Mísia

Though Misia's music has elements of blues and soul, she's considered the first Japanese R&B superstar, paving the way for other R&B-based J-pop "divas," such as Hikaru Utada and Yuki Koyanagi, with her five-octave voice that is said to be able to produce sounds too high for the human ear to hear. That she achieved this breakthrough without appearing in TV music shows makes it even more impressive, as this is a very rare thing in Japanese showbiz. Misia (real name Misaki Ito) was born and raised in a music-loving family in Fukuoka, a city more known for its rock scene, but sh...