Soto Asa: Who Is She?

Soto Asa is a 24-year-old singer-songwriter from Tokyo, Japan. Born Mizuki Soto, she started writing songs in her early teens and released her debut single ‘Story’ in 2017. Since then, she has released a number of singles and albums and has established a reputation as an innovative and talented artist.

Early Life & Career

Asa was born in Tokyo and grew up in the city. She started writing songs when she was just 14 years old and soon developed a style that melded rock, pop, and even jazz influences into her sound. In 2017, she released her debut single ‘Story’ which quickly became a hit. This was followed by the release of her first full-length album ‘Shine’ in 2018. The album showcased her unique sound and craftsmanship as a songwriter and received positive reviews from critics. Over the next few years, she released several more successful singles and albums, establishing herself as a prominent artist on the Japanese music scene.

Style & Influences

Asa's music has been praised for its eclectic mix of genres, combining elements of rock, pop, jazz, and folk into her sound. Her songwriting has also been praised for its thoughtful and emotive lyrics that explore themes of love, loss, identity, and belonging. Asa cites a variety of musical influences including Björk, Radiohead, and Jeff Buckley as inspiration for her sound.

Collaborations

Asa has also collaborated with several other artists over the years such as Seiko Oomori and Kenshi Yonezu. Her collaboration with Yonezu resulted in the single ‘Itoshisa no Defense’ which was released in 2019 to critical acclaim.

Awards & Accolades

Asa has received numerous awards over the years for her work including being named Best New Artist at the 2019 Japan Music Awards. She was also named one of the top 10 Japanese female artists by Oricon Magazine in 2020.

Discography

Asa's discography includes five full length albums: Shine (2018), Baby Blue (2019), All That I Need (2020), Teardrops (2021), and Starlight (2022). She has also released several EPs and singles over the years.