Soulhead


Soulhead was a Japanese urban contemporary/R&B duo consisting of sisters Yoshika Sawayama and Tsugumi Sawayama. Both were born in Hokkaidō; Yoshika was born on July 20, 1978, and Tsugumi was born on January 25, 1981. They worked with several well-known artists, including Sowelu, Koda Kumi, Crystal Kay and Ken Hirai.
WWW Official Site

Biography

Before they assumed the name Soulhead, Yoshika and Tsugumi were known as Batti Baas. Batti Baas released one vinyl single through Handcuts Records called Lovin' You, which featured Aaron Blackmon. The song was a remake of the Minnie Riperton standard. In February 2002, they released a CD single through Tokuma Japan Communications called Inside Out.
Shortly after the release of Inside Out, they were signed to Sony Music Associated Records and began working under the pseudonym Soulhead. The label sent them one year abroad to Australia and New Zealand to improve their proficiency in English. They released their debut single, Step to the New World, on August 21, 2002. In 2006 they were transferred to Sony Music Associated Records' sublabel, onenation. They appeared on various compilations with other Japanese artists. Soulhead's sound was a blend between various genres, such as soul, hip-hop, R&B, dancehall, reggae and funk, with many of their lyrics in English. They usually worked with the production team known as Octopussy. They also worked on releases with other Japanese artists, such as Kumi Koda and Soul'd Out. Yoshika is also a renowned songwriter, who has worked with artists such as Sowelu, Ken Hirai and Crystal Kay.
On February 21, 2007, they released a greatest hits album called Best of Soulhead, which contained all of their singles released up to Naked, along with a few b-sides. On February 24, 2010, after a four-year hiatus, they released a new album titled Soulhead under Avex Group, which they transferred to from SMEJ. On September 28, 2011, the duo released their second Avex album, Jump Up the Wall. This has been their final release to date.
Yoshika released her first solo album on July 3, 2013, titled My Anthem, which consisted of twelve new songs and one remix. Six months later, she released another album: a remix album compiled of remixes from My Anthem.
As of March 2016, their Avex site was unavailable.
Yoshika is the singer of alternative band Free But Sharp Pain, first formed in 2014. They have released one EP, Fall Into Reverie, in 2022.
Since 2014, Tsugumi performs with fellow rapper Luna as hip hop duo MaryJane, releasing one album called Street Names in 2014 and an EP, Two, in 2016, via Luna's own label Lilbooty Recordings. Tsugumi released her first solo album on May 18, 2016, titled LUVPLATE, on the Lilbooty Recordings label. She released two solo songs in 2019, "Nail Gossip" and "Braid My Hair", and an EP titled Laid Back in 2021. It was announced in their official blog that Yoshika gave birth to a baby. In 2022 she hosted a radio show on FM Karatsu.

Influences

Some musical artists who they respect are Tupac Shakur, Snoop Dogg, The Beatles, Janis Joplin, Takuro Yoshida and Ice Cube.

Albums

Studio albums

  1. Oh My Sister
    Rank: #3 / Sold: 214,545
  2. :March 5, 2003
  3. Braided
    Rank: #4 / Sold: 139,992
  4. :April 28, 2004
  5. Naked
    Rank: #5
  6. :March 8, 2006
  7. Soulhead
    Rank: #40
  8. :February 24, 2010
  9. Jump Up the Wall
    Rank: #73
  10. :September 28, 2011

Best albums

  1. Best of Soulhead
    Rank: #5
  2. :February 21, 2007

Remix albums

  1. Re-Construct Album Vol.1 Reflection
    Rank: #89 / Sold: 9,602
  2. :September 26, 2003
  3. Re-Construct Album Vol.2 Crystallized
    Rank: #41
  4. :June 21, 2006

Yoshika solo albums

  1. My Anthem
    Rank: #286
  2. :July 3, 2013
  3. My Anthem: Sympathetic Resonance
  4. :January 22, 2014

Tsugumi solo albums

  1. Luvplate
  2. :May 18, 2016
  3. Laid Back EP
  4. :September 24, 2021

Singles

Standard singles

  1. "Lovin' You feat. Aaron Blackmon"
  2. :January 7, 2001
  3. "Inside Out"
  4. :June 2, 2002
  5. "Step to the New World"
    Rank: #24 / Sold: 59,287
  6. :July 24, 2002
  7. :August 21, 2002
  8. "Lover, Knight, Man"
    Rank: #36 / Sold: 18,410
  9. :November 20, 2002
  10. "Sora"
    Rank: #28 / Sold: 16,035
  11. :February 5, 2005
  12. "Oh My Sister (Remix)/I'm Just Going Down"
    Rank: #114 / Sold: 2,561
  13. :May 2, 2003
  14. "Get Up! EP"
    Rank: #28 / Sold: 15,967
  15. :July 30, 2003
  16. "You Can Do That"
    Rank: #36 / Sold: 18,691
  17. :January 21, 2004
  18. "No Way"
    Rank: #50 / Sold: 5,353
  19. :March 24, 2004
  20. "At the Party"
  21. :June 2, 2004
  22. "Fiesta"
    Rank: #35 / Sold: 7,773
  23. :May 25, 2005
  24. "Sparkle Train/Got to Leave"
    Rank: #30 / Sold: 15,324
  25. :December 14, 2005
  26. "Pray/XXX feat. Koda Kumi"
    Rank: #22 / Sold: 10,109
  27. :January 27, 2006
  28. "Kimi no Kiseki/Itsumademo..."
    Rank: #56
  29. :December 6, 2006
  30. "Dear Friends"
    Rank: #60
  31. :January 24, 2007

12" analog singles

  1. "Too Late" /Song For You
  2. :August 20, 2003
  3. "Break Up" /Playboy
  4. :August 20, 2003
  5. "To Da Fakes MCs"
  6. :September 10, 2003
  7. "Lover, Knight, Man" /Moon Shine feat. Aaron Blackmon
  8. :September 10, 2003
  9. "Sparkle☆Train" - produced by Mark de Clive-Lowe / You can do that - produced by Reel People
  10. :July 13, 2006
  11. "XXX" - produced by SA-RA / "Pray" - produced by Kenny Dope
  12. :July 13, 2006

DVDs

  1. Oh My Sister Live & Clips
  2. :October 8, 2003
  3. Soulhead Tour 2006: Naked
  4. :August 9, 2006
  5. Best of Soulhead: 5th Anniversary Tour
  6. :November 11, 2007

Collaborative efforts and featured artist

  1. "Ryuusei no Sadoru"
  2. :from album Soul Tree ~a musical tribute to toshinobu kubota~
  3. "Like a Queen" February 23, 2005)
  4. :from single "Like a Queen feat. Soulhead" / Tomita.Lab
  5. "D.D.D feat. Soulhead"
  6. :from album BEST ~second session~ / Koda Kumi
  7. "Home party feat. Tsugumi of Soulhead"
  8. :from the album おたくgirlsの宴 / lecca
  9. "Beauty and the Beast"
  10. :from the album Tribute to Celine Dion
  11. "Love Majic feat. Luna, Tsugumi of Soulhead, and Jamosa"
  12. :from the album Power Butterfly / lecca
  13. "Round Mirror Moon feat. Yoshika"
  14. :from the album 攻め燃える / Jabberloop
  15. "Natural High feat. Tsugumi"
  16. :from the album 攻め燃える / Jabberloop
  17. "Slow Motion feat. Tsugumi"
  18. :from the album OPEN THE DOOR / Hiroko
  19. "Dreamers feat. Tsugumi"
  20. :from the album BEHIND the TRUTH / Nerdhead