Anri

J-pop singer Anri, real name Eiko Kawashima, was born on 31 August 1961 in Yamato, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan and rose to fame as one of the leading ambassadors of Japan's breezy 1980s-originating city pop, a movement later reappraised in the 2010s by an international audience. Anri released her debut Amii Ozaki-penned album Oribia o Kikinagara ("While Listening to Olivia") in 1978 and enjoyed a breakthrough five years later with the release of "Cat's Eye," created for the 1983 anime series of the same name. The song went to number one in Japan and helped to grow her reputation at home and in Europe. She continued to release albums at a consistent rate over the next four decades, with notable highlights including 1983's Timely!!, 1986's Trouble in Paradise and a 2002 collaboration with jazz fusion guitarist Lee Ritenour, who took on production duties for her 2002 LP Smooth Jam – Quiet Storm. In 1998, Anri was given the honour of singing the closing theme of the Nagano Winter Olympics. She signed to Ivy Records and issued several new albums during the 2010s: 2015's Smooth & Groove, 2016's Melodies: Smooth & Groove, 2017's Fun Time (live), and 2018's ANRI. In 2023, a new revamped version of "Cat's Eye," "Cat's Eye 2023," was released.

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