Yurika Kobayashi, (born on October 29, 1995, in Hasuda, Saitama, Japan), known as YURiKA, is a Japanese singer signed to Toho Animation Records. Growing up, Yurika nurtured a passion for music, beginning piano lessons at the age of 3 and drawing inspiration from artists like Morning Musume and Minimoni. Her fascination with anime music ignited during elementary school. In high school, she participated in competitions such as the Animax Anison Grand Prix. In 2014, she achieved significant recognition, securing 6th place in a televised competition by Nippon TV and winning an anime music singing competition by NHK. Signing with Toho Animation Records, Yurika made her professional debut in 2017 with the release of her first single, "Shiny Ray," used as the opening theme for Little Witch Academia. Subsequent singles like "Mind Conductor" and "Kyōmen no Nami" continued her success, reaching positions in the Top 100 on the Oricon charts. In August 2018, her single "Futari no Hane" reached number 36 on the charts. In September 2019, she contributed multiple singles as ending themes for the anime Beastars. Her debut full-length studio album, REUNION, featuring acoustic versions of her previous tracks, was released in June 2020. Continuing her musical journey, Yurika released KiRA☆KiRA in November 2022 and returned in 2024 with WHITE ALBUM2 COVER COLLECTION, released on January 24, reaching number 94 on the charts.
