Native name 中島麻未 Occupation(s) Singer, dancer TV shows Shukan Exile Genres J-pop Role Singer | Origin Minoh, Osaka, Japan Name Ami Nakashima Also known as Ami Years active 2002–present | |
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Born May 11, 1988 (age 36) ( 1988-05-11 ) Music groups E-girls (Since 2011), Dream (2002 – 2007) Albums EG Time, Lesson 1, eternal dream, 7th Anniversary Best, 777 ‑Best of Dreams‑ Profiles | ||
Dream Ami / はやく逢いたい
Ami Nakashima (中島 麻未, Nakashima Ami, born May 11, 1988), better known by her stage name Ami, is a Japanese pop singer and dancer signed to Avex Trax sublabel Rhythm Zone. She is a former member of the Japanese girl groups Dream and E-girls.
Contents
- Dream Ami
- Dream Ami Good Goodbye
- Early life
- 2002 15 Debut as Dream and E girls formation
- 2015 present Solo debut and Re Dream
- References
She debuted in music as a member of the eight-member group Dream in 2002 at the age of 14, and she had remained throughout several line-up changes until its disbandment. She gained fame after becoming part of the collective girl group E-girls in 2011. In 2015, she debuted as a solo artist using the stage name Dream Ami, with the single "Dress wo Nuida Cinderella". Widely known for her regular appearances on Japanese television and media, she was ranked as one of the most popular Japanese female idols by Nikkei in 2016 and 2017.
Dream Ami / Good Goodbye
Early life
Ami was born in Minoh, Osaka Prefecture on May 11, 1988, as the youngest child of her family. She has an older brother and an older sister. She liked to sing since she was young, and, by the time she graduated from elementary school, her dream was already to be a singer. Prior to debuting, she attended the vocal and dance school, Caless, in Osaka.
2002-15: Debut as Dream and E-girls' formation
On July 7, 2002, she was announced to be joining the group Dream as a new member alongside five other girls, after successfully passing the audition held by Avex. The new line-up later debuted with the single "Music is My Thing", used as the ending song for the anime Hikaru no Go in 2003. In 2005, Ami became a part of the special unit a☆girls with Aiko Kayo for the Girl's Box project started by Avex, and the duo recorded and performed a cover of the 1980s duo Wink. Later in 2008, Dream, back then rebranded as DRM, changed management from Avex to LDH, following the departure of one of the original members. They also changed their group name back to Dream and Ami started to use her given name romanized as stage name.
In April 2011, she began her activities as a part of LDH's new joint project, E-girls, with the members of Dream, Happiness and Flower during the live events E-Girls Show. On December 28, 2011, she debuted officially as a member of the group on their debut single "Celebration!", holding a concurrent position as a member of both E-girls and Dream. Initially featured only as a performer, Ami made her first appearance as a vocalist in E-girls' line-up on their third single "Follow Me" in 2012. The song was a commercial success, managing to be certified Double Platinum by the RIAJ. Since then, she had remained one of the main vocalists and most prominent member of the group until her departure in 2017.
In 2014, she took part in Dance Earth Project's stage play Changes, and participated in the single "Peace Sunshine" as a member of Dance Earth Party alongside other Dream members.
2015-present: Solo debut and Re: Dream
On April 29, 2015, during E-girls' final concert at Saitama Super Arena, it was announced that Ami would make her solo debut in the summer under the stage name Dream Ami, while remaining active in both of her groups. Her debut single, "Dress wo Nuida Cinderella", was released on July 29. The following month, she was featured on Tofubeats' single "Positive". The song was released digitally on August 9, and served as the lead single for the studio album of the same name.
On February 24, 2016, it was announced that she would sing the theme song for the Japanese version of the Disney film Zootopia, and provide the voice for one of the characters. The song titled "Try Everything" is the Japanese version of the song of the same title by Shakira. It was released both on the soundtrack album of the movie, and as her second single in a different version, on April, 20. The song was well-received digitally and managed to earn a Gold certification by the RIAJ. In October 2016, she released her third single, a Japanese cover of the Cardigans' Lovefool. It was the first single to include a song, "Jump!", for which she had been credited as lyricist.
Ami released her fourth single, "Hayaku Aitai", on March 22, 2017. She wrote the lyrics for the title track, used as the theme song for the live-action movie Hirunaka no Ryuusei. The song was said to be popular among teenagers due to its lyrics, topping several digital and streaming charts such as Line Music at the time of its release. On June 5, 2017, it was announced that she was leaving both Dream and E-girls to focus on her solo activities as one of the acts making up the E.G. Family. The two-day live concert "E.G. Evolution" held on July, 15 and 16 at Saitama Super Arena were her last activities as a member of both groups. She announced on her birthday that she would be releasing her fifth single "Kimi no Tonari" on July 12, 2017. "Kimi no Tonari" was used as the ending song for the web show Manatsu no Ookami-kun ni wa Damasarenai, and its lyrics were penned by Ami herself again.
Her first studio album, Re: Dream, was released on October 4, 2017. To support the album, she embarked on her first solo concert tour, titled "Dream Ami 1st Live Tour 2017 Re:Dream", and held in five cities during the month of November.