Yui Kobayashi
Yui Kobayashi, also known as Yousti, is a Japanese singer, model, and former member of the idol group Sakurazaka46. She is represented by Sony Music Records and is an exclusive model with a fashion magazine with.
Career
Music
On August 21, 2015, Kobayashi along with 22 other members was announced for the newly created idol group, Toriizaka46. Kobayashi made her musical debut with Keyakizaka46's first single, Silent Majority. In October of the same year, Kobayashi made her runway debut at the GirlsAward 2016 Autumn/Winter fashion show.As of 2019, Kobayashi has made an appearance in all Keyakizaka46 singles. She formed a duo named "Yui-chans" with Yui Imaizumi, first appearing in [Silent Majority (song)|Silent Majority] with the song "Shibugakawa". With Imaizumi's graduation in 2018, Kobayashi and Mizuho Habu formed another duo named "Senko Shimai", appearing in Ambivalent with "302-Goshitsu". She held performance center roles typically held by Yurina Hirate when Hirate was unavailable, including the 60th Japan Record Awards and the 69th NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen.
On November 29, 2023, Kobayashi announced that she would be leaving Sakurazaka46 after the graduation concert on January 31–February 1, 2024.
In May 2025, it was announced that Kobayashi would make her debut as a solo singer under the name Yousti. The stage name is a combination of her name and "ostrich", as she wished that her music could be a temporary "escape from reality" for those facing hardships. Her official fandom name is "Aisti", a combination of "love", the English superlative degree suffix "st", and the English "I". Her first self-titled EP would be released on August 27.
Other ventures
Kobayashi has been an exclusive model in fashion magazine with since July 27, 2018. Additionally, on 13 March 2019, she released a photo-book titled Kanjō no Kōzu, published by Kadokawa.Kobayashi's first independent acting role was in the 2020 live-action adaptation of Wasteful Days of [High School Girls] by TV Asahi. She played the role of Lily Someya, a multiracial transfer student; Kobayashi dyed her hair blonde for the role. She will appear in Sakura, an upcoming movie to be released on 13 November 2020.