Mihimaru GT

mihimaru GT is a Japanese urban pop unit. They debuted in 2003. mihimaru GT is a duet made up of composer, lyricist and vocalist, Miyake as well as vocalist and lyricist Hiroko. The group was formed due to the joint management of the two members during their solo careers. Before forming mihimaru GT, each member had a relatively quiet career with little to no major hits. To remind each other that the success of the group is from contributions from both members, the name mihimaru GT was created for the band, taking the first two letters in each members' last name and adding "maru" or "perfection" to the end of it as well as the initials for Miyake's favorite video game--Gran Turismo. Unlike many other groups, mihimaru GT will often record songs featuring only one of their members, though because of each members' background, they are both involved with every song in some way. hiroko is usually responsible for the main melody of the song, whereas miyake is featured in the rap that may appear in a song. The band is known for its urban and pop oriented songs as well as slow ballad oriented songs. They are currently signed to one of the largest independent music labels in the world. Prior to 2006, they've had an average career, with their singles ranking no higher than #16 on the ORICON charts. In 2006, however, their single "Kibun Jojo" became the commerical song for DARIYA's "Palty" and music.jp's commercial theme, as well as the ending theme for the variety program "SUKIBARA." The triple tie-up gave them lots of exposure and more people began to take notice of them. On May 5, 2006, they performed on the popular music show MUSIC STATION and was featured on the "YOUNG GUNS" corner. The appearance on the show boosted their popularity and made "Kibun Jojo" onto the #7 spot on the ORICON charts. From then on, their career has been doing well and popularity rising steadily, with "Itsumademo Hibiku Kono Melody/Magical Speaker" reaching as high as #3 on the ORICON charts.