{{short description|Japanese-Swedish singer and musician (born 1982)}} {{Infobox musical artist | name = Yukimi Nagano | image = Little Dragon live at Parklife, Sydney 2011.jpg | caption = Nagano performing with Little Dragon at Parklife festival in Sydney, October 2011 | background = solo_singer <!-- includes lead vocalists --> | birth_name = Yukimi Eleanora Nagano | birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1982|01|31}} | birth_place = Gothenburg, Sweden | genre = {{hlist|Dance|synth-pop|electronica|soul|jazz|chill-out}} | instrument = {{hlist|Vocals|percussion|drums}} | occupation = {{hlist|Singer|songwriter}} | years_active = 1996–present | current_member_of = Little Dragon | website = {{URL|https://little-dragon.net}} }}
'''Yukimi Eleanora Nagano''' (born 31 January 1982), sometimes known mononymously as '''Yukimi''', is a Swedish singer and songwriter. She is the vocalist for the Swedish electronic group Little Dragon.
==Career== ===Early career===
Nagano first made a record at the age of 18 with Andreas Saag (Swell Session). She then worked with Swedish nu jazz duo Koop on the songs "Summer Sun" and "Bright Nights" (both from 2001's ''Waltz for Koop'') and joined the duo on tour, which she says "opened a lot of doors for me both life and collaboration wise".<ref name="feature">{{cite web |last=Kets |first=Marc |url=http://www.basic-soul.co.uk/features/Yukimi-Nagano-21-page.htm |title=Feature: Yukimi Nagano|date=September 2007 |access-date=4 September 2017 |quote=The first record I ever recorded was with Andreas Saag, I was about 18 and it was shortly after that the Koop guys contacted me to feature on their album. A couple of years later I was touring with them all over the world so it opened a lot of doors for me both live and collaboration wise.}}</ref> She collaborated with Koop again on "Come to Me", "I See a Different You", and "Whenever There Is You" for the 2006 release ''Koop Islands''.<ref>{{cite web|title=Koop – Koop Islands -- Discogs|website=Discogs|date=2 October 2006 |url=http://www.discogs.com/Koop-Koop-Islands/release/816211}}</ref> Nagano also contributed significant vocal work to the 2004 album ''Moving On'' by Hird, including the song "Keep You Kimi" and the title track "Moving On".<ref>{{cite web|title=Hird – Moving On -- Discogs|website=Discogs|date=September 2004 |url=https://www.discogs.com/Hird-Moving-On/release/328635}}</ref>
===Little Dragon===
{{Main|Little Dragon|l1=Little Dragon}} Nagano is the vocalist of Gothenburg-based electronic band Little Dragon, which she established with her close high school friends Erik Bodin (drums) and Fredrik Wallin (bass) in 1996 while they were in high school. Håkan Wirenstrand (keyboards) joined the group later.<ref name="spin">{{cite web |last=Rathe |first=Adam |url=https://www.spin.com/2011/04/rise-little-dragon/ |title=The Rise of Little Dragon |work=Spin |date=11 April 2011 |access-date=4 September 2017 |quote=The band formed 15 years ago in Gothenburg, Sweden. Nagano, 29, whose peripatetic father is Japanese and mother is American, was a freshman in high school when she met seniors Wallin and Bodin.}}</ref> Nagano and her bandmates each applied to music college but were denied entrance, and instead continued to make music together while working side jobs.<ref name="quietus">{{cite web |last=Freeman |first=John |url=http://thequietus.com/articles/05442-little-dragon-interview-machine-dream |title=Fruit Coming to Flower: Little Dragon Interviewed |date=14 December 2010 |access-date=4 September 2017 }}</ref> In 2007, Little Dragon released their first single, "Twice", which led to the group being signed to the record label Peacefrog Records.<ref name="spin"/> The band released their self-titled debut album on September 3, 2007, to favorable reception.<ref>{{cite web |last=Taylor |first=Angus |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/music/reviews/jc3n/ |title=Review of Little Dragon – Little Dragon |publisher=BBC Music. BBC Online |date=30 August 2007 |access-date=4 September 2017}}</ref> This was followed by ''Machine Dreams'' in 2009.<ref>{{cite web|title=Little Dragon – Machine Dreams -- Discogs|website=Discogs|date=2009 |url=https://www.discogs.com/Little-Dragon-Machine-Dreams/master/177550}}</ref>
Little Dragon was featured on Gorillaz's 2010 album ''Plastic Beach'' on the songs "Empire Ants" and "To Binge", both of which Nagano co-wrote, and she performed in the "Escape to Plastic Beach Tour" the same year.<ref name="spin"/><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/music/la-et-ms-grammys-2015-nominees-winners-list-story.html |title=Gorillaz Come Alive to Close Coachella |publisher=Spin |date=19 April 2010 |access-date=11 September 2017}}</ref>
Little Dragon's third studio album, ''Ritual Union'', was released in July 2011 and the band went on tour in North America, Europe, and Australia.<ref>{{cite web |last=Young |first=Alex |url=https://consequence.net/2011/07/little-dragon-announces-u-s-tour-dates/ |title=Little Dragon Announces US Tour Dates |publisher=Tribune Media |date=29 July 2011 |access-date=11 September 2017}}</ref> The band's fourth studio album, ''Nabuma Rubberband'', was released in May 2014 in the United Kingdom via Because Music and in the United States via Loma Vista Recordings.<ref name="pitchfork">{{cite web |last=Pelly |first=Jenn |url=http://pitchfork.com/news/53957-little-dragon-announce-new-album-nabuma-rubberband-share-single-klapp-klapp/ |title=Little Dragon Announce New Album ''Nabuma Rubberband'', Share Single "Klapp Klapp" |publisher=Pitchfork |date=13 February 2014 |access-date=21 June 2014}}</ref> It received a nomination for Best Dance/Electronic Album at the 57th Annual Grammy Awards.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/music/la-et-ms-grammys-2015-nominees-winners-list-story.html |title=Grammys 2015: Complete list of nominees |work=Los Angeles Times |date=5 December 2014 |access-date=11 September 2017}}</ref> The album was supported by tours in Europe and North America.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.okayplayer.com/news/little-dragon-announce-new-album-european-tour-dates.html |title=Little Dragon Announces 'Nabuma Rubberband' LP + European Tour Dates |publisher=Okayplayer |date=28 January 2014 |access-date=11 September 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Geslani |first=Michelle |url=https://consequence.net/2014/03/little-dragon-announces-2014-u-s-tour-dates/ |title=Little Dragon announces 2014 US Tour Dates |publisher=Consequence of Sound |date=27 March 2014 |access-date=11 September 2017}}</ref>
In 2015, Nagano was featured, along with Little Dragon, on electronic music duo ODESZA's 2015 single "Light".<ref>{{cite web |last=Camp |first=Zoe |url=https://pitchfork.com/news/60801-odesza-announce-in-return-deluxe-edition-team-up-with-little-dragon-on-light/ |title=ODESZA Announce In Return Deluxe Edition, Team Up With Little Dragon on "Light" |publisher=Pitchfork |date=17 August 2015 |access-date=11 September 2017}}</ref> Also in 2015, Nagano and Little Dragon were featured on Mac Miller's album ''GO:OD AM'' on the last track, titled "The Festival".<ref>{{cite web |last=Mench |first=Chris |url=https://www.complex.com/music/2015/09/review-mac-miller-good-am/ |title=Review: Mac Miller Finally Seems to Be Growing Up on His Major-Label Debut, 'GO:OD AM' |publisher=Complex |date=18 September 2015 |access-date=9 January 2019}}</ref>
In 2016, Little Dragon collaborated with De La Soul on the track "Drawn", and a music video for the song was released in 2017.<ref>{{cite web |last=Kreps |first=Daniel |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/hear-de-la-souls-hypnotic-drawn-with-little-dragon-w433704 |title=Hear De La Soul's Hypnotic 'Drawn' With Little Dragon |publisher=Rolling Stone|date=10 August 2017 |access-date=4 September 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Fresh |first=Mikey |url=https://www.vibe.com/2017/06/de-la-soul-little-dragon-drawn-video/ |title=De La Soul And Little Dragon's "Drawn" Video Travels Through The Mind of A Young Creative |publisher=Vibe |date=10 August 2016 |access-date=4 September 2017}}</ref> Season High, Little Dragon's fifth studio album, was also released in 2017.<ref>{{cite web |last=Yoo |first=Noah |url=http://pitchfork.com/news/71632-little-dragon-share-new-track-sweet-listen/ |title=Little Dragon Announce New Album ''Season High'', Share New "Sweet" Video: Watch |publisher=Pitchfork |date=8 March 2017 |access-date=11 March 2017}}</ref>
===Other collaborations===
She and Erik Bodin have played live with fellow Gothenburg artist, José González.<ref name="feature" /> In 2011, Nagano was featured on SBTRKT's eponymous debut album with her vocals on the song "Wildfire".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://stereogum.com/699902/sbtrkt-wildfire-feat-little-dragon/mp3s/ |title=SBTRKT – "Wildfire" (feat. Little Dragon) |publisher=Stereogum |date=5 May 2011 |access-date=22 July 2015}}</ref> She is also featured on Raphael Saadiq's 2011 album ''Stone Rollin''' on the song "Just Don't".<ref>{{cite web|last=Gary|first=Kevin S.|title=Raphael Saadiq Announces "Stone Rollin'" Details|date=6 January 2011|url=http://hiphopdx.com/news/id.13594/title.raphael-saadiq-announces-stone-rollin-details|publisher=HipHopDX|access-date=22 July 2015}}</ref>
She also provided vocals for "Scale It Back" on DJ Shadow's 2011 album ''The Less You Know, the Better'' and for "Descending", "Higher Res", and "Thom Pettie" from Big Boi's 2012 album ''Vicious Lies and Dangerous Rumors''.<ref>{{cite web |title=DJ Shadow – Scale It Back -- Discogs|website=Discogs|date=21 February 2012 |url=https://www.discogs.com/DJ-Shadow-Scale-It-Back/release/3444843}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Big Boi – Vicious Lies and Dangerous Rumors -- Discogs|website=Discogs|date=8 January 2013 |url=https://www.discogs.com/Big-Boi-Vicious-Lies-And-Dangerous-Rumors/release/4180125}}</ref> Nagano additionally co-wrote "Mama Told Me" and sang on the song's original version.<ref>{{cite web |last=Battan |first=Carrie |url=https://pitchfork.com/news/48059-little-dragon-speak-about-failed-big-boi-collaboration-on-mama-told-me/ |title=Little Dragon Speak About Failed Big Boi Collaboration "Mama Told Me" |publisher=Pitchfork |date=3 October 2012 |access-date=11 September 2017}}</ref>
===Solo work===
Nagano, using the mononym Yukimi, released her debut solo album, ''For You'', on March 28, 2025.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Yukimi’s Debut Solo Album Was Written For You |url=https://floodmagazine.com/190330/yukimi-little-dragon-for-you-feature/ |access-date=2025-07-26 |website=FLOOD |language=en}}</ref>
==Personal life== Nagano was born and raised in Gothenburg, Sweden, to Japanese father Yusuke Nagano and Swedish-American mother Joanne Brown. She has a son, Jaxon, who was born in 2016.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2017/apr/27/little-dragon-coachella-festival-interview|title=Little Dragon: the Swedish psych-pop stars show off their songs – and weightlifting bruises|work=The Guardian|date=27 April 2017|access-date=1 October 2018|last=Freeman|first=Hadley}}</ref> Nagano's sister is the musician Sandra Sumie Nagano, whose eponymous album was released by Bella Union in December 2013.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sumienagano.com/ |title=Home |website=sumienagano.com}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * {{Official website|https://little-dragon.net/|Little Dragon}} – official site * {{Discogs artist}}
{{Little Dragon}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nagano, Yukimi}} Category:1982 births Category:English-language Swedish singers Category:Living people Category:Musicians from Gothenburg Category:Swedish electronic musicians Category:Swedish women singer-songwriters Category:Swedish singer-songwriters Category:Swedish people of American descent Category:Swedish people of Japanese descent Category:Swedish women in electronic music Category:21st-century Swedish women singers Category:Chill-out musicians