Ai Otsuka
Ai Otsuka (大塚 愛, Ōtsuka Ai, born September 9, 1983) is a female Japanese pop singer-songwriter and pianist from Osaka, Osaka Prefecture, Japan. She is a popular artist on the avex trax label and is best-known for her 2003 hit Sakuranbo, which stayed in the Top 200 Oricon Weekly Singles Chart for 85 weeks.A piano player since age 4, Otsuka composes and co-produces her songs. She also writes her own lyrics. Her music ranges from upbeat catchy pop/rock music that can be heard in tracks like Happy Days and Sakuranbo to touching ballads like Daisuki da yo and Planetarium.
Ai's debut album LOVE PUNCH was released in March 2004 and was a huge success, earning Otsuka nicknames such as "The New Guru of Love". Her second single called "Sakuranbo" stayed on the Oricon charts for 85 weeks. Surprisingly, Ai's second album, LOVE JAM, was released only 8 months after her first in November 2004. It debuted at #1.
In other works, Ai has acted in the "Tokyo Friends" drama. She also has a radio show called "Otsuka Ai ai-r Jack" and has appeared in various CMs. Furthermore, Otsuka pens column in two Japanese magazines; "Love Column" in Zipper and "Love World ~ Eye Love Pictures" in B-Pass. Kimi iro Omoi, Otsuka's first photobook, was released on March 1st, 2005.
A talented graphic artist as well, the first pressings of her albums and some singles have included a limited edition picture book illustrated by Ai herself. Many of her illustrations can be seen at the Gallery section of her official website.
JAM PUNCH Tour 2005, her first tour began on April 24, 2005. It completed in June 2005 and a Live DVD with footage will be released on July 27, 2005. LOVE COOK, her 3rd album was released on December 14, 2005.
Otsuka Ai performed at Makuhari Messe on July 7th, 2007, for one of Japan's two Live Earth concerts, alongside contemporaries Koda Kumi and ayaka.
