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aiko (singer)

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Revision as of 01:59, 10 February 2010 by Lambchopsuey (talk | contribs)
aiko promoting "Modorenai Ashita" (2010)

aiko is a Japanese pop singer-songwriter under the Pony Canyon label. She is well known within Japan for her cheerful disposition,her songs are generally upbeat, although she has also released some slower tempo numbers and focuses primarily on the topic of love. As proof of her popularity, she won Oricon's subscriber survey as favorite singer in both 2005 and 2006.

Profile

  • Real Name: Yanai Aiko (柳井愛子)
  • Stage Name: aiko
  • Birthdate: November 22, 1975
  • Birthplace: Osaka Prefecture, Japan
  • Blood Type: AB
  • Hobbies: Bathing, sleeping, dogs, driving
  • Favorite food: mustard mentaiko, yams, umeboshi (plum)
  • Height: 152 cm / 5'0"
  • Footsize: 21.5 cm

Information

aiko

aiko studied popular music vocals at the Osaka College of Music, graduating in 1996. After graduating at the age of 21, she was offered a position as DJ at FM OSAKA. Through 1997 and early 1998, aiko released a number of indie mini-albums and singles, all of which failed to chart. Fortunately, this persistent young woman didn't allow this depressing start to lower her spirits.

With the release of "Ashita" in the July of 1998, aiko established her first Oricon chart position. Despite peaking at #89, the single stayed on the charts for five weeks and was re-issued in 2001 as a 12cm single release. With the release of her first single came aiko‘s first one man performance at Esaka BOOMIN HALL.

Her third single "Hanabi" garnered public recognition for the songstress, with the single reaching #10 on the Oricon charts. Following this release, every one of aiko's releases has been subject to intense television coverage. Releasing her first major debut album in April 1999, aiko found herself slowly climbing up the charts, reaching #30. Although this result can be seen by some as unimpressive, that fact that the album managed to hold a place in the chart for twenty-six is surely commendable for a first attempt.

The year 2000 saw aiko's popularity reaching new heights, with her second album "Sakura no Ki no Shita" selling over 1,000,000 copies and reaching the #1 position on the Oricon charts. Not only that, the album managed to maintain a place in the rankings for sixty-four weeks and has so far been aiko's best selling album. Her second single of 2000, "Boyfriend", became aiko's best selling single to date, selling over 500,000 copies and achieving #2 position on Oricon.

Most significantly in this particular year, aiko was invited to perform at NHK's Kohaku Uta Gassen and has since performed at the event five times in total. Unfortunately, due to the word tetrapot being used within a song's lyrics and because of its similarity to the word tetrapod (a registered trademark), aiko faced some brief controversy over legal battles with NHK. Fortunately, this disagreement was resolved without any amendments made to the lyrics.

In 2001, with the beginning of aiko's "LOVE LIKE POP Vol.6 Tour", she had already found herself a devoted following. Unfortunately, while touring aiko contracted acute tracheitis, and certain dates had to be canceled. However, in order to make it up to her disappointed fans, aiko held a special performance at Tokyo Kokusai Forum. Even in the face of her illness, aiko stayed strong as her releases for 2001 all reached high positions on the Oricon. Her seventh and eighth single reached the top five and her third album, "Natsufuku", reached the #1 position and held it for 18 weeks.

aiko promoting "Shiawase" (2007)

2002 saw aiko holding her first no-seat concert, "LOVE LIKE ROCK", in Tokyo, Nagoya and Osaka. This particular tour consisted of only six dates and unlike the previous year's misfortune, the entire tour went off without a hitch. During her "LOVE LIKE ALOHA" tour in 2003, aiko performed at Katase Beach in Enoshima on August 30, and on the 31st of October she held her first festival performance at an institution, Aoyama Gakuin University.

The year 2004 saw aiko taking a break and she came back in 2005 with a new album. Also, for the first time in her career, she released her first official book, "aiko bon". This book contains her autobiography written in interview style and is accompanied by photographs and articles from the magazine GbMusicnet as well as linear notes from the artist herself.

With her popularity proven in the Oricon's survey, her tour "LOVE LIKE ALOHA Vol.2", held on August 30, 2005 on the Southern Beach at Chigasaki, was attended by 25,000 people. aiko's seventh album "Kanojo" once again hit #1 on the Oricon, selling over 400,000 copies.

2007 has been a relatively quiet year for aiko, despite the fact that she celebrated her 10th anniversary this year. She went on tour, "LOVE LIKE POP Vol.10", in January of this year, starting at MARINEMESSE FUKUOKA and concluding at Yokohama Arena. On the 15th of October, she held a special meeting with her fan club, Peenats (which is their third get together since the fan club's creation), to celebrate her anniversary. In addition to this meeting, she also held a special live for the fan club’s members: LOVE LIKE ROCK LIMITED FOR BABY PEENATS MEMBERS.

Discography

aiko promoting "milk / Nageki no Kiss" (2009)

Albums

Mini-Albums

Singles

VHS / DVDs

Books

aiko bon

  • [2005.03.29] aiko bon

External Links

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