Dreams Come True (band)

Dreams Come True
OriginJapan
Genres
Years active1988 (1988)–present
Labels
MembersMasato Nakamura
Miwa Yoshida
Past membersTakahiro Nishikawa
Websitedreamscometrue.com

Dreams Come True (Japanese: ドリームズ・カム・トゥルー, Hepburn: Dorīmuzu Kamu Turū) is a Japanese pop band formed in 1988 by Miwa Yoshida (lead vocals), Masato Nakamura (bass) and Takahiro Nishikawa (keyboards). Nishikawa left in 2002 to pursue a solo career.

Dreams Come True has sold more than 50 million records worldwide.[1] Their fifth album, The Swinging Star (1992), was the first Japanese album to sell more than three million copies, and for several years was the highest-selling Japanese-language album of all time.[2]

Nakamura composed the music for the Sega Mega Drive games Sonic the Hedgehog (1991) and Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (1992). In 1998, Dreams Come True released the English-language album Sing or Die, which was a commercial failure in the west.

History

Debut and first years

Dreams Come True was formed in 1988 by Miwa Yoshida (lead vocals), Masato Nakamura (bass) and Takahiro Nishikawa (keyboards).[2] The band is commonly known as DCT and sometimes referred to as "Dorikamu" (ドリカム). Their first album, Dreams Come True, sold more than one million copies in Japan.[3] Their fifth, The Swinging Star (1992), was the first Japanese album to sell over three million copies, and for several years was the best-selling Japanese-language album of all time.[2]

Nakamura composed the music for the Sega Mega Drive games Sonic the Hedgehog (1991) and Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (1992); the latter featured the band's song "Sweet Sweet Sweet" from The Swinging Star as its closing theme.[4] In 1993, Dreams Come True recorded "Winter Song" for the opening theme of the Japanese version[5] of the film Sleepless in Seattle[6][7] and the following year recorded the song "Eternity" for the animated film The Swan Princess by New Line Cinema.[8] In Japan, they recorded theme songs for programs produced by Tokyo Broadcasting System.

Yoshida started a solo music career in 1995, and the following year appeared on the cover of Time.[6] She also appeared in advertisements for Sony, Visa, Honda, Shiseido, Lotte, Vodafone, and Coca-Cola.[9] Nakamura was hired to compose the music for several television commercials,[10] and around the same time compiled Dreams Come True songs for Konami to be used in the video game Dancing Stage featuring Dreams Come True.[11][12]

Sing or Die

On April 1, 1996, Dreams Come True released Love Unlimited, their final album for Sony Music. News of their departure caused Sony Music shares to drop severely on the Tokyo Stock Exchange.[13] In 1997, they signed with Virgin Music America and Toshiba-EMI in Japan and attempted to break into the American market. Their first album with Virgin, Sing or Die,[14][15] was released in English in 1998.[16] Yoshida took the stage name "Miwa" and Nakamura became "King Masa", but Nishikawa remained the same, and only received a passing mention on Sing or Die's liner notes.[15][17]

Sing or Die was a commercial failure. According to The New York Times, the "brand of bright, uptempo pop just didn't hit the right chord with American listeners".[18] In The Washington Post, Mark Jenkins wrote that Sing or Die was "global pop in the worst sense ... this is music that aspires to the depth of advertising jingles".[19] Natalie Nichols of the Los Angeles Times wrote that the songs in the album "displayed a surprising lack of memorable hooks, however, and never quite overcame a vague sense of prefabrication".[20]

Following 2001's Monkey Girl Odyssey, Dreams Come True left Virgin and Toshiba-EMI, and set up an independent label, DCT Records. It was the last work to credit Nishikawa.[21][22]

Collaborations with Disney

In 2001, the band performed "Crystal Vine", the theme song for the Japanese version of Atlantis: The Lost Empire, and Yoshida performed the dub of Audrey Rocio Ramirez.[23][24] They performed the song "Itoshi no Riley" for the film Inside Out (2015), originally thought as a separate song, but becoming its Japanese theme song.[25][26][27]

Nishikawa's departure and return to major labels

Nishikawa departed in 2002 to pursue a solo career.[28] Following his departure, he was arrested for assault and drug possession and received a suspended sentence. After a second arrest for possession in 2006, he was sentenced to prison.[22][29]

Dreams Come True joined Universal Music Japan in 2003.[30] They released one more English-language album on Universal called Love Overflows in 2004, which were re-recorded versions of songs from Love Goes On to Monkey Girl Odyssey.[30] Albums such as The Love Rocks (2006)[31] and And I Love You (2007)[32] returned to the classic Dreams Come True sound.[33]

2008: 20th anniversary

On November 12, 2008, Dreams Come True released the single "Tsuretette Tsuretette". It debuted a top on the Oricon weekly charts, nine years ten months after their last number-one single, "Asa ga Mata Kuru".[34] The song also appears on the album Do You Dreams Come True?.[35] The album is available in three versions: A single disc version, containing the main album; a second that adds Greatest Hits: The Soul 2, a sequel to their 2000 greatest-hits package; and a third that adds a live DVD, "Winter Fantasia 2008."[36] Their DVD and Blu-ray of their 20th Anniversary tour is one of the first concert videos to be filmed with the "Red One" high-definition camera.[37]

2010 -- present

In 2010, they released their download only single "Godspeed", where the title is meant to be an even stronger wish of "Good Luck" for everyone to listen to it.[38] In November, they released their 23rd album, Love Central, their second on Universal Music Japan's Nayutawave label. Their song "Itoshi no Riley" is the Japanese theme song of Inside Out. The music video is sandwiched in between the Lava short and the actual film itself on the theatrical release.[39] In 2016, Dreams Come True released their first complete greatest hits album, Dreams Come True The Ura Best! Watashi Dake no Dorikamu.[40]

In the tour event that the group celebrates around every 4 years, "Dreams Come True Wonderland", for the 2019 event, Nishikawa appeared as a surprise guest. Nakamura often visits Nishikawa at the bar he runs in Hokkaido, where he works as a DJ.[22]

In September 2021, Dreams Come True released the single "Tsugi no Se~no! De - On the Green Hill", a new version of Nakamura's theme for Green Hill Zone from Sonic the Hedgehog.[41] On July 2, 2025 it was announced that the group would be create the theme song for TV Asahi's drama The Big Chase: Tokyo SSBC Files, titled "Beacon".[42]

Charity events and participation

DCT has been involved in charity events, including the collaboration work "Zero Landmine" with Ryuichi Sakamoto in 2001 to help raise funds for land mine removal agencies,[43][44][45][46] and taking part in the Live 8 benefit concert in 2005.[47]

Reception

In a 2006 survey of people between 10 and 49 years of age in Japan, Oricon Style found the number-one selling song "Love Love Love" (2,488,630 copies) the second most popular Valentine's Day song in Japan. The most popular song was Sayuri Kokushō's 1986 debut single "Valentine Kiss", which sold only 317,000 copies. The other songs in the top five were "Valentine's Radio" from Yumi Matsutoya (1,606,780 copies), "Happy Happy Greeting" from Kinki Kids (608,790 copies), and "My Funny Valentine" by Miles Davis.[48]

Band members

Current members

Former members

Discography

Studio albums

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Dreams Come True Wonderland 2007 特集" (in Japanese). Yahoo! Japan. 2007-02-13. Archived from the original on 2007-07-03. Retrieved 2008-11-22.
  2. 1 2 3 Irene M, Kunii (14 October 1996). "Her Dreams Come True". Time.
  3. ↑ "GOLD ALBUM 他認定作品 1996年09月度" [Gold Albums, and other certified works. September 1996 Edition] (PDF). The Record (Bulletin) (in Japanese). Chūō, Tokyo: Recording Industry Association of Japan. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 16, 2014. Retrieved January 26, 2015.
  4. ↑ Tatsumi, Ryuji (September 17, 2021). "'Sonic the Hedgehog' Music Creator Masato Nakamura Reflects on Video Game's 30th Anniversary". Billboard Japan. Retrieved June 12, 2026.
  5. ↑ "Various – Winter Song～Sleepless In Seattle (Special Soundtrack) = Winter Song〜めぐり逢えたら（スペシャル・サウンドトラック）". Discogs.com. 7 January 1994. Retrieved 4 July 2018.
  6. 1 2 "DREAMS COME TRUE". Dreamscometrue.com. Retrieved 2019-12-04.
  7. ↑ McClure, Steve (14 January 1995). "Dreams Come True Makes U.S. Debut Via Film". Billboard. pp. 35, 37.
  8. ↑ "Japanese Group Hopes 'Swan' Song Will Fly in America : Pop music: Dreams Come True, debuting in the U.S. market with 'The Swan Princess' theme, is one of many bands trying to break through". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 2019-12-12.
  9. ↑ "吉田美和のCM出演情報". Oricon (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 18 May 2026. Retrieved 18 May 2026.
  10. ↑ "DREAMS COME TRUE（ドリカム）が手掛けた「CMソング」を振り返ります。". Middle Edge Neo (in Japanese). 15 March 2020. Archived from the original on 18 May 2026. Retrieved 18 May 2026.
  11. ↑ "DANCING STAGE FEATURING DREAMS COME TRUE". PSX Data Center. Archived from the original on 18 May 2026. Retrieved 18 May 2026.
  12. ↑ "Dancing Stage: featuring Dreams Come True". Moby Games. Archived from the original on 18 May 2026. Retrieved 18 May 2026.
  13. ↑ "Sony's Dreams come through for Virgin. (Dreams Come True; Virgin Records America)". September 8, 2009. Archived from the original on September 8, 2009. Retrieved 2019-12-04.
  14. ↑ "「60歳になっても吉田にミニスカートをはいてほしい」 62歳になった"ドリカムの残りのほう"中村正人の「支える力」 10月1日はドリカムのベーシスト中村正人の誕生日". Bunshun (in Japanese). 1 October 2020. Retrieved 21 September 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  15. 1 2 "SING OR DIE". moma (in Japanese). Retrieved 21 September 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  16. ↑ Tartan, Suzannah (2000-08-18). "Incubators nurture the American dream". The Japan Times. Retrieved 2025-08-14. Dreams Come True's first English-language album received a huge push only to sink promptly into the bargain bins
  17. ↑ "USA: Japan's Top Pop Group, Dreams Come True, Start their Debut US Tour". Reuters Screenocean. 24 July 1998. Retrieved 21 September 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  18. ↑ "Japanese star hopes to rock the U.S. (Published 2004)". 2004-04-07. Retrieved 2025-08-14.
  19. ↑ Jenkins, Mark (1998-07-29). "The Japanese connection". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2025-08-14.
  20. ↑ "Japan's Dreams Come True Pursues American Hearts". Los Angeles Times. 1998-08-05. Archived from the original on 2026-05-17.
  21. ↑ "monkey girl odyssey". moma (in Japanese). Retrieved 21 September 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  22. 1 2 3 "ドリカム、元メンバー西川隆宏が"解禁"されたワケ". Shuukan Josei Prime (in Japanese). 13 July 2021. Retrieved 21 September 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  23. ↑ "Audrey Rocio Ramirez". Behind the Voice Actors. Archived from the original on 17 May 2026. Retrieved 17 May 2026.
  24. ↑ "「crystal vine/DREAMS COME TRUE」の歌詞 って「イイネ！」". Uta-net.com (in Japanese). Retrieved 2025-04-17.
  25. ↑ "ドリカム約2年半ぶりに映画主題歌を担当！ピクサー史上初の完全オリジナル楽曲を製作". Cinema Today (in Japanese). 10 April 2015. Archived from the original on 17 May 2026. Retrieved 17 May 2026.
  26. ↑ "『インサイド・ヘッド』ドリカム書き下ろし主題歌が初披露！". Cinema Today (in Japanese). 15 May 2015. Archived from the original on 17 May 2026. Retrieved 17 May 2026.
  27. ↑ "映画「インサイド・ヘッド」中村正人インタビュー". Natalie Music (in Japanese). 23 June 2015. Archived from the original on 18 May 2026. Retrieved 18 May 2026.
  28. ↑ McClure, Steve (2002-04-03). "Still chasing their dream". The Japan Times. Archived from the original on 2019-01-07. Retrieved 2021-03-25.
  29. ↑ 元ドリカム西川隆宏の現在！脱退理由・交通事故や薬逮捕・結婚や嫁の噂まとめ [Former Dreams Come True member Takahiro Nishikawa now! Reasons for leaving include a car accident and a drug arrest, rumors of marriage and settling with wife.] (in Japanese). Matomedia. 29 February 2020. Retrieved 12 September 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  30. 1 2 "Dreams Come True". Last FM (in Japanese). Retrieved 21 September 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  31. ↑ "The Love Rocks Dreams Come True". Apple Music. Retrieved 21 September 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  32. ↑ "And I Love You Dreams Come True". Apple Music Japan (in Japanese). Retrieved 21 September 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  33. ↑ "DREAMS COME TRUE / THE LOVE ROCKS [CD+DVD] [限定]". CD Journal (in Japanese). Retrieved 21 September 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  34. ↑ ドリカム、約10年ぶりのシングル首位獲得 (in Japanese). Oricon. 2008-11-18. Retrieved 2008-11-22.
  35. ↑ "Do Dreams Come True? Dreams Come True". Apple Music. Retrieved 21 September 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  36. ↑ "DO YOU DREAMS COME TRUE? [初回限定盤]". Universal Music Japan (in Japanese). Retrieved 21 September 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  37. ↑ "20th Anniversary Dreams Come True Concert Tour 2009 "Dori Shitemasu?" [Limited Edition]". CD Japan (in English and Japanese). Retrieved 21 September 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  38. ↑ "Dreams Come True's "Godspeed!" for Download Available!". Musicjapanplus. 2010-02-15. Archived from the original on 2017-12-03. Retrieved 2010-02-16.
  39. ↑ "ディズニー／ピクサー映画「インサイド・ヘッド」 本編上映前のドリカムMvに感情を殺される事案が多発しているもよう". Nlab.itmedia.co.jp. 19 July 2015.
  40. ↑ "Dreams Come True The ウラBest! 私だけのドリカム". Oricon (in Japanese). Retrieved 21 September 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  41. ↑ Phillips, Tom (September 15, 2021). "Sonic's iconic Green Hill Zone soundtrack finally has lyrics". Eurogamer. Archived from the original on September 25, 2021. Retrieved August 23, 2024.
  42. ↑ "Dreams Come Trueが大森南朋、相葉雅紀、松下奈緒主演ドラマ「大追跡」の主題歌書き下ろし". Natalie Music (in Japanese). 2 July 2025. Retrieved 2 July 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  43. ↑ "Zero Landmine". Site Sakamoto. 18 March 2001. Retrieved 21 September 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  44. ↑ "Zero Landmine". David Sylvian official site. Retrieved 21 September 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  45. ↑ "N.M.L. No More Landmine: Zero Landmine". Amazon. Retrieved 21 September 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  46. ↑ "TBS 50th Anniversary Special ZERO Landmine "The First Prayer of the 21st Century"". TBS Zero Landmines official page. Retrieved 21 September 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  47. ↑ "LIVE 8 JAPAN". Dreams Come True official site (in Japanese). Retrieved 21 September 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  48. ↑ 大公開！『バレンタインソング』といえばこの曲！ [The Great Exhibition! When speaking of a "Valentine song", this is the song!] (in Japanese). Oricon Style. February 3, 2006. Archived from the original on February 16, 2010. Retrieved March 17, 2010.
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