Mao Abe

Mao Abe
Birth name Mao Abe (阿部真央)
Also known as Abema (あべま) (nickname)
Born 24 January 1990
Ōita, Japan
Genres Pop
Occupation(s) Singer-songwriter
Instruments Acoustic guitar, Vocals
Years active 2008–present
Labels Pony Canyon (2008–present)
Yamaha Music Artist (talent agency) (2008–present)

Mao Abe (阿部 真央 Abe Mao, born 24 January 1990) is a Japanese singer-songwriter.

Biography

Abe started learning the piano from age three, and from junior high school she wanted to be a singer.[1] She gave up the piano in favour of the guitar, wanting to be an acoustic pop singer/songwriter in the style of Canadian pop musician Avril Lavigne.[2] While at high school she frequently busked and attended music auditions.[3] In February 2006, on a morning when she had truanted from school, she wrote her first song, "My Baby".[2] Late in mid-2006, she entered the Yamaha Teens' Music Festival's Ōita regional contest on the recommendation of a musical instrument store manager, and performed "My Baby".[1][3] She won the grand prize, and later entered the country-wide version, where she won an honourable mention prize after performing "Haha no Uta" (母の唄 Mother Song).[3]

After finishing high school, she moved to Tokyo and was signed to the record label Pony Canyon. Abe performed at many live events, including some high-profile events like the Rock in Japan Festival.[4] From August until November, four acoustic demos of Abe songs were released on iTunes.[5] The third of these, "My Baby", was chosen as the October iTunes Single of the Week free download song.[1]

Abe released her first album Free in January 2009. The eponymous title track was released as a radio single, and did extremely well on radio stations: Abe reached #1 on the Billboard Japan Hot 100 chart, despite only the airplay component counting towards her ranking (as opposed to airplay and physical sales, like most other releases).[6]

Since the album, she has released three singles, the first two reaching the top 20 on the Oricon single charts.[7] The third, "Itsu no Hi mo", reached #2 on the Japan Hot 100 chart, a week before the physical release of the single.[8] The single was followed by her second album, Pop, which was her first top 5 album on the Oricon albums chart.[9]

Discography

Studio albums

List of albums, with selected chart positions
Title Album details Peak positions Sales (JPN)[10][upper-alpha 1]
JPN
[11]		 TWN East Asian
[12][upper-alpha 2][upper-alpha 3]
Free 17 15 21,000
Pop
  • Released: January 27, 2010 (JPN)
  • Label: Pony Canyon
  • Formats: CD, digital download
 5 — 54,000
Su. (素。, "Naked")
  • Released: June 1, 2011 (JPN)
  • Label: Pony Canyon
  • Formats: CD, digital download
 6 — 41,000
Tatakai wa Owaranai (戦いは終わらない, "The Fight Is Not Over")
  • Released: June 6, 2012 (JPN)
  • Label: Pony Canyon
  • Formats: CD, digital download
 6 — 28,000
Anata o Suki na Watashi (貴方を好きな私, "The Me You Like")
  • Released: August 28, 2013 (JPN)
  • Label: Pony Canyon
  • Formats: CD, CD/DVD, digital download
 7 — 17,000
Oppajime! (おっぱじめ!, "Start!")
  • Released: February 18, 2014 (JPN)
  • Label: Pony Canyon
  • Formats: CD, CD/DVD, digital download
 7 — 14,000
"—" denotes items that did not chart.

Compilation albums

List of albums, with selected chart positions
Title Album details Peak positions Sales (JPN)[10]
JPN
[11]
Single Collection 19—24 (シングルコレクション19-24 Shinguru Korekushon Naintīn Tuentifō)
  • Released: August 20, 2014 (JPN)
  • Label: Pony Canyon
  • Formats: CD, CD/DVD, digital download
 7 13,000

Live albums

List of albums, with selected chart positions
Title Album details Peak positions Sales (JPN)[10]
JPN
[11]
5th Anniversary Abe Mao Live 2014 @ Nippon Budōkan (阿部真央らいぶ2014@日本武道館)
  • Released: March 11, 2015 (JPN)
  • Label: Pony Canyon
  • Formats: CD, digital download
 159 1,000

Singles

As a lead artist

List of singles, with selected chart positions
Title Year Peak chart positions Sales (JPN)[10] Certifications Album
JPN Oricon
[11]		 JPN Hot 100
[13][upper-alpha 4]
"Tsutaetai Koto" 2009 19 11 13,300 Pop
"I Wanna See You" 39
"Anata no Koibito ni Naritai no Desu" 19 5 8,800
"Itsu no Hi mo" 2010 12 2 9,200
  • RIAJ (cellphone): Gold[32]
"Lonely" 22 5 9,500 Su.
"19-sai no Uta" 20 8 6,000
"Mottō." (モットー。, "Mooore.") 2011 20 9 7,800
"Hikari" (光, "Light") —
"Soba ni Ite" (側にいて, "Come to Me") 22 18 7,800 Tatakai wa Owaranai
"Sekai wa Mada Kimi o Shiranai" (世界はまだ君を知らない, "The World Still Doesn't Know You") 2012 22 11 6,600
"Saigo no Watashi" (最後の私, "Me at the End") 2013 20 34 6,200 Anata o Suki na Watashi
"Anata ga Suki na Watashi" (貴方が好きな私, "The Me You Like") 28 35 3,500
"Boyfriend" —
"Believe in Yourself" 2014 20 23 5,500 Single Collection 19—24 / Oppajime!
"Sorezore Arukidasō" (それぞれ歩き出そう, "Let's Walk Our Separate Ways") 29 24 3,500 Oppajime!
"—" denotes items that did not chart.

As a featured artist

List of singles, with selected chart positions
Title Year Peak chart positions Album
JPN Hot 100
[13][upper-alpha 4]
"Bitansan Syndrome" (微炭酸シンドローム, "Soda Syndrome") (Kreva featuring Mao Abe) 2011 97 Go

Promotional singles

Title Year Peak chart positions Album
Billboard Japan Hot 100
[13]
"Hitomishiri no Uta" (人見知りの唄, "Shy Song") 2008 — Free
"My Baby" —
"Free" 1
"Mada" (未だ, "Still") 2010 23 Pop
"Tatakai wa Owaranai" 2012 27 Tatakai wa Owaranai
"Tenshi wa Ita n da" (天使はいたんだ, "There Was an Angel") 2013 83 Anata o Suki na Watashi
"Yasashii Kotoba" (優しい言葉, "Kind Words") 2015 —[upper-alpha 5] Oppajime!
"Haiagare My Way" (這い上がれ MY WAY, "Climb My Way") —[upper-alpha 6]
"—" denotes items that did not chart.

Video albums

List of media, with selected chart positions
Title Album details Peak positions
JPN
[11]
Abe Mao Live No. 2 @ Zepp Tokyo (阿部真央らいぶNo.2@Zepp Tokyo)
  • Released: July 27, 2011
  • Label: Pony Canyon
  • Formats: DVD
 33
Abe Mao Live No. 4 @ Shibuya Kōkaidō (阿部真央らいぶNo.2@渋谷公会堂)
  • Released: December 5, 2012
  • Label: Pony Canyon
  • Formats: DVD
 18
Abe Mao Live No. 5 @ Tokyo Kokusai Forum (阿部真央らいぶNo.5@東京国際フォーラム)
  • Released: March 19, 2014
  • Label: Pony Canyon
  • Formats: DVD, Blu-ray
 45

Tours

Notes

  1. ↑ Sales provided by Oricon database and are rounded to the nearest hundred copies.
  2. ↑ The G-Music East Asian chart is a sub-chart, so releases listed may not have charted on the main top 20.
  3. ↑ Position was taken from 2009 week 11 for Free.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Sources for chart positions are as follows: "Free",[14] "I Wanna See You",[15] "Tsutaetai Koto",[16] "Anata no Koibito ni Naritai no Desu",[17] "Itsu no Hi mo",[18] "Mada",[19] "Lonely",[20] "19-sai no Uta",[21] "Motto",[22] "Bitansan Syndrome",[23] "Soba ni Ite",[24] "Sekai wa Mada Kimi o Shiranai",[25] "Tatakai wa Owaranai",[26] "Saigo no Watashi",[27] "Anata ga Suki na Watashi",[28] "Tenshi wa Ita n da",[29] "Believe in Yourself",[30] "Sorezore Arukidasō".[31]
  5. ↑ Charted at number 21 on the Adult Contemporary Airplay chart and at number 46 on the Hot Top Airplay chart.[33][34]
  6. ↑ Charted at number 53 on the Hot Top Airplay chart.[34]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "イデータ of あべま｜阿部真央オフィシャルサイト". Archived from the original on 2011-02-15. Retrieved 2009-12-01.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "阿部真央　悲しみも孤独も楽しさもすべてリアル". Yahoo.co.jp. 2009-01-16. Archived from the original on 2011-02-15. Retrieved 2009-12-01.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 "阿部真央 アーティストページ - TSUTAYA online". Archived from the original on 2011-02-15. Retrieved 2009-12-01.
  4. ↑ "ROCK IN JAPAN FES 2008". 阿部真央's MySpace Blog あべまのブログ。. 2008-08-05. Archived from the original on 2011-02-15. Retrieved 2009-12-01.
  5. ↑ "阿部真央 on MySpace Music". Archived from the original on 2011-02-15. Retrieved 2009-12-01.
  6. ↑ "Mao Abe - Free". Music Charts. Archived from the original on 2011-02-15. Retrieved 2009-12-01.
  7. ↑ "阿部真央 リリース一覧". Oricon. Archived from the original on 2011-02-15. Retrieved 2009-12-01.
  8. ↑ "Japan Billboard Hot 100". Billboard. 2010-01-18. Archived from the original on 2010-09-29. Retrieved 2010-01-13.
  9. ↑ "オリコンランキング情報サービス「you大樹」". Oricon. Archived from the original on 2011-02-15. Retrieved 2010-02-03. (subscription only)
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 "オリコンランキング情報サービス「you大樹」" [Oricon Ranking Information Service 'You Big Tree']. Oricon. Retrieved September 24, 2014. (subscription required (help)).
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 11.4 "阿部真央のリリース一覧" [List of Mao Abe's Releases]. Oricon. Retrieved September 24, 2014.
  12. ↑ "G-Music J-Pop Chart" (in Chinese). G-Music. Retrieved June 4, 2014.
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 "Hot 100｜JAPAN Charts｜Billboard JAPAN" (in Japanese). Billboard.
  14. ↑ "Japan Billboard Hot 100". Billboard (in Japanese). January 28, 2009. Retrieved September 24, 2014.
  15. ↑ "Japan Billboard Hot 100". Billboard (in Japanese). May 27, 2009. Retrieved September 24, 2014.
  16. ↑ "Japan Billboard Hot 100". Billboard (in Japanese). June 3, 2009. Retrieved September 24, 2014.
  17. ↑ "Japan Billboard Hot 100". Billboard (in Japanese). August 12, 2009. Retrieved September 24, 2014.
  18. ↑ "Japan Billboard Hot 100". Billboard (in Japanese). January 20, 2010. Retrieved September 24, 2014.
  19. ↑ "Japan Billboard Hot 100". Billboard (in Japanese). February 3, 2010. Retrieved September 24, 2014.
  20. ↑ "Japan Billboard Hot 100". Billboard (in Japanese). June 16, 2010. Retrieved September 24, 2014.
  21. ↑ "Japan Billboard Hot 100". Billboard (in Japanese). November 10, 2010. Retrieved September 24, 2014.
  22. ↑ "Japan Billboard Hot 100". Billboard (in Japanese). May 25, 2011. Retrieved September 24, 2014.
  23. ↑ "Japan Billboard Hot 100". Billboard (in Japanese). September 14, 2011. Retrieved September 24, 2014.
  24. ↑ "Japan Billboard Hot 100". Billboard (in Japanese). November 23, 2011. Retrieved September 24, 2014.
  25. ↑ "Japan Billboard Hot 100". Billboard (in Japanese). May 23, 2012. Retrieved September 24, 2014.
  26. ↑ "Japan Billboard Hot 100". Billboard (in Japanese). June 13, 2012. Retrieved September 24, 2014.
  27. ↑ "Japan Billboard Hot 100". Billboard (in Japanese). March 13, 2013. Retrieved September 24, 2014.
  28. ↑ "Japan Billboard Hot 100". Billboard (in Japanese). July 3, 2013. Retrieved September 24, 2014.
  29. ↑ "Japan Billboard Hot 100". Billboard (in Japanese). August 28, 2013. Retrieved September 24, 2014.
  30. ↑ "Japan Billboard Hot 100". Billboard (in Japanese). May 28, 2014. Retrieved September 24, 2014.
  31. ↑ "Japan Billboard Hot 100". Billboard (in Japanese). October 29, 2014. Retrieved October 29, 2014.
  32. ↑ レコード協会調べ　3月度有料音楽配信認定 [Record Association Investigation: March Digital Music Download Certifications] (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan. April 20, 2010. Retrieved September 24, 2014.
  33. ↑ "Adult Contemporary Airplay". Billboard (in Japanese). February 25, 2015. Retrieved February 25, 2015.
  34. ↑ 34.0 34.1 "Hot Top Airplay". Billboard (in Japanese). February 25, 2015. Retrieved February 25, 2015.

External links