Maki Goto (born on September 23, 1985 in Edogawa, Tokyo, Japan) is a Japanese singer and actress. Signing to Japanese musical collective Hello! Project in 1999, Goto joined popular idol group Morning Musume shortly after, with debut single LOVE Machine topping the Oricon charts and selling over a million copies. Maintaining a solo career independently of the group, Goto released number 1 single "Ai no Bakayarō" in 2001 with debut album Makking Gold 1 (2003) and follow-up album 2 Paint It Gold (2004) both charting at number 4, making her the second-most successful solo Hello! Project artist in the collective’s history. Departing Morning Musume in 2002, Goto focused on acting as well as solo projects, releasing third studio album 3rd Station in 2005 and representing Japan in the Asia Song Festival. After recording seventeen singles, Goto and Hello! Project parted ways in 2007 after the release of her fourth album How to Use Sexy. Collaborating with radio station, entertainment label and social media platforms J-Wave, Avex and Mixi, Goto formed The Sweet Black Project, hosting popular radio show PLATOn, and participating in various documentary project, releasing EPs One (2010) and Gloria (2011), followed by LOVE (2011). After recording two further singles “What is LOVE” and “SCANDALOUS” in 2012, Goto announced an indefinite hiatus from her career, performing sporadically as a guest artist over the next six years and publishing a popular online blog. In November 2022, Goto released digital cover album Songs of You and Me, announcing a live collaboration with Japanese singer Suzuki Am at Cerulean Tower, Tokyu Hotel, Tokyo in December.