Biography
Under the direction of Masato "Max" Matsuura, one of Japanese pop's foremost impresarios, the dance-vocal ensemble AAA represents an uncommon presence in J-pop as a mixed-gender act designed to attract both female teenagers and male music fans. Matsuura, cofounder and president of the Avex Trax record label, has enabled AAA to enlist big-name producers for its songwriting needs. Formed in 2005 as a manufactured six-piece, the group—whose name is read as "Triple A" and understood as an acronym for "Attack All Around"—originally consisted of bandleader Naoya Urata, Takahiro Nishijima, Mitsuhiro Hidaka, Shinjiro Atae, Shuta Sueyoshi, and sole female member Misako Uno. Yukari Goto and Chiaki Ito joined shortly afterward. Uno was selected through an Avex audition. Urata and Goto had graduated from Avex's Artist Academy, with Urata also serving as a backing dancer for J-pop queen Ayumi Hamasaki and appearing in the video for Halcali's debut single "Tandem." Hidaka, Atae, Sueyoshi, and Nishijima had worked as backing dancers for pop idol Ami Suzuki. Various members have pursued acting, modeling—Ito among them—and radio presenting. Beyond their visual appeal, at least three members bring additional accomplishments: Goto represented her country in gymnastics as a teenager, Uno attends Tokyo Women's University, and Hidaka studies at Tokyo's elite university Waseda.
AAA entered the scene in 2005 with the single "Blood on Fire," the theme song to the live-action film Initial D: The Movie, itself an adaptation of the popular Japanese manga. The group benefits from influential connections. Within twelve months of debuting, after four singles and the album Attack, AAA received the Best New Artist of the Year Award at the 47th Japan Record Awards, even though the releases did not reach the upper chart tiers. Although the guitars sounded grungier and the raps rougher than those of typical J-pop peers, AAA remained a somersaultin', color-coordinated "performance-dance" group whose chiseled male members and appealing female members suited mainstream tastes. The album's substantial budget secured writers and producers previously associated with Smap and Da Pump, while rapper motsu from labelmates m.o.v.e. contributed lyrics.
A remix album, Remix Attack, appeared in summer 2006, followed by an active stretch spanning late 2006 into early 2007 that brought AAA's second album All—including DVD footage of a performance at Tokyo's 14,000-person capacity Budokan venue—and the ten-track CCC: Challenge Cover Collection, featuring covers of artists such as TRF and Godiego. In June 2007 Goto departed for health reasons. The single "Get Chu/She No Jijitsu" preceded the group's first overseas performance in July 2007 at Otakon in Baltimore, MD, North America's second-largest anime convention. That same month in Japan, AAA issued three distinct versions of one single: one with the full band, one limited to the male members, and one featuring only the girls.
AAA entered the scene in 2005 with the single "Blood on Fire," the theme song to the live-action film Initial D: The Movie, itself an adaptation of the popular Japanese manga. The group benefits from influential connections. Within twelve months of debuting, after four singles and the album Attack, AAA received the Best New Artist of the Year Award at the 47th Japan Record Awards, even though the releases did not reach the upper chart tiers. Although the guitars sounded grungier and the raps rougher than those of typical J-pop peers, AAA remained a somersaultin', color-coordinated "performance-dance" group whose chiseled male members and appealing female members suited mainstream tastes. The album's substantial budget secured writers and producers previously associated with Smap and Da Pump, while rapper motsu from labelmates m.o.v.e. contributed lyrics.
A remix album, Remix Attack, appeared in summer 2006, followed by an active stretch spanning late 2006 into early 2007 that brought AAA's second album All—including DVD footage of a performance at Tokyo's 14,000-person capacity Budokan venue—and the ten-track CCC: Challenge Cover Collection, featuring covers of artists such as TRF and Godiego. In June 2007 Goto departed for health reasons. The single "Get Chu/She No Jijitsu" preceded the group's first overseas performance in July 2007 at Otakon in Baltimore, MD, North America's second-largest anime convention. That same month in Japan, AAA issued three distinct versions of one single: one with the full band, one limited to the male members, and one featuring only the girls.
Albums
Singles
