(photo found on photobucket. if it's yours, please tell me~)

Perhaps to call Gackt one of the most popular singers in Japan of all time would be a bit of an understatement. Not only is he highly successful and well-known in Japan - he has fans all over the world, too.

After leaving Malice Mizer in 1999, he released his first solo EP, Mizerable, and the subsequent first single of the same name. His second single, Vanilla, is a particular fan favourite, even to this day, due to a famous live performance of it with plenty of "fan service". He went on to release several highly successful albums and EPs, almost one every year, such as his first solo album, Mars (with two songs on it dedicated to former bandmate Kami of Malice Mizer, who had recently passed away), Love Letter (first released on February 14 2005, later re-released in Korean for "Korean Dears".).

Gackt has also released several compilation albums, such as The Sixth Day: Single Collection, and Juunigatsu no Love Song ~Complete Box~, containing all versions of Juunigatsu no Love Song (December Love Song), in Japanese, English, Mandarin and Korean. He also has 9 video compilations to date, called PLATINUM BOX, each ending with a Roman numeral.

He has 35 singles in the ten years of his career so far (not counting re-releases), the most notable being his last five singles - Koakuma Heaven (Little Devil's Heaven), Faraway, Lost Angels, Flower and The Next Decade. His name was changed to "GACKT", in capitals to signify aiming for greater things. The first four were released each within a week of the other, counting down to his tenth anniversary, with Flower being released on July 1 2009. The Next Decade was the theme song for Kamen Rider Decade, which is also celebrating its tenth anniversary. He is also playing Jouji Yuuki in the film for Kamen Rider Decade.

Not only is Gackt an accomplished singer - he acts as well, and his songs have been used for animes and video games too. He co-wrote the movie Moon Child, which he also starred in, along with fellow Japanese rock artist HYDE of L'arc~en~Ciel and Taiwanese pop star Wang Lee Hom. He has also starred in the drama Fuurin Kazan as Uesugi Kenshin, and in his first Hollywood movie alongside Josh Hartnett, Ron Perlman and Demi Moore, titled Bunraku. His songs, meanwhile, were most notably used in the video game Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII, with a character (Genesis Rhapsodos) modeled after, and voiced by, him in Crisis Core.

Gackt has not only sung, acted and modeled - he is also involved in several other projects. He has also designed two guitars and lent his voice and stage name to the Vocaloid known as Gackpoid. He, too, has written an autobiography, Jihaku (Confessions). He is also involved in the supergroup S.K.I.N., along with other major artistes - soloist Miyavi, Yoshiki, drummer of X Japan, and Sugizo, former LUNA SEA guitarist and currently in X Japan.

Of course, with so many accolades to his name, one might expect Gackt to be arrogant and self-centred. While he has admitted to being narcissistic, he is also very caring towards his friends, such as his support band, GacktJOB, and his fans. Members of his fanclub are called Dears, and he has held several Dears-only events, even overseas trips with them (the most recent being a holiday to Singapore, where he already is in). He is extremely hard working and is known to be a perfectionist, to the point where he faints after lives.

Gackt has one of the best vocal ranges that I have ever heard. His live performances are always energetic, and his voice seems even better live than on record. Gackt is truly one of the best discoveries in music I have ever made - so go ahead and discover Gackt for yourself, too!

Vanilla

Wasurenai Kara (Because I Cannot Forget)

Juunigatsu no Love Song (December Love Song)

Kimi ni Aitakute (I Want To See You)

Returner ~ Yami no Shuuen ~ (Returner ~Demise of Darkness~)

Flower