Kaf (singer)
Kaf is a Japanese singer-songwriter and virtual YouTuber represented by Kamitsubaki Studio. She is active on YouTube where she uploads original songs as well as covers of J-Pop and Vocaloid songs.
Kaf's avatar was created by the character designer Palow, who continues to oversee updates to her costumes and new designs. For her first 3 albums she worked with Vocaloid Producer Iori Kanzaki as the primary composer. In 2021 she started a side project to her solo work entitled "Suite" in which she would work with artists across various genres. In 2022 she became the first VTuber to perform at the Nippon Budokan.
She is also a member of the virtual singer group V.W.P -Virtual Witch Phenomenon- alongside other members of the Kamitsubaki Studio label, Phenomenon Record. She provided the voice model for CeVIO AI Song's voicebank KAFU, released in July 2021.
History
2017–2018: discovery and early career
When KAF was 13 years old, around 2017, she would upload cover songs to a karaoke app which caught the attention of Japanese producer Piedpiper. Due to her location and age it took some time for him to connect with her, but their first recording session together surprised the managers and engineers who were present.Kaf opened her YouTube channel on October 17, 2018, and uploaded her first video on October 18. That December she uploaded her first original song "Ito" which ranked 3rd in the J-Pop and 9th in the overall charts on ITunes. On December 31 she would make her live performance debut with her participation in the New Year's Eve VR singing contest event "Count0". Her performance of "Ito" as the final act of the event would contribute to a sizable increase in her following.
On February 1, 2019 Kaf announced a temporary hiatus to focus on her high school entrance exams. She ended the hiatus on March 20, 2019 and released the new song "Hinadori".
2019–2022: Fukakai era
On May 15, 2019 she released her first EP, Hana to Shinzō, followed shortly after with the opening of a Campfire crowdfunding campaign to raise money for her first one-man live. The campaign would raise more than 40 million yen from over 4000 backers, surpassing the 5 million yen goal The concert, titled Fukakai, was held on August 1 at LIQUIDROOM Ebisu and available to watch live at select movie theaters and karaoke shops.Her song "Yoru ga Furiyamu Mae ni" was selected as the theme for the movie Hot Gimmick: Girl Meets Boy, released on June 28, 2019. Kaf's first full-length album, Kansoku, was released on September 11, 2019. The album was released in 2 formats, designated α and β with their own original artowork and bonus items in special packaging, a trend which would continue for her following albums. A remix album titled Kansoku γ was released in December featuring contributions from other members of Kamitsubaki Studio and several guest remixers.
On March 14, 2020 Kaf released a YouTube video debuting a new outfit and hairstyle to represent a new period in her career. The follow up to her first one-man live, Fukakai, was held on March 23, 2020 and adjusted to take place in an empty venue while livestreamed on 4 platforms including Niconico Live and YouTube Live for a fee as a result of Covid-19. In April her song "Answer" was used as the 11th ending theme to the TV anime series Black Clover. That same month she participated in the ZONe Energy IMMERSIVE SONG PROJECT with the song "ABnormal". Both songs would later be released on her 2nd EP and 2nd album.
On July 22, 2020 her 2nd EP, titled Hana to Kaitou, was released. The title for this EP was decided in consultation with her producer, Iori Kanzaki, with the hope that the listener would be able to feel the "answer" in the various meanings of the songs. Kaf stated that during the recording of Flower & Answer she could feel her personal growth as a result of starting voice training, noting that she felt her voice had changed and that she better grasps how to control its tone and resonance. On September 23, 2020 she would release a collaboration song with Kizuna AI titled "Karisome" as part of a joint single titled Ai to Hana. Her second full-length album, Mahō, was released on November 25, 2020 with a remix album to follow in December 2021.
Kaf's 3rd one-man live show, titled Fukakai 2 Q2, was held on March 13, 2021 at the virtual venue PANDORA. This concert was broadcast for free on YouTube Live, and during the show the group V.W.P -Virtual Witch Phenomenon- was announced with Kaf as a member. In May 2021 she provided an insert song for the anime film Pompo: The Cinéphile, titled "Tatoeba".
After a delay due to survey feedback in late 2020, the CeVIO AI voicebank KAFU was released using Kaf as the voice model was released on July 7, 2021. On October 18, 2021 Kaf celebrated her third anniversary. To commemorate the event she announced and started the Kumikyoku project on October 27 of the same year. The project was stated to culminate with 15 songs created in collaboration with major label artists from the Japanese music industry, released over an extended period of time.
On March 26, 2022 a special one-man live was held to commemorate her high school graduation. On the same day she announced she would begin hosting her own radio program, titled Panpa ka KAFi R, which broadcasts on InterFM. On August 24, 2022 Kaf held her 3rd one-man live concert, Fukakai 3 , at the Nippon Budokan marking the first time a VTuber had performed at the venue. In September 2022 she opened her membership driven YouTube channel, focused on monthly livestreams where she interacts with her fans in real time. In October 2022 the MAISONdes collaboration song "Tokyo Shandy Rendezvous" was released as the ending theme to the 2022 TV anime series Urusei Yatsura, and would amass more than 100 million plays across streaming services. Kaf was also selected as one of Forbes Japan 30 Under 30 in 2022.
2023–present: departure of Iori Kanzaki and expanded activities
On March 8, 2023 Kaf's 3rd full-length album, Kyoso, was released. This album would be the final time Iori Kanzaki would act as Kaf's primary composer. In August she would participate in YouTube Music Weekend alongside other Japanese artists, with promotions featuring her prominently appearing in New York City's Times Square. On November 1, 2023 an official English language Kaf information X account was launched alongside her first English language interview.January 3, 2024 marked the end of the Kumikyoku series with its 15th release, Ai no Mama with Shigeru Kishida. On January 14, 2024 Kaf held her 4th one-man live "Kaika" as part of the 2-day "Kamitsubaki Yoyogi Wars" event at Yoyogi National Gymnasium. During the event she announced a new singer-songwriter project under the name Kaika and performed the first songs from this project. Her 4th album, being called Guuwa, was also announced alongside a second series of Kumikyoku songs, and the upcoming release of her 3rd remix album, Kyoso γ.
On February 28, 2024 Kaf kicked off Kumikyoku 2 with the new single and music video Gimme Gimme Tōhikō feat. #KTchan . On April 24, 2024 the first single from the Kaika project, titled Kaika, along with a music video that features footage of her performance at Yoyogi National Gymnasium earlier in the year. In May Kaf began a series of weekly English Q&A videos on X called "Kaf's Worldwide Observations" as a means to communicate with her international fans. Also in May, she released her first new song since the departure of Kanzaki Iori, "Gestalt" produced by Jazzin' Park.
On June 21, 2024 Kaf's YouTube reached 1 million subscribers, which she celebrated by holding a livestream event to catch the occurrence live while interacting with fans. On August 8, 2024 the first trailer for a new anime series called Kamitsubaki City Under Construction was released, which will feature Kaf's debut as a voice actor playing a character based on herself. The series is scheduled to release in 2025.
On October 12, 2024 Kaf announced her 4th album Guuwa to be released on December 25, 2024. Simultaneously, she announced her first English-language release "Answer " self-covering her 2020 release of the same title, releasing on October 23, 2024. On November 3, 2024, Kaf performed a revamped version of her 4th one-man live under the title "Re: Kaika" at Makuhari Messe in Chiba, Japan. During the event, Kaf announced two new releases in the Kumikyoku 2 series, collaborating with Hoshimachi Suisei and Moe Shop.
Awards
- Forbes Japan 30 Under 30 2022 – Entertainment Category