Mika Nakashima

Mika Nakashima became one of the prime challengers to Ayumi Hamasaki, the undisputed queen of Japanese pop of the '90s. While not dethroning her, Nakashima still made a name for herself during the 2000s, achieving massive sales as well as critical acclaim with her brand of pop music that eschewed the teen bubblegum sound in favor of a pronounced smooth jazz influence. And there's little coincidental about her success, too, considering that she went for a musical career from a young age, skipping high school and college for its sake. Nakashima's rise to stardom was something i...