Ado, a chart-topping Japanese singer who has never publicly revealed her identity, has signed with WME for global representation in all areas, except Japan. Hollywood Reporter I learned exclusively.
The 23-year-old singer — who refers to herself as “Utaite,” a Japanese word for an amateur singer who typically uses an avatar to post song covers online — reached the top of the music charts in her home country when she was just a teenager. She remains one of Japan’s biggest artists.
Ado has toured the world more than once, and remains one of the only Japanese pop acts to be consistently promoted in the United States. Last year, her 34-day Hibana tour attracted more than 500,000 fans across five continents, according to a statement. It sold Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles and New Jesery’s Prudential Center.
Earlier this year, Ado headlined the new music festival, Zipangu, in Los Angeles, which was the largest Japanese pop music festival in North America. The event was organized by her management, Cloud Nine, and Goldenvoice. She is scheduled to appear at Lollpalooza in Chicago later this summer.
Locally, she has performed at Japan’s National Stadium, which seats more than 60,000 fans, and is scheduled to play two shows at the stadium next month. She will then headline the Summer Sonic music festival in Japan in August, becoming the first solo artist to do so.
Earlier this year, Ado released “Vivarium,” a self-penned song inspired by singer Narumi Komatsu’s autobiography. Vivarium: Ado and Me. The book, published only in Japanese, contains in-depth interviews with the musician conducted over a period of three years.
The music video for “Vivarium” marked the singer’s first live music video and the first time Ado herself appeared in a video. However, the singer is never seen face to face, often appearing in shadows or in quick glimpses from different angles.
Next, Ado is set to release “Monstruo,” the theme song for the live-action version of the popular Japanese soccer manga, Blue lock. The film is scheduled to open on August 7 in Japan.
WME and Ado’s work together marks the second major talent agency signing of Japanese pop talent this year. Japan – the world’s second-largest music market after the United States – has begun pushing artists globally in the past few years, marking a clear shift for an industry previously focused on local promotion. Trio Number_i, previously signed by Ado and WME, are among the artists leading the charge to globalize Japanese pop music.
