: Kuromiya began her career in the Japanese "junior idol" industry in 2008, modeling and participating in gravure as a child.
Parallel to her time in Ladybaby, Kuromiya had been nurturing a passion project: . Formed initially in 2011 with her older sister, Aya Kuromiya (on bass), BRATS was a stark departure from the manufactured idol aesthetic. It was a genuine alternative rock/punk band where Rei could fully unleash her gritty, powerful vocals.
That night, Rei sat alone on the rooftop of the agency’s building, the city lights blinking below like a sea of distant applause. She held her knees to her chest and replayed her last live performance. Her singing had been flawless. Her footwork, precise. Yet when the crowd roared, it was for the girl next to her — the one who had tripped on a monitor cable, laughed it off, and kept dancing with a bandaged finger. junior idol rei kuromiya
While in LADYBABY, she remained the lead vocalist for her own rock band,
: Unlike traditional musical idols who train primarily to sing and dance, a "junior idol" refers to a sub-category of child and teenage models. They are marketed through digital photo collections, physical photobooks, and image DVDs. : Kuromiya began her career in the Japanese
Her success with Ladybaby demonstrated that international audiences are often drawn to the subversion of the standard "pure and innocent" Japanese idol trope. Conclusion
In a major milestone, REIRIE is set to make their major-label debut in 2026. On , they will release their first EP, "Amethyst," under Bandai Namco Music Live's MoooD Records. The lead single from the EP, "AISHITEYO," is an emotional rock song that showcases their powerful vocal and thematic depth. It was a genuine alternative rock/punk band where
Despite their massive sudden success, the original lineup of Ladybaby was short-lived. In August 2016, Ladybeard departed the group, prompting a rebrand into "The Idol Formerly Known as LADYBABY." However, internal pressures and artistic differences led Kuromiya to officially leave the project in late 2017, citing throat problems and a desire to pursue a raw, unmanufactured rock sound.
: While LADYBABY toured internationally and found fans in the West, international audiences frequently encountered a cultural clash. Foreign fans discovering the band often experienced deep discomfort upon researching Kuromiya's background, realizing that the teenage metal frontwoman was concurrently marketed in provocative gravure photo books back in Japan.
