AI (singer)

AI promoting INDEPENDENT (2012)

AI is a bilingual Hip-Hop and R&B singer. After initial recognition in an appearance in Janet Jackson's "Go Deep" music video, she debuted with BMG, before signing with Universal's Def Jam label in 2003. With numerous successful album releases, tours and media appearances, she remains an influential and popular artist, bringing a heavily American R&B-influenced sound to Japanese audiences.

Profile

• Stage Name: AI
• Real Name: Uemura Carina Ai (植村 カリーナ 愛)
• Birthday: November 2, 1981
• Birthplace: Los Angeles, CA, United States
• Blood Type: B

Biography

AI was born on November 02, 1981 in Los Angeles, CA to a Japanese father and half-Japanese, half-Italian mother. At the age of four her father's work prompted a move to Kagoshima, Japan, where she spent her elementary school and junior high school days. In 1996, she entered the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts, joining the gospel choir and training in various dance genres. In 1998, her first experience of a televised broadcast came as part of the choir in a Mary J Blige concert. In the same year, she won a competition to appear as a dancer in Janet Jackson's promotional video "Go Deep". After a short stint in an Asian female group SX4, she was offered a record deal with BMG and returned to Japan to make her major label debut.

Her debut single "Cry, just Cry" (released on November 22, 2000) was followed up with two singles and the album "my name is AI". However, poor sales resulted in a transfer to Def Jam Japan, where she became the label's first female artist.

The first album with Def Jam, "ORIGINAL A.I.", reached #15 on the Oricon charts. Sold-out tour runs and the release of two albums in 2004 marked an increase in AI's popularity. Significant success then came with the single "Story" in May 2005, with the song reaching #8 on the Oricon ranking charts and selling 300,000 copies. The next album "MIC-A-HOLIC A.I." had sales in excess of 500,000 copies.

"Believe" was released on April 19, 2006 as a tie-in to the Team Medical Dragon drama, continuing a run of good sales. Later in the year, What's goin' on A.I." ranked at #2 on album sales charts and led to her first auditorium tour, which spawned a live album and DVD in March 2007. Further commercial tie-ins ("I'll Remember You" - Audio-Technica, "BRAND NEW DAY" - JAL, "ONE" - Team Medical Dragon 2), appearances at high-profile music festivals (Rock in Japan 2007, Summer Sonic '07) and the release of the "DON'T STOP A.I." album rounded off 2007.

From February to June 2008, AI's largest tour to date included 32 shows across Japan, playing to audiences up to 100,000 as well as appearances in Los Angeles.

In 2011, AI announced that she had changed labels from Universal Music Japan to EMI Music Japan.

Discography

AI promoting "FAKE" (2010)

AI promoting "Letter In The Sky" (2011)

Albums

• [2001.11.02] my name is AI
• [2003.07.23] ORIGINAL A.I.
• [2004.05.27] 2004 A.I.
• [2005.07.06] MIC-A-HOLIC A.I.
• [2006.09.27] What's goin' on A.I.
• [2007.12.05] DON'T STOP A.I.
• [2009.03.04] VIVA A.I.
• [2010.12.01] THE LAST A.I.
• [2012.02.22] INDEPENDENT

Best Albums

• [2004.09.08] FLASHBACK TO A.I.
• [2009.09.16] BEST A.I.

Collaborations Albums

• [2004.12.01] FEAT. A.I.

Remix Albums

• [2004.09.08] FLASHBACK REMIXES

Live Albums

• [2007.03.07] LIVE A.I.

Singles

• [2000.11.22] Cry, just Cry
• [2001.05.23] U Can Do
• [2001.09.05] Shining Star
• [2003.01.28] Saishuu Senkoku (最終宣告)
• [2003.06.25] Thank U
• [2003.10.15] My friend / Senjou no Merry Christmas (戦場のメリークリスマス)
• [2004.03.03] After The Rain
• [2004.04.16] E.O.
• [2004.08.04] WATCH OUT! feat.AFRA+TUCKER
• [2005.02.09] 365 feat.DELI
• [2005.04.20] Crayon Beats
• [2005.05.18] Story
• [2006.04.19] Believe
• [2006.08.30] I Wanna Know
• [2007.07.18] I'll Remember You / BRAND NEW DAY
• [2007.11.07] ONE
• [2008.06.04] Taisetsu na Mono (大切なもの)
• [2008.09.10] Okuribito / So Special -Version AI- (おくりびと)
• [2009.02.04] YOU ARE MY STAR
• [2010.03.31] FAKE feat. Amuro Namie
• [2010.06.30] Still... feat. AK-69
• [2010.08.25] Nemurenai Machi (眠れない街)
• [2010.10.27] STRONGER feat. Kato Miliyah
• [2011.12.14] Happiness / Letter In The Sky feat. The Jacksons (ハピネス)

Digital Singles

• [2007.03.28] BRAND NEW DAY
• [2010.07.14] For my Sister -Japanese Version- feat. Judith Hill
• [2011.10.10] Letter In The Sky feat. The Jacksons
• [2012.01.04] One Love
• [2012.01.04] Utsukushi Kimono (ウツクシキモノ)

DVDs

• [2005.02.07] MACHIGAINAI
• [2006.01.18] MIC-A-HOLIC A.I. JAPAN TOUR '05
• [2007.03.28] Nippon Budokan A.I. (日本武道館 A.I.)
• [2008.11.26] DON'T STOP A.I. Japan Tour
• [2010.06.30] VIVA A.I. JAPAN TOUR
• [2011.12.14] "Densetsu NIGHT" at Nippon Budokan with Cho SPECIAL GUEST Ozei!!!

Other DVDs

• [2004.07.07] Char - No Generation Gap feat. AI
• [2005.01.19] ZEEBRA - THE LIVE ANIMAL'03 - TOKYO'S FINEST (#7 "GOLDEN MIC (REMIX)" feat. KASHI DA HANDSOME, AI, Dohzi-T, Hannya)
• [2007.09.19] ZEEBRA - THE LIVE ANIMAL '06 ~The New Beginning~ (#19 "Do What U Gotta Do" feat. AI, Amuro Namie, Mummy-D)
• [2008.01.16] ap bank fes '07 (#5 "I'll Remember You", #6 "Story")
• [2009.02.25] Live & Documentary DVD "ap bank fes '08" (#9 "Taisetsu na Mono")
• [2009.06.17] Ai no Uta (#6 "ONE")

Compilations / Other

• [2001.04.18] GROW SOUND WORKS (#8 "IN RAIN AND SUNSHINE (DJ SOMA GROW SOUND MIX)")
• [2001.11.21] Denda Mao - ONE LAST KISS (#1 "ONE LAST KISS" feat. AI)
• [2002.05.15] JiN - Real Love (#2 "LUV SONG" feat. AI)
• [2003.03.26] SUITE CHIC - WHEN POP HITS THE LAB (#9 "Uh Uh...... ~REMIX feat. BIGZAM & P.H.~" feat. AI)
• [2003.09.25] Heartsdales - Sugar Shine (#16 "Baby Shine (Deckstream REMIX)" feat. AI)
• [2003.12.10] VOICE OF LOVE POSSE - "VOICE OF LOVE ~Ue wo Muite Arukou"
• [2004.01.28] DOUBLE - too Wonderful (#10 "Rollin' on remix" feat. AI, #11 "My Friend (R. Yamaki Remix)" with AI)
• [2004.03.03] Rhythm & Babe (#1 "Killing Me Softly with his Song")
• [2004.04.07] MICHICO - O.P.D. (#2 "GOLD DIGGA DJ HAZIME REMIX" featuring AI)
• [2004.06.23] DJ WATARAI - ia presents HARLEM MIX SHOW Mixed by DJ WATARAI (#4 "Welcome 2 Da Party" feat. HI-D, AI)
• [2004.09.15] m-flo - ASTROMANTIC CHARM SCHOOL (#6 "STARSTRUCK -Sakai, Asuka Savannh Remix")
• [2005.03.24] JHETT a.k.a. YAKKO for AQUARIUS - JHETT (#13 "Uh Uh...... Ver. 2K5" feat. AI)
• [2005.09.07] Tokyo Engi -TKO HIP HOP- Original Soundtrack
• [2005.09.07] DELI - TIME 4 SOME ACTION (#6 "TELL ME" feat．Hannya, 565, AI)
• [2006.06.07] DJ MASTERKEY - Adventure Of Daddy's House (#28 "HOLIDAY" feat. CHRIS & AI')
• [2007.03.07] Giant Swing - Giant Swing Deli (#5 "BITTER LIFE" feat. AI')
• [2007.06.13] remistura / Remixed and Compile by Liga Oriente (#3 "My Friend -Liga Oriente Remix-")
• [2007.10.24] Trey Songz - Trey Day (#15 "Are You A Perfoma" feat. AI')
• [2008.05.28] DOUBLE - THE BEST COLLABORATIONS (#6 "My friend I'arpege noir mix" with AI)
• [2008.06.11] Tsuchiya Anna - "Crazy World" feat. AI
• [2008.07.23] EXILE - EXILE Entertainment Best (#15 "So Special -Version EX-")
• [2008.09.17] ZEEBRA - The Anthology (#21 "GOLDEN MIC (REMIX)" feat. KASHI DA HANDSOME, AI, Dohzi-T,Hannya, #27 "Do What U Gotta Do" feat. AI, Amuro Namie, Mummy-D)
• [2009.01.28] Lalapipo Official Compilation Album (#14 "people in the World (Movies Short Version)")
• [2009.01.28] DABO - I'M THE BEST (#4 "Super Back-Champaign (Yes,Sir)" feat. AI)
• [2009.02.25] GICODE - HOME SWEET HOME (#1 "HOME SWEET HOME" with AI, JAMOSA)
• [2009.03.04] James Morrison - Songs For You, Truths For Me (#15 "Broken Strings" featuring AI)
• [2009.09.02] DJ Caroline D'amore - J-Girls' Celebrity Mix (#4 "IT'S SHOW TIME!!! [J-GIRLS' CELEBRITY MIX VER.]")
• [2009.10.28] AFRA - Heat Beat (#11 "Beat It" feat. AI)
• [2009.11.18] Best Of Fun 2 (#2 "Birthday Song")
• [2009.11.25] Special Calling ~session 2~ (#2 "Birthday Song")
• [2009.11.25] DJ KAORI - DJ KAORI'S JMIX III (#3 "YOU ARE MY STAR")
• [2009.12.09] C-love FRAGRANCE Platinum Allure (#15 "ONE")
• [2009.12.23] BACK IN DA DAYZ -HIPHOP/R&B Best Tracks- (#4 "E.O.")
• [2009.12.23] Hit Songs ~Yasashii Hikari / Unmei no Hito~ Hit Songs orgel collection (#13 "Story")
• [2009.12.23] DELI - THE BIBLE 4 SURVIVAL (#2 "Konya wa Birthday Bash" feat. AI, DABO, #10 "Konya wa Birthday Bash (Auto Tune ver.)" feat. AI, DABO)
• [2010.01.27] Tokyo RAGGA LOVERS (Disc 2 #2 "I'll Remember You")
• [2010.02.03] Ryuha-R GREATEST HITS (#6 "I Wanna Know")
• [2010.02.17] Chaku Love (#3 "Story")
• [2010.03.03] Arigatou no Uta (#10 "Thank U")
• [2010.04.21] DJ HASEBE - Woofin Presents "CANDYMAN" Mixed by DJ HASEBE (#23 "I'll Remember You")
• [2010.05.19] RUDEBWOY FACE - Best Combinations -Magnum Mix- Mixed by Seven Star & DJ SN-Z from OZROSAURUS (#8 "Change The World" feat. AI')
• [2010.07.28] Aoyama Thelma - LOVE! 2 -THELMA BEST COLLABORATIONS- (#2 "This Love" feat. AI)
• [2010.12.01] Ai no Uta (WINTER REMIX) (#4 "Believe (D.N.A. Instrumental Remix)")
• [2011.01.26] AK-69 - THE RED MAGIC (#14 "It's OK" feat. AI)
• [2011.03.30] THE BAWDIES - "LOVE YOU NEED YOU" feat. AI
• [2011.04.27] Namie Amuro - Checkmate! (#1 "Wonder Woman" feat. AI & Tsuchiya Anna, #5 "Do What U Gotta Do" feat. AI & Mummy-D, #8 "FAKE" feat. Amuro Namie)
• [2011.05.11] Fukuhara Miho - The Soul Extreme EP (#1 "O2" featuring AI)
• [2011.07.27] Zeebra - "BLUE" feat. AI
• [2012.01.11] YURI - LoveRespectHarmony

Filmography

Movies

• [2006.04.28] MUSIC FROM "MEMORIES OF MATSUKO" -Kiraware Matsuko no Ongaku- Making of Kiraware Matsuko no Issho
• [2010.04.28] Blue Pacific Stories "TAKE ACTION"

Publications

Photobooks

• [2010.11] AI LOVES L.A.

External Links

• Official Website
• EMI Music Japan
• Universal Music Japan
• Blog
• Facebook
• Twitter