Straddling the worlds of heavy metal and classical, Yoshiki is a Japanese icon, revered as the leader of the rock group X Japan, as well as for his own classical and orchestral projects. A drummer and pianist, Yoshiki co-founded X Japan in the late '70s, and their flamboyant brand of speed metal had a lasting influence, especially as a core inspiration for the visual kei movement. At the same time, he launched a successful solo classical career, beginning with 1993's George Martin-produced Eternal Melody. He followed with 2005's Eternal Melody II and 2013's Yoshiki Classical. Yoshiki has also produced for artists like Glay, Dir En Grey, and Sarah Brightman, founded his own fashion lines, and directed the 2023 documentary Yoshiki: Under the Sky. In recent years, he formed the boy band XY through his reality show Yoshiki Superstar Project X, and continues to hold sway across music, fashion, and philanthropic endeavors.