Kyo[vocal]

Kyo (京, Kyō?, born on February 16, 1976 in Kyoto) is a Japanese musician and the lead vocalist and lyricist of Dir en grey. He has been with the band since its inception in 1997 and was previously the frontman of La:Sadie's.[citation needed]

While he has only composed a handful of Dir en grey's songs (for example, "The Domestic Fucker Family" and "Hades"), Kyo is responsible for all the lyrics, which usually have negative implications and touch on a variety of dark, sometimes taboo, subjects, such as sexual obsessions ("Zomboid"), abuse ("Berry"), and mass media ("Mr. Newsman"). Several songs deal with specifically Japanese issues, such as the country's casual attitude towards abortion ("Mazohyst of Decadence" and "Obscure") and its conformity-oriented society ("Children").

The vocabulary used ranges from vulgar to exalted, with wordplay and double entendres occurring frequently, often connected to the multiple meanings of certain kanji characters. For example, the title of the song "Tsumi to Batsu" (which is about rape) reads as "Crime and Punishment" but when the kanji are turned backwards the title reads "Mitsu to Tsuba" which means "Honey and Saliva."

His stage presence has reached a level of infamy, as it is not only very energetic and emotional, but also littered with shock elements such as full-body makeup resembling heavy burns, fake vomit of varying color and consistency, and various acts of self-mutilation. However, the authenticity of the latter is not always clear, given how frequent certain practices occur, sometimes firmly in place within a tour's usual setlist. For example, Kyo would regularly engage in fish-hooking during the performance of "Kodoku ni Shisu, Yueni Kodoku." throughout the It Withers and Withers and Inward Scream tours.Throughout his career, Kyo has been hospitalized multiple times, once in 2000, due to hearing problems (remaining partially deaf in his left ear[citation needed] and again in 2006 with inflamed vocal cords.