AI (singer)
Encyclopedia
Ai born November 2, 1981 as , is a Japanese R&B singer and rapper. She is currently under EMI Music Japan.
to a Japanese father and Japanese-Italian mother. Because of her father's work, she moved to Kagoshima Prefecture
at the age of four. She spent time in elementary and junior high school days there.
In 1993, when she went to Los Angeles at age 12, she entered the First AME
Church. She listened to her first gospel choir, and was impressed by their songs. She soon determined to be a singer.
In 1996, she graduated from junior high school, and entered performing arts school LACHSA (Los Angeles County High School for the Arts) in L.A. majoring in dance but also joining the gospel choir.
In 1998, she participated in a concert of Mary J.Blige performed at the Universal Amphitheater
in L.A. as a member of the gospel choir, and sang "A Dream" in the front of 50,000 spectators at the age of 17.
She also appeared as a dancer in Janet Jackson
's music video
"Go Deep
" after passing an audition out of about 1,000 dancers who gathered from the United States.
In 1999, she joined Asian girl group "SX4" produced by George Brown of Kool & the Gang
. As she was preparing to return to Japan she was offered a contract with BMG
Funhouse to debut in Japan at the age of 18.
In 2002, after releasing three singles and one album from BMG Japan, Ai signed with hip hop
label Def Jam Japan, affiliated with Universal Music Group
, as their first female artist.
She participated in "Somebody’s girl feat. AI" (c/w of Ken Hirai
's single "Ring") as a rapper.
She released the single "Final sentence" from Def Jam Japan in January, 2003.
She participated in the second single of Namie Amuro
's project SUITE CHIC
, "Uh Uh… feat. AI", as a guest artist in February 2003.
On 7 July 2007, Ai performed at the Japanese leg of the Live Earth
tour in Tokyo.
On 29 November 2010 it was announced that Ai would be recording with The Jacksons and perform a tribute show with the Jackson family in Tokyo in 2011.
* charted on monthly Chaku-uta Reco-kyō Chart
†Japan Hot 100 established February 2008, RIAJ Digital Track Chart established April 2009
‡charted in 2008
Early life
Ai was born in Los AngelesLos Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
to a Japanese father and Japanese-Italian mother. Because of her father's work, she moved to Kagoshima Prefecture
Kagoshima Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located on the island of Kyushu. The capital is the city of Kagoshima.- Geography :Kagoshima Prefecture is located at the southwest tip of Kyushu and includes a chain of islands stretching further to the southwest for a few hundred kilometers...
at the age of four. She spent time in elementary and junior high school days there.
In 1993, when she went to Los Angeles at age 12, she entered the First AME
African Methodist Episcopal Church
The African Methodist Episcopal Church, usually called the A.M.E. Church, is a predominantly African American Methodist denomination based in the United States. It was founded by the Rev. Richard Allen in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1816 from several black Methodist congregations in the...
Church. She listened to her first gospel choir, and was impressed by their songs. She soon determined to be a singer.
In 1996, she graduated from junior high school, and entered performing arts school LACHSA (Los Angeles County High School for the Arts) in L.A. majoring in dance but also joining the gospel choir.
In 1998, she participated in a concert of Mary J.Blige performed at the Universal Amphitheater
Gibson Amphitheatre
The Gibson Amphitheatre is a theatre located in Universal City, California, USA. It seats up to 6,189 for concerts, including 6,089 chairback seats...
in L.A. as a member of the gospel choir, and sang "A Dream" in the front of 50,000 spectators at the age of 17.
She also appeared as a dancer in Janet Jackson
Janet Jackson
Janet Damita Jo Jackson is an American recording artist and actress. Known for a series of sonically innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows, television and film roles, she has been a prominent figure in popular culture for over 25 years...
's music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
"Go Deep
Go Deep
"Go Deep" is a song by American recording artist Janet Jackson from her sixth studio album, The Velvet Rope . Written by Jackson, James Harris III, Terry Lewis, and René Elizondo, Jr., the song was released as the album's fourth single in June and July 1998 in the United Kingdom and the United...
" after passing an audition out of about 1,000 dancers who gathered from the United States.
In 1999, she joined Asian girl group "SX4" produced by George Brown of Kool & the Gang
Kool & the Gang
Kool & the Gang are an American jazz, R&B, soul, and funk group, originally formed as the Jazziacs in Jersey City, New Jersey in 1964.They went through several musical phases during the course of their recording career, starting out with a purist jazz sound, then becoming practitioners of R&B and...
. As she was preparing to return to Japan she was offered a contract with BMG
BMG
Bertelsmann Music Group, , was a division of Bertelsmann before its completion of sale of the majority of its assets to Japan's Sony Corporation of America on October 1, 2008. It was established in 1987 to combine the music label activities of Bertelsmann...
Funhouse to debut in Japan at the age of 18.
Music career
She debuted with maxi-single "Cry, just Cry" on November 22, 2000 after graduating from LACHSA and returned home.In 2002, after releasing three singles and one album from BMG Japan, Ai signed with hip hop
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
label Def Jam Japan, affiliated with Universal Music Group
Universal Music Group
Universal Music Group is an American music group, the largest of the "big four" record companies by its commanding market share and its multitude of global operations...
, as their first female artist.
She participated in "Somebody’s girl feat. AI" (c/w of Ken Hirai
Ken Hirai
is a Japanese R&B and pop singer. Since his debut, Hirai has worked as a model, actor, composer, lyricist, singer, and spokesperson.During his career, Hirai has released 32 singles and 11 albums up until October 2010. According to Oricon, his single Hitomi Wo Tojite became the best-selling single...
's single "Ring") as a rapper.
She released the single "Final sentence" from Def Jam Japan in January, 2003.
She participated in the second single of Namie Amuro
Namie Amuro
is a Japanese R&B and pop singer, entertainer, and former actress who at the height of her popularity was referred to as the "Teen Queen" and the title "Queen of Japanese Pop Music". Born in Naha, Okinawa, Amuro debuted at the age of 14 as an idol in the girl group Super Monkey's...
's project SUITE CHIC
SUITE CHIC
Suite Chic was a collaborative project between some of Japan's top and up-and-coming R&B and Hip-Hop artists, writers, and producers, which debuted on December 18, 2002....
, "Uh Uh… feat. AI", as a guest artist in February 2003.
On 7 July 2007, Ai performed at the Japanese leg of the Live Earth
Live Earth concert, Tokyo
The main Live Earth concert in Japan was held at Makuhari Messe, Tokyo on 7 July 2007.-Running order:*Genki Rockets - "Heavenly Star", "Breeze"...
tour in Tokyo.
On 29 November 2010 it was announced that Ai would be recording with The Jacksons and perform a tribute show with the Jackson family in Tokyo in 2011.
Original albums
| Year | Album information | Chart positions |
Total sales |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | My Name Is Ai
|
86 | 3,000 |
| 2003 | Original Ai
|
15 | 60,000 |
| 2004 | 2004 Ai
|
3 | 113,000 |
| 2005 | Mic-a-holic Ai
|
3 | 467,000 |
| 2006 | What's Goin' On Ai
|
2 | 218,000 |
| 2007 | Don't Stop Ai
|
4 | 108,000 |
| 2009 | Viva Ai
|
10 | 37,000 |
| 2010 | The Last Ai
|
14 | 28,000 |
Other albums
| Year | Album information | Chart positions |
Total sales |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Rhythm and Babe
|
196 | 1,900 |
Flashback to Ai
|
55 | 12,000 | |
Feat. Ai
|
33 | 32,000 | |
| 2006 | Live Ai
|
14 | 39,000 |
| 2009 | Best Ai Best Ai Best Ai is Ai's second compilation album, released on September 16, 2009. The album was released in three editions: limited CD+DVD, CD only and "Arienai Price" editions. Best Ai debuted at #2 on the daily Oricon albums chart but switched back and forth between #1 and #2 several times during its...
|
1 | 249,000 |
As lead artist
| Release | Title | Notes | Chart positions | Oricon sales |
Album | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oricon Oricon , established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan. It started as , which was founded by Sōkō Koike in November 1967 and became known for its music charts. Oricon Inc... Singles Charts |
Billboard Billboard (magazine) Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis... Japan Hot 100 Japan Hot 100 The Japan Hot 100 is a music singles chart in Japan. It is compiled by Billboard and Hanshin Contents Link ever since February 2008. The chart is updated every Wednesday at billboard-japan.com and every Thursday at billboard.com .... † |
RIAJ RIAJ Digital Track Chart The is chart ranks the best selling digital singles in Japan, provided by the Recording Industry Association of Japan since April 2009. The chart measures cellphone downloads .... digital tracks† |
|||||
| 2000 | "Cry Just Cry" | BMG Japan debut single | — | — | — | — | My Name Is Ai |
| 2001 | "U Can Do" | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Shining Star" | 98 | — | — | 2,100 | |||
| 2003 | style="text-align:left;"| | DefJam debut single | 27 | — | — | 20,000 | Original Ai |
| "Thank U" | 37 | — | — | 11,000 | |||
| style="text-align:left;"| | Re-cut single, track 2 Ryuichi Sakamoto Ryuichi Sakamoto After working as a session musician with Haruomi Hosono and Yukihiro Takahashi in 1977, the trio formed the internationally successful electronic music band Yellow Magic Orchestra in 1978. Known for their seminal influence on electronic music, the group helped pioneer electronic genres such as... cover |
35 | — | — | 13,000 | Original Ai: Deluxe Edition | |
| 2004 | "After the Rain" | 32 | — | — | 17,000 | 2004 Ai | |
| "E.O." | 23 | — | — | 15,000 | |||
| "Watch Out!" feat. Afra Afra (beatboxer) , better known by his stage name of Afra, is a Japanese beatboxer from the Osaka metropolitan area. He formed the beatboxing band Afra & Incredible Beatbox Band in 2005 with Kei and K-Moon... , Tucker |
Re-cut single | 62 | — | — | 5,000 | ||
| 2005 | "365" feat. Deli | 20 | — | — | 17,000 | Mic-a-holic Ai | |
| "Crayon Beats" | 40 | — | — | 5,600 | — | ||
| "Story" | 8 | — | 8‡ | 276,000 | Mic-a-holic Ai | ||
| 2006 | "Believe" | 2 | — | — | 117,000 | What's Goin' On Ai | |
| "I Wanna Know" | 9 | — | 17* | 23,000 | |||
| 2007 | "I'll Remember You/Brand New Day" | 13 | — | 15* 3* |
21,000 | Don't Stop Ai | |
| "One" | 18 | — | 7* | 23,000 | |||
| 2008 | style="text-align:left;"| | Re-cut single | 22 | 62 | 34* | 6,600 | |
| style="text-align:left;"| | Track 2 collaboration with Exile Atsushi | 15 | 70 91 |
67* 21* |
13,000 | Viva Ai | |
| 2009 | "You Are My Star" | 36 | 11 | 46* | 4,900 | ||
| 2010 | "Fake Fake (Ai song) "Fake" is Japanese R&B singer Ai's 20th single, featuring pop/R&B musician Namie Amuro. It was released on March 31, 2010.-Background:... " feat. Namie Amuro Namie Amuro is a Japanese R&B and pop singer, entertainer, and former actress who at the height of her popularity was referred to as the "Teen Queen" and the title "Queen of Japanese Pop Music". Born in Naha, Okinawa, Amuro debuted at the age of 14 as an idol in the girl group Super Monkey's... |
8 | 5 | 4 | 16,000 | The Last Ai | |
| "Still..." feat. AK-69 | 15 | 27 | 27 | 8,200 | |||
| style="text-align:left;"| | 60 | 53 | 16 | 2,600 | |||
| "Stronger Stronger (Ai song) "Stronger" is a song by Japanese R&B singer Ai, featuring fellow R&B singer Miliyah Kato, released on October 27, 2010. The single was her fourth single released in 2010 for her 10th anniversary, and the leading single from her 8th studio album, The Last Ai... " feat. Miliyah Kato |
26 | 30 | 4 | 6,800 | |||
RIAJ Digital Track Chart
The is chart ranks the best selling digital singles in Japan, provided by the Recording Industry Association of Japan since April 2009. The chart measures cellphone downloads ....
†Japan Hot 100 established February 2008, RIAJ Digital Track Chart established April 2009
‡charted in 2008
As featured artist
| Release | Title | Notes | Chart positions | Oricon sales |
Album | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oricon Oricon , established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan. It started as , which was founded by Sōkō Koike in November 1967 and became known for its music charts. Oricon Inc... Singles Charts |
Billboard Billboard (magazine) Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis... Japan Hot 100 Japan Hot 100 The Japan Hot 100 is a music singles chart in Japan. It is compiled by Billboard and Hanshin Contents Link ever since February 2008. The chart is updated every Wednesday at billboard-japan.com and every Thursday at billboard.com .... |
RIAJ RIAJ Digital Track Chart The is chart ranks the best selling digital singles in Japan, provided by the Recording Industry Association of Japan since April 2009. The chart measures cellphone downloads .... digital tracks |
|||||
| 2001 | "One Last Kiss" (Mao Denda Mao Denda Mao Denda , also known as MAO/d, is a Japanese singer-songwriter.- Singles :# Mimimoto ni Iru yo...: Ring the bells # Anata to Futari de: Be With Me All Day Long # Masquerade... feat. Ai) |
94 | — | — | 2,500 | ||
| 2002 | "Luv Ya" (Sphere of Influence feat. Ai) | 72 | — | — | 2,400 | The Influence | |
| 2003 | "Uh Uh......" (Suite Chic SUITE CHIC Suite Chic was a collaborative project between some of Japan's top and up-and-coming R&B and Hip-Hop artists, writers, and producers, which debuted on December 18, 2002.... feat. Ai) |
22 | — | — | 30,000 | When Pop Hits the Fan | |
| style="text-align:left;"| (Voice of Love Posse) | Charity single, Kyu Sakamoto Kyu Sakamoto was a Japanese singer and actor, best known outside of Japan for his international hit song "Sukiyaki", which was sung in Japanese and sold over 13 million copies... cover |
25 | — | — | 19,000 | ||
| 2008 | "Crazy World" (Anna Tsuchiya Anna Tsuchiya is a Japanese singer, lyricist, actress and semi-retired model.Tsuchiya was born to a Japanese mother and an American father of Polish-Irish descent from Buffalo, New York. In her earliest years, she spoke English and Japanese... feat. Ai) |
19 | 26 | 25* | 13,000 | Nudy Show! Nudy Show! NUDY SHOW! is Anna Tsuchiya's third studio album and was released on 29 October 2008. A CD+DVD version of the album that was released includes Tsuchiya's music videos.-Track listing:... |
|
| "So Special (Version Ex)" (Exile Atsushi feat. Ai) | — | — | 34* | Exile Entertainment Best | |||
| 2009 | "Home Sweet Home" (Gicode with Ai, Jamosa) | 77 | — | — | 1,800 | SP & ST | |
| 2010 | style="text-align:left;"| (MC2 feat. Ai & Co-key) | Digital single | — | — | 26 | Energy | |
| style="text-align:left;"|(K'naan K'naan K'naan , born Keinan Abdi Warsame in 1978, is a Somali Canadian poet, rapper, singer, songwriter and instrumentalist.-Biography:Born in Somalia, K'naan spent his childhood in Mogadishu and lived there during the Somali Civil War, which began in 1991. His aunt, Magool, was one of Somalia's most... feat. Ai) |
99 | 7 | 30 | 3,900 | Troubadour: Champion Album Troubadour (K'naan album) -Bonus tracks:-Chart positions:In the U.S., the album sold over 15,000 copies in its first week of release and debuted at #32 on the Billboard 200. The album has sold approximately 44,000 copies in the US as of July 2009... |
||
| "This Love" (Thelma Aoyama Thelma Aoyama , born October 27, 1987, is a Japanese pop and R&B singer. She is part Afro-Trinidadian and Japanese.She is probably best known for her collaboration song with SoulJa, "Koko ni Iru yo", and her answer song "Soba ni Iru ne"... feat. Ai) |
Digital single | — | — | 89 | Love! 2 | ||
| 2011 | "Wonder Woman Wonder Woman (Namie Amuro song) "Wonder Woman" is a song by Japanese recording artist Namie Amuro, featuring R&B singer and rapper Ai as well as rock musician Anna Tsuchiya. The song was the lead promotional single for Amuro's collaboration-compilation album, Checkmate!, released in April 2011.Namie Amuro had previously... " Namie Amuro Namie Amuro is a Japanese R&B and pop singer, entertainer, and former actress who at the height of her popularity was referred to as the "Teen Queen" and the title "Queen of Japanese Pop Music". Born in Naha, Okinawa, Amuro debuted at the age of 14 as an idol in the girl group Super Monkey's... feat. AI & Anna Tsuchiya Anna Tsuchiya is a Japanese singer, lyricist, actress and semi-retired model.Tsuchiya was born to a Japanese mother and an American father of Polish-Irish descent from Buffalo, New York. In her earliest years, she spoke English and Japanese... |
— | 5 | 5 | 100,000+ | Checkmate! Checkmate! (Namie Amuro album) Checkmate! is a compilation album by Japanese pop/R&B musician Namie Amuro, featuring a collection of her compilation songs with other musicians released between 2003 and 2011, as well as four unpublished collaboration songs... |
|
DVDs
- Machigainai (2005)
- Mic-a-holic Ai Japan Tour '05 (2006) (2007)
- Don't Stop Ai Japan Tour (2008)
- Viva Ai Japan Tour (2010)