Naomi Payton: An Inspiring Journey from Voice Acting to a Solo Music Career
Naomi Payton, who reached a massive global fan base with the character Sumire Heanna, whom she portrays in the Love Live! Superstar!! project, shared the new turning points in her career. In a recent interview with Anime Corner, Payton explained how she maintains the delicate balance between her voice acting (seiyuu) and solo music career. The young artist sincerely expressed the challenges she has faced since the beginning of her professional journey and how she has evolved as an artist.
Born in 2003 and raised in Saitama, Naomi Payton actually stepped into the industry at a very young age. As the daughter of an American father and a Japanese mother, Payton dreamed of the stage lights during her childhood, inspired by productions such as AKB48 and PreCure. Starting her career in 2017 with the group IdolING!!!, the artist made her major breakthrough in 2020 when she was selected as a member of the group Liella!. In her interview, Payton describes this process as "a dream come true."
Carrying her success in the voice acting world into the music field, Payton made her solo debut on March 1, 2023, with the single titled "Mahou." She subsequently expanded her musical range with tracks such as "Nemesis" and "Cosmonaut." The artist states that finding her own voice in her solo projects offers a different kind of satisfaction than voicing a character. "When I voice a character, I embody their emotions, but in my solo songs, I have the chance to convey my own feelings directly to the listener," Payton says, emphasizing how these two disciplines nourish each other.
Finally, having released her first personal photo book titled "Watashi" in April 2025, Naomi Payton is taking firm steps toward becoming one of the most versatile names in the modern anime industry. Continuing to perform in massive stadium concerts with Liella! while deepening her solo career, the artist says she is always working to offer her fans something better. Payton's determination signals that she will achieve even greater success in the future, not just as a voice actress, but as a complete performance artist.
