It’s not only top American artists getting into the lucrative videogame music action. Angela Aki, one of Japan’s most successful new pop acts, handles vocals on “Kiss Me Good-Bye,” the ending theme for Square Enix’s much anticipated “Final Fantasy XII” videogame, in stores Oct. 31 exclusively for PlayStation 2.
The soundtrack album on Tofu Records, due the same day, will feature other tracks composed, arranged and produced by Hitoshi Sakimoto, with a bonus music video of Aki’s single.
“We chose Angela from many candidates,” Square Enix music publishing division producer/GM Kensuke Matsushita tells Billboard.com. “She had an established music style and a beautiful, powerful voice that matched the song composed by Nobuo Uematsu.”
“FFXII” has sold more than 2.4 million copies since its release in Japan earlier this year, and the total franchise has topped more than 60 million sales worldwide, according to Square Enix.
Prior to “FFXII,” only the eighth version of the game featured a song with vocals: “Eyes on Me” by popular Chinese artist Faye Wong. The track was later covered by Aki and included on one of her mini-albums.
After indie success with her first album “One,” Aki was signed by Epic Japan. Her debut, “Home,” arrived in September 2005 and has sold more than 500,000 copies to date, according to the label.
In the U.S., “Kiss Me Good-Bye” and a four-track EP featuring the “Eyes on Me” cover are available via digital download retailers. Upcoming is a December date at Tokyo’s Nippon Budokan concert hall, self-accompanied on piano.
