Mao Abe
Introduction  is a Japanese singer-songwriter.
Biography Abe started learning the piano from age three, and from junior high school she wanted to be a singer. She gave up the piano in favour of the guitar, wanting to be an acoustic pop singer/songwriter in the style of Canadian pop musician Avril Lavigne. While at high school she frequently busked and attended music auditions. In February 2006, on a morning when she had truanted from school, she wrote her first song, "My Baby". Late in mid-2006, she entered the Yamaha Teens' Music Festival's Ōita regional contest on the recommendation of a musical instrument store manager, and performed "My Baby". She won the grand prize, and later entered the country-wide version, where she won an honourable mention prize after performing .After finishing high school, she moved to Tokyo and was signed to the record label Pony Canyon. Abe performed at many live events, including some high-profile events like the Rock in Japan Festival. From August until November, four acoustic demos of Abe songs were released on iTunes. The third of these, "My Baby", was chosen as the October iTunes Single of the Week free download song.Abe released her first album ''Free'' in January 2009.The eponymous title track was released as a radio single, and did extremely well on radio stations: Abe reached #1 on the ''Billboard'' Japan Hot 100 chart, despite only the airplay component counting towards her ranking (as opposed to airplay and physical sales, like most other releases).Since the album, she has released three singles, the first two reaching the top 20 on the Oricon single charts. The third, "Itsu no Hi mo", reached #2 on the Japan Hot 100 chart, a week before the physical release of the single. The single was followed by her second album, ''Pop'', which was her first top 5 album on the Oricon albums chart.
Discography ===Studio albums===+ List of albums, with selected chart positions Title Album details Peak positions Sales (JPN)JPNTWN East Asian ''Free''* Released: January 21, 2009 * Label: Pony Canyon* Formats: CD, digital download 17  15 21,000 ''Pop''* Released: January 27, 2010 * Label: Pony Canyon* Formats: CD, digital download 5  — 54,000 * Released: June 1, 2011 * Label: Pony Canyon* Formats: CD, digital download 6  — 41,000 * Released: June 6, 2012 * Label: Pony Canyon* Formats: CD, digital download 6  — 28,000 * Released: August 28, 2013 * Label: Pony Canyon* Formats: CD, CD/DVD, digital download 7  — 17,000 * Released: February 18, 2015 * Label: Pony Canyon* Formats: CD, CD/DVD, digital download 7  — 14,000 Babe. * Released: February 15, 2017 * Label: Pony Canyon* Formats: CD, CD/DVD, digital download 14  —  YOU* Released: March 7, 2018 * Label: Pony Canyon* Formats: CD, CD/DVD, digital download 18  —  * Released: January 22, 2020 * Label: Pony Canyon* Formats: CD, CD/DVD, digital download 14  — 4,300 ''Not Unusual''* Released: February 15, 2023 * Label: Pony Canyon* Formats: CD, digital download 22  — 2,130"—" denotes items that did not chart.===Compilation albums===+ List of albums, with selected chart positions Title Album details Peak positions Sales (JPN)JPN * Released: August 20, 2014 * Label: Pony Canyon* Formats: CD, CD/DVD, digital download 7 13,000 * Released: September 16, 2015 * Label: Pony Canyon* Formats: rental CD —  * Released: September 16, 2015 * Label: Pony Canyon* Formats: rental CD — ===Live albums===+ List of albums, with selected chart positions Title Album details Peak positions Sales (JPN)JPN * Released: March 11, 2015 * Label: Pony Canyon* Formats: CD, digital download 159 1,000=== Singles =======As a lead artist====+ List of singles, with selected chart positions Title Year Peak chart positions Sales (JPN) Certifications AlbumJPN ''Oricon''JPN Hot 100 "Tsutaetai Koto" 2009 19  11 13,300''Pop'' "I Wanna See You" 39 "Anata no Koibito ni Naritai no Desu" 19  5 8,800 "Itsu no Hi mo" 2010 12  2 9,200*RIAJ (cellphone): Gold "Lonely" 22  5 9,500''Su.'' "19-sai no Uta" 20  8  6,000  2011 20  9 7,800  —  22  18 7,800''Tatakai wa Owaranai''  2012 22  11 6,600   2013 20  34 6,200 ''Anata o Suki na Watashi''  28  35 3,500 "Boyfriend" — "Believe in Yourself" 2014 20  23 5,500  ''Single Collection 19—24'' / ''Oppajime!'' 29  24 3,500  ''Oppajime!'' "You Changed My Life" 2015 37  — 2,000  Non-album singles "Kimi no Uta"/"Kotae" 2019 35  — 1,200"—" denotes items that did not chart.====As a featured artist====+ List of singles, with selected chart positions Title Year Peak chart positions AlbumJPN Hot 100 (Kreva featuring Mao Abe) 2011 97 ''Go''====Promotional singles==== Title Year Peak chart positions Album''Billboard'' Japan Hot 100  2008 —''Free'' "My Baby" — "Free" 1  2010 23 ''Pop'' "Tatakai wa Owaranai" 2012 27 ''Tatakai wa Owaranai''  2013 83 ''Anata o Suki na Watashi'' 2015 —''Oppajime!'' —"—" denotes items that did not chart.===Video albums===+ List of media, with selected chart positions Title Album details Peak positionsJPN DVDJPN Blu-ray * Released: July 27, 2011* Label: Pony Canyon* Formats: DVD 33  — * Released: December 5, 2012* Label: Pony Canyon* Formats: DVD, Blu-ray 18  35 * Released: March 19, 2014* Label: Pony Canyon* Formats: DVD, Blu-ray 45  41 * Released: March 19, 2014* Label: Pony Canyon* Formats: DVD, Blu-ray 26  24
Tours * ''Abe Mao Live No. 0'' (2009)* ''Abe Mao Live No. 0.7'' (2009)* ''Abe Mao Live No. 1'' (2010)* ''Abe Mao Live No. 2'' (2010)* ''Abe Mao Live Natsu no Jin'' (2011)* ''Abe Mao Live No. 3: Zepp to Quattro Dake de Gomen ne Tour'' (2011)* ''Abe Mao Live No. 4'' (2012)* ''Abe Mao Hikigatari Live 2012 Fuyu: Christmas da yo! Kuru desho? Kuru yo ne!? no Maki'' (2012)* ''Abe Mao Hikigatari Live 2013 Natsu'' (2013)* ''Abe Mao Live No. 5'' (2013)* ''5th Anniversary Abe Mao Live "Ochikarazoe, Negaimasu." Tour 2014'' (2014)* ''5th Anniversary Abe Mao Live 2014 @ Nippon Budōkan'' (2014)
Notes
References
External links *  Mao Abe Official Site *  Pony Canyon Official Label Site