Lilas Ikuta
is a Japanese singer and songwriter. She is best known as the vocalist of the duo Yoasobi with producer Ayase, under the stage name Ikura, and a former member of the cover group . After numerous singles and extended plays, Ikuta released her debut studio album Sketch in March 2023 and peaked at number four on the Oricon Albums Chart.

Early life and education 
Lilas Ikuta was born on September 25, 2000, in Tokyo, Japan, and has three older siblings. She moved to Chicago, USA, in 2001, living there until she was three years old. Ikuta learned piano when she attended the first year of elementary school, and then acoustic guitar in sixth grade. She was also a member of the school's music club from third to sixth grade. Ikuta wrote her first song when she was still at elementary school and performed her first concert when she was a middle school student. She told in a Cinematoday interview that her wish to become a musician was set when her parents promised to write songs for each other for Valentine's Day and White Day. She attended Nihon University's College of Art in April 2019, and graduated in March 2023. Ikuta has cited Taylor Swift as her major music influence.

Career

2015–present: Solo career 

In 2015, Ikuta participated in several casting and auditions, including Singin'Japan hosted by Sony Music Entertainment Japan where was selected as a finalist. In 2016, she participated in the new artist training course called the Lesson sponsored by SMEJ and released her demo CD 15 no Omoi. She later became a member of cover group  until 2021. In February 2018, Ikuta made her first debut televised appearance at . She released her first two extended plays Rerise in April 2018, and  in November 2019 through independent label After School. In 2020, Ikuta performed the Japanese version of the end-credit song "Rocket to the Moon" for computer-animated fantasy film Over the Moon, and released new single "Hikari", accompanied Kissme's exhibition Atta Koto Aru no ni, Hajime Mashite.

On March 9, 2021, Ikuta released "Answer" for Tokio Marine & Nichido Life Insurance's Anshin Disability Insurance advertisement. She covered Seiko Matsuda's "Sweet Memories" for Takashi Matsumoto's 50th-anniversary tribute album . Ikuta re-released "Romance no Yakusoku", originally from her EP Jukebox, on August 14, accompanied love reality series . She voiced Hiro-chan in 2021 animated science fantasy film Belle. Additionally in 2021, Ikuta featured on Fujifabric's "Tarinai Sukunai" from their eleventh studio album , Tomorrow X Together's Japanese version of "0X1=Lovesong (I Know I Love You)" from their first Japanese EP Chaotic Wonderland, and Rei's "Hōseki", and collaborated with Milet and Aimer for The First Take "Omokage" to advertise Sony's wireless noise-canceling earphones WF-1000XM4.

Ikuta's "Sparkle" was released on January 17, 2022, as a theme for Kyō, Suki ni Narimashita: Mikan-hen, Sotsugyō-hen 2022. She collaborated with hip-hop duo Creepy Nuts and Ayase for the single "Baka Majime", released on March 20. It was accompanied the All Night Nippon 55th-anniversary stage Ano Yoru o Oboe Teru. The single "Lens", a theme for TBS drama , was come on June 14. Ikuta featured on Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra's single "Free Free Free", released on July 27. She was in charge of Fuji TV's 2022 FIFA World Cup's theme "Jump", came on November 20.

In January 2023, Ikuta released "Tanpopo" for NHK's Drama 10 . Her debut studio album Sketch was issued on March 8. It debuted at number four on the Oricon Albums Chart, and number two on the Billboard Japan Hot Albums. Ikuta features on Chiaki Satō's single "Senkō Hanabi" from her third studio album Butterfly Effect. The song was released on June 14. She released the single "P.S." for the movie 1 Byō Saki no Kare on July 7.

2019–present: Yoasobi 

Vocaloid producer Ayase, who was asked to form a music project as part of a collaboration with the creative writing social media Monogatary.com, reached out to Ikuta after seeing a video on Instagram and asked her if she was willing to start a music project with him, becoming the start of the duo Yoasobi. Their debut single "Yoru ni Kakeru", which was released in late 2019, went viral and became a musical success in Japan which resulted in Yoasobi gaining first popularity in Japanese music scene.

Discography

Studio albums

Extended plays

Demo albums

Singles

As lead artist

As featured artist

Guest appearances

Film

Concerts 

 1st One Man Live: Bouquet (2019)
 MTV Unplugged: Lilas Ikuta (2022)
 1st One Man Tour: Sketch (2023)

Notes

References

External links 
  

2000 births
21st-century Japanese women singers
Japanese women pop singers
Japanese women singer-songwriters
Japanese singer-songwriters
Living people
Nihon University alumni
Singers from Tokyo
Sony Music Entertainment Japan artists
Yoasobi members