Shingo Katori is one of the best-selling artists in J-pop history, having released fourteen Number 1 albums as a member of the Japanese boy band SMAP before returning to the top of the charts with his solo debut. Born in Yokohama on January 31, 1977, he launched his career at 10 years old, briefly serving as a backup dancer for the group Hikaru Genji before joining SMAP in April 1988. The group's debut single, "Can't Stop!! Loving," climbed to Number 2 on Japan's Oricon chart in 1991. During the 25 years that followed, SMAP released 33 chart-topping singles in Japan, including 1998's quadruple-platinum hit "Yozora no Mukō" and 2003's "Sekai ni Hitotsu Dake no Hana" (which became Japan's third highest-selling song in history). As SMAP's popularity bloomed, Shingo Katori and his bandmates also became fixtures on Japanese television, where they launched the variety show SMAP×SMAP in 1996. The show ran on a weekly basis for two decades. Shingo Katori also starred in another variety show, Sata Suma, whose episodes regularly included a segment in which he appeared in women's clothing as a character named "Shingo Mama." The character's signature greeting, "Oha," became a national catchphrase in Japan and led to the release of Shingo Katori's first single as a solo artist, "Shingo Mama's Secret Breakfast." Released in August 2000, the song climbed to Number 1 in Japan and was wildly successful, earning a diamond certification. Following SMAP's retirement in 2016, Shingo Katori continued his acting career with lead roles in the films Kuso-yarō to Utsukushiki Sekai and Sea Of Revival, the latter of which earned him a Blue Ribbon Award nomination for Best Actor. He also maintained his place at the forefront of Japanese pop music with his debut solo debut, 20200101, which was released in January 2020 and peaked at Number 1 on the Oricon Albums Chart.
