Aiko (singer)

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The correct title of this article is aiko (singer). The initial letter is shown capitalized due to technical restrictions.
aiko
Background information
Birth name 柳井 愛子 (Yanai Aiko)
Born November 22, 1975
Genre(s) J-Pop
Website Official Site

aiko (real name: Aiko Yanai; 柳井 愛子; Yanai Aiko) (born November 22, 1975 in Suita, Osaka) is a Japanese pop singer-songwriter. She is known for her cheerful disposition. Her music primarily consists of love songs and is particularly popular among young girls all over East Asia. Oricon published the results of a survey of 20,000 subscribers' favourite singers, and aiko topped the list in both 2005[1] and 2006[2].

Contents

[edit] Emergence and career

aiko studied popular music vocals at the Osaka College of Music [3], graduating in 1996. From this year, she started DJ in FM OSAKA.She made her nationwide debut in July 1998 with her song "Ashita". Since then, she has had a successful career with her songs being used in television commercials and TV dramas.

After the release of "Hanabi" (her third single), aiko became recognised nationwide, due to much television promotional coverage for every one of her subsequent commercial releases. Her sixth single, "Boyfriend", became her best-selling CD single, and she achieved an appearance in the "Kohaku Uta Gassen" of 2000. Her second album, "Sakura no Ki no Shita" sold over one million copies.

[edit] In the public spotlight

aiko has previously been romantically linked with DJ Barbara Yone, but is currently involved with fellow Japanese star Taichi Kokubun of the boy-band TOKIO, to whom she is rumoured to be engaged.

[edit] Discography

Main article: Aiko discography

[edit] aiko Live

[edit] Tours

  • "Love Like Pop" (1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006) - Love Like < 愛好 (ai [to love] + ko [to like])
  • College musical festivals (1999, 2003; 7 places in all)
  • "Baby Peenats Meeting" (2001, 2004; fan club members only)
    • "Baby Peenats" (not peanuts) is a name of the aiko's official fun club managed by "ever for music". aiko loves Snoopy (and dogs in general). Her recent live tour books feature pictures of aiko with a variety of dogs every time.
  • "Love Like Rock" (2002, 2003, 2006; no-seat concerts)
  • "Love Like Aloha" (Summer 2003, at Katase beech [4], Enoshima; Summer 2006, at Southern beech, Chigasaki)

[edit] Guest appearances and duets

  • At "Yuzu winter solstice live 1999" in Saitama, aiko joined Yuzu onstage for duets of 夏色 [natsu-iro; summer colour] and 友達の唄 [tomodachi no uta; song of friends]
  • aiko appeared as a secret guest at "Chikuzen Sato Presents Cross your fingers 4", in 2000 in Osaka. aiko and Chikuzen Sato covered Fairground Attraction's Perfect.
  • aiko made a guest appearance in Dreams Come True's end-year event of 2000, and Miwa Yoshida and aiko sang duets of うれしい！たのしい！大好き！ [ureshii, tanoshii, daisuki; happy, cheerful, dearest] from the album "うれし はずかし朝帰り" [ureshi, hazukashi asagaeri; happy but shameful morning go-home] and LOVE LOVE LOVE.
  • In July 2004, Miwa and aiko sang duets of Dreams Come True's マスカラまつげ [mascara matsuge; the eyelashes in mascara] and aiko's Andromeda at the celebration of the 50th anniversary of NBS
  • In "Baby Peenats Meeting, vol.1" of 2001, aiko covered:
    • Kirinji's 1998 track 甘やかな身体 [Amayaka-na Karada?/Shintai? (sweet body)] from "Paper Driver's Music".
    • moonriders' 1996 track ニットキャップマン [Knit-cap Man].
    • Chu Kosaka's 1975 track 流星都市 [Ryusei Toshi (shooting-star city)] from "ほうろう" [Horo (wanderings)].
  • In "Baby Peenats Meeting, vol.2" of 2004, aiko covered:
    • The Beatles' 1968 track Julia from "The White Album".
    • KAN's 1996 track 今度君に会ったら [Kondo Kimi ni Attara; if I see you next time] from "MAN". She also had covered this song, accompanied by KAN himself on piano on Free Beat on FNN in 1999. In December, 2004, aiko and KAN sang aiko's Kabutomushi (1999) together in "Act against AIDS Live" in Osaka.

Ref: SANSPO.COM (17th July, 2004), aiko、大感激！ドリカム吉田と一夜限りのデュオ結成, the Sankei Shimbun. aiko　BPM　vol,１

[edit] Other media appearances

[edit] TV programmes

  • "Love Love あいしてる" [- - aishiteru; Love, Love, I love you; (1996 – 2001)] was a CX's variety show hosted by KinKi Kids, Takuro Yoshida and Tomoe Shinohara. March 2001
    • Sugar Babe (1975; 1999), 今日はなんだか [kyo wa nandaka; I don't know why, but today …] in "Songs", re-recorded edition, Warner Music Japan. Covered by aiko
    • aiko's Hatsukoi (2001). Sung with KinKi Kids
  • "SMAP × SMAP" (1996 –) is a CX's variety show hosted by SMAP. aiko has made a guest appearance twice. Both of them sing their own songs together in a show. SMAP unofficially asked aiko to make an original song in the first appearance (2002).
    • September 2002
      • aiko's Anata to Akushu (2002)
      • aiko's Hanabi (1999)
      • SMAP (1997), セロリ [celery], Victor Entertainment.
    • March 2005
      • aiko's Boyfriend (2000)
      • SMAP (1993), 君は君だよ [kimi wa kimi dayo; you're only one], Victor Entertainment.
      • aiko's Mikuni Eki (2005)
  • "松任谷由実のオールナイトニッポンTV" [ Matsutoya Yumi no @llnightnippon TV] (2005) was a special TV programme on Christmas.
    • Yumi Arai (1973), ひこうき雲 [hikoki-gumo; contrail], Alfa Records. Sung with Yumi Matsutoya.

スマスマ・レポ　2002-09-02

[edit] Radio programmes

aiko has presented several regular radio programmes, including local radio programmes in the Kansai area before she achieved widespread fame in July 1998.

  • COUNT DOWN KANSAI TOP40 (fm osaka, April 1996 – December 2001)
  • Poppun Kingdom (MBS, April 1997 – ?)
  • Young Town MUSIC MAX (MBS, October 1997 – September 1999)
  • Baby Peanuts (fm osaka, October 1998 – ?)
  • aiko's @llnightnippon.com (NBS, November 1999 – March 2003), containing the popular musical feature Sing! aiko.

[edit] Books

  • "aiko bon" (2005) was the first official book about aiko. The book contains her autobiography (in an interview style), photos, feature articles from monthly magazine GbMusicnet and liner notes by herself.[5] ISBN 4-7897-2496-4

[edit] Awards

Year Details
1996
  • Music Quest Japan Final: Excellence Prize – Himawari ni Nattara
    • Pony Canyon Award
2000
  • Teen's Music Festival Final: Teen's Grand Prize – Aitsu wo Furimukaseru Hoho; this song is re-recorded in "Sakura no Toki"
  • Saku ya Kono Hana Award, Music (Osaka city)
    • This award is given to a person or an organisation who contributes to a promotion of Osaka culture.
2002
  • Metropolitan Action on Smoking or Health: Stop-smoking Grand Prize
  • The Japan Gold Disc Award: Rock Album of the Year – Natsufuku
2004
  • The Japan Gold Disc Award: Rock & Pop Album of the Year – Akatsuki no Love Letter

[edit] Trivia

  • aiko appeared in Glico's TV commercial for "カフェオーレ" [café au lait] (2003). The music used on the advertisement is aiko's Andromeda (2003). aiko also is appearing in NTT DoCoMo's TV commercial (2006) with her song, Kiss-suru mae ni (2006) [6].
  • aiko stopped smoking in August 2001, when she was forced to cancel some live performances of "Love Like Pop, vol.6" and her radio programme due to a throat disease.Sponichi Annex
  • In 2000, aiko came into brief legal problems when her song Boyfriend was nominated for NHK's Kohaku Uta Gassen; the song's lyrics contain the word "tetrapot", similar to "tetrapod", a registered trademark, which caused controversy since NHK is a public broadcasting station. However, the episode was resolved without any restriction being placed on the lyrics.
  • Among aiko's friends listed and thanked in her releases' liner notes are Kaori Mochida, vocalist of Every Little Thing, the group Porno Graffitti, Reo Tsuchiya, main vocalist of Rag Fair, Ringo Shiina of Tokyo Jihen (an old rival in singing competitions), Saburo Tokito (a Japanese actor who has played aiko's father in her videos), and Yuuka (a Japanese actress)
  • aiko is a fan of Yukari Ichijo, a Japanese manga artist, and Ichijo based the character "eiko", in Pride (2003-) on aiko.
  • aiko has a slight feud with Japanese singer Zoxy Doll, who spoke negatively of aiko in an interview with NTV. After the programme, complaints from aiko's fans resulted in Zoxy Doll's BBS being closed. aiko expressed shock at the comments in her blog.
  • In her book "aiko bon" in (2005), aiko listed her personal favourite artists. The non-Japanese artists included Andrew Gold, Billy Joel, Bobby Caldwell, Carole King, Chet Baker, Honeybus, The Jackson 5, Jackson Sisters, James Taylor, Karen Carpenter, Stephen Bishop and Stevie Wonder. The Japanese artists included Chu Kosaka, Dreams Come True, Jungle Smile, KAN, Modern Choki Chokies, PSY・S, Ranran Suzuki, Saori Matsukura, Shonen Knife (aiko was once a member of a Shonen Knife covers band), SKIP COWS, Sugar Babe, Taeko Onuki, Tatsuro Yamashita, the collectors, THE DISMATE, the pillows, TOMOVSKY, Unicorn, Yasuyuki Okamura, Yoshiharu Abe, Yumi Matsutoya.
  • aiko has been loving Taichi Kokubunn who belonge to TOKIO. He plays keyboard, and he evaluate her talent.

[edit] External links

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