| Ai | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Ai Carina Uemura |
| Born | November 2, 1981 Los Angeles, California, United States |
| Origin | Los Angeles, United States |
| Genres | Urban contemporary, R&B |
| Years active | 2001–present |
| Labels | RCA/Ariola Japan （2001）, Def Jam Japan (2003-2004), Universal Sigma/Island (2004-2011) EMI Music Japan (2011-) |
| Website | Official website |
Ai (stylized as A.I.), born November 2, 1981 as Ai Carina Uemura (植村 愛 カリナ Uemura Ai Karina), is a Japanese R&B singer and rapper. She is currently under EMI Music Japan.
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Ai was born in Los Angeles to a Japanese father and Japanese-Italian mother.[1] Because of her father's work, she moved to Kagoshima Prefecture at the age of four. She spent time in elementary and junior high school days there.
In 1993, when she went to Los Angeles at age 12, she entered the First AME Church. She listened to her first gospel choir, and was impressed by their songs. She soon determined to be a singer.
In 1996, she graduated from junior high school, and entered performing arts school LACHSA (Los Angeles County High School for the Arts) in L.A. majoring in dance but also joining the gospel choir.
In 1998, she participated in a concert of Mary J.Blige performed at the Universal Amphitheater in L.A. as a member of the gospel choir, and sang "A Dream" in the front of 50,000 spectators at the age of 17.
She also appeared as a dancer in Janet Jackson's music video "Go Deep" after passing an audition out of about 1,000 dancers who gathered from the United States.
In 1999, she joined Asian girl group "SX4" produced by George Brown of Kool & the Gang. As she was preparing to return to Japan she was offered a contract with BMG Funhouse to debut in Japan at the age of 18.
She debuted with maxi-single "Cry, just Cry" on November 22, 2000 after graduating from LACHSA and returned home.
In 2002, after releasing three singles and one album from BMG Japan, Ai signed with hip hop label Def Jam Japan, affiliated with Universal Music Group, as their first female artist.
She participated in "Somebody’s girl feat. AI" (c/w of Ken Hirai's single "Ring") as a rapper.
She released the single "Final sentence" from Def Jam Japan in January, 2003.
She participated in the second single of Namie Amuro's project SUITE CHIC, "Uh Uh… feat. AI", as a guest artist in February 2003.
On 7 July 2007, Ai performed at the Japanese leg of the Live Earth tour in Tokyo.
On 29 November 2010 it was announced that Ai would be recording with The Jacksons and perform a tribute show with the Jackson family in Tokyo in 2011.[2]
| Year | Album information | Chart positions [3] |
Total sales [4] |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | My Name Is Ai
|
86 | 3,000 |
| 2003 | Original Ai
|
15 | 60,000 |
| 2004 | 2004 Ai
|
3 | 113,000 |
| 2005 | Mic-a-holic Ai
|
3 | 467,000 |
| 2006 | What's Goin' On Ai
|
2 | 218,000 |
| 2007 | Don't Stop Ai
|
4 | 108,000 |
| 2009 | Viva Ai
|
10 | 37,000 |
| 2010 | The Last Ai
|
14 | 28,000 |
| 2012 | Independent
|
TBA | TBA |
| Year | Album information | Chart positions [3] |
Total sales [4] |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Rhythm and Babe
|
196 | 1,900 |
Flashback to Ai
|
55 | 12,000 | |
Feat. Ai
|
33 | 32,000 | |
| 2006 | Live Ai
|
14 | 39,000 |
| 2009 | Best Ai
|
1 | 249,000 |
| Release | Title | Notes | Chart positions | Oricon sales [4] |
Album | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oricon Singles Charts [3] |
Billboard Japan Hot 100† [5] |
RIAJ digital tracks† [6] |
|||||
| 2000 | "Cry Just Cry" | BMG Japan debut single | — | — | — | — | My Name Is Ai |
| 2001 | "U Can Do" | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Shining Star" | 98 | — | — | 2,100 | |||
| 2003 | "Saishū Senkoku" (最終宣告, "Final Verdict") | DefJam debut single | 27 | — | — | 20,000 | Original Ai |
| "Thank U" | 37 | — | — | 11,000 | |||
| "My Friend/Senjō no Merry Christmas" (マイ☆フレンド/戦場のメリークリスマス, "Battlefield Merry Christmas") | Re-cut single, track 2 Ryuichi Sakamoto cover | 35 | — | — | 13,000 | Original Ai: Deluxe Edition | |
| 2004 | "After the Rain" | 32 | — | — | 17,000 | 2004 Ai | |
| "E.O." | 23 | — | — | 15,000 | |||
| "Watch Out!" feat. Afra, Tucker | Re-cut single | 62 | — | — | 5,000 | ||
| 2005 | "365" feat. Deli | 20 | — | — | 17,000 | Mic-a-holic Ai | |
| "Crayon Beats" | 40 | — | — | 5,600 | — | ||
| "Story" | 8 | — | 8‡ | 276,000 | Mic-a-holic Ai | ||
| 2006 | "Believe" | 2 | — | — | 117,000 | What's Goin' On Ai | |
| "I Wanna Know" | 9 | — | 17* | 23,000 | |||
| 2007 | "I'll Remember You/Brand New Day" | 13 | — | 15* 3* |
21,000 | Don't Stop Ai | |
| "One" | 18 | — | 7* | 23,000 | |||
| 2008 | "Taisetsu na Mono" (大切なもの, "Important Things") | Re-cut single | 22 | 62 | 34* | 6,600 | |
| "Okuribito/So Special (Version Ai)" (おくりびと, "Departures") | Track 2 collaboration with Exile Atsushi | 15 | 70 91 |
67* 21* |
13,000 | Viva Ai | |
| 2009 | "You Are My Star" | 36 | 11 | 46* | 4,900 | ||
| 2010 | "Fake" feat. Namie Amuro | 8 | 5 | 4 | 16,000 | The Last Ai | |
| "Still..." feat. AK-69 | 15 | 27 | 27 | 8,200 | |||
| "Nemurenai Machi" (眠れない街, "Sleepless Town") | 60 | 53 | 16 | 2,600 | |||
| "Stronger" feat. Miliyah Kato | 26 | 30 | 4 | 6,800 | |||
| 2011 | "Happiness / Letter in the Sky" feat. The Jacksons | 16 | — | — | 8,000 | ||
* charted on monthly Chaku-uta Reco-kyō Chart
†Japan Hot 100 established February 2008, RIAJ Digital Track Chart established April 2009
‡charted in 2008
| Release | Title | Notes | Chart positions | Oricon sales [4] |
Album | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oricon Singles Charts [3] |
Billboard Japan Hot 100 [5] |
RIAJ digital tracks [6] |
|||||
| 2001 | "One Last Kiss" (Mao Denda feat. Ai) | 94 | — | — | 2,500 |
|
|
| 2002 | "Luv Ya" (Sphere of Influence feat. Ai) | 72 | — | — | 2,400 | The Influence | |
| 2003 | "Uh Uh......" (Suite Chic feat. Ai) | 22 | — | — | 30,000 | When Pop Hits the Fan | |
| "Voice of Love (Ue o Muite Arukō)" (ＶＯＩＣＥ ＯＦ ＬＯＶＥ～上を向いて歩こう, "Walk While Looking Up") (Voice of Love Posse) | Charity single, Kyu Sakamoto cover | 25 | — | — | 19,000 |
|
|
| 2008 | "Crazy World" (Anna Tsuchiya feat. Ai) | 19 | 26 | 25* | 13,000 | Nudy Show! | |
| "So Special (Version Ex)" (Exile Atsushi feat. Ai) | — | — | 34* |
|
Exile Entertainment Best | ||
| 2009 | "Home Sweet Home" (Gicode with Ai, Jamosa) | 77 | — | — | 1,800 | SP & ST | |
| 2010 | "Ai no Uta" (アイノウタ, "Love Song") (MC2 feat. Ai & Co-key) | Digital single | — | — | 26 |
|
Energy |
| "Wavin' Flag (Coca Cola Celebration Mix) (Sekai ni Hitotsu no Hata)" (ウェイヴィン・フラッグ コカ・コーラ(R)・セレブレイション・ミックス～世界に一つの旗, "One Flag in the World")(K'naan feat. Ai) | 99 | 7 | 30 | 3,900 | Troubadour: Champion Album | ||
| "This Love" (Thelma Aoyama feat. Ai) | Digital single | — | — | 89 |
|
Love! 2 | |
| 2011 | "Wonder Woman" Namie Amuro feat. AI & Anna Tsuchiya | — | 5 | 5 | 100,000+ | Checkmate! | |