Ai (singer)

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Ai (singer) bigraphy, stories - Japanese singer

Ai (singer) : biography

November 2, 1981 –

, known mononymously as Ai ( stylized as AI or A.I. ) is a Japanese-American singer, songwriter and record producer. Born in Los Angeles in 1981, Ai spent her childhood in both Kagoshima, Japan and Los Angeles. She debuted as a singer in 2000, later moving to Def Jam Japan and rising to fame with her album 2004 Ai. Her single "Story" (2005) became one of the biggest singles of the 2000s in Japan, and was the sixth single in history to receive a triple million digital certification by the Recording Industry Association of Japan.

Other ventures

In April 2011, Ai presented a music documentary, Ai Miss Michael Jackson: King of Pop no Kiseki, that was recorded for Music On! TV. In the documentary, she travelled to the USA and interviewed members of the Jackson family in their home.

For the American musical comedy Glee’s season two episode Britney/Brittany, Ai dubbed the voice of Britney Spears in the Japanese release.

Products and endorsements

As is standard for Japanese musicians, Ai has featured as a spokesperson, or has her music featured, for many products. Ai’s songs have been used as TV commercial songs, drama theme songs, film theme songs and TV show ending theme songs.

Ai has worked on four major Coca Cola TV commercial campaigns, two featuring her own songs ("You Are My Star" (2009), "Happiness" (2011)) and two featuring collaborations (K’naan’s "Wavin’ Flag" (2009), Namie Amuro’s "Wonder Woman" (2011)). She has also been featured in two Audio-Technica campaigns (using "My Friend (Live Version)" and "I’ll Remember You," a campaign for Japan Airlines ("Brand New Day") and Pepsi Nex with "I Wanna Know."

Ai’s most high profile work for a TV drama was the theme song for 2006’s primetime drama Team Medical Dragon, "Believe," which was one of her greatest hits, selling over one million ringtones. Ai also sung the theme song for the drama’s second series, "One." Ai also worked on the theme song for the 2010 primetime drama Keishichō Keizoku Sōsahan, "Nemurenai Machi." Other program theme songs include the Japanese theme song for the American drama Heroes ("Taisetsu na Mono"), and the 15th ending theme for the childrens animation Crayon Shin-chan, "Crayon Beats"). In 2005, Ai’s song "Alive (English Version)" was used as an insert song for the South Korean drama Delightful Girl Choon-Hyang.

Many of Ai’s songs have been used in films. She performed the theme song for Departures (2008), the winner of the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 2009. She has also sung the theme songs for Crayon Shin-chan: The Legend Called Buri Buri 3 Minutes Charge (2005), Pray (2005), Lalapipo (2009) and Berserk Golden Age Arc I: The Egg of the High King (2012). Her music has been featured on the soundtracks of TKO Hiphop (2005), the musical film Memories of Matsuko (2006), in which Ai cameoed to perform the song, and Heat Island (2007).

Personal life

On March 6, 2013, Ai announced her engagement to Hiro, the leader and vocalist of the rock band Kaikigesshoku. The pair had been dating for 10 years, and plan to marry in 2013.

Discography

Original albums

  • My Name Is Ai (2001)
  • Original Ai (2003)
  • 2004 Ai (2004)
  • Mic-a-holic Ai (2005)
  • What’s Goin’ On Ai (2006)
  • Don’t Stop Ai (2007)
  • Viva Ai (2009)
  • The Last Ai (2010)
  • Independent (2012)
  • Moriagaro (2013)

Other albums

  • Rhythm and Babe (2004) (mix tape)
  • Flashback to Ai (2004) (BMG era compilation)
  • Feat. Ai (2004) (collaboration compilation)
  • Live Ai (2007) (live album)
  • Best Ai (2009) (greatest hits album)