Thelma Aoyama is a Japanese-Trinidadian singer who has blended J-pop, reggae, and R&B into her own distinctive sound. ∙ “Soba ni Iru ne,” her 2008 duet with rapper SoulJa, was a chart-topping breakthrough and Japan’s best-selling female-led single of the year. ∙ Aoyama’s 2008 song “My dear friend” was used as the ending theme for the anime series Shion no Ō. ∙ Her 2008 debut album, the Platinum-certified Diary, was fueled by a lifelong love of Janet Jackson, and her use of R&B-style vocals proved influential on J-pop. ∙ She teamed with K-pop group and “girl crush” pioneers 4Minute on “Without U,” a standout track from her 2011 album, Will. ∙ In 2015, she appeared on “Get Ya Girl,” a song from SPICY CHOCOLATE & Sly & Robbie’s Grammy-nominated album, The Reggae Power.