"I got my heart broken for the first time," laments Yuna Ito, "at the unbelievable age of 24!"
Hearing her vibrant new single, "Koi wa Groovy²" ("Love is Groovy²"), it would be hard to guess that such an experience would be the inspiration. "It's about getting ready to love again," she remarks warmly.
Ito moved to Japan five years ago from Hawaii, where she was brought up by her Japanese father and Korean-American mother. Now 25, she has always worn her heart on her sleeve. Singles such as 2006's "Faith" and "Precious" and this year's duet with Celine Dion, "A World to Believe In," have tagged her as something of an accomplished balladeer. And since her debut in September 2005 with "Endless Story," Ito has reeled off 11 consecutive top-20 singles in Japan. Her debut album, "Heart," topped the charts last year, and this year's followup, "Wish," went to No. 3.