Music
 

Takahashi Ai

From Hello! Project Wiki

Takahashi Ai
高橋 愛

Also known as
Ai-chan, Lovely, Tettekete, Takitty
Born
September 14, 1986 (age 23)
Origin
Sakai, Fukui, Japan
Genre
Japanese Pop
Occupation
Singer
Years active
2001-present
Label
Zetima
Associated Acts
Website
Takahashi Ai September 2008
Takahashi Ai June 2008
Takahashi Ai April 2008
Takahashi Ai April 2007
Takahashi Ai February 2007
Takahashi Ai (高橋 愛, born September 14, 1986) is a Japanese pop singer
Shimizu Saki, Nakazawa Yuko, Takahashi Ai, and Yajima Maimi
associated with Hello! Project. She is best known as the current leader of Morning Musume and as a former member of its popular subgroup, Minimoni. She joined Morning Musume in 2001 through the fifth generation auditions. As of 2009, Takahashi has become the leader of Hello! Project.

Contents

[edit] Discography

[edit] Singles

These are solo releases by Takahashi Ai, for group releases see Morning Musume Discography.

# Title Release Date Information
1 "Yume Kara Samete"
(夢から醒めて, Awoken From a Dream) 		2006 Only released for digital purchase and download;
later released as part of the Petit Best 7 compilation CD


[edit] Biography

[edit] 2001

Takahashi Ai joined Morning Musume in 2001 as part of the group's fifth generation along with Ogawa Makoto, Konno Asami, and Niigaki Risa. Her debut with the group was on their single "Mr. Moonlight ~Ai no Big Band~". The first album she featured on was the group's fourth album, titled "4th Ikimasshoi!". It is currently their second highest selling album, with a total of 515,400 copies sold.

[edit] 2002

In 2002, Takahashi entered into her first Hello! Project Shuffle Unit, Happy 7, as one of the lead singers on the group's single.

[edit] 2003

In 2003, Takahashi replaced Yaguchi Mari in the Morning Musume spinoff group Mini Moni, first appearing in the group's movie; Mini Moni ja Movie: Okashi na Daibōken! and its accompanying soundtrack. Her best-known nickname amongst non-Japanese fans, "Takitty", was derived from the cat suit (complete with tail) which she wears in the movie. Later in 2003, she was part of the Morning Musume splinter group Morning Musume Sakura Gumi, which performed mainly slower numbers on the group's two EPs, "Hare Ame Nochi Suki" and "Sakura Mankai", and the shuffle group 7Air, an R&B-inspired septet.

[edit] 2004

Takahashi's vocals became more prominent on the second and final Mini Moni album, "Mini Moni Songs 2", as well as on Morning Musume's singles from their Spring 2004 release "Roman ~My Dear Boy~" onward. She also had a duet with Tsunku on the cover version of Tsunku and Ayumi Hamasaki's duet "Love ~since 1999~" on his solo album Take1.

[edit] 2005

In 2005, Morning Musume's first single release of the year, "The Manpower!!!", featured Takahashi in a prominent co-lead-vocal role, a role she has retained on subsequent singles since. In the summer of that year, she became part of the 2005 shuffle group Elegies.

[edit] 2006

In 2006, Takahashi played the lead role, Sapphire, in the musical "Ribbon no Kishi The Musical" which was a collaboration work of Takarazuka Revue (a famous Japanese all-female musical group) and Hello! Project. The musical was based on Tezuka Osamu's manga and also starred the entirety of v-u-den, Tsuji Nozomi, Matsuura Aya and Abe Natsumi, as well as Marcia and Kaoru Ebira of the Takarazuka Revue. Soon thereafter, Takahashi released her first and only solo single to date, "Yume Kara Samete".

[edit] 2007

Following then-leader Yoshizawa Hitomi graduation from Morning Musume on May 6, 2007, the current sub-leader, Fujimoto Miki ascended to the leader position, with Takahashi becoming the new sub-leader of the group. However, on June 1, 2007, after Fujimoto's resignation, Takahashi took over as the new leader. (Takahashi is also captain of the Hello! Project kickball team, Metro Rabbits H.P..)

[edit] 2008

In 2008 Takahashi became a member of Hello Project's new unit High-King, a group created to promote Morning Musume's upcoming Cinderella the Musical, in which Takahashi will play the main character. It was announced in July 2008, that Takahashi and fellow Morning Musume member Niigaki Risa would play the 80s J-Pop duo Pink Lady in the TV Drama Hitmaker Aku Yuu Monogatari.

As of September 2008, she and Niigaki Risa have the second longest tenures of any member, with only Iida Kaori remaining in the group longer. She is also one of only four members to remain in the group for seven years or more (the others being Iida, Yoshizawa and Niigaki).


[edit] 2009

In February 1, 2009, during the "Hello Pro Award '09 ~Elder Club Sotsugyo Kinen Special~" concert held at Yokohama Arena, Yuko Nakazawa passed on her leadership position in Hello! Project to Takahashi.

[edit] Profile

  • Name: Takahashi Ai (高橋愛)
  • Nickname: Ai-chan, Lovely, Takitty, Tettekete
  • Birth date: September 14, 1986
  • Birthplace: Sakai, Fukui Prefecture, Japan
  • Blood type: A
  • Height: 153.3 cm
  • Hobbies: Watching plays, ballet
  • Specialty: Flipping her eyelids, bridge
  • Favorite food: Sauce katsudon, omelette rice
  • Disliked food: Mont blanc, eggplant, pineapple, musubi, perilla leaves
  • Favorite color: Black, white, pink
  • Favorite word: "Tomodachi" (友達 - "Friend")
  • Favorite season: Autumn
  • Favorite flowers: Roses
  • Favorite song: Tsumetai Umi / Start in My Life by Kuraki Mai
  • Hello! Project Groups:
  • Subgroups:
  • Concert Units:
  • Shuffle Units:
  • Other:

[edit] Trivia

  • She, along with fellow fifth generation member Niigaki Risa have the longest tenures of any Morning Musume members, being in the group for nearly 8 years.
  • Love Audition 21 audition songs:
    • Round 1: "Tsumetai Umi" (Kuraki Mai)
    • Round 2: "Tsumetai Umi" (Kuraki Mai)
  • Graduated from Hinode High School, a private academy known for its many celebrity students.
  • First child in family and has one sister.
  • Highly skilled and trained in classical ballet and singing. Entered a nation-wide competition with her junior high choir.
  • On October 7, 1999, she appeared on the "BS Junior Nodo Jiman" singing competition held in Sabaeshi in Fukui and won the Best Stage Award.
  • Her black catsuit from Minimoni ja Movie: Okashi na Daibouken! earned her the popular nickname "Takitty" amongst non-Japanese fans.
  • The nickname "Tettekete" was given to her by Ishibashi Takaaki on Utaban. It was a play on her staccato, Morse Code-like speech pattern (e.g., "tette-te-tette-ke-kete"). However, she has mostly grown out of that pattern — as well as her Fukui accent — in the years since.
  • Her photobook 19 holds the #1 spot in photobook rankings in 2006.
  • A huge fan of Takarazuka since childhood. Wanted to be a Takarasienne but gave up on it due to her short height. She is noted by other members for trying to make them watch videos of Takarazuka productions. Her favorite performer is Mizu Natsuki.
  • Has personally acknowledged she is not good at talk/interview portions.
  • Like Tsuji Nozomi, she also considers Matsuura Aya as her rival.

[edit] Appearances

[edit] Photobooks

# Title Release date Publisher Description
- 5 - Morning Musume 5 Ki Generation Member Shashinshū
(5　モーニング娘。5期メンバー写真集) 		August 13, 2002 Wani Books Photobook starring all of the 5th generation members.
1 Morning Musume - Takahashi Ai
(モーニング娘。― 高橋愛) 		December 9, 2002 Wani Books First solo photobook.
2 Alo Hello! Takahashi Ai
(アロハロ!高橋愛) 		December 17, 2003 Kadokawa Shoten Second solo photobook.
3 Takahashi Ai Shashinshū "Wataame"
(高橋愛写真集 わたあめ, Cotton Candy) 		May 27, 2004 Wani Books Third solo photobook.
4 Takahashi Ai Shashinshū "Ai Gokoro"
(高橋愛写真集 愛ごころ) 		June 25, 2005 Wani Books Fourth solo photobook.
5 Takahashi Ai Shashinshū "19"
(高橋愛写真集『19』) 		January 27, 2006 Wani Books Fifth solo photobook.
6 Takahashi Ai Shashinshū Zenshu "ai"
(高橋愛写真集全集『ai』) 		Octover 27, 2006 Wani Books Compilation photobook.
7 Love Hello! Ai Takahashi Shashinshū in Phuket
(ラブハロ！高橋愛写真集inプーケット) 		March 14, 2007 Kadokawa Publishing Group Seventh solo photobook. Photographed in Phuket, Thailand.
8 Takahashi Ai Shashinshū "Mizu"
(高橋愛写真集『水』) 		October 26, 2007 Wani Books Eigth solo photobook. Photographed in Bali.
9 Takahashi Ai Shashinshū "Mō Hitotsu no Ai"
(高橋愛写真集『もうひとつの愛』) 		May 25, 2008 Wani Books Ninth solo photobook.


[edit] DVDs

# Title Release date
1 Alo Hello! Takahashi Ai DVD (アロハロ!高橋愛DVD) December 17, 2003
2 Love Hello! Takahashi Ai DVD (ラブハロ!高橋愛DVD) April 11, 2007


[edit] Acts

[edit] Television dramas

Title Start date End date
Angel Hearts 2002
ミニモニ。でブレーメンの音楽隊) January 10, 2005 January 31, 2005
ヒットメーカー 阿久悠物語) August 1, 2008
Q.E.D Shōmei Shūryō
(Q.E.D 証明終了) 		January 8, 2009 March 12, 2009


[edit] Television shows

Show Start date End date Network
Hello! Morning
(ハロー！モーニング。) 		2001 April 1, 2007 TV Tokyo
Matthew's Best Hit TV May 29, 2002 TV Asahi
Tin Tin Town!
(ティンティンTown!) 		July 5, 2002 March 26, 2004 Nihon TV
Sore Yuke! Gorokkies
(それゆけ!ゴロッキーズ) 		September 29, 2003 December 26, 2003 TV Tokyo
Futarigoto
(二人ゴト) 		April 21, 2004 April 23, 2004 TV Tokyo
July 23, 2004 July 29, 2004
Majokko Rika-chan no Magical v-u-den
(魔女っ娘。梨華ちゃんのマジカル美勇伝) 		December 1, 2004 December 6, 2004 TV Tokyo
December 16, 2004 December 17, 2004
Musume Dokyu!
(娘DOKYU!) 		April 4, 2005 June 8, 2005 TV Tokyo
Haromoni@
(ハロモニ@) 		April 8, 2007 September 28, 2008 TV Tokyo


[edit] Radio

Program Start Date End Date Network
MBS Young Town Dōyōbi
(MBSヤングタウン土曜日) 		April 12, 2003 Ongoing MBS Radio
Ishikawa Rika no Chanchaka Charmy
(☆石川梨華のちゃんちゃか☆チャーミー!) 		March 3, 2005 CBC Radio
TBC Fun Fīrudo Mōretsu Mōdasshu
(TBC Funふぃーるど・モーレツモーダッシュ) 		May 16, 2005 May 27, 2005 TBC


[edit] External Links

Honorary titles

Preceded by

Fujimoto Miki

Leader of Morning Musume

2007 – present

Succeeded by

Incumbent

Preceded by

Fujimoto Miki

Sub-leader of Morning Musume

2007

Succeeded by

Niigaki Risa

Preceded by

Nakazawa Yuuko

Leader of Hello! Project

2009 – present

Succeeded by

Incumbent

Preceded by

Iida Kaori

Longest serving member of

Morning Musume
2009 – present

(held with Niigaki Risa)

Succeeded by

Incumbent

Preceded by

Nakazawa Yuuko

Oldest Member of

Hello! Project

April 1, 2009 – June 6, 2009

Succeeded by

Hirano Tomomi

Retrieved from "http://helloproject.wikia.com/wiki/Takahashi_Ai"