Cover The poster of Ado’s world tour ‘Wish’ (Photo: courtesy of Ado and Universal Music)
The poster of Ado’s world tour ‘Wish’ (Photo: courtesy of Ado and Universal Music)
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The anonymous singer, known for singing for the ‘One Piece’ anime franchise, opens up on why she stays mysterious and how she wants to thrust subculture music into the mainstream
No one knows who Japanese singer Ado is. And yet, thousands turn up at her concerts, where she only reveals her silhouette, dancing with contagious energy against bright concert lights. Unlike typical J-pop songs, which tend to have higher pitch and simple melodies, Ado growls and screams as her voice—which ranges from a low, rumble to an ear-piercing note—drives the audience to their feet.
Influenced by utaite singers who publish covers of existing songs on the internet while keeping their face concealed, Ado started out in 2017 as a soloist singer on the internet at the age of 14, singing covers of popular songs by established Japanese musicians such as Kuwagata-P and Ringo Sheena. Her debut single Usseewa in 2020 exploded in the music scene and, by January 2024, it had got more than 312 million views on YouTube. She made such a huge impression on the Japanese music world, that in 2022, she was invited to sing in the role of Uta, a major antagonist in the popular anime movie One Piece Film: Red (2022). In April, she will become the first female Japanese singer to perform a solo concert at the Japan National Stadium, which so far had been dominated by male artists. In Hong Kong, her album Ado’s Utattemita Album ranked top in the Japanese album category on iTune when it was released in December 2023.
She is currently on her first world tour to 14 cities in Asia, Europe and America. Tatler caught up with the singer at her concert at AsiaWorld-Expo in Hong Kong in mid-February.
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Above Ado performing in Hong Kong in mid-February (Photo: courtesy of Viola Kam of V'z Twinkle)
Ado performing in Hong Kong in mid-February (Photo: courtesy of Viola Kam of V'z Twinkle)
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What is your impression of Hong Kong?
This is my first visit to Hong Kong. The [Victoria] Harbour [seems] very wide. The skyscrapers, the streets and the cityscape are different from Tokyo. The city is fun even at night.
What was the inspiration behind your world tour?
It’s called Wish. It refers to my wish of introducing to the world and to mainstream music the Japanese sub-culture of utattemita [a genre of online cover music covering anime, video games, etc.].
Your album is also named after this genre, in which vocalists called utaite sing and upload covers from anime, video games and other fields. Tell us what makes your album special.
I recorded the covers of 2 existing songs. Some of these songs got the most votes from my fans because they really wanted me to sing them. I then decided on the final list based on how much I wanted to sing them too. I [want to introduce] my followers to [various musical] genres and show them how wonderful these can be through my [diverse] musical styles.
Most of my songs have a very strong sound. So I was quite surprised when a lot of people voted for me to sing Dried Flowers, which is a ballad. Singing a sentimental song was a refreshing experience.
Above Ado performing in Hong Kong in mid-February (Photo: courtesy of Viola Kam of V'z Twinkle)
Ado performing in Hong Kong in mid-February (Photo: courtesy of Viola Kam of V'z Twinkle)
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Why did you choose utattemita over other genres?
When I was about five or six years old, I enjoyed Vocaloid [ music made with a synthesising software] more than regular J-pop. It was mostly what I listened to. Then I moved on to being a utaite. As a utaite, I don’t [need to] reveal my face. So I felt like I could create a new version of myself. To be able to shroud my true self in mystery seemed very cool. That’s how I started out singing on the internet.
Performing live in concerts must be quite a change from that.
When you record a song, you’re looking to express the song correctly. But with the live show, it’s very different because you’re singing to people who have come all the way to see you. So you’re trying to move them or stir up different emotions through different musical arrangements or stage presentations. When I started out, it was very difficult for me because there’s no correct answer to how one should put on a live performance.
I’m not the kind of performer who dance to perfect choreography. I didn’t know what to do. So I went online and I started watching other artists’ live performances. Today, I have a list of about 2,300 live performances of various artists that I’ve watched.
Lately, you also broke into the movie world. How did the collaboration with the One Piece franchise come about?
I never thought that I would get the chance to contribute my singing voice to Uta. I was really surprised. A lot of viewers got to know the name Ado when the film released. I’m really thankful for the opportunity.
What’s next for you? What about overseas projects?
There are no concrete plans to launch my career in America at the moment, but I will be visiting several places in the US during this world tour. I’m still thinking about the things that I should do and want to do before I enter the global market. I’m sure I will face new challenges such as the language barrier [because I don’t speak English]. But I’m still very much looking forward to the future.
Zabrina is the Senior Editor, Arts and Culture of Tatler Hong Kong. She specialises in performing arts, visual art and film. Her wanderlust was first fuelled by the Mighty Rovers Antarctica Expedition 2010. Over the years, she has interviewed A-list artists and filmmakers, including Oscar winners Chlóe Zhao and Tim Yip, Golden Horse winner Sylvia Chang, In the Mood for Love cinematographer Christopher Doyle, Pachinko author Min Jin Lee, and Coachella’s first Chinese solo singer Jackson Wang. She won gold at the WAN-IFRA Asian Media Awards for her 2021 feature on the waves of hate crimes targeting Asian Americans.
