Japanese K-Pop singer and actress Yukika Teramoto is stepping away from the music industry. The singer, known as Yukika, capped 2023 by announcing her retirement, the city pop musician delivering the news as she released her second and final album, Time-Lapse.
“FINALLY! My album is out today. I finished working on this at the beginning of this year, and I’ve been waiting for its release, too,” the singer wrote in a message, translated by Koreaboo, to fans on Dec. 1. “At first, the plan was to release it last year. So, since then, I’ve been telling you all that an album was on the way. I’m sorry I ended up making you all wait so long. 🥲 Thank you all for your patience!”
In the post, Yukika went on to explain that she has “been thinking about this for a couple of years now. And I’ve come to the conclusion that this album will be my last!” The singer told her fans that she doesn’t “know what’s going to happen to my life after this…But it was such an honor to cover all the beloved popular songs. And it was so rewarding to share my work as gifts for the fans who always rooted for me and looked forward to my releases.” She concluded the post, “Music lasts forever. Please give my album a listen. Thank you so much.”
Well-known in the South Korean entertainment industry, Yukika got her start in Japan in 2006 when she began working as a model before making her acting debut in the live-action adaptation of ChocoMimi the following year. In the years that followed, she provided voice acting for several anime and video game series, including Rouge Clafoutis from Dog Days, Chiri Nakazato from Seitokai Yakuindomo, and Kaname Nonomiya from Gal Gun. She took a hiatus from the industry in 2012 in order to attend school, later returning to the industry in 2015. A year later, she appeared on the South Korean drama The Idolmaster KR and debuted in the tie-in Korean idol girl group Real Girls Project. She went on to release her debut city pop single, “Neon,” in 2019, which was followed by her debut album, Soul Lady, in 2020. According to AllKPop, Time-Lapse features six tracks and is a remake album that reprises city pop style hits from the 1980’s and 90’s.
News of Yukika’s retirement from music sparked plenty of responses from fans. Replying to her post, one person asked, “GIRL WHAT DO YOU MEAN LAST ALBUM???????” A second fan commented, “thank you for everything!! To say your work will last a lifetime is an understatement. Your music has been blessing for all of us throughout the years. Wishing you luck on your future endeavors!” Somebody else replied, “i am sad it is the last one but thank you for all the good music, i love you so much.”