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Ken Hirai (平井堅, Hirai Ken) is a Japanese R&B and pop singer. His soulful voice and unconventional looks won him fans following his debut back in the 1990s.

Biography

Born January 17, 1972 in Higashiosaka, Osaka prefecture, Ken Hirai grew up in Nabari, Mie Prefecture.

He began his music career back in 1993 when he signed with Sony Music following an audition in Yokohama the previous year while he was a student. His debut single "Precious Junk" and album were recorded the following year and released in 1995. The first single, used as the theme to a TV drama, immediately garnered Hirai attention and his second single, "Kataho zutsu no earphone" also used for a drama, further capitalized on his unique sound. Hirai's debut album, "un-balanced", went on sale the same year and was followed by a second, "Stare At", in December of the following year.

Taking things more slowly, Hirai used the next four years to consolidate his style and take time out - he only released one single each in 1997 and '98 and didn't produce any new music during 1999. Fans had to wait until 2000 for a third album from Hirai, "The Changing Same", and it was the first single "Rakuen" (paradise) that established him as a major player in the domestic charts and overseas. He was the first Japanese artist to take the classic test of a true R&B performer - playing at the Apollo Theater in New York, where he got a warm reception. Capitalizing on a strong fan base in Asia, Hirai appeared at the MTV Music Summit in Taiwan in August 2000. Voted Best New Japanese Act in a pop poll organized by the RTHK radio station in Hong Kong.

2001 saw his single "Kiss of Life" used as the theme for the popular "Love Revolution" TV drama series. His fourth album "Gaining Through Losing" (it went to sell 1.5 million all over Asia including Japan) and a national tour of the same name built on his solid reputation. 1st remix album "Kh remixed-up 1" was released in November, 2001. Through the album, the artist showed wholly new part of himself to the audience, and appealed to club-goers and DJs for the first time.

He had already shown that he had the urge to perform abroad, so his live appearance on the Music Fair show in March 2002 with producer/singer Babyface from an LA studio was very much part of the plan. In the summer, recognition like winning the Best Male Artist at the inaugural MTV Video Music Awards Japan and appearing in the official FIFA World Cup concert with Chemistry and Lauryn Hill seemed like they were just par for the course.

Already an established star, Hirai went one step further when he released a cover of "Ōkina Furudokei" (My Grandfather's Clock) in 2002. A popular nursery rhyme, it was expected to be a minor success, but it went on to become one of the biggest hits of the year.

In 2003, Ken performed for MTV Unplugged Live in New York, as the 1st Japanese male solo vocalist. Also, he was interviewed by CNN "The Music Room", which was televised in 210 countries, and watched by 230 million viewers.

5th album "Life is...", which contains "Strawberry Sex", "Ring", and super-hit single "Okina Furudokei" (My Grandfather's Clock) was released on January 22, 2003.

In December 10, 2003, conceptual album "Ken's Bar" was released. In the album, Ken selected his favorite songs and covered in his own style.

In May 2004 "SentimentaLovers" was made public. The album spawned 4 singles, with "Hitomi wo Tojite" (Close my eyes) the most successful, also becoming the biggest-selling single of that year.

Influences

Some musical artists whom he respects are Donny Hathaway, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, amongst others.

Discography

Singles

1. "Precious Junk" (lyrics Ken Hirai, music Ken Hirai/Shun Yamashita) (May 13 1995) #50, 9 weeks, sold 49,000 copies
2. "Kataho Zutsu no Earphone" (片方ずつのイヤフォン, An earphone by one) (lyrics Ken Hirai, music Ken Hirai/Shun Yamashita) (June 21, 1995)
3. "Yokogao" (横顔, Profile) (lyrics & music Ken Hirai) (November 22, 1995)
4. "Doshaburi" (ドシャブリ, Downpour) (lyrics & music Ken Hirai) (August 21, 1996)
5. "Stay With Me" (lyrics Ken Hirai, music Joe Rinoie) (November 1, 1996)
6. "Heat Up" (lyrics & music Ken Hirai) (July 21, 1997)
7. "Love Love Love" (lyrics & music Ken Hirai) (May 30, 1998)
8. "Rakuen" (楽園, Paradise) (lyrics Makoto Atozi music Masahito Nakano) (January 19, 2000) #7, 28 weeks, sold over 590,000 copies
9. "why" (lyrics Ken Hirai music Ken Matsubara) (May 10, 2000) #8, 10 weeks
10. "Love or Lust" (lyrics Ken Hirai music Ken Hirai/Ken Matsubara) (October 18, 2000) #6, 14 weeks
11. "even if" (lyrics & music Ken Hirai) (December 6, 2000) #3, 8 weeks
12. "Miracles" (lyrics & music Ken Hirai) (February 15, 2001) #4, 10 weeks
13. "Kiss of Life" (lyrics Ken Hirai music Ken Hirai/Masahito Nakano) (May 16, 2001) #2, 11 weeks, sold over 531,000 copies
14. "Missin' you ~It will break my heart~" (lyrics Ken Hirai music Babyface) (January 30, 2002) #4, 6 weeks
15. "Strawberry Sex" (lyrics Ken Hirai/Taku Tada music Ken Hirai/Masahito Nakano) (May 22, 2002) #13, 5 weeks, sold 40,000 copies
16. "Ookina Furudokei" (大きな古時計) Cover version of "My Grandfather's Clock" ) (lyrics & music Henry Clay Work Japanese lyrics Kogo Hotomi) (August 28, 2002) #1, 34 weeks, sold over 772,000 copies
17. "Ring" (lyrics & music Ken Hirai) (November 7, 2002) #1, 15 weeks
18. "Life is ... ~another story~" (lyrics & music Ken Hirai) (May 8, 2003) #3, 18 weeks, sold 191,000 copies
19. "style" (lyrics Ken Hirai music Yasuhiro Minami) (July 30,2003) #12, 7 weeks, sold 44,000 copies
20. "Hitomi wo Tojite" (瞳をとじて, Close my eyes) (lyrics & music Ken Hirai) (April 28, 2004) #2, 58 weeks, sold approximately 900,000 copies
21. "Kimi wa Tomodachi" (キミはともだち, You're my friend) (lyrics & music Ken Hirai) (May 29, 2004) #5, 22 weeks, sold 160,999 copies
22. "Omoi ga Kasanaru Sonomae ni" (思いがかさなるその前に…, Before the memories pile up) (lyrics & music Ken Hirai) (October 6, 2004) #1, 15 weeks, sold over 277,000 copies
23. "Pop Star" (lyrics & music Ken Hirai) (October 26, 2005) #1, 16 weeks, sold over 224,000 copies
24. "Bye my melody" (バイマイメロディー) (June 14, 2006) #2, 9 weeks, sold over 81,000 copies
25. "Aika (Elegy)" (哀歌 (エレジー)) (January 172007), #5, 7 weeks, sold over 106,000 copies
26. "Kimi no Sukina Toko" (君のすきなとこ) (February 282007) #5, 2 weeks, sold over 96,000 copies

Albums

1. un-balanced, July 7, 1995 – #57; over 18,000 sold
2. Stare At, December 1, 1996
3. The Changing Same, June 21, 2000 – #1; over 913,000 copies sold
4. gaining through losing, July 4, 2001 – #2; over 1,068,000 copies sold
5. Life is..., January 22, 2003 – #1 over 806,000 copies sold
6. SentimentaLovers, November 24, 2004 – #1; over 1,661,000 copies sold

Compilations

• 10th Anniversary Complete Single Collection '95-'05 “歌バカ” ("Utabaka") November 23,2005 - #1; over 2,000,000 copies sold.

Others

• Kh re-mixed up 1 (Remixes), November 28, 2001 – #6; over 186,000 copies sold
• Ken's Bar (Cover album), December 10, 2003 – #2; over 491,000 copies sold

Trivia

• Hirai once participated in a music session with Babyface, who admired Hirai's singing ability. He said, "I think that Hirai can be popular in the world if he releases CDs in English".
• At the end of 2003, Hirai was invited by Stevie Wonder to join his Japanese show, where he co-performed "You Are the Sunshine of My Life".
• Hirai's 20th single "Hitomi wo Tojite," the theme song of the Japanese movie "Crying Out Love, In the Center of the World", peaked at No. 2 in Japan's Oricon chart in 2004, but got No. 1 in annual sales for the year 2004. Incidentally, he also sang a cover version of Eagles hit "Desperado" as the single's B-side.
• 2channel, a Japanese internet forum, made a parody of Hirai's song "Pop Star", titled "Vip Star", in which internet slang of 2channel and the name of the administrator of the website, Hiroyuki, appear.
• When Yo Hitoto's debut single "Morai Naki" is slowed down to 80 percent, her voice sounds uncannily like that of Ken Hirai's.
• The "バイ" part of the name of Hirai's 24th single "バイマイメロディー" is the double meaning of "by" and "bye".
• During a trip to Hong Kong, in an interview, he stated that he admires director Wong Kar-wai.
• The name, 平井堅 (Hirai Ken), literally means a strong well of peace
• The 10th Anniversary Complete Single Collection '95-'05 “歌バカ” ("Utabaka") becomes the #1 best-selling album of 2006.
• Hirai's 23rd single, "Pop Star," will be included in Moero! Nekketsu Rhythm Damashii Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan 2, the sequel to the Nintendo DS rhythm game, Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan.
• During debut (1995) with "Precious Junk" until now (2007) with "Kimi No Suki Na Toko", Ken Hirai sold over 13,956,000 copies (album + single) around Japan and Ken Hirai also have 9 #1 in Oricon. Ken Hirai is #56 Top Sales Japan All Time.

External links

• Ken Hirai - Official website
• Ken Hirai - a website
• Nippop Profile
• Ken Hirai ~ Flying Easy ~

• Articles lacking sources from April 2007
• 1972 births
• Living people
• People from Osaka Prefecture
• People from Mie Prefecture
• Japanese singer-songwriters
• Japanese male singers
• Sony Music Japan artists