Abe Mao

Abe Mao promoting YOU (2018)

Abe Mao (阿部真央) is a Japanese pop singer-songwriter signed to Pony Canyon. She released four acoustic songs on iTunes before making her debut in January 2009 with the album Free, which managed to become #1 on Billboard's Japan Hot 100 chart.

Profile

• Birth Name: Abe Mao (阿部真央)
• Date of Birth: June 24, 1990 (1990-06-24)
• Place of Birth: Oita, Japan
• Blood Type: A
• Family: Ex Husband Iizuka Akira, Son
• Likes: Orange, green, chocolate, Asano Tadanobu, Tsuchida Teruyuki, Yanagiba Toshiro, rice, being alone, people
• Dislikes: Caterpillars, black beans, insects, rain, studying, mathematics
• Personality: Has difficulty in falling asleep and waking up, shy, doesn't like to lay down and pity herself, has migraines, enthusiastic, independent
• First Composed Song: "My Baby" in her first year of high school
• First CD Purchased: Hamasaki Ayumi's "UNITE!"
• First Live Performance Attended: SKIN-HEADz live in the summer of her second year of high school with her friends
• Favorite Artists: Avril Lavigne, SKIN-HEADz, Midori, HOT SPRING, Sum 41, Hoobastank, ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION, RADWIMPS, RIP SLYME, Murashita Kozo, Hamasaki Ayumi

Information

Abe Mao promoting Free (2009)

Abe Mao promoting "Motto. / Hikari" (2011)

Abe Mao promoting Anata wo Suki na Watashi (2013)

Abe Mao promoting Oppajime! (2015)

Abe Mao promoting Babe. (2016)

Abe Mao began playing piano when she was in third grade, and by junior high, she decided she wanted to be a singer. When she was high school, she dropped piano and started playing guitar. During the summer of her second year of high school in June 2006, the manager of a music store recommended that Abe should participate in Oita's YAMAHA TEENS' MUSIC FESTIVAL 2006. She won, with her song "Haha no Uta". The following November, she participated in the same competition at the national level and was awarded an encouragement prize. She graduated from high school in Spring 2008 and proceeded to move to Tokyo.

In October, Abe's song "want you DARLING" was used as the theme song for the drama Tetsudo Musume ~Girls be ambitious!~. She also released an acoustic version of her song "MY BABY" on iTunes, which was featured as the single of the week. Soon, Abe gained feature coverage on MySpace and au one music. Her popularity slowly rose, achieving high ranks on BARKS, Google, and mixi. In one day, her MySpace received 20,000 listens.

In January 2009, Abe released her debut album, Free. The album ranked #17 on the weekly Oricon chart. Later, she embarked on her first live tour, Abe Mao Live No.0, in March, starting in her home of Oita and stretching across seven prefectures in Japan. Since then, she has released two singles, "Tsutaetai Koto / I wanna see you" and "Anata no Koibito ni Naritai no Desu", of which two of the three A-sides were previously released as acoustic versions on iTunes before her debut. An unreleased song called "15 no Kotoba" has been chosen as the theme song for the 2010 movie version of the novel Hanbun no Tsuki ga Noboru Sora.

Discography

Studio Albums

• [2009.01.21] Free (ふりぃ)
• [2010.01.27] Pop (ポっぷ)
• [2011.06.01] Su. (素。; Plain.)
• [2012.06.06] Tatakai wa Owaranai (戦いは終わらない; The Fight Is Not Over)
• [2013.08.28] Anata wo Suki na Watashi (貴方を好きな私; The Me You Like)
• [2015.02.18] Oppajime! (おっぱじめ!)
• [2017.02.15] Babe.
• [2018.03.07] YOU

Best Albums

• [2014.08.20] Single Collection 19-24
• [2015.09.16] Abe Mao Rental Best ~Koi no Uta-hen~ (阿部真央 レンタルベスト 〜恋の唄 編〜) (Rental)
• [2015.09.16] Abe Mao Rental Best ~Ouen Uta-hen~ (阿部真央 レンタルベスト 〜応援歌 編〜) (Rental)
• [2019.01.23] Abe Mao Best (阿部真央ベスト)

Live Albums

• [2015.03.11] 5th Anniversary Mao Abe Live 2014 @ Nippon Budokan (5th Anniversary 阿部真央らいぶ2014@日本武道館)

Singles

• [2009.05.27] Tsutaetai Koto / I wanna see you (伝えたいこと / I wanna see you; Things I Wanna Tell You)
• [2009.08.05] Anata no Koibito ni Naritai no Desu (貴方の恋人になりたいのです; I Wanna Be Your Lover)
• [2010.01.13] Itsu no Hi mo (いつの日も; Someday)
• [2010.06.09] Lonely (ロンリー)
• [2010.11.03] 19-sai no Uta (19歳の唄; Song of a 19-Year-Old)
• [2011.05.18] Motto. / Hikari (モットー。 / 光; More / Light)
• [2011.11.16] Soba ni Ite (側にいて; Next to Me)
• [2012.05.16] Sekai wa Mada Kimi wo Shiranai (世界はまだ君を知らない; The World Doesn't Know You Yet)
• [2013.03.06] Saigo no Watashi (最後の私; The Last Me)
• [2013.06.26] Anata ga Suki na Watashi / boyfriend (貴方が好きな私; The Me who Likes You)
• [2014.05.21] Believe in yourself
• [2014.10.22] Sorezore Aruki Dasou (それぞれ歩き出そう; Let's Walk on Our Own)
• [2015.11.18] You changed my life
• [2016.05.25] Don't let me down
• [2016.08.24] Onnatachi (女たち; Women)
• [2018.10.24] Kawaritai Uta (変わりたい唄)

Digital Singles

• [2008.08.06] Anata no Koibito ni Naritai no Desu (AG ver.) (貴方の恋人になりたいのです)
• [2008.09.03] Hitomishiri no Uta (AG ver.) (人見知りの唄; Shy Song)
• [2008.10.08] MY BABY (AG ver.)
• [2008.11.12] I wanna see you (AG ver.)
• [2010.01.06] Itsu no Hi mo (いつの日も; Someday)
• [2010.06.09] Lonely (ロンリー)
• [2010.11.03] 19-sai no Uta (19歳の唄; Song of a 19-Year-Old)
• [2011.11.16] Soba ni Ite (側にいて; Come to Me)
• [2012.05.16] Sekai wa Mada Kimi wo Shiranai (世界はまだ君を知らない; The World Doesn't Know You Yet)
• [2012.06.06] Tatakai wa Owaranai (戦いは終わらない; The Fight Is Not Over)
• [2017.12.08] K.I.S.S.I.N.G
• [2018.07.16] Mada Boku wa Ikiteru (まだ僕は生きてる)

Video Releases

• [2011.07.27] Abe Mao Live No.2 @ Zepp Tokyo (阿部真央らいぶ No.2 @ Zepp Tokyo)
• [2012.12.05] Abe Mao Live No.4 @ Shibuya Kokaido (阿部真央らいぶ No.4 @ 渋谷公会堂)
• [2014.03.19] Abe Mao Live No.5 @ Tokyo Kokusai Forum (阿部真央らいぶNo.5＠東京国際フォーラム)
• [2015.03.11] 5th Anniversary Mao Abe Live 2014 @ Nippon Budokan (5th Anniversary 阿部真央らいぶ2014@日本武道館)
• [2016.06.01] Abe Mao Live No.6 @ Tokyo Kokusai Forum (阿部真央らいぶNo.6＠東京国際フォーラム)
• [2017.09.20] Abe Mao Live No.7 @ Tokyo Kokusai Forum (阿部真央らいぶNo.7＠東京国際フォーラム)

Compilations / Other

• [2011.09.08] KREVA - GO (#8 "Bitansan Syndrome" feat. Abe Mao)
• [2014.09.03] Aimer - Dareka, Umi wo. EP (#3 "for Lonely" with Abe Mao)
• [2017.02.22] Ulfuls Tribute ~Best of Girl Friends~ (#8 "Eenen")
• [2018.03.21] Elephant Kashimashi Cover Album 3 ~A Tribute To The Elephant Kashimashi~ (#6 "Listen to the Music")

Publications

Band Scores

• [2012.07] Band Score Abe Mao "Tatakai wa Owaranai"

External Links

• Official Website
• Pony Canyon Official Profile
• Official MySpace
• Official Blog
• Official Youtube
• Official Twitter
• Official Facebook