Takekawa Ai

Lighthearted and invigorating are simply the words to describe the musical style of young and upcoming singer-songwriter Takekawa Ai. Her name might ring a bell for anime lovers as she sang Tooi michino sakide, the ending theme of popular anime "InuYasha." With her strong, clean vocals and moving lyrics that highlight her strong and definite originality, Ai is sure to inject freshness into the Japanese music scene.

Singing and song writing aren't the only talents that Ai possesses. She had been honing her piano and guitar skills up till her late teens and her skills in those two areas have reached a considerably high level. She then delved into the world of song writing and has already turned in an impressive list of over 70 original songs at just 21 years of age.

In 2009, Ai went major by signing with Avex. The young singer's much anticipated debut single I WILL hit the stores in November the same year and was well-received by listeners, ranking number five in Billboard Japan Hot Top Airplay for two consecutive weeks.

Moving on, Ai launched her second single Tooi michino sakide/Star on March 3rd, 2010 and this release was supported by a series of lives in Nagoya and other venues in Japan. It is of note that the song Tooi michino sakide was used as the ending theme of popular anime "InuYasha-Final Episode." The talented lady also performed alongside established acts like May J. and MONKEY MAJIK at NHK's J-MELO Springfest 2010, further boosting her popularity.

Aside from her singing career, Ai also makes occasional appearances as a "Music Discoverer" on NHK TV's "J-MELO," the only Japanese music show made entirely in English for a global audience. In addition to her appearances on the small screen, she is a host on the FM radio show "GOLDEN 4 EGGS~ Takekawa Ai Why-Ai Tonight" that has been airing on NACK5 since April 2010.

On July 1st the same year, Ai made an appearance at France's Japan Expo, drawing many fans to show their fullest support to their star. With such a splendid record already under her wings just one year after going major, the promising artist is sure to bring fans more delight in the years to come.