Introduction
Ado (Japanese: アド, born October 24, 2002) is a Japanese singer. In 2020, at the age of 17, she made her debut with the digital single titled "Usseewa", which peaked at number 1 on Billboard Japan Hot 100, Oricon Digital Singles Chart, and the Oricon Streaming Chart. The song reached 100 million plays on Billboard Japan within 17 weeks of charting, which was the sixth fastest in history and the youngest for a solo singer. In 2022, her song "New Genesis" was used as the theme song for the anime film One Piece Film: Red and topped Apple Music's Global Top 100 charts.
She is represented by the artist management company Cloud Nine.
Life and music career
Early life and musical beginnings: 2014–2020
Ado was born on October 24, 2002, in Tokyo, Japan.
In 2014, Ado took an interest in music after software for the video-sharing website Niconico was released on the Nintendo 3DS. She began watching videos on the small screen of the handheld game console, and was impressed by cover singers on Niconico who sang without showing their faces.
In 2017, Ado began singing as an utaite (an internet cover singer) on Niconico, beginning with uploading a video of herself singing a cover of "Kimi no taion" on January 10, 2017. On Nippon TV, she said that during the time she was an utaite singer, she covered her closet in soundproofing material that she bought online and recorded in it.
In 2019, she featured in Kujira's digital single "Kinmokusei", which was released on December 23, 2019. A couple months later, she featured as a vocalist in a digital single "Shikabanēze" by jon-YAKITORY, which was released on March 29, 2020. In May 2020, she participated in Pony Canyon's compilation album PALETTE4. She released two songs, "Call boy" by syudou and "Taema naku ai-iro" by Shishi Shishi, as digital releases.
Debut with "Usseewa": 2020
On October 15, 2020, Ado announced that she would make her debut with Universal Music Japan. On October 23, the day before her 18th birthday, she released the digital single "Usseewa" written by Vocaloid producer syudou. The music video, released on her own YouTube channel, reached 5 million views by November 14. On December 10, 2020, "Usseewa" ranked number 1 on Spotify Viral 50 Japan. On December 24, she released her second single "Readymade" written by Vocaloid producer Surii, as a digital release.
By January 23, 2021, "Usseewa" had reached 40 million views on YouTube, and on February 3, 2021, it ranked number 1 on both Oricon Digital Singles Chart and Oricon Streaming Chart. On February 14, she released her third single, "Gira Gira", written by Vocaloid producer teniwoha, as a digital release. Four days later on February 18, the number of subscribers on her YouTube channel exceeded 1 million.
On March 15, 2021, "Usseewa" reached number one on the Billboard Japan Hot 100, and on March 20, the music video on YouTube reached 100 million views, 148 days after its release. On March 29, "Usseewa" reached 100 million plays on the Billboard JAPAN chart "Streaming Songs" after 17 weeks from charting-in, which was the sixth fastest in history and the youngest for a solo singer.
On April 27, 2021, Ado released her fifth single "Odo", which was used in an NHK show about Vocaloid producers.
On June 11, 2021, she was chosen as the second Japanese female artist for "YouTube's Artist on the Rise". On June 14, 2021, she released her sixth single, "Yoru no Pierrot".
On December 11, 2021, she won "Best New Asian Artist Japan" at the Mnet Asian Music Awards.
Ado provided the singing voice for the character Uta in the 2022 anime film One Piece Film: Red; the album Uta's Songs: One Piece Film Red, containing the vocal songs from the film was released on August 10, 2022. The film's theme song "New Genesis" topped Apple Music's Global Top 100 charts.
From December 2022 to January 2023, Ado went on her first national tour "Shinkiro" (Mirage), which lasted for 10 shows in 6 different locations across Japan.
In October 2022, Ado signed with Geffen Records to release music in the United States alongside her current record deal with Virgin Music.
From June 2023 to September 2023, Ado went on her second national tour "Mars", which lasted for 14 shows in 11 different locations across Japan.
On August 3, 2023, Ado was featured in the Japanese-language version of "Unforgiven" by Le Sserafim and Nile Rodgers. Her song "Kura Kura" (クラクラ, lit. "Dizzy") was used as the opening theme of the second season of anime adaptation of Spy × Family.
Ado announced her first world tour, "Wish", on her 21st birthday in October 2023; it lasted from February to April 2024. She also held two solo live performances called "Shinzo" (Heart) at the Japan National Stadium on April 27 and 28, 2024, becoming the first solo female artist to do so.
On April 20, 2024, Ado announced her second studio album, Zanmu. The album released on July 10, 2024, alongside a live CD from her first world tour "Wish" recorded at Peacock Theater, California.
On June 26, 2024, the idol group Phantom Siita, which Ado produced, made their debut with the single "Otomodachi".
Discography
Albums
Studio albums
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | Sales | Certifications | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JPN | JPNComb. | JPNHot | ||||
| Kyōgen |
| 1 | 1 | 1 |
|
|
| Zanmu |
| 1 | 1 | 1 |
|
|
Soundtrack albums
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | Sales | Certifications | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JPN | JPNComb. | JPNHot | BEL(WA) | FRA | US Heat. | ||||
| Uta's Songs: One Piece Film Red |
| 2 | 1 | 1 | 168 | 97 | 9 |
|
|
Compilation albums
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | Sales | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JPN | JPNComb. | JPNHot | |||
| Ado's Utattemita Album |
| 2 | 2 | 1 |
|
| Ado "Ready for My Show Playlist" |
| — | — | — | |
| "—" denotes items that did not chart. | |||||
Singles
As lead artist
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JPNComb. | JPNHot | USWorld | WW | ||||
| "Usseewa" (うっせぇわ) | 2020 | 2 | 1 | — | 41 |
| Kyōgen |
| "Readymade" (レディメイド) | — | 65 | — | — |
| ||
| "Gira Gira" (ギラギラ) | 2021 | 14 | 12 | — | — |
| |
| "Odo" (踊) | 6 | 4 | — | 122 |
| ||
| "Yoru no Pierrot" (夜のピエロ) | 17 | 13 | — | — |
| ||
| "Aitakute" (会いたくて) | 45 | 27 | — | — |
| ||
| "Ashura-chan" (阿修羅ちゃん) | 8 | 5 | — | — |
| ||
| "Eien no Akuruhi" (永遠のあくる日) | 2022 | — | 35 | — | — | Zanmu | |
| "New Genesis" (新時代) | 1 | 1 | — | 20 |
| Uta's Songs | |
| "I'm Invincible" (私は最強) | 3 | 2 | — | 74 |
| ||
| "Backlight" (逆光) | 2 | 2 | — | 73 |
| ||
| "Rebellion" (リベリオン) | 33 | 20 | — | — |
| Zanmu | |
| "Missing" (行方知れず) | 39 | 25 | — | — | |||
| "I'm a Controversy" (アタシは問題作) | 2023 | 39 | 27 | — | — | ||
| "Ibara" (いばら) | — | 38 | — | — | |||
| "Himawari" (向日葵) | 24 | 19 | — | — | |||
| "Show" (唱) | 1 | 1 | — | 44 |
| ||
| "Dignity" | — | 34 | — | — | |||
| "Kura Kura" (クラクラ) | 18 | 9 | — | — |
| ||
| "All Night Radio" (オールナイトレディオ) | — | 99 | — | — | |||
| "Unravel" | — | 50 | — | — | Ado's Utattemita Album | ||
| "Dawn and Fireflies" (夜明けと蛍) | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Chocolat Cadabra" (ショコラカタブラ) | 2024 | 38 | 31 | — | — | Zanmu | |
| "Value" | — | 45 | — | — | |||
| "Mirror" | — | 44 | 6 | — | |||
| "Rule" (ルル) | — | 40 | — | — | |||
| "—" denotes items that did not chart. | |||||||
As featured artist
| Release date | Artist | Title |
|---|---|---|
| December 12, 2019 | Kujira | "Kinmokusei" (feat. Ado) |
| March 29, 2020 | Jon-Yakitory | "Shikabanēze" (feat. Ado) |
| May 11, 2020 | Toiki | "Anemone" (feat. Ado) |
| June 30, 2020 | Nagumo Yūki | "Stick Candy" (feat. Ado) |
| August 14, 2020 | Biz | "Tokyo Cannibalism Biz" (feat Ado) |
| August 28, 2020 | Jon-Yakitory | "Eat" (feat. Ado) |
| September 11, 2020 | Biz | "Freud Meta Biz" (feat. Ado) |
| September 21, 2020 | Linmu | "Oshare banchō" (feat. Ado) |
| September 23, 2020 | Nakimushi | "Shake It Now." (feat. Ado) |
| December 11, 2020 | Jon-Yakitory | "Faking of Comedy" (feat.Ado) |
| December 12, 2020 | Hīragi Kirai | "Love Ka?" (feat. Ado) |
| February 1, 2021 | Miko Kichi | "Radio Noise" (feat. Ado) |
| March 6, 2021 | Hosomichi Okuno | "Fool Fool Fool" (feat. Ado) |
| July 15, 2021 | Jon-Yakitory | "AntiSystem's" (feat. Ado) |
| September 17, 2021 | Jon-Yakitory | "Rasen" (feat. Ado) |
| August 8, 2023 | Le Sserafim | "Unforgiven" (feat. Nile Rodgers and Ado) |
Promotional singles
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JPNComb. | JPNHot | WW | ||||
| "Kokoro to iu Na no Fukakai" (心という名の不可解) | 2022 | 13 | 13 | — |
| Kyōgen |
| "Senbonzakura" (千本桜) | — | 59 | — | 10 Shūnen Kinen Album All That Senbonzakura!!! | ||
| "Fleeting Lullaby" (ウタカタララバイ) | 4 | 5 | 101 |
| Uta's Songs | |
| "Buriki no Dance" (ブリキノダンス) | 2023 | — | 88 | — | Ado's Utattemita Album | |
| "—" denotes items that did not chart. | ||||||
Other charted songs
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JPNComb. | JPNHot | WW | |||||
| "Tot Musica" | 2022 | 6 | 6 | 134 |
| Uta's Songs | |
| "The World's Continuation" (世界のつづき) | 13 | 12 | — |
| |||
| "Where the Wind Blows" (風のゆくえ) | 11 | 10 | — |
| |||
| "Binks' Sake" (ビンクスの酒) | 30 | 31 | — | ||||
| "—" denotes items that did not chart. | |||||||
Music videos
| Release date | Song title | Movie Director |
|---|---|---|
| October 23, 2020 | Usseewa | Wooma |
| December 24, 2020 | Readymade | Yasutatsu |
| February 14, 2021 | Gira Gira | Numata Zombi |
| April 27, 2021 | Odo | Kayuka |
| June 14, 2021 | Yoru no Pierrot | Jinguji |
| August 12, 2021 | Aitakute | Mono-Devoid |
| October 28, 2021 | Ashura-chan | |
| January 17, 2022 | KokoroToIuNanoFukakai | Akito Nakayama |
| January 26, 2022 | Fireworks | goru |
| March 6, 2022 | Kagakushū | Saki Naito |
| March 14, 2022 | Eternal Coming Day | nanon |
| March 26, 2022 | Domestic violence | Akito Nakayama |
| May 8, 2022 | Motherland | yasutatsu |
| May 8, 2022 | Lucky Bruto | Akito Nakayama |
| June 15, 2022 | New Genesis | hmng |
| June 22, 2022 | I'm invincible | Ai Nina |
| July 6, 2022 | Backlight | Hironobu Nagasawa |
| August 6, 2022 | Fleeting Lullaby | Wotakichi (NIN) |
| August 10, 2022 | The World's Continuation | Sto1e |
| August 17, 2022 | Tot Musica | Wooma |
| August 24, 2022 | Where the Wind Blows | Chie Miyasaka |
| September 19, 2022 | Rebellion | Kantaro |
| October 10, 2022 | Missing | Sakiyama |
| October 24, 2022 | Freedom | Keigo Inoue |
| February 20, 2023 | I'm a Controversy | Eiri Na Hamono |
| August 22, 2023 | Unforgiven (feat. Nile Rodgers and Ado) | Soonsik Yang |
| September 6, 2023 | Show | yasutatsu |
| September 28, 2023 | Dignity | kairi |
| October 7, 2023 | Kura Kura | KZM |
| November 11, 2023 | All Night Radio | 大澤創太 |
| November 15, 2023 | Unravel (cover) | Hano |
| November 29, 2023 | Buriki no Dance | iga kitty |
Awards and nominations
| Award ceremony | Year | Category | Nominee(s)/work(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mnet Asian Music Awards | 2021 | Best New Asian Artist (Japan) | Ado | Won | |
| MTV Video Music Awards Japan | MTV Breakthrough Song | "Usseewa" | Won | ||
| 63rd Japan Record Awards | Special Award | Ado | Won | ||
| Billboard Japan Music Awards | 2022 | Artist of the Year | Won | ||
| MTV Video Music Awards Japan | Song of the Year | "New Genesis" | Won | ||
| 64th Japan Record Awards | Excellent Work Awards | Won | |||
| Special Prize | Ado | Won | |||
| 7th Crunchyroll Anime Awards | 2023 | Best Anime Song | "New Genesis" | Nominated | |
| 65th Japan Record Awards | Excellent Work Awards | "Show" | Won |