generasia:Featured article for 2023 week 47
aiko
aiko (born Aiko Yanai (柳井愛子)) 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.
She started recording music in 1996, and in July 1998 she made her major debut with her song "Ashita", which 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.
aiko's 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. The album managed to hold a place on the chart for twenty-six weeks.
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 multiple times.
Her 44th single, "Hoshi no Furu Hi ni", is released this week on November 22nd.
