Sweet Vacation（スウィート・バケイション[1]）is a Japanese music unit made of members Hayakawa Daichi and Thai vocalist May. Both come from a history of high level universities. Hayakawa left Tokyo University's Graduate School before graduating while May was previously enrolled in Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, and began taking classes at Waseda University in fall 2009.[1][2]
History
In order to begin a new project with a new vocalist, Daichi was traveling when he met May in Bangkok, and in 2006, Sweet Vacation was formed.[3][4]
Their official MySpace page began on August 19, 2007, and they made their debut on the iTunes Store Japan on October 10 of the same year with their song "I Feel So Good" advertised as the free download of the week. They then released their first indies album "Do the Vacation!!" on November 21.
In January 2008, they released their song "Shining Groove (Your Song 2008)" on Yahoo! Music Japan's website.[5] This song was licensed by Creative Commons.[6]
On March 27, 2008, the Japan Rights Clearance (JRC) made an agreement with YouTube over copyrighted material being used, and through this management of music distribution through the JRC, a plan for a Sweet Vacation official channel on YouTube was also begun.[7][8]
On August 20, 2008, Sweet Vacation made their major debut under Victor Entertainment with the mini album "I Miss You" EP. Beginning their career as a major label artist on August 27, they allowed for 10,000 free rentals of the CD "I Feel So Good (2nd edition)" from TSUTAYA shops across the nation.[9]
On February 18, 2009, their first major single "Sayonara my days" was released.
On March 24, 2009, the album "Kira Kira Pop!!" (limited time sale) was released in Thailand.[10]
On July 8, 2009, the Tower Records exclusive single "Ai ni ikou ~I・NEED・TO・ GO~" was released.
On August 5, 2009, the album "pop save the world!!" was released and topped in the oricon music charts at #61. There was also a worldwide simultaneous release on iTunes on the same day.
Members
Hayakawa Daichi
- Name: Hayagawa Daichi
- Position: Chorus, Sound Producer, Keyboard
- Birthday: August 19, 1977
- Height: 172 cm (5'8")
- Hometown: Tokyo
May
- Real Name: Sitapha Uttaburanont
- Position: Lead Vocals
- Birthday: May 4, 1990
- Height: 160 cm (5'3")
- Hometown: Bangkok, Thailand
- Languages: Thai, English, Japanese, Chinese[ Mandarin]
- Siblings: 1 older brother
In 2003, May became a member of the Thai talent project G-Junior and in 2006 made her debut in the girls only section of that project in an 11-person unit called Preppy G. That same fall, she met Daichi while he was in Thailand and in 2007 began working in the unit Sweet Vacation with him. In addition to doing vocals, she is also the talent icon for FITS' "Sexy Girl Hair Cologne" television commercial.
In April 2008, she began taking classes at Chulalongkorn University, and so was managing both her university life and work in the entertainment world simultaneously. She took a break from classes the following semester, and after moving to Japan in June 2009, she entered the School of International Liberal Studies at Waseda University in September 2009 with excellent entrance exam results and was selected as the grantee for Waseda University's 125th anniversary scholarship.[11]
Japan