keep yourself alive8 September 1995 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 3 tracks1keep yourself alave (RADIO EDIT MIX)5:122keep yourself alave (ORIGINAL FUKK LENGTH MIX)6:543keep yourself alave (INSTRUMENTAL)5:10", was released in late 1995. It sold over 360,000 copies and went Top 10, peaking at No. 8. Her second single, "I Believe×I BELIEVE11 October 1995 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 3 tracks1I BELIEVE (RADIO EDIT)5:382I BELIEVE (EXTENDED MILAN MIX)6:503I BELIEVE (INSTRUMENTAL)5:35", was her first million-seller and added to her popularity. In March 1996, she released the single "I'm Proud" which peaked at No. 2 and was her best-selling single. It outsold Namie Amuro's singles released that year. In June 1996, she finally released her first album, Love Brace×LOVE BRACE3 June 1996 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1LOVE BRACE [overture]1:382Just a real love night5:043keep yourself alive [more rock]6:014Living on…!4:495I BELIEVE [album earth mix]6:476summer visit6:077MOONLIGHT4:128I'm proud [full version]5:379Somebody loves you5:4610LOVE BRACE6:5411I BELIEVE [play piano]4:14, a collection of songs about love and stated by Tetsuya Komuro to be his best work to date. It was a huge success selling over 2.5 million copies, half of them within the first week of release.
Already a big star, she and Tetsuya Komuro became an item and she continued to release singles, all peaking at 1. In December 1997, she finally released her second album, Storytelling×storytelling24 December 1997 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1save your dream [album mix]4:572Every morning5:323afraid of tonight2:234たのしく たのしく やさしくね [album version]6:075You just gonna sing a song5:396I wanna go4:137LOVE IS ALL MUSIC [new mix]4:498storytelling [instrumental]4:569Hate tell a lie [album mix]4:4410You don't give up5:4811afraid of tonight [TK mix]5:0812たのしく たのしく やさしくね [TK remix]6:00. It went to the top of the charts and sold 1.37 million copies, much less than the 2.5 million copies that her previous album has sold.

1998–1999: Decline

Since the release of Storytelling, her popularity began to decline and her relationship with her mentor, Tetsuya Komuro, was in every tabloid. Gossip magazines rumored that both of them were abusing drugs and that their relationship was beginning to fall apart. Her next single tumblin dice went only to the number-two position. Her music did not reach the top position again. Her next album, nine cubes×nine cubes26 November 1998 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracks1daily news4:172needs somebody's love5:073あなたについて4:004here we are (album version)5:315さがしもの3:466winding road5:067storytelling2:318tumblin' dice (album version)4:169waiting for your smile4:5110sagashimono -reprise-2:57, sold a depressing 261,000 copies, much less than her first two albums.
Her breakup with Tetsuya Komuro, frequent scandals, and suicide attempts shed her in a negative light in the conservative Japanese media. She finally left her record company, who released a compilation which sold well, over 600,000 copies and debuted at No. 1. At that time, gossip magazines were labeling rising-star, Ami Suzuki, as Kahara's replacement.
After some time relaxing after the scandals, Tomomi Kahara resumed her career at Warner writing her own lyrics.

1999–2006: Post-Tetsuya Komuro

After Komuro, Kahara worked with a variety of producers at Warner Music Japan, including American Andy Marvel (Diana King, Jessica Simpson) and recorded songs by Gary Carolla (N Sync) and Vincent Degiorgio (N Sync, Atomic Kitten, Love, Inc., Mink, Nakano Mori Band) which appeared on her albums One Fine Day×One Fine Day25 November 1999 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1Don't Wanna Escape(D-Z Hyper Remix)4:452A Broken Wing4:583Future5:264True Mind5:095my family6:066Only Once Generation4:347Blue Sky4:518be honest(Rearrange Version)5:049as A person(as A....)4:3410Don't Wanna Escape5:5211as A person(Classic Version)5:10 and Love Again×Love Again21 November 2001 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1We wanna reach back4:352Free mind5:233Waiting For Your Smile4:554regrets4:495Love Destiny5:126Never Say Never —japanese version—3:387Love Again5:188Goin' to the music4:089Driving to freedom4:4910PRECIOUS —album version—4:2111Your Face5:0212あなたのかけら —album version—4:49, released in 1999 and 2001, respectively.
In 2004, Kahara signed with Universal Music Japan. (Now credited as Kahara. formerly Kahala.) Her most recent recordings for Universal Music Japan have shown her in a dazzling and sultry light with some of her best vocal performances to date. She covered some of her biggest hits and also recorded new songs from Korean and Japanese composers as well as pop standards such as "Ben", a cover version of the song by Michael Jackson. Her best-selling album at Universal sold a little over 50,000 copies and her latest album, Naked×NAKED29 June 2005 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracks1好きは世界一長い言葉4:462涙の続き4:233あなたがいれば4:114哀しみの向こう4:095Summer Vacation4:366愛のうた4:507たったひとつの約束4:258ほうき星4:089しあわせの道4:1610ベン3:47, sold only 12,000 copies, but she was still be seen in the media.
In 2006, after years of average fame, Tomomi Kahara returned briefly to the spotlight. She starred in a musical and her latest photobook, Crystallize II, which came with two strawberry condoms, sold unexpectedly well. She was one of the voice actors for the 'Sound of Music' Japanese DVD and she sang the theme song for a NHK Taiga drama.

2007–present: hiatus and comeback announced

On June 29, 2007, Kahara canceled her contract with Ogipro after repeated personal issues began affecting her professional appearances. Following this, she went on hiatus, and it was uncertain whether she would return to the entertainment industry.
On November 4, 2008, Tetsuya Komuro was arrested. According to the Japanese weekly magazine Josei Jishin, Kahara was reportedly shocked by the news and suffered from insomnia.
On January 17, 2009, she was hospitalized after allegedly taking an excessive amount of tranquilizers.
On October 30, 2011, Kahara announced her intention to return to the entertainment industry. She began taking vocal and acting lessons in preparation.
By the end of 2012, she made her comeback with a live appearance on the FNS TV program.
On April 17, 2013, she released a new single titled Dreamed a Dream. This was followed by a self-cover album titled Dream: Self-Cover Best, released on June 26, 2013.
In August 2013, following the suicide of Hikaru Utada's mother, Kahara sparked controversy by stating that she wished to create a song about the event. Her comment was widely criticized as being insensitive.
In 2016, Kahara appeared as a guest artist in the Japanese touring ice show Fantasy on Ice, where she performed live in collaboration with various figure skaters during tour stops in Makuhari and Sapporo.