Miz
Encyclopedia
, better known simply as Miz, is a Japanese
pop/rock singer. Though most of her music is released in Japan, she does her work primarily from Gotland
, Sweden
, mainly doing promotional videos, photo shoots, and recording there.
, there were very few opportunities for her. One of Miz's biggest hobbies during her high school years was going to a local beauty salon. And since she was a regular customer, she became very good friends with the salon manager.
At this time there was held a talent competition, with advertising posters put up in over 20,000 beauty salons all over Japan. The salon owner suggested that Miz enter the contest, which she won ahead of hundreds of other competitors.
After graduating high school, she moved to Tokyo
. Soon afterward, she was signed under Universal Victor and, under her real name, released I WILL, her debut single. Following that, she also released another single called Ambition, but she wasn't asked to release anything else after that. Both singles are now out of print in most Japanese CD stores.
After the release of Ambition, her career stalled. She kept taking singing lessons at a studio, and eventually made a demo tape with the help of a writer. Soon, she was introduced to a producer named Tord Bäckström, who was looking for someone to perform a song written by a Swedish writer. In 2003, Miz travelled to Sweden, and her debut single, Waiting, debuted in the charts at #8. Her album, Story Untold, emerged on the scene on September 22, 2004 and contains 10 all-English songs.
By that time, she had also released some other music. Her Japanese re-debut single New Day came out that same year, debuting at #20 on Oricon
charts. To promote her first Japanese album, Say It's Forever, Miz was invited to a Channel V
-hosted concert in Taiwan
along with other local and foreign artists, where she performed 3 songs, "New Day"", Waiting for", and "Say It's Forever". Also, she attended a show AIUEO to gain more publicity in her short visit, the host was apparently her friend before she made her major debut in Japan. She became one of the most popular Japanese artists in Taiwan that year.
After releasing her second album Mizrock in February 2006, Miz disappeared for a long while. In May 2007, however, her official website was updated with news of a new release coming in July. Other websites such as ORICON and Tower Records confirmed this news, listing a mini-album titled Good bye, yesterday to be released under the name "Mizrock." It is also with this album that Miz moved from Victor Interactive to Nayutawave Records.
In June 2007, "Good bye, yesterday" from her Good bye, yesterday album was used as the second ending song for the popular anime, Romeo X Juliet.
October 2007 she released a new single, "Best Friend" and in February 2008 she will release another single titled, "Thank You".
On May 3, 2010, Miz updated her blog with a link to information regarding her new single, Faraway. Faraway marks Miz's return to the name "Miz" after four years. Faraway was released on May 26, 2010.
A new single by Miz, titled Just Try, is scheduled to be released on July 24, 2011.
Compilation / Other Works
Albums（Japan）
Singles (Sweden)
Albums (Sweden)
Compilation / Other Works
Photobook
Singles
Japanese people
The are an ethnic group originating in the Japanese archipelago and are the predominant ethnic group of Japan. Worldwide, approximately 130 million people are of Japanese descent; of these, approximately 127 million are residents of Japan. People of Japanese ancestry who live in other countries...
pop/rock singer. Though most of her music is released in Japan, she does her work primarily from Gotland
Gotland
Gotland is a county, province, municipality and diocese of Sweden; it is Sweden's largest island and the largest island in the Baltic Sea. At 3,140 square kilometers in area, the region makes up less than one percent of Sweden's total land area...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, mainly doing promotional videos, photo shoots, and recording there.
Biography
At a very young age, Miz expressed a great interest and talent in music. She always wanted to become one of the singers on the radio, but living in such a rural area as HokkaidōHokkaido
, formerly known as Ezo, Yezo, Yeso, or Yesso, is Japan's second largest island; it is also the largest and northernmost of Japan's 47 prefectural-level subdivisions. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaido from Honshu, although the two islands are connected by the underwater railway Seikan Tunnel...
, there were very few opportunities for her. One of Miz's biggest hobbies during her high school years was going to a local beauty salon. And since she was a regular customer, she became very good friends with the salon manager.
At this time there was held a talent competition, with advertising posters put up in over 20,000 beauty salons all over Japan. The salon owner suggested that Miz enter the contest, which she won ahead of hundreds of other competitors.
After graduating high school, she moved to Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
. Soon afterward, she was signed under Universal Victor and, under her real name, released I WILL, her debut single. Following that, she also released another single called Ambition, but she wasn't asked to release anything else after that. Both singles are now out of print in most Japanese CD stores.
After the release of Ambition, her career stalled. She kept taking singing lessons at a studio, and eventually made a demo tape with the help of a writer. Soon, she was introduced to a producer named Tord Bäckström, who was looking for someone to perform a song written by a Swedish writer. In 2003, Miz travelled to Sweden, and her debut single, Waiting, debuted in the charts at #8. Her album, Story Untold, emerged on the scene on September 22, 2004 and contains 10 all-English songs.
By that time, she had also released some other music. Her Japanese re-debut single New Day came out that same year, debuting at #20 on Oricon
Oricon
, established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan. It started as , which was founded by Sōkō Koike in November 1967 and became known for its music charts. Oricon Inc...
charts. To promote her first Japanese album, Say It's Forever, Miz was invited to a Channel V
Channel V
Channel [V] is the brand name for multiple international music television networks owned by STAR TV and Fox International Channels, fully owned subsidiaries of News Corporation.-Channel [V] International:...
-hosted concert in Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
along with other local and foreign artists, where she performed 3 songs, "New Day"", Waiting for", and "Say It's Forever". Also, she attended a show AIUEO to gain more publicity in her short visit, the host was apparently her friend before she made her major debut in Japan. She became one of the most popular Japanese artists in Taiwan that year.
After releasing her second album Mizrock in February 2006, Miz disappeared for a long while. In May 2007, however, her official website was updated with news of a new release coming in July. Other websites such as ORICON and Tower Records confirmed this news, listing a mini-album titled Good bye, yesterday to be released under the name "Mizrock." It is also with this album that Miz moved from Victor Interactive to Nayutawave Records.
In June 2007, "Good bye, yesterday" from her Good bye, yesterday album was used as the second ending song for the popular anime, Romeo X Juliet.
October 2007 she released a new single, "Best Friend" and in February 2008 she will release another single titled, "Thank You".
On May 3, 2010, Miz updated her blog with a link to information regarding her new single, Faraway. Faraway marks Miz's return to the name "Miz" after four years. Faraway was released on May 26, 2010.
A new single by Miz, titled Just Try, is scheduled to be released on July 24, 2011.
Mizuki Watanabe
Singles- "I Will" (June 18, 1999)
- TV TokyoTV Tokyois a television station headquartered in Toranomon, Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Also known as , a blend of "terebi" and "Tokyo", it is the key station of TX Network. It is one of the major Tokyo television stations, particularly specializing in anime...
's Show Ending Theme Song
- TV Tokyo
- "AmbitionAmbition (Miz)"Ambition" is Miz's second and final single under her full name, Mizuki Watanabe. It was used as the opening theme for Kouklo Theatro, also known as Eternal Eyes a Playstation game published by Sunsoft. This single is now out of print....
" (November 24, 1999)- PlayStationPlayStationThe is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console first released by Sony Computer Entertainment in Japan on December 3, .The PlayStation was the first of the PlayStation series of consoles and handheld game devices. The PlayStation 2 was the console's successor in 2000...
Game Theme Song - First Pressing Trading Card Included
- PlayStation
- (August 2001)
- PC Game Hello, world. Opening Theme Song
Compilation / Other Works
- Hello, world. Original Sound Track (October 25, 2002)
Miz
Singles (Japan)- "New Day" (February 18, 2004)
- JVCJVC, usually referred to as JVC, is a Japanese international consumer and professional electronics corporation based in Yokohama, Japan which was founded in 1927...
Liquid Crystal Television EXE and Lip Lap Commercial Song
- JVC
- "Waiting ForWaiting For"Waiting For" is Miz's second single from New Day. This one is more rock than all her previous works. The Swedish single Waiting these same two tracks, and the English version with a different instrumentation.-Promotional Video:...
" (July 21, 2004)- JVCJVC, usually referred to as JVC, is a Japanese international consumer and professional electronics corporation based in Yokohama, Japan which was founded in 1927...
Enterprises Image Song
- JVC
- "In the SkyIn the Sky"In The Sky" is Miz's third single and first one to release since releasing two other albums, Say It's Forever and Dreams. The title track is a Japanese re-make of Amazing, a song from her album Story Untold, and was used as the theme for the PS2 game Grandia III...
" (August 3, 2005)- First Pressing DVD Included
- SquareEnix PlayStation 2PlayStation 2The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
Game Grandia IIIGrandia IIIis a role-playing video game developed by Game Arts and published by Square Enix for the PlayStation 2 console. Originally released in Japan in August 2005, the game later made available in English in North America in February 2006, and is the first main series Grandia title to not appear in the...
Main Theme Song
- "Backseat BabyBackseat BabyMiz's fourth Japanese single, "Backseat Baby" is another remake of a Story Untold song with the same title. They're both exactly the same, except this one has Japanese lyrics...
" (November 30, 2005)- CD EXTRAEnhanced CDEnhanced CD, also known as CD Extra and CD Plus, is a certification mark of the Recording Industry Association of America for various technologies that combine audio and computer data for use in both Compact Disc and CD-ROM players....
enhanced
- CD EXTRA
- "BittersweetBittersweet (Miz song)"Bittersweet", Miz's fifth Japanese single, is the last one set for her album Mizrock. Both songs are harder rock than Miz's past few releases. They are both new songs, and Bittersweet is completely in English...
" (January 25, 2006)- CD EXTRAEnhanced CDEnhanced CD, also known as CD Extra and CD Plus, is a certification mark of the Recording Industry Association of America for various technologies that combine audio and computer data for use in both Compact Disc and CD-ROM players....
enhanced
- CD EXTRA
- "FarawayFaraway (Miz song)"Faraway" is Mizuki Watanabe's first single under the name of Miz since Bittersweet in 2006. It is her first overall single since Pepper Keibu in 2008, which was released under the name of Mizrock. Miz announced news of the new single on her blog on May 3rd, 2010...
" (May 26, 2010) - Just Try (July 24, 2011)
Albums（Japan）
- Say It's ForeverSay It's ForeverMiz's first Japanese album, Say It's Forever, contains her first two Japanese singles—a-sides and b-sides—as Miz, New Day and Waiting For...
(September 22, 2004)- First Pressing DVD Included
- "If you run"：Yomiuri Telecasting CorporationYomiuri Telecasting Corporationis a TV station joining Nippon News Network and Nippon Television Network System in Osaka Business Park, Osaka, Japan founded as "" on February 13, 1958...
& Nippon TelevisionNippon Televisionis a television network based in the Shiodome area of Minato, Tokyo, Japan and is controlled by the Yomiuri Shimbun publishing company. Broadcasting terrestrially across Japan, the network is commonly known as , contracted to , and abbreviated as "NTV" or "AX".-Offices:*The Headquarters : 6-1,...
Program Dotch Cooking Show Ending Theme Song
- DreamsDreams (Miz)Dreams is Miz's first Japanese-release all-English album and is practically a re-release of Story Untold. Most of the songs are there, except for three new songs: If You Run , New Day , and Lay Your Love On Me...
(March 9, 2005)- English Language Album
- MizrockMizrockMizrock is Miz's second Japanese album and contains the a-sides and b-sides to the last three singles before it: In The Sky, Backseat Baby, and Bittersweet. This album revolves more around rock and jerkier tunes...
(February 22, 2006)- First Pressing DVD Included
Singles (Sweden)
- "WaitingWaiting (Miz)"Waiting" is Miz's Swedish debut single. It is the English version for her Japanese single, "Waiting For", but the instrumentals are very different. The second track and third tracks are the same songs used on the Japanese single....
" (September 13, 2004)- CD EXTRAEnhanced CDEnhanced CD, also known as CD Extra and CD Plus, is a certification mark of the Recording Industry Association of America for various technologies that combine audio and computer data for use in both Compact Disc and CD-ROM players....
enhanced
- CD EXTRA
Albums (Sweden)
- Story UntoldStory UntoldStory Untold is Miz's first album. The first pressings included "Say It's Forever" as a bonus CD. It was released in Sweden. All the songs are in English. She's A Freak is the only song on the album that hasn't been used on some other release and it doesn't have a Japanese version...
(November 17, 2004)- First Pressing Special Bonus Disk Say It's ForeverSay It's ForeverMiz's first Japanese album, Say It's Forever, contains her first two Japanese singles—a-sides and b-sides—as Miz, New Day and Waiting For...
Included
- First Pressing Special Bonus Disk Say It's Forever
Compilation / Other Works
- garp - garp2 (June 30, 2003)
- "Say It's Forever"
- V.A. Light Mellow "blue oasis" (July 21, 2004)
- "Say It's Forever"
Photobook
- An Ordinary Day (August 4, 2005), (JVC Entertainment Network Publication)
- Online Mail Order Limit
Mizrock
Mini Albums- Good bye, yesterday (July 25, 2007)
- First Pressing DVD Included
- "Good bye, yesterday"：Mainichi Broadcasting SystemMainichi Broadcasting Systemis a broadcasting station in Osaka, Japan, affiliated with Japan Radio Network , National Radio Network , Japan News Network and TBS Network, serving in the Kansai region. MBS is also one of the major stockholders of Tokyo Broadcasting System Holdings, Inc...
& Tokyo Broadcasting SystemTokyo Broadcasting System, TBS Holdings, Inc. or TBSHD, is a stockholding company in Tokyo, Japan. It is a parent company of a television network named and radio network named ....
Program Anime Romeo x JulietRomeo x Julietis a TV anime series, loosely based on William Shakespeare's classical play, Romeo and Juliet, along with numerous references and characters from other Shakespearean plays. Though the anime borrows mostly from Shakespeare's story, the manga adaptation differs extensively from the original...
Ending Theme Song
Singles
- "Best Friend" (October 24, 2007)
- First Pressing DVD Included
- "Best Friend"：Nippon TelevisionNippon Televisionis a television network based in the Shiodome area of Minato, Tokyo, Japan and is controlled by the Yomiuri Shimbun publishing company. Broadcasting terrestrially across Japan, the network is commonly known as , contracted to , and abbreviated as "NTV" or "AX".-Offices:*The Headquarters : 6-1,...
Program POWER PLAY
- "Thank You xxx" (February 20, 2008)
- First Pressing DVD Included
- (July 2, 2008)
- First Pressing DVD Included
- Cover of the 1976 hit song by Pink LadyPink Lady (band)is a Japanese female pop music duo of the late 1970s and early 1980s, featuring Mitsuyo Nemoto and Keiko Masuda...