Yoko Takahashi

is a Japanese singer, who is best known for her work throughout the 1990s, most particularly for her singles which were performed for and featured in anime, most notably the Neon Genesis Evangelion franchise.

Early life Takahashi began learning piano from her father at the age of two, and was a member of the Takinogawa Boys and Girls Choir when she was in elementary school. At the age of ten, she participated in an image album for Osamu Tezuka's work. In high school, she formed a band. In college, she was active in a light music club and aimed to become an opera singer.

Her younger brother is composer Gou Takahashi. His wife, Arimi Matsuno, is her sister-in-law. She has an older sister who is a voice trainer. She also has an older brother. Her parents are from Iwaki, Fukushima Prefecture. Her paternal grandfather was a palace carpenter.

Career Takahashi began her career in 1991, and released her first album, Pizzicato, in 1992, which reached #28 on the Oricon weekly charts. In the following years, she released the albums Kugatsu no Sotsugyō which charted, and Watashi wo Mitsukete, which did not achieve the same success of her previous albums.

In 1995, she released the single , which was used as the opening song in the anime series Neon Genesis Evangelion. The song has received gold and platinum certifications, charted on the Oricon weekly chart numerous times, and has frequently been cited as one of the most influential songs used in anime. She has remixed and released several versions of the single, which have been met with the same commercial success.

In 1996, she released the album Living with Joy. Following her achievements with music, she continued to release singles and albums throughout the 2000s and 2010s, for which she was met with mixed success.

Takahashi's other works in anime includes performing an "acid bossa" version of "Fly Me to the Moon", and "Soul's Refrain", the closing theme of Evangelion: Death and Rebirth.

She also performed "Metamorphose", the opening theme to studio Gainax's 20th anniversary series, This Ugly Yet Beautiful World, the ending theme for the anime , and the opening theme for .

Discography

Albums Studio albums Title Album details Peak chart positions Sales JPN Pizzicato Released: Label: Kitty Records Formats: CD 75 JPN: 9,000 Kugatsu no Sotsugyō Released: Label: Kitty Records Formats: CD 85 JPN: 6,000 Watashi o Mitsukete Released: Label: Kitty Records Formats: CD, digital download, streaming Living with Joy Released: Label: Kitty Records Formats: CD Li-La Released: Label: Kitty Records Formats: CD 10 JPN: 48,000 Harmonium Released: Label: Polydor Formats: CD, digital download, streaming Aüm Released: Label: Casta Diva Formats: CD L'Ange de Metamorphose Released: Label: B-Fairy Records Formats: CD, digital download, streaming Sore wa Toki ni Anata o Hagemashi,Toki ni Sasae to Naru Mono Released: Label: Geneon Entertainment Japan Formats: CD, digital download, streaming 90 JPN: 3,800

Extended plays Title Album details Peak chart positions Sales "Okaeri" 1991 — Pizzicato "P.S. I Miss You" 1992 87 JPN: 4,000 "Shijima" 42 "Mō Ichido Aitakute" 38 JPN: 37,000 Pizzicato "Woman's Love" — "Blue no Tsubasa" 1993 66 JPN: 14,000 Kugatsu no Sotsugyō "Omoide Yori Tōku" 1994 — "$1,000,000 no Koi" — Watashi o Mitsukete "Ano Koro ni Machiawaseyō" — "Moonlight Epicurian" — "A Cruel Angel's Thesis" 1995 17 JPN: 650,000 RIAJ : Platinum RIAJ : Million Neon Genesis Evangelion "Meguriai" 1996 — Living with Joy "Atarashii Shirt" — "Soul's Refrain" 1997 3 JPN: 630,000 RIAJ : Platinum RIAJ : 3× Platinum The Day of Second Impact "We're the One" 1999 — Harmonium "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

2000s + List of singles as lead artist Title Year Peak chart positions Sales Certifications Album JPN "Kokoro no Tsubasa" 2002 — L'Ange de Metamorphose "A Cruel Angel's Thesis" 2003 41 JPN: 12,500 "Metamorphose" 2004 23 JPN: 20,000 Sore wa Toki ni Anata o Hagemashi, Toki ni Sasae to Naru Mono "Wing" 2005 97 JPN: 1,900 "Yoake Umarekuru Shōjo" 21 JPN: 15,200 "Soul's Refrain" 2006 39 JPN: 8,800 "Aoki Flamme" 42 JPN: 8,300 Yoko Sings Forever "Seinaru Itami o Idaite" 2008 — "Kizudarake no Yume" 174 JPN: 500 "A Cruel Angel's Thesis" (2009 version) 2009 22 JPN: 17,800 RIAJ : Gold 20th Century Boys & Girls "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

2010s–2020s + List of singles as lead artist Title Year Peak chart positions Sales Certifications Album JPN "Monologue of Sorrow" 2010 34 JPN: 5,300 Evangelion Extreme "Wing Wanderer" 2012 — "Pray to the Momentary Sky" 2013 86 JPN: 1,300 Evangelion Extreme "Shinjitsu no Mokushiroku" 2015 39 JPN: 2,600 "Welcome to the Stage!" 2017 104 JPN: 500 "A Cruel Angel's Thesis" / "Soul's Refrain" 2018 36 JPN: 5,000 "A Cruel Angel's Thesis" (Matsuri Spirit) 2019 142 JPN: 300 "Nyankoku na Nyanko no Thesis" 2021 — "Final Call" — Evangelion Extreme "Teardrops of Hope" 2022 — "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

As featured artist + List of singles as featured artist Title Year Peak chart positions Album JPN "What If?" 2021 — Evangelion Eternally

Other songs

Solo works

As YAUMIN

As featured artist Year Title Album Track 1996 "Lost Paradise" (with Megumi Ogata) Tajuu Jinkaku #07 1999 "Utsukushii Hito" (with Masayasu Gyōten) Le Bel Homme image album #18 2008 "Hello, My Friend" (with Inagaki Junichi) Otoko to Onna -Two Hearts, Two Voices- #012013 "Kuchibiru yo atsuku kimi wo katare" (with Inagaki Junichi) Otoko to Onna 4 -Two Hearts, Two Voices- #06 "Peaceful Times_the London-Tokyo meeting" (with Hazel Fernandes) Shiro's Songbook 'Xpressions' Disc1#04