Airi Suzuki


Airi Suzuki is a Japanese singer, actress, model, and radio personality associated with Up-Front Works. In 2002, she joined Hello! Project as a member of Hello! Project Kids and later debuted as the lead vocalist of the Japanese idol girl group Cute in 2005. Throughout her singing career, Suzuki also became a vocalist for the girl group Buono! From June 2015 onwards, she became an exclusive model for the fashion magazine Ray.
After Cute and Buono! disbanded in 2017, Suzuki left Hello! Project and debuted as a solo singer with the album Do Me a Favor, with "Distance" as its lead track.

Career

2002–2005: Hello! Project Kids, 4Kids, and Aa!

Having taken singing lessons since kindergarten, in 2002, Suzuki auditioned for Hello! Project Kids with the song "Kimochi wa Tsutawaru" by BoA. Her audition tape was aired on Morning Musume's variety show Hello! Morning. She was placed in the group with 14 other girls. She made her first appearance as an angel in the 2002 film Mini Moni ja Movie: Okashi na Daibōken!; she also was one of the featured artists in the movie's ending song as a member of 4Kids.
In 2003, Suzuki became a member of the subgroup Aa! along with Reina Tanaka from Morning Musume and Miyabi Natsuyaki. They released their first and only single, "First Kiss", on October 29, 2003. Later, in 2004, she participated in singing "All for One & One for All!", a collaboration single released by all Hello! Project artists under the name "H.P. All Stars." She also sang the coupling track, "Suki ni Naccha Ikenai Hito", with Tanaka and Megumi Murakami.

2005–2017: Cute and Buono!

In 2004, Berryz Kobo was created with the intention of rotating all of the members of Hello! Project Kids to make time for school., but the idea was later scrapped, and the remaining girls who were not chosen were rebranded under the name Cute on June 11, 2005. Suzuki became Cute's lead vocalist, and the group made their major label debut in 2007 with "Sakura Chirari."
In 2007, Suzuki also became part of the subgroup Buono! with Momoko Tsugunaga and Miyabi Natsuyaki from Berryz Kobo. The group formed to perform the opening and ending songs for the anime Shugo Chara! They released their first single, "Honto no Jibun", on October 31, 2007. After the show's end, Buono continued on as a side project until its disbandment in 2017. In 2013, Suzuki became part of the subgroup Dia Lady with Risako Sugaya for the Satoumi Movement. Dia Lady released the song "Lady Mermaid" on August 7, 2013, in a compilation album with other artists in the Satoumi Movement.
On April 21, 2015, Suzuki became an exclusive model for the fashion magazine Ray starting from the June edition. Since July 6, 2016, Suzuki has also hosted her own radio show, "Airi's Potion."
In 2016, Cute announced plans to disband in June 2017, citing interest in different career paths as their reason. Suzuki initially planned on modeling and becoming a newscaster but decided on continuing her singing career.

2018–present: Solo activities, ''Do Me a Favor''

In April 2018, Suzuki announced her solo debut album, Do Me a Favor, which was set for release on June 6, 2018, and featured collaborations with bands Scandal, Akai Ko-en, and Spicy Chocolate. The album's lead single, "Distance", was released on May 3, 2018, to promote the album, along with music videos for "Distance", "Start Again", and "#DMAF." Do Me a Favor peaked at No. 6 on the Oricon Weekly Albums Chart. On the day of the album's release, Suzuki also released a music video for "Hikari no Hou e", her collaboration song with Akai Ko-en. Suzuki was announced as a musical guest at the Rakuten Girls Award Autumn/Winter 2018 fashion show.
In December 2019, Suzuki released her second album I. The album included the song "Break it Down", which was produced by Official Hige Dandism.
In April 2020, Suzuki appeared as a featured artist on Masayuki Suzuki's song "Daddy! Daddy! Do!", the theme song for the second season of Kaguya-sama: Love is War. In 2022, she sang "Heart wa Oteage", the ending theme for the show's third season.
In July 2022, Suzuki starred in the web drama series Animals, of which her song, "Pink Shadow", was used as the ending theme song.
In September 2023, it was announced that Suzuki would become an MC for the popular variety show, "Azatokute nani ga warui no?"
From January 31 through March 16, Suzuki will be one of two actresses to play the role of Katherine Howard in a dual-cast production of the musical Six.

Personal life

Suzuki is the daughter of professional golfers Toru Suzuki and Kyoko Maruya. Suzuki also has a younger brother. She graduated from Keio University in 2017 with a degree in Environmental Studies.
As of December 2022, she is dating professional football player Ao Tanaka.

Filmography

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
2002–2007Hello! MorningHerselfMorning Musume's variety show
2002–2004Hello KidsHerselfMini-Moni's variety show
2005Musume Document 2005HerselfMorning Musume's variety show
2005–2006Musume Dokyu!HerselfMorning Musume's variety show
2007–2008HaromoniHerselfMorning Musume's variety show
2008Berikyū!HerselfBerryz Kobo and Cute's variety show
2008Yorosen!HerselfHello! Project's variety show
2008Hit Maker Aku Yu MonogatariJunko SakuradaTelevision film
2009Bijo HoudanHerselfHello! Project's variety show
2010Bijo GakuHerselfHello! Project's variety show
2011–2012Hello Pro! TimeHerselfHello! Project's variety show
2011Keitai KanojoErika KuraishiLead role; direct-to-DVD
2012Sūgaku Joshi GakuenYuri Uehara
2012PieceMadoka Setouchi
2012–2013Hello! Satoyama LifeHerselfHello! Project's variety show
2014Kinkyori Renai: Season ZeroMaikaEpisode 12
2014–2017The Girls LiveHerselfUp-Front Works's variety show
2017Hitoshi Ueki and Nobosemon Chiyo OkumuraEpisode 2
2019I TurnMizuki Yoshimura
2021Ōishi Masayoshi to Suzuki Airi no Anison Kamikyoku desho de Show!HerselfCo-host
2021140ji no KoiTsuji ItokaLead role
2021Black CinderellaLouis
2021Kaisha wa Gakkō Janen da yo Shin Sedai Gyakushū-henIchika
2022AnimalsShikamori UmiLead role
2023Oshi ga Joshi ni NarimashiteHitomi NakajoLead role

Publications

Photobooks

  1. Airi
  2. Clear
  3. 6gatsu no Kajitsu
  4. Aoiro
  5. Tōkō-bi
  6. Meguru Haru
  7. Oasis
  8. Kono Kaze ga Suki
  9. Sotsugyou
  10. Oyoganai Natsu
  11. Kyomei
  12. Eien
  13. ''nectar''

Digital photobooks

Alo-Hello! C-ute Cutest Koisuru Otome Suzuki Airi Iris: Airis
  • ''Alo-Hello! C-ute 2012''

Photo-essays

Suzuki Airi Perfect Book "Airi-aL" Eita × Suzuki Airi Eita Produce Magic Make-up Suzuki Airi Style Book "Airi-sT"
  • ''OTONA STYLE BOOK "Airimania"''

Tours

  • Airi Suzuki Live Tour 2018 "Parallel Date"