GAO/Chikuzen Sato -- Sayonara (サヨナラ)

When GAO debuted as a singer through the NHK BS music program Young Battle, she revealed neither her real name nor her birth year. Her gender was a mystery at first, too, and she was clever enough to take advantage of her androgynous looks and husky voice to conceal the fact. I've read on one blog that when press tried to ask her whether she was male or female, she would answer "neither". Who knows if this story actually happened, but it seems plausible. In 1992, however, when her single Sayonara (サヨナラ) became a huge hit, Kohaku Utagassen producers asked her to perform on the show at the end of the year, which would mean that she had to make a choice between joining the "red" (female) team or the "white" (male) team. GAO accepted the offer and chose the former, thus revealing her identity.

As for "Sayonara", it's a sublime rock ballad that will probably get stuck in your ears for hours after you listen to it. It's interesting how GAO's voice and image can even make a love song "genderless", but that's what gives it a wide appeal, I think. Written by GAO and composed by Ikki Kai, it shot to No. 3 spot on Oricon weeklies and became the 16th-ranked single of 1992 and the 97th-ranked single on 1993, selling over a million copies total. The song eventually overshadowed the artist herself, making her a one-hit-wonder figure. I've listened to her other material from the early 90's and warmly recommend it to those who enjoy "Sayonara".

A number of artists have covered the song through the years, but I couldn't resist highlighting Chikuzen Sato's（佐藤竹善）take on it from 2007. His version sounds refreshingly down-to-earth compared to the original.

Image source: cdjournal