Sana
Sana in August 2023
Born
Sana Minatozaki

(1996-12-29) December 29, 1996 (age 27)
Tennōji-ku, Osaka, Japan
Occupations
  • Singer
  • television host
Musical career
OriginSouth Korea
Genres
Years active2015–present
Labels
Member of
Korean name
Hangul사나
Revised RomanizationSana
McCune–ReischauerSana
Japanese name
Kanji湊﨑 紗夏
RomanizationMinatozaki Sana
Signature

Sana Minatozaki (Japanese: 湊﨑 紗夏, Hepburn: Minatozaki Sana, born December 29, 1996[1]), known mononymously as Sana (Korean: 사나; Japanese: サナ), is a Japanese singer based in South Korea. She is a member of the South Korean girl group Twice, formed in 2015 by JYP Entertainment.[2][3]

Early life

Sana was born on December 29, 1996[4] in Tennōji-ku, Osaka, Japan,[5][6] as an only child.[7]

Sana stated that she wanted to become a singer and dancer early on and was inspired by the K-pop group Girls' Generation.[7] In addition to her native Japanese, she speaks Korean.

Career

Pre-debut

Sana began training with EXPG in Osaka in 2009, originally planning to be a singer in Japan, rather than South Korea.[8] During her middle school years, she was scouted by a JYP Entertainment (JYPE) employee at a shopping mall and was invited to participate in the annual JYP Japan audition the following day.[9] Sana passed the audition[9] and joined the JYPE trainee program in South Korea in April 2012.[10][11] She trained for over three years before her eventual debut with Twice.[10] In 2012, she was expected to become a member of a four-member girl group aimed at the Japanese market, but plans for the group were cancelled in part due to tensions between Japan and Korea following the Liancourt Rocks dispute; she was later scheduled to debut in a six-member group called 6Mix, but the group's debut was also cancelled due to the sinking of MV Sewol.[10][12] In 2014, Sana appeared in Got7's music video for "A" as a waitress.[13]

2015–present: Sixteen, Twice, solo activities, and MiSaMo

Main articles: Sixteen (TV program), Twice, and MiSaMo
Sana at Twiceland Encore Concert in Seoul on June 17, 2017

In 2015, Sana participated in the music survival show Sixteen, a reality television series to determine the members of Twice.[2][14] Out of the sixteen contestants, Sana was selected as one of the nine members of the newly formed girl group.[2][15] She officially debuted with Twice in October 2015 with the title song "Like Ooh-Ahh" from their debut extended play The Story Begins.[16] Known for her energetic and cheerful personality,[2][5][17][18] she has received recognition in both South Korea and abroad, and her popularity has been credited with helping to improve relations between Japan and South Korea.[8][19] In Gallup Korea's annual music poll for 2018, Sana was voted the 17th most popular idol in South Korea, the highest-ranked Japanese individual in the poll.[20] She ranked 15th in the 2019 poll.[21][22] In 2019, Sana also ranked as the most popular female K-pop idol in a survey of soldiers completing mandatory military service in South Korea.[18]

In February 2021, Sana became the first Twice member to release a solo single after she covered "Sotsugyou", a 2020 single by Japanese band Kobukuro.[23] The cover, which includes an a cappella version, was released as a digital single through Warner Music Japan.[24] She released a version with Kobukuro themselves in March 2021.[25]

On February 9, 2023, JYPE announced that Sana, alongside bandmates Momo and Mina, will officially debut in Japan on July 26 as a sub-unit named MiSaMo with the extended play titled Masterpiece.[26] Prior to the trio's debut, on January 25, they released the track "Bouquet" as part of the soundtrack of TV Asahi's drama series Liaison: Children's Heart Clinic [ja].[27]

Endorsements

Outside of Twice, Sana was featured in several advertisements and has promoted various brands and products.[28][29] In 2021, Sana and Twice bandmate Dahyun became models for skincare brand A'pieu.[30] In March 2022, Sana became a model for cosmetic brand Wakemake.[31] In March 2023, Sana was selected as an ambassador for both the South Korean skin care brand Missha[32] and the makeup brand Espoir.[33] In July 2023, Sana became the first Japan ambassador for British multinational jeweller Graff.[34] In September 2023, Italian luxury fashion house Prada named Sana as their brand ambassador.[35][36]

Discography

For Sana's discography with Twice and MiSaMo, see Twice discography and MiSaMo § Discography.

Singles

List of singles, showing year released, and album name
Title Year Album
"Sotsugyou" (卒業)[37][A] 2021 Non-album single

Other charted songs

Title Year Peak chart positions Album
NZ
Hot
[38] 		US
World
[39]
"I'll Show You"
(with Nayeon, Jihyo, Bekuh Boom, Annika Wells as K/DA) 		2020 38 10 All Out

Songwriting credits

All song credits are adapted from the Korea Music Copyright Association's database unless stated otherwise.[40]

List of songs, showing year released, artist name, and name of the album
Title Year Artist Album Notes
"Shot Thru the Heart" 2018 Twice Summer Nights As lyricist
"Turn It Up" 2019 Fancy You
"21:29" Feel Special
"Do What We Like" 2020 Eyes Wide Open
"Conversation" 2021 Taste of Love
"Celebrate" 2022 Celebrate
"Rewind You" 2023 MiSaMo Masterpiece

Filmography

For Sana's filmography with Twice, see Twice § Filmography.

Television shows

Year Title Role Ref.
2015 Sixteen Contestant [14]
2016 Show! Music Core Host [41]
Idol Star Athletics Championships [42]
2017 KBS Song Festival [43]
2018 M Countdown [44]
2019 Idol Star Athletics Championships [45]
2020 Nizi Project: Part 2 Special judge + Host[a] [46][47]

Bibliography

Photobooks

Title Release date Publisher Ref.
Yes, I am Sana. April 16, 2021 JYP Entertainment [48]

Notes

  1. ^ Surprise appearance as a special judge in episode 9 of Part 1 and appeared as Host on the final stage of Part 2.
  1. ^ A version with the original artist, Kobukuro, was also released as a single.

References

  1. ^ "K-POPの最注目新人「TWICE」の日本人メンバーが可愛くて美しい＜プロフィール＞". Model Press (in Japanese). December 15, 2015. Archived from the original on December 22, 2015. Retrieved November 11, 2016.
  2. ^ a b c d Moon, Kat (September 20, 2019). "Everything to Know About K-Pop Group Twice". Time. Archived from the original on September 21, 2019. Retrieved June 16, 2020.
  3. ^ "트와이스 "뽑힐 때 아무 생각이 없었다" ①". Star News (in Korean). Archived from the original on August 22, 2019. Retrieved November 11, 2016.
  4. ^ Kim, Soo-jin (December 29, 2018). "Happy 22nd birthday to K-pop star Sana! Here are the Twice band member's funniest moments on TV". South China Morning Post. Archived from the original on December 25, 2020. Retrieved December 7, 2019.
  5. ^ a b Robidoux, Brandy (October 27, 2019). "Who Is TWICE's Sana? The Talented Singer Is Fierce Both On Stage And Off". Elite Daily. Archived from the original on October 27, 2019. Retrieved December 7, 2019.
  6. ^ "TWICE (Profile)". JYP Entertainment – Twice. JYP Entertainment. Archived from the original on October 8, 2018. Retrieved October 26, 2015.
  7. ^ a b "Meet Sana from Twice – K-pop girl group's fun-loving and 'adorably blunt' star". South China Morning Post. May 12, 2018. Archived from the original on December 25, 2020. Retrieved August 8, 2020.
  8. ^ a b Jung, Chul-hwan (February 20, 2018). "3 Japanese Girls at the Top of K-Pop: The Story Begins". The Chosun Ilbo (English Edition). Archived from the original on February 26, 2018. Retrieved December 7, 2019.
  9. ^ a b Jung, Chul-hwan (February 21, 2018). "3 Japanese Girls at the Top of K-Pop: Taking off to K-Pop Land". The Chosun Ilbo (English Edition). Archived from the original on February 21, 2018. Retrieved December 7, 2019.
  10. ^ a b c Jung, Chul-hwan (February 22, 2018). "3 Japanese Girls at the Top of K-Pop: In the Lion's Den". The Chosun Ilbo (English Edition). Archived from the original on February 24, 2018. Retrieved December 7, 2019.
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  18. ^ a b "Sana de Twice es elegida la cantante más popular por los soldados de Corea del Sur". La República (in Spanish). November 10, 2019. Archived from the original on November 9, 2019. Retrieved June 13, 2020.
  19. ^ Jung, Chul-hwan (February 23, 2018). "3 Japanese Girls at the Top of K-Pop: The 1st of Their Kind". The Chosun Ilbo (English Edition). Archived from the original on February 24, 2018. Retrieved December 7, 2019.
  20. ^ "2018년 올해를 빛낸 가수와 가요 - 최근 12년간 추이 포함" (in Korean). Gallup Korea. November 30, 2018. Archived from the original on December 18, 2018. Retrieved September 17, 2019.
  21. ^ "Here's who Koreans voted as the top artists and idols of 2019". SBS. December 20, 2019. Archived from the original on February 25, 2020. Retrieved June 7, 2020.
  22. ^ "2019년 올해를 빛낸 가수와 가요 – 최근 13년간 추이 포함" (in Korean). Gallup Korea. November 28, 2019. Archived from the original on January 8, 2020. Retrieved December 19, 2019.
  23. ^ "コブクロ、SANA（TWICE）を迎えて新たに制作「卒業」MV公開". Billboard Japan (in Japanese). February 12, 2021. Archived from the original on December 2, 2021. Retrieved December 12, 2021.
  24. ^ "Sotsugyou (Cover) - Single by SANA from TWICE". iTunes. February 19, 2021. Archived from the original on November 10, 2021. Retrieved December 12, 2021.
  25. ^ "コブクロとTWICEサナが歌う「卒業」リリース". Barks Japan (in Japanese). March 19, 2021. Archived from the original on October 29, 2021. Retrieved December 12, 2021.
  26. ^ Chin, Carmen (February 9, 2023). "TWICE's Sana, Momo and Mina drop trailer for Japanese sub-unit debut as MISAMO". NME. Archived from the original on February 9, 2023. Retrieved March 13, 2023.
  27. ^ Yoo, Hong (February 9, 2023). "Misamo, first unit debut from Twice coming soon". The Korea Herald. Archived from the original on February 9, 2023. Retrieved March 13, 2023.
  28. ^ Robidoux, Brandy (October 27, 2019). "Who Is TWICE's Sana? The Talented Singer Is Fierce Both On Stage And Off". Elite Daily. Archived from the original on October 27, 2019. Retrieved December 7, 2019.
  29. ^ "Meet Sana from Twice – K-pop girl group's fun-loving and 'adorably blunt' star". South China Morning Post. May 12, 2018. Archived from the original on May 16, 2018. Retrieved December 7, 2019.
  30. ^ Ma Ah-ra (March 29, 2021). "트와이스 사나-다현, 화장품 동반 모델…"일본 활동도 함께"" [TWICE's Sana and Dahyun, models with cosmetics... "Together with Japanese activities"]. Money Today. Archived from the original on March 31, 2022. Retrieved March 31, 2021 – via Naver.
  31. ^ "웨이크메이크 비건 클린 순수 커버 쿠션". Naver Brand. Archived from the original on March 31, 2022. Retrieved March 31, 2021.
  32. ^ Kim, Jin-hee (March 13, 2023). "미샤, 트와이스 사나 앰버서더 선정…글로벌 시장 공략 강화" [Missha selected as Twice Sana Ambassador... Reinforcing global market penetration]. News1 (in Korean). Archived from the original on June 16, 2023. Retrieved June 16, 2023.
  33. ^ "트와이스 사나, 예쁘니까 발탁(화보)". 뉴스컬처 (NEWSCULTURE) (in Korean). March 6, 2023. Archived from the original on February 27, 2024. Retrieved March 14, 2023.
  34. ^ Awata, Makiko; Okabe, Shunsuke (July 7, 2023). "TWICEのSANAがグラフ初のジャパンアンバサダーに就任！" [Twice's Sana becomes Graff's first Japan ambassador!]. Vogue Japan (in Japanese). Archived from the original on July 15, 2023. Retrieved July 15, 2023.
  35. ^ Yeo, Gladys (September 8, 2023). "TWICE's Sana named Prada's newest brand ambassador". NME. Archived from the original on September 13, 2023. Retrieved September 18, 2023.
  36. ^ Liang, Danisha (September 7, 2023). "All the Stars We Spotted at Prada Mode Seoul's, 'Plural and Parallel'". L'Officiel Singapore. Archived from the original on October 10, 2023. Retrieved September 18, 2023.
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  39. ^ "World Digital Song Sales". Billboard. November 21, 2020. Archived from the original on November 18, 2020. Retrieved April 1, 2023.
  40. ^ "Songs Registered Under MINATOZAKI SANA (10021899)". Korea Music Copyright Association (in Korean). Archived from the original on June 12, 2020. Retrieved June 26, 2021.
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  42. ^ "Twice′s Sana Selected as Exclusive MC for ′Idol Star Athletic Championships′". Toggle. Archived from the original on June 29, 2019. Retrieved July 24, 2019.
  43. ^ Herman, Tamar (December 30, 2017). "BTS Performs Rock Remixes of 'DNA' & 'Not Today' at 2017 KBS Song Festival". Billboard. Archived from the original on December 31, 2017. Retrieved December 7, 2019.
  44. ^ "TWICE サナ＆Wanna One イ・デフィ＆I.O.I出身キム・チョンハ、本日放送の「M COUNTDOWN」MCに抜擢…最初のグローバルMCに". Kstyle. April 26, 2018. Archived from the original on October 11, 2022. Retrieved October 11, 2022.
  45. ^ Hwang, Hye-jin (February 5, 2019). "'아육대' 트와이스 사나, 머리 신경쓰는 다현에 "비주얼 포기하세요"". Newsen (in Korean). Archived from the original on October 28, 2023. Retrieved October 28, 2023.
  46. ^ "TWICE SANA-MOMO擔任JYP日本女團選秀《Nizi Project》客座評委！". Archived from the original on December 25, 2020. Retrieved November 16, 2020.
  47. ^ "TWICE サナ＆モモ、オーディション番組「Nizi Project」にサプライズ登場！感激の涙を流すメンバーも". Kstyle. March 27, 2020. Archived from the original on October 11, 2022. Retrieved October 11, 2022.
  48. ^ Liu, Yaxian (March 14, 2021). "TWICE Sana 美背全裸拍寫真！滿滿20張「男友視角」一個彎腰引暴動" (in Chinese). istyle.ltn.com. Archived from the original on April 21, 2021. Retrieved April 21, 2021.

External links

Twice
Authority control databases: Artists
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