Biography
Who is Maki Goto?
Rise to fame with Morning Musume
Maki Goto began her professional music career in 1999 when she joined the Japanese pop group Morning Musume. She was selected as the only member of the third generation. Her debut single with the group was titled Love Machine, which achieved significant success by topping the Oricon singles charts and selling over one million copies. This release marked a major increase in sales compared to the group's previous work.
During her time as a member, she served as one of the lead vocalists on most of the tracks the group released. She was also a founding member of the subgroup Petitmoni. She remained with the group until her graduation in 2002. While still an active member of Morning Musume, she launched her solo career in 2001 with the release of the single Ai no Bakayaro, which also reached the top of the Oricon charts.
Solo career and label changes
After leaving Morning Musume, she focused on her solo singing career and performed with temporary units like Gomatto, Nochiura Natsumi, and Def.Diva. In 2003, she released her debut solo album, Makking Gold 1, which reached number four on the Oricon album charts. She later participated in the Asia Song Festival in Busan, Korea, in 2005, where she represented Japan.
In 2007, she announced her graduation from the Hello! Project during her G-Emotion II: How to Use Sexy concert tour. She signed with the Rhythm Zone label, a subsidiary of Avex Group, in 2008. This led to her return to the music scene at the A-nation 08 event. In 2009, she launched the Sweet Black project, a collaboration involving J-Wave and Mixi, and released music under that name before transitioning back to using her own name for her 2010 mini-album titled One.
Recent projects and media work
In 2011, she announced an indefinite hiatus from her music career, though she continued to make occasional public appearances, including a commercial for Monster Hunter. She returned to television in 2018 on the variety show Trio Idol na Onna. In 2022, she competed in the second season of The Masked Singer Japan, where she wore a Venus costume and eventually won the competition.
Later in 2022, she released a collection of covers called Songs of You and Me!, which was her first album in eleven years. In October 2023, she debuted as a virtual YouTuber. She maintains a presence on various social media platforms, including YouTube, where she shares content with her audience.
Personal history
Born in Edogawa, Japan, she experienced tragedy at a young age when her father died in a mountaineering accident in 1996. She has a younger brother named Yuki Goto, who was a rapper. In 2010, she witnessed her mother, Tokiko Goto, fall from the third floor of their family home in Edogawa, which resulted in her mother's death.
She married in 2014 and has two children, a daughter born in 2015 and a son born in 2017. In 2019, she addressed reports regarding an extramarital affair and allegations of domestic abuse involving her husband, clarifying that the abuse claims were misleading. Her husband subsequently took legal action against the man involved in the affair.
Birthday and age
Maki Goto was born on September 23, 1985, which makes Maki 41 years old today. That birthday falls under the Libra sign. Maki shares the date with 61 other famous people.
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