| Aa! | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Tokyo, Japan |
| Genres | Pop |
| Years active | 2003–2004, 2009–present |
| Labels | Piccolo Town |
| Associated acts | Morning Musume, Berryz Kobo, C-ute |
| Website | Hello! Project.com |
| Members | |
| Miyabi Natsuyaki (Leader) Airi Suzuki Akari Saho |
|
| Past members | |
| Reina Tanaka | |
Aa! (あぁ!, "Ah!") is a Japanese pop group in Hello! Project, formerly made up of leader and Morning Musume member Reina Tanaka, Miyabi Natsuyaki and Airi Suzuki, two Hello! Project Kids. The group's name was chosen by producer and writer Tsunku to represent multiple emotions such as joy and sadness multi-lingually, and so the group's CDs would be alphabetically at the start in record stores (although most Hello! Project merchandise is grouped together). The original group itself released only one single.
Notable for the fact that Airi Suzuki was only nine years old at the time of the single, she gives a remarkably professional and competent performance, making her the youngest girl to appear on a Hello! Project single with a major singing part.[1]
Natsuyaki became part of the pre-teen Hello! Project group Berryz Kobo in 2004, while Suzuki joined another Hello! Project group, C-ute, the year afterward. The two later became two of the three members of shuffle unit Buono! in 2007.
In 2004, Tanaka and Suzuki teamed with another Hello! Project Kid, Megumi Murakami, for the song "Suki ni Naccha Ikenai Hito", one of the coupling tracks on the H.P. All Stars' "All for One & One for All!" single. The track is credited to the individual participants, but many fans have informally referred to this grouping as "Aa! Version 2."[2] Buono! and Aa! are often compared. Natsuyaki and Suzuki are noted to often be in groups together.
The group returned from hiatus in 2009 with a new song, "Yes-Yes-Yes", on the Champloo 1: Happy Marriage Song Cover Shū album. It was announced that Reina Tanaka would no longer be a part of the unit, in order to focus on Morning Musume. She was replaced by Hello! Pro Egg Akari Saho, who was only thirteen when she joined. Akari was already a member of two groups, Shugo Chara Egg! and Tomoiki Ki Wo Uetai. The group's new generation's second song, "Yume to Genjitsu" (夢と現実, "Dreams and Reality"), was released later in the same year on the Petit Best 10 collection.
Contents |
| # | Title | Release date | Coupling with |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "First Kiss"[3] | October 29, 2003 | "Masayume" (正夢, lit. "True Dream") |