generasia:Featured article for 2019 week 51
Suzuki Airi
Suzuki Airi (鈴木愛理) is a Japanese pop singer managed by Up-Front Promotion. She was formerly part of Hello! Project as a member of °C-ute and Buono!.
Suzuki Airi joined Hello! Project by becoming one of the Hello! Project Kids. She made her debut as one of the 4KIDS featured in Minimoni ja Movie Okashi na Daibouken! as well as on Minimoni's single "Genki Jirushi no Oomori Song." In fall 2003, she was announced as a member of the one-shot unit Aa! and garnered much attention for her vocal skill at her young age. In 2004, Berryz Kobo was created with the intention of rotating all of the members of Hello! Project Kids to make time for school, but the idea was later scrapped. The remaining girls who were not chosen were re-branded under the name °C-ute on June 11, 2005. Suzuki became °C-ute's lead vocalist.
In April 2007, Suzuki was a member of Little Gatas and was added to Gatas Brilhantes H.P., both Hello! Project futsal teams. A little later in the year on July 21st, it was announced that she would form a new unit with Tsugunaga Momoko and Natsuyaki Miyabi called Buono!.
The disbandment of °C-ute was announced on August 20, 2016 through various online and print news sources, followed closely by the official website and blogs of the members. The last performance for the group took place in June 2017 at Saitama Super Arena, during their 12th year of activities. On May 27, 2017, Suzuki announced that after the group disbandment she would make a return to singing as a solo artist and would continue her modeling activities.
Her second solo album, i, is released this week on December 18th.
