Ray (musician)

Ray
中山 怜香
Birth nameReika Nakayama
Also known asClione Reika
Reika Kisumi
Born (1990-10-14) October 14, 1990 (age 34)
Hokkaido, Japan
GenresJ-pop
Occupations
  • Singer
  • radio personality
InstrumentVocals
Years active2012–2017
Labels
Websitenbcuni-music.com/ray/

Reika Nakayama (中山 怜香, Nakayama Reika, born October 14, 1990),[1][2] better known by her stage name Ray, is a Japanese singer and radio personality from Hokkaido. She signed to Geneon Universal Entertainment.

Biography

Ray was born in Sapporo and raised in Otaru, Hokkaido. Ray originally worked as a gravure idol, performing at a singing audition event sponsored by Avex and Usen called a-motion2007, and releasing a DVD called Peach Collection[1][2][3][4] and a second DVD called Pure Smile in 2008.[5][6] She tried out for the All-Japan Anime Song Grand Prix in 2010. She also covered songs under the moniker Clione (クリオネちゃ).[5]

She made her debut as a singer in 2012, performing the opening theme song "Sign" for the anime Waiting in the Summer.[7] Her second single "Rakuen Project" (楽園PROJECT, "Paradise Project") was released on October 24, 2012, which is used as the opening theme to the 2012 anime television series To Love-Ru Darkness.[8] Her third single "Recall" was released on February 6, 2013, which is used as the ending theme to the 2013 anime television series Amnesia.[9]

On a blog post posted on January 25, 2017, Ray announced her retirement from singing to pursue other unspecified activities.[10][11]

Discography

Albums

List of albums, with selected chart positions
Title Album information Oricon[12]
Peak
position
Rayve 25
Milky Ray
  • Released: June 4, 2014[14]
  • Label: Geneon Universal Entertainment
  • Format: CD+DVD (GNCA-1406), CD (GNCA-1407)
 28
Little Trip
  • Released: June 6, 2016[15]
  • Label: Geneon Universal Entertainment
  • Format: CD+Blu-ray (GNCA-1484), CD (GNCA-1485)
 14

Singles

Year Song Peak Oricon
chart positions 		Album Theme song featured in
2012 "Sign" 11[16] Waiting in the Summer
"Rakuen Project" 22[17] To Love-Ru Darkness
2013 "Recall" 30[18] Amnesia
"lull ~Soshite Bokura wa~" 21[19] Nagi no Asukara
2014 "ebb and flow" 24[20] Nagi no Asukara
2015 "secret arms" 34[21] To Love-Ru Darkness 2nd
"Hajimete Girls" 35[22] Wakaba Girl
2016 "a-gain" 23[23] Aokana: Four Rhythm Across the Blue
2016 "(heart)km/h" Long Riders!

Other album appearances

Year Song Album Notes Ref.
2012 "Chigiri -Kono Hiroi Hiroi, Toki o Koete-"
"Uwagoto -Shizumiyuku Watashi no-" 		Yūkyū no Uta Theme song collection for the PlayStation Portable visual novel Toki no Kizuna: Sekigahara Kitan. [24]

Appearances

Television

  • Anime-TV (studio guest: December 29, 2011 and February 16, 2012)
  • Anipara Ongakukan (live guest: March 30, 2012)

Radio

  • A&G Artist Zone 2h (Tuesday host: January 3, 2012 – )
  • A&G Chō Radio Show: Anisupa! (guest: January 28, 2012)
  • Radio Rondo Robe (guest: February 3, 2012)
  • Nonko to Nobita no Anime Scramble (guest: February 24, 2012)
  • Kawada Mami no Attack Young (guest: November 14, 2012)

References

  1. ^ a b "中山怜香 ピーチ!コレクション". June 18, 2008. Retrieved August 25, 2013.
  2. ^ a b 株式会社スポーツニッポン新聞社マルチメディア事業本部 (July 22, 2008). "中山怜香 初ブルマにワクワクドキドキ― スポニチ Sponichi Annex 芸能". Sponichi (in Japanese). Retrieved February 1, 2017.
  3. ^ "BBRK 07-06-05 :: アーティストオーディション a-motion '07（その１１）". unknown24.net. n.d. Retrieved February 1, 2017.
  4. ^ "パソコンテレビ GyaO [ギャオ] 無料動画 ｜a-motion'07｜". archive.org. June 10, 2007. Archived from the original on June 10, 2007. Retrieved February 1, 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  5. ^ a b "BBRK 08-10-09 :: 中山怜香が 2ndイメージDVDリリース". Unknown24.net. n.d. Retrieved February 1, 2017.
  6. ^ "Amazon.co.jp： 名探偵コナン 女子高生探偵 鈴木園子の事件簿 DVD: ホビー". Archived from the original on July 1, 2020. Retrieved February 1, 2017.
  7. ^ "Staff & Cast". J.C. Staff. Retrieved August 25, 2013.
  8. ^ "OPED". Xebec. Archived from the original on July 5, 2013. Retrieved August 25, 2013.
  9. ^ "Staff & Cast". Brain's Base. Retrieved August 25, 2013.
  10. ^ "いつも応援して下さっている皆様へ". Ray Official Blog. Ameblo. January 25, 2017. Retrieved January 25, 2017.
  11. ^ "Long Riders!, Waiting in Summer Singer Ray Retires This Summer". Anime News Network. January 25, 2017. Retrieved January 31, 2017.
  12. ^ "Rayのアルバム売上ランキング" [Ray Album Sales Ranking]. Oricon (in Japanese). Retrieved February 1, 2017.
  13. ^ "Rayve". Oricon (in Japanese). Retrieved February 1, 2017.
  14. ^ "Milky Ray". Oricon (in Japanese). Retrieved February 1, 2017.
  15. ^ "Little Trip". Oricon (in Japanese). Retrieved February 1, 2017.
  16. ^ "Sign" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved December 14, 2012.
  17. ^ "楽園Project" [Rakuen Project] (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved December 14, 2012.
  18. ^ "Recall" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved December 14, 2012.
  19. ^ ｌｕｌｌ～そして僕らは～ (in Japanese). Oricon.
  20. ^ ｅｂｂ ａｎｄ ｆｌｏｗ (in Japanese). Oricon.
  21. ^ "secret arms" (in Japanese). Oricon. n.d.
  22. ^ "初めてガールズ!" (in Japanese). Oricon. n.d.
  23. ^ "a-gain" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved July 11, 2016.
  24. ^ "悠久ノ謳 PSP専用ソフト「十鬼の絆 関ヶ原奇譚」主題歌集" [Yūkyū no Uta: PSP Video Game "Toki no Kizuna: Sekigahara Kitan" Theme Song Collection] (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved December 14, 2012.