Nanase Aikawa
Encyclopedia
is a Japan
ese musician known for employing a variety of musical styles, most notably rock. She publishes her music under the Motorod label, a division of Avex Group.
, Japan
. Throughout her school years, Nanase had sung and participated in a several singing competitions, which brought her to the attention of a well-known music producer Tetsuro Oda
.
At the age of 15, she dropped out of school to be trained by Oda. At the age of 20 she released her first single, Yume Miru Shoujo ja Irarenai on 8 November 1995.
After she released her first single on 8 November 1995, she released three more singles, and then her first full album Red in 1996, which sold more than two million copies in its first month. That album won her an invitation to perform on Kōhaku Uta Gassen
, a New Year's Eve singing contest between male and female teams of popular singers sponsored by NHK
(one of Japan's television networks).
Since then, she has released about one album each year, plus an average of three mini- or maxi-singles. Her second album, Paradox, was released in July 1997, selling 1.8 million copies, coinciding with her first concert tour Live Emotion '97 (consisting of 20 concert dates, and attracting a total of 65,000 fans, according to Avex).
July 1998 saw her third album Crimson, and another concert tour with over 40 concert dates. Her 1999 release, I.D. was a compilation album, but it debuted at number one on the rock chart, her fourth consecutive album to be released at the number one slot.
Some music-journalists said that a large part of her fan base, during the 1990s, was the Bōsōzoku
(motorcycle gang) youthes especially those in the western areas of Japan.
In 2001, she also released a 'mini-album' (sometime between a full album and a single) with only 7 tracks called the Last Quarter of uncharacteristically soft ballad-style music, recorded during her later months of pregnancy.
It was not until 2003 that she released another album, another compilation, called ID: 2.
At the 11th Annual Japan Gold Disc Awards, Nanase's album Red was voted the Best Album (Japanese Rock and Folk music, female vocalist category). Her album Paradox was also voted Best Album of the Year at the 12th Annual Japan Gold Disc Awards.
In February 2004, three years after her last original album and many singles, she released 7 Seven. An album devoted to feelings relating to music and color, with each song dedicated to a certain color. Since then she has released four more singles.
In 2004, her song BYE BYE was covered by the English singer Jennifer Ellison
as "Bye Bye Boy
", and Swedish girl group
Play as "Girls Can Too".
As of August 2004, Nanase Aikawa has released six albums, plus two compilation albums and the mini-album, a total of 24 singles, and no less than three separate concerts and two music video collections on video and DVD.
A year later, in February 2005, she released The First Quarter mini-album. This album focused more on ballads and soft music than her well-known rock edge. In November of that same year she released R.U.O.K?!, a mini-album with seven songs. In July 2007, Nanase Aikawa began work on her new album.
Her first music release while working on this album is as part of a limited unit called "Crimson-FANG" for the soundtrack of Kamen Rider Kiva: King of the Castle in the Demon World, having performed on the soundtrack on Kamen Rider Blade
in 2004. The single for "Circle of Life", was released on August 6, 2008.
Subsequently, Aikawa released her first digital single off her album Reborn entitled PRISM, which was released May 24, 2008. Her thirty-first single, Yumemiru..., a remix of her debut single Yumemiru Shoujo Ja Irarenai was released January 2009.
Aikawa Nanase released tAttoo
, on November 11, 2009.
December 8, 2010, is the release date of "Fine Fine Day," the first single from the "Rockstar Steady" project. A break from her previous image, Rockstar Steady is an all-girl rock band with Aikawa as its singer, and with songs such as "Fine Fine Day" entirely in English . For the music video, Nanase Aikawa went to Paris to work with the fashion film duo of Antoine Asseraf & René Habermacher, who gave the video a lesbian-chic aesthetic.
Aikawa is a good friend (as stated in an interview) of Yumi Yoshimura
from Puffy AmiYumi
.
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese musician known for employing a variety of musical styles, most notably rock. She publishes her music under the Motorod label, a division of Avex Group.
Early life
Nanase Aikawa was born on February 16, 1975, in OsakaOsaka
is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. Throughout her school years, Nanase had sung and participated in a several singing competitions, which brought her to the attention of a well-known music producer Tetsuro Oda
Tetsurō Oda
is a Japanese composer, record producer, and singer-songwriter.In the 1990s, Oda composed a number of hit songs such as B.B.Queens' "Odoru Pompokolin", Zard's "Makenaide", and Noriko Sakai's "Aoi Usagi"....
.
At the age of 15, she dropped out of school to be trained by Oda. At the age of 20 she released her first single, Yume Miru Shoujo ja Irarenai on 8 November 1995.
Career
Kohaku Uta Gassen
, more commonly known as simply Kōhaku, is an annual music show on New Year's Eve produced by Japanese public broadcaster NHK and broadcast on both television and radio, nationally and internationally by NHK's networks and some overseas broadcasters which bought the program...
, a New Year's Eve singing contest between male and female teams of popular singers sponsored by NHK
NHK
NHK is Japan's national public broadcasting organization. NHK, which has always identified itself to its audiences by the English pronunciation of its initials, is a publicly owned corporation funded by viewers' payments of a television license fee....
(one of Japan's television networks).
Since then, she has released about one album each year, plus an average of three mini- or maxi-singles. Her second album, Paradox, was released in July 1997, selling 1.8 million copies, coinciding with her first concert tour Live Emotion '97 (consisting of 20 concert dates, and attracting a total of 65,000 fans, according to Avex).
July 1998 saw her third album Crimson, and another concert tour with over 40 concert dates. Her 1999 release, I.D. was a compilation album, but it debuted at number one on the rock chart, her fourth consecutive album to be released at the number one slot.
Some music-journalists said that a large part of her fan base, during the 1990s, was the Bōsōzoku
Bosozoku
is a Japanese subculture associated with motorcycle clubs and gangs.-Traits and history:The word bōsōzoku is also applied to motorcycle gangs, who share an interest in modifications for motorcycles, such as removing the mufflers so that more noise is produced...
(motorcycle gang) youthes especially those in the western areas of Japan.
In 2001, she also released a 'mini-album' (sometime between a full album and a single) with only 7 tracks called the Last Quarter of uncharacteristically soft ballad-style music, recorded during her later months of pregnancy.
It was not until 2003 that she released another album, another compilation, called ID: 2.
At the 11th Annual Japan Gold Disc Awards, Nanase's album Red was voted the Best Album (Japanese Rock and Folk music, female vocalist category). Her album Paradox was also voted Best Album of the Year at the 12th Annual Japan Gold Disc Awards.
In February 2004, three years after her last original album and many singles, she released 7 Seven. An album devoted to feelings relating to music and color, with each song dedicated to a certain color. Since then she has released four more singles.
In 2004, her song BYE BYE was covered by the English singer Jennifer Ellison
Jennifer Ellison
Jennifer Lesley Ellison is an English actress, glamour model, television personality, dancer and singer...
as "Bye Bye Boy
Bye Bye Boy
"Bye Bye Boy" was a single released in 2004, by Jennifer Ellison. It is her second, and so far, final single. It is a cover of Japanese rock/pop song "Bye Bye." by Nanase Aikawa. It reached number 20 on the UK charts....
", and Swedish girl group
Girl group
A girl group is a popular music act featuring several young female singers who generally harmonise together.Girl groups emerged in the late 1950s as groups of young singers teamed up with behind-the-scenes songwriters and music producers to create hit singles, often featuring glossy production...
Play as "Girls Can Too".
As of August 2004, Nanase Aikawa has released six albums, plus two compilation albums and the mini-album, a total of 24 singles, and no less than three separate concerts and two music video collections on video and DVD.
A year later, in February 2005, she released The First Quarter mini-album. This album focused more on ballads and soft music than her well-known rock edge. In November of that same year she released R.U.O.K?!, a mini-album with seven songs. In July 2007, Nanase Aikawa began work on her new album.
Her first music release while working on this album is as part of a limited unit called "Crimson-FANG" for the soundtrack of Kamen Rider Kiva: King of the Castle in the Demon World, having performed on the soundtrack on Kamen Rider Blade
Kamen Rider Blade
, is a Japanese tokusatsu superhero television series. It is the fourteenth installment in the Kamen Rider Series. It aired on TV Asahi from January 25, 2004 to January 23, 2005. It is a joint collaboration between Ishimori Productions and Toei. Along with the standard insect motif of the Kamen...
in 2004. The single for "Circle of Life", was released on August 6, 2008.
Subsequently, Aikawa released her first digital single off her album Reborn entitled PRISM, which was released May 24, 2008. Her thirty-first single, Yumemiru..., a remix of her debut single Yumemiru Shoujo Ja Irarenai was released January 2009.
Aikawa Nanase released tAttoo
Tattoo
A tattoo is made by inserting indelible ink into the dermis layer of the skin to change the pigment. Tattoos on humans are a type of body modification, and tattoos on other animals are most commonly used for identification purposes...
, on November 11, 2009.
December 8, 2010, is the release date of "Fine Fine Day," the first single from the "Rockstar Steady" project. A break from her previous image, Rockstar Steady is an all-girl rock band with Aikawa as its singer, and with songs such as "Fine Fine Day" entirely in English . For the music video, Nanase Aikawa went to Paris to work with the fashion film duo of Antoine Asseraf & René Habermacher, who gave the video a lesbian-chic aesthetic.
Band members
A list of her band for the album R.U.O.K?! and with whom she toured for the album:- Guitar: Marty FriedmanMarty Friedman (guitarist)Marty Friedman is a guitarist, well known for his tenure as the lead/rhythm guitarist for thrash metal band Megadeth, which lasted almost a decade...
(ex. MegadethMegadethMegadeth is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California which was formed in 1983 by guitarist/vocalist Dave Mustaine, bassist Dave Ellefson and guitarist Greg Handevidt, following Mustaine's expulsion from Metallica. The band has since released 13 studio albums, three live albums, two...
, ex. Cacophony) - Guitar: Pata (X JapanX Japanis a Japanese heavy metal band founded in 1982 by Yoshiki and Toshi. Originally named X , the group achieved their breakthrough success in 1989 with the release of their second album Blue Blood...
, Ra:IN) - Bass: Crazy Cool Joe (Dead EndDead End (band)is an influential Japanese metal/rock band formed in Tokyo in 1984. They were one of few Japanese metal bands who had international exposure in the United States during the eighties...
) - Drums: ShinyaShinya Yamada, referred to as simply , is a Japanese musician. He is best known as drummer of the rock band Luna Sea.- History :Before joining Luna Sea in 1989, high school friends Shinya and Sugizo were in the band Pinoccio....
(Luna SeaLuna SeaLuna Sea is a rock band from Kanagawa, Japan, formed in 1989. The band was initially founded by bassist J and rhythm guitarist Inoran, when they were in high school. They soon recruited lead guitarist and violinist Sugizo, drummer Shinya and vocalist Ryuichi, a lineup that has remained the same...
) - Keyboards: D.I.E (Ra:IN, ex. hide with Spread BeaverHide (musician), better known by his stage name hide , was a popular Japanese musician. He was primarily known for his work as lead guitarist of the heavy metal band X Japan from 1987 to 1997...
)
Personal life
Aikawa Nanase was married on her twenty-sixth birthday, 16 February 2001 and their first child, a boy, was born on 6 September 2001. Aikawa had their second child, another son, on 9 September 2007.Aikawa is a good friend (as stated in an interview) of Yumi Yoshimura
Yumi Yoshimura
is a member of the Japanese pop duo PUFFY, along with Ami Onuki.She was born in Neyagawa, Osaka, Japan. In 1995, she learned that there was a talent search underway in Tokyo. She successfully tried out and was paired with Ami Onuki to form the group PUFFY.From 1999 to 2003 she was married to singer...
from Puffy AmiYumi
Puffy AmiYumi
or Puffy AmiYumi is a Japanese rock duo that is currently signed with Sony Music Japan. The group continues to go by the moniker of PUFFY in Japan, but in order to avoid legal naming conflicts with Sean Combs, it has adopted the name Puffy AmiYumi outside of Japan...
.
Albums
- RedRed (Nanase Aikawa album)Red is Nanase Aikawa's first album. It includes her first four singles. The album reached #1 on Oricon charts and sold over two million copies.-Track listing:# # # LIKE A HARD RAIN# SHAKE ME BABY# Sayonara# BREAK OUT!# GLORY DAYS# Love me# # #...
(3 July 1996) - paraDOXParaDOXparaDOX is Nanase Aikawa's second album. The album reached #1 on Oricon weekly album charts.-Track listing:# CAT on the Street# # # # # a piece of memory# # # Love merry-go-round# Sweet Emotion...
(2 July 1997) - CrimsonCrimson (Nanase Aikawa album)-Track listing:# ◯◯◯◯？# Nostalgia# # # Night Wave# Bad Girls# fragile# Velvet moon# # #...
(22 July 1998) - I.D. (19 May 1999) (Compilation)
- 01 - Yume Miru Shoujo ja Irarenai (夢見る少女じゃいられない)
- 02 - Bye-Bye. (バイバイ。)
- 03 - LIKE A HARD RAIN
- 04 - BREAK OUT!
- 05 - Imademo... (今でも…。)
- 06 - Koi Gokoro (恋心)
- 07 - Trouble Maker (トラブルメイカー)
- 08 - Sweet Emotion
- 09 - Konnani Aishite Mo (こんなに愛しても)
- 10 - Tori Ni Naretara (鳥になれたら)
- 11 - OOOO?
- 12 - Bad Girls
- 13 - Kanojo to Watashi no Jijou (彼女と私の事情)
- 14 - Nostalgia
- 15 - Lovin' You
- 16 - Koi Gokoro (Acoustic Version)
- Foxtrot (16 February 2000)
- 01 - Second Wind
- 02 - Bitch
- 03 - Heat Of The Night
- 04 - China Rose
- 05 - THANK U
- 06 - "7"
- 07 - Cosmic Love
- 08 - Gin Iro No Fune (銀色の舟)
- 09 - -Gozen Niji No Koibito- (－午前2時の恋人－)
- 10 - Sekai Wa Kono Te No Naka Ni (世界はこの手の中に)
- 11 - Crying
- 12 - Jealousy
- 13 - Hanabi Ga Owaru Koro (花火が終わる頃)
- Purãnã (21 February 2001)
- 01 - Party☆2001
- 02 - Trick
- 03 - NO FUTURE
- 04 - SEVEN SEAS
- 05 - Adieu
- 06 - trust me
- 07 - Sakura Saku (サクラサク)
- 08 - Shugaa Beibi (シュガーベイビー)
- 09 - midnight blue
- 10 - 「THE END」
- 11 - Anata no Ondo (あなたの温度)
- 12 - ~dandelion~
- ID:2 (26 March 2003) (Compilation)
- 7 seven (18 February 2004)
- 01 - LIE LIE LIE
- 02 - R-shitei (R-指定)
- 03 - BLUE KNIFE
- 04 - Renai Taishitsu (恋愛体質)
- 05 - BLACK ANGEL
- 06 - Mokka no Koibito (目下の恋人)
- 07 - Dahlia -She Knows Love- (ダリア-She Knows Love-)
- 08 - Ai no Uta - Magenta Rain- (愛ノ詩-マジェンタレイン-)
- 09 - Natsu no Hi no Coral (夏の日のコーラル)
- 10 - Hi wo Tsukeru Baby!! (火をつけろベイビー!!)
- 11 - Toki no Kaze (時の風)
- 12 - NIGHT RAINBOW
- 13 - Shock of Love
- REBORN (18 February 2009)
- 01 - Yumemiru..
- 02 - Keep Singin'
- 03 - I love my way
- 04 - PRISM
- 05 - Come Closer
- 06 - REBORN
- 07 - GOODBYE YESTERDAY
- 08 - Dark & bright
- 09 - Glorious Night
- 10 - "Sukidayo" (「すきだよ」)
Mini Albums
- The Last Quarter (27 September 2001)
- 01 - Koibito ja Naku Naru Hi (恋人じゃなくなる日)
- 02 - STILL RAIN
- 03 - Shiawase na Jikan (しあわせな時間)
- 04 - Saikou no Tomodachi (最高の友達)
- 05 - HIMAWARI (ヒマワリ)
- 06 - BYE-BYE-BYE
- 07 - THE LAST QUARTER
- The First Quarter (16 February 2005)
- R.U.O.K?! (19 November 2005)
- 01 - FOOLISH 555
- 02 - R.U.O.K?!
- 03 - FLY TO RAINBOW RAY
- 04 - ROCK STAR's STEADY
- 05 - RED WHEEL
- 06 - Snowfall
- 07 - EVERYBODY GOES
Mini-Singles
- "Yumemiru Shoujou Ja Irarenai" (8 November 1995)
- "Bye Bye" (9 February 1996)
- "Like A Hard Rain" (17 April 1996)
- "Break Out!" (5 June 1996)
- "Koigokoro" (7 October 1996)
- "Troublemaker" (13 February 1997)
- "Sweet Emotion" (1 May 1997)
- "Bad Girls" (12 November 1997)
- "Kanojo To Watashi No Jijou" (4 February 1998)
- "Nostalgia" (8 May 1998)
- "Lovin You" (6 November 1998)
- "Cosmic Love" (17 March 1999)
Maxi-Singles
- "Sekai Wa Kono Te No Naka Ni" (23 July 1999)
- "Jealousy" (29 September 1999)
- "China Rose" (8 December 1999)
- "Midnight Blue" (31 May 2000)
- "Seven Seas" (9 August 2000)
- "No Future" (31 January 2001) (Zoids: New Century Zero opening theme)
- "Dandelion" (31 January 2001)
- "Owarinai Yume" (5 June 2002) (InuYashaInuYasha, also known as , is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Rumiko Takahashi. It premiered in Weekly Shōnen Sunday on November 13, 1996 and concluded on June 18, 2008...
third opening theme) - "Roppongi Shinjyu" (9 October 2002)
- "Shock of Love" (13 February 2003)
- "R-Shitei" (27 November 2003)
- "Ai no Uta" (21 January 2004)
- "Round ZERO ～ BLADE BRAVE" (18 February 2004) (Kamen Rider BladeKamen Rider Blade, is a Japanese tokusatsu superhero television series. It is the fourteenth installment in the Kamen Rider Series. It aired on TV Asahi from January 25, 2004 to January 23, 2005. It is a joint collaboration between Ishimori Productions and Toei. Along with the standard insect motif of the Kamen...
first opening theme) - "Mangekyo/UNLIMITED" (29 September 2004) (Samurai 7Samurai 7is a 2004 anime TV series, produced by Gonzo and based on Akira Kurosawa's highly regarded 1954 movie Seven Samurai. The series was directed by Toshifumi Takizawa and its music was composed by Kaoru Wada and Eitetsu Hayashi...
first opening theme) - "Kagiriaru Hibiki" (19 January 2005)
- "EVERYBODY GOES" (25 February 2006) (Madan Senki RyukendoMadan Senki Ryukendo, is a Japanese tokusatsu television series. It was Takara and We've Inc's first attempt at a Sentai-type show. The program aired at 7:00 JST on TV Aichi from January 8 to December 31, 2006...
first ending theme) - "PRISM" (24 May 2008) (Digital Single)
- "tAttoo" (11 November 2009)
- "Ai ga Tomaranai" (29 September 2010)
Theme songs
- "No Future" - Zoids: New Century Zero opening theme
- "Owarinai Yume" - InuYashaInuYasha, also known as , is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Rumiko Takahashi. It premiered in Weekly Shōnen Sunday on November 13, 1996 and concluded on June 18, 2008...
third opening theme - "Unlimited" - Samurai 7Samurai 7is a 2004 anime TV series, produced by Gonzo and based on Akira Kurosawa's highly regarded 1954 movie Seven Samurai. The series was directed by Toshifumi Takizawa and its music was composed by Kaoru Wada and Eitetsu Hayashi...
opening theme - "Round ZERO ~ BLADE BRAVE" - Kamen Rider BladeKamen Rider Blade, is a Japanese tokusatsu superhero television series. It is the fourteenth installment in the Kamen Rider Series. It aired on TV Asahi from January 25, 2004 to January 23, 2005. It is a joint collaboration between Ishimori Productions and Toei. Along with the standard insect motif of the Kamen...
first opening theme - "EVERYBODY GOES" - Madan Senki RyukendoMadan Senki Ryukendo, is a Japanese tokusatsu television series. It was Takara and We've Inc's first attempt at a Sentai-type show. The program aired at 7:00 JST on TV Aichi from January 8 to December 31, 2006...
ending theme - "Love Terrorist" - Heavy Metal ThunderHeavy Metal Thunder (video game)- Reception :The game sold 3,367 copies the week of its release. It received a score of 30 out of 40 by the Japanese gaming magazine Famitsu. American multimedia website IGN considered the gameplay simple, but praised the amount of animation used and called the theme song "catchy"...
OST - "Circle of Life" with Crimson-FANG - Kamen Rider Kiva: King of the Castle in the Demon World theme song
- "Yumemiru.." - K-tai Investigator 7K-tai Investigator 7is a 2008 Japanese television drama that aired from April 2, 2008 to March 18, 2009. It was a joint collaboration between WIZ and Production I.G. Directed by Takashi Miike, it is described as a science fiction tokusatsu action drama. It was replaced in its time slot by an animated cartoon, Mainichi...
third ending theme