| Background: | person |
| Yama | |
| Genre: | J-pop |
| Occupation: | Singer |
| Years Active: | 2018–present |
| Label: | Sony Music Entertainment Japan |
| Current Member Of: | BIN |
Yama (stylized in lowercase) is a Japanese singer affiliated with Sony Music Entertainment Japan.[1] After starting a singing career with Vocaloid covers, they became the vocalist of the rock trio BIN, and they also have performed music for the anime , Ranking of Kings, Spy × Family, and .
While in junior high school, Yama started making Vocaloid covers at home.[2] In March 2018, under the name "Yama" (stylized in lowercase), Yama made their singing debut with a YouTube cover of Picon's "Atatakai Ikimono".[3] In 2019, Yama formed the rock trio BIN, as the group's vocalist under the stage name Yamagami.[4] [5]
In November 2019, Yama participated as a guest vocalist in a special version of 's song "Nemurumachi".[6] In April 2020, Yama's first original song, "Haru wo Tsugeru", was released;[7] it peaked at #7 on the Billboard Japan Hot 100 and #8 at the Oricon Combined Singles Chart.[8]
In 2021, Yama sang "Mahi", the opening theme of , and in February 2021, it was released as a single from Sony Music Records. In September 2021, Yama's first album, The Meaning of Life, was released. Yama later sang "Oz", the ending theme of Ranking of Kings;[9] in November 2021, it was released as part of another single, "Oz/Sekai wa Utsukushī Hazunanda/Smokey Heroine", with all three songs in their 2022 album "Versus the Night".
In 2022, Yama's song "Shikisai", was featured as the ending theme for the second half of Spy × Familys first season;[10] it was released as a single in November 2022. In 2023, Yama performed "Slash", the opening theme of the second season of ;[11] it was later released as a single that year, alongside another album the next year. From 28 November to 5 December 2023, Yama held a solo concert tour throughout Southeast Asia and Taiwan, performing in Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Manila, Bangkok, and Taipei.[12]
Yama uses a genderfluid public image, and their voice has been described by Azrin Tan of Vogue Singapore as "soulful, feminine".[13] Most of Yama's personal life is kept anonymous, including their true identity and gender.[3] [14] When asked about this, Yama cited a lack of self-confidence and a desire to keep a real-life identity separate from their career.[3]
| Title | Year | Album details | Peak chart positions | Sales | Ref. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JPN [15] | JPN Comb. [16] | |||||
| The Meaning of Life | 2021 |
| 7 | 6 | - | [17] |
| Versus the Night | 2022 |
| 18 | 13 | - | [18] |
| Awake & Build | 2024 |
| 20 | 27 | - | [19] |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that region. | ||||||
| Title | Year | Album details | Peak chart positions | Sales | Ref. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JPN [20] | JPN Comb. [21] | |||||
| 2020 |
| — | 8 | - | ||
| 2021 |
| 15 | 49 | - | [22] | |
| 2021 |
| 44 | - | - | [23] | |
| 2022 |
| 29 | 21 | - | [24] | |
| "Slash" | 2023 |
| 20 | 35 | - | [25] |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that region. | ||||||