Rachael Yamagata

Rachael Yamagata has one of the most distinctive voices in the singer-songwriter world, a smoky, slightly cracked tone that makes heartbreak sound lived-in rather than performed. Happenstance is the album I return to, with tracks like 'Worn Me Down' and 'Be Be Your Love' showing how she can be both fragile and devastatingly direct. She never blew up into a household name, but that almost feels right; her music works best in quiet, late-night rooms. The piano-forward arrangements and her willingness to sit in melancholy without resolving it are exactly why her fans stay so fiercely loyal.

Rachael Yamagata (born September 23, 1977, in Arlington County, Virginia) is an American singer-songwriter, pianist, and composer. She attended Vassar College and rose to prominence in the early 2000s with her debut album Happenstance (2004), known for its emotionally raw piano-driven ballads. Her songs have been widely featured in film and television.

Name (English)

Rachael Yamagata

Name (Japanese)

レイチェル・ヤマガタ

Reading

れいちぇる・やまがた

Born

September 23, 1977 (age 48)

Zodiac / Chinese zodiac

Libra / Snake

Origin

Arlington County, Virginia, United States

Occupation

Singer-songwriter / Singer / Composer / Pianist / Lyricist

University

Vassar College

Motto

Private

• Official sitehttps://rachaelyamagata.com
• Xhttps://x.com/rachaelyamagata
• Wikipedia (Japanese)https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%83%AC%E3%82%A4%E3%83%81%E3%82%A7%E3%83%AB%E3%83%BB%E3%83%A4%E3%83%9E%E3%82%AC%E3%82%BF

Tags

• From Virginia
• Singer-songwriter
• Singer
• Composer

Last updated

2026-06-02

Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.