Shinjiro Atae

Shinjiro Atae
與 真司郎
Born (1988-11-26) November 26, 1988 (age 36)[1]
Kyoto, Japan
NationalityJapanese
Occupations
  • Singer-songwriter
  • actor
  • model
Years active2005-present
Height171[1] cm (5 ft 7 in)
Musical career
GenresJ-pop
InstrumentVocals
LabelsAvex Trax
Member ofAAA
Websiteavex.jp/atae

Shinjiro Atae (與 真司郎, Atae Shinjirō, born November 26, 1988) is a Japanese singer-songwriter, actor, and model. He debuted as a member of the co-ed group AAA in 2005. Early on in his career, Atae starred in television and film projects including the live-action adaptations of Psychic Detective Yakumo, Delicious Gakuin, Teiō, Guardian Angel, and Ramune.

In 2016, Atae released music solo, beginning with the song "Reunited", and later released his first solo album, This Is Who I Am, as a limited release in 2018. He is also an exclusive model in the magazines Junon and Duet.[2]

Career

2005–2015: AAA and early acting career

See also: AAA (band)

Atae was accepted into Avex when he was 14 years old and debuted as a member of the co-ed group AAA in September 2005.[3] In 2006, he also began making acting appearances on television, with his debut role in Karera no Umi VIII: Sentimental Journey, which starred other AAA members.[4] In the same year, he starred in the live-action television drama adaptation of Psychic Detective Yakumo, and in 2007, he co-starred in Delicious Gakuin.[4]

In 2009, Atae co-starred in the film Guardian Angel and also played lead in the television drama Teiō.[1][5] In 2010, he starred in the film Ramune and also recorded the theme song, "Kimi ga Ireba", as a featured artist with Hiroki Maekawa, which was later released as a digital single.[6] On December 15, 2010, he released his first photo book, Shinking.[7]

Atae was a featured artist on Maekawa's song, "Kimi ga Daisuki de", which was released on March 7, 2012.[8] On March 30, 2013, he released his photo book, Atae Best.[9] He was featured in a dating sim visual novel game titled AAA Shinjiro Atae Love Trip, which was released on October 24, 2014.[10]

2016–present: Solo music career

Atae took a brief hiatus in the spring of 2016 to study at a university in Los Angeles, California.[3] On May 14, 2016, he released a photo book, Just the Beginning, which was shot during his studies abroad.[11] On June 20, 2016, due to fan demand, Atae released the song "Reunited" as a digital single, which was originally released on the DVD bundled with Just the Beginning. The song is described as a love song written in English.[12] "Reunited" peaked at #1 on iTunes in Japan.[13]

On July 19, 2017, Atae released "Goody-Good Girl" as a digital single.[14] Later in the year, he released "Can't Stop" and performed both songs at the Girls Award 2017 Spring/Summer and the 2017 Tokyo Girls Collection fashion shows.[15] In August 2017, he started his own fashion brand, I Am What I Am.[15] On November 2, 2017, he released his travel book, Shinjiro's Travel Book, which documented his experiences while studying abroad in Los Angeles in 2016.[15]

In May 2018, Atae announced he was releasing his album, This Is Who I Am, on November 26, 2018, to celebrate his 30th birthday.[16][17][18] On June 18, 2018, he pre-released "Gold Mine" as a digital single.[19] Up until the release of the album, he also pre-released the music videos for "Baby",[20] "Love Sugar",[21] and "You Only Live Once."[22]

In May 2019, Atae held his first solo concert on a 6-day tour.[18] In September 2019, he collaborated with Thelma Aoyama to compose and write the song "Suki Suki Suki."[23][24][25] In November 2019, he was announced as the image model of the jewelry brand Empathy All People.[26] For his 31st birthday, on November 26, 2019, he released the song "Follow Me" as the theme song used in the commercials for haircare brand Nalow, which he also appeared in.[27]

In November 2020, Atae announced through his official website and social media that he was putting his entertainment career on hold following AAA's hiatus in 2021.[28] On August 11, 2021, right before he went on hiatus, he released his second album, This is Where We Promise.[29]

Personal life

Aside from his native Japanese, Atae is fluent in English, having learned English as a hobby and being a student at ECC since he was in elementary school. In 2015, he collaborated with ECC to release a series of English conversation videos and led an English conversation class for 20 students.[30]

At a fan meeting on July 26, 2023, he came out publicly as gay in front of 2,000 fans.[31][32] Atae also announced he is working on a documentary about his life and journey, which will be produced by Academy Award winners Peter Farrelly and Fisher Stevens. Details about the upcoming project are still being kept under wraps, but a press release did confirm direction will be at the hands of creative duo Carlie Mantilla-Jordan and John Eliot Jordan, who are long-time friends of Atae.[33]

Discography

See also: AAA (band) § Discography

Studio albums

Title Year Details Peak chart positions Sales
JPN
[34]
This is Who I Am 2018
Track listing
  1. "Love Sugar"
  2. "Can't Stop"
  3. "Light My Fire"
  4. "Baby"
  5. "Undercover"
  6. "Goody-Good Girl"
  7. "Gold Mine"
  8. "Winterland"
  9. "Show Me"
  10. "Reunited"
  11. "You Only Live Once"
 — —
This is Where We Promise 2021
  • Released: August 11, 2021 (2021-08-11)
  • Label: Avex Trax
  • Format: CD, digital download
Track listing
  1. "How We Do It"
  2. "Say My Name"
  3. "Jump"
  4. "Honey"
  5. "Suki Suki Suki"
  6. "Your Eyes"
  7. "Cry"
  8. "Follow Me"
  9. "Never Mind"
  10. "Bye Bye"
  11. "California Dreaming"
  12. "This is Where We Promise"
 4 —
"—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that region.

Singles

As lead artist

Title Year Album
"Reunited"[12] 2016 This Is Who I Am
"Goody-Good Girl" 2017
"Can't Stop"
"Gold Mine" 2018
"California Dreaming" 2019 This is Where We Promise
"Never Mind"
"Follow Me"[27] Non-album single
Title Year Peak chart positions Album
JPN
[8]
"Kimi ga Ireba" (君がいれば)
(Hiroki Maekawa feat. Shinjiro Atae) 		2010 — Non-album singles
"Kimi ga Daisuki de" (君が大好きで)[a]
(Hiroki Maekawa feat. Shinjiro Atae (AAA)) 		2012 31
"Suki Suki Suki" (好き好き好き)
(Shinjiro Atae × Thelma Aoyama) 		2019 19 This is Where We Promise
"—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that region.

Filmography

Television

Year Title Role Network Notes
2006 Karera no Umi VIII: Sentimental Journey Fuji TV [4]
Psychic Detective Yakumo Yakumo Saito TV Tokyo Lead role[35]
2007 Delicious Gakuin Shugo Katsuragi TV Tokyo Lead role[35]
2008 Mirai Seiki Shakespeare Various roles Kansai TV [35]
2009 Love Game Haruki Akiyama Nippon TV Episode 5
Teiō Eitarō Ogawa TBS Lead role[1]

Films

Year Title Role Notes
2009 Guardian Angel Daichi Sasaki Lead role[5][36][37]
2010 Ramune Yosuke Lead role[1][38]

Solo DVDs

List of solo DVDs, with selected details and chart position
Title Year Details Peak chart positions
JPN
New Discovery in Hawaii 2013 27[39]

Publications

Photo books

Year Title Publisher ISBN
2010 Shinjiro Atae First Photo Book: Shinking (與真司郎ファースト写真集　Shinking)[7] Gakken ISBN 978-4054047983
2013 Atae Best: Shinjiro Atae Photo Book (ATAE BEST ~與真司郎写真集~)[9] Shufu to Seikatsu-sha ISBN 978-4391143195
2015 The Way I Am Shufu to Seikatsu-sha ISBN 978-4391147575
2016 Just the Beginning[12] Shufu to Seikatsu-sha ISBN 978-4391148657

Photo essays

Year Title Publisher ISBN
2014 Shinjiro's Photos: Travel & Style Book Shufu to Seikatsu-sha ISBN 978-4391144840
2017 Shinjiro's Travel Book[15] Shufu to Seikatsu-sha ISBN 978-4391151206

Notes

  1. ^ "Kimi ga Daisuki de" was released as a physical double A-side single with "Do Wak Parappa." Oricon reflects sales and rankings for both "Kimi ga Daisuki de" and "Do Wak Parappa", while Atae was featured on "Kimi ga Daisuki de" only.

References

  1. ^ a b c d e "與真司郎のプロフィール" [Shinjiro Atae's profile]. Oricon (in Japanese). Archived from the original on January 15, 2020. Retrieved January 15, 2020.
  2. ^ "AAA與真司郎、30歳迎えるも「24歳～25歳で止まっている」". Model Press (in Japanese). December 17, 2018. Archived from the original on January 27, 2021. Retrieved January 15, 2020.
  3. ^ a b "AAA與真司郎、春からロスの大学に留学 グループ脱退は否定" [AAA member Shinjiro Atae to study abroad at university in Los Angeles, denies leaving group]. Oricon (in Japanese). January 3, 2016. Archived from the original on January 15, 2020. Retrieved January 15, 2020.
  4. ^ a b c "與真司郎のTV出演情報" [Shinjiro Atae's TV appearances]. Oricon (in Japanese). Archived from the original on January 27, 2021. Retrieved January 15, 2020.
  5. ^ a b "カンニング竹山、初主演映画が公開初日を迎えご満悦". Oricon (in Japanese). June 20, 2009. Archived from the original on January 15, 2020. Retrieved January 15, 2020.
  6. ^ "AAA與真司郎、映画初主演も「暗い役多い」と悩み吐露". Eiga (in Japanese). May 29, 2010. Archived from the original on January 1, 2018. Retrieved January 15, 2020.
  7. ^ a b "ファンは赤面必至、AAA・與真司郎の1st写真集『Shinking』" [Fans blush at AAA member Shinjiro Atae's first photo book, Shinking]. Barks (in Japanese). December 20, 2010. Archived from the original on September 16, 2014. Retrieved January 15, 2020.
  8. ^ a b Peak chart positions on the Oricon Weekly Singles Chart:
  9. ^ a b "ＡＡＡ與、写真集で女装に初挑戦 「恥ずかしいのでじっくり見ないで」" [AAA member Atae challenges crossdressing for the first time: "It's embarrassing, so don't look!"]. Billboard Japan (in Japanese). March 30, 2013. Archived from the original on January 27, 2021. Retrieved January 15, 2020.
  10. ^ "AAA與真司郎 妄想ふくらむ恋愛シュミレーションゲーム完成" [Love simulation game featuring AAA member Shinjiro Atae swells with fantasies]. Billboard Japan (in Japanese). August 26, 2014. Archived from the original on January 27, 2021. Retrieved January 15, 2020.
  11. ^ "AAA與真司郎、留学決意の理由「ちっぽけに思えた」大学生活・夢への思い語る". Model Press (in Japanese). May 14, 2016. Archived from the original on January 27, 2021. Retrieved January 15, 2020.
  12. ^ a b c "AAA與真司郎、写真集収録のソロ曲「Reunited」を配信" [AAA member Shinjiro Atae digitally releases solo song from photo book, "Reunited"]. Natalie (in Japanese). June 20, 2016. Archived from the original on January 15, 2020. Retrieved January 15, 2020.
  13. ^ "AAA與真司郎 ソロ曲で1位獲得「お風呂入ってる間にまさかの......夢なのかな??」" [AAA member Shinjiro Atae's solo song reaches #1: "While I was in the bath, I couldn't believe it... am I dreaming??"]. Billboard Japan (in Japanese). June 22, 2016. Archived from the original on January 27, 2021. Retrieved January 15, 2020.
  14. ^ "AAAの與真司郎、ピンクのネオンバックに歌う「Goody-Good Girl」MV" [AAA member Shinjiro Atae sings against pink neon background in "Goody-Good Girl" music video]. Natalie (in Japanese). July 3, 2017. Archived from the original on September 25, 2019. Retrieved January 15, 2020.
  15. ^ a b c d "AAA、今年も勢い止まらず...初の4大ドームツアー・ファッション誌でAAAフィーバー・ソロでも邁進【2017年末特集】" [AAA gains non-stop momentum this year... first tour at four large domes, AAA fever in fashion magazines, and solo activities (2017 in retrospect)]. Model Press (in Japanese). December 30, 2017. Archived from the original on January 27, 2021. Retrieved January 15, 2020.
  16. ^ "AAA與真司郎、30歳の節目を記念しソロアルバムのリリース＆ソロライブの開催を発表". Billboard Japan (in Japanese). May 21, 2018. Archived from the original on January 27, 2021. Retrieved January 15, 2020.
  17. ^ "AAA與真司郎、30歳記念してソロアルバム＆東阪ライブ". Natalie (in Japanese). May 19, 2018. Archived from the original on January 15, 2020. Retrieved January 15, 2020.
  18. ^ a b "AAA與真司郎、初のソロライブ完走「またどこかで会いましょう!」". Natalie (in Japanese). May 7, 2019. Archived from the original on May 8, 2019. Retrieved January 15, 2020.
  19. ^ "AAA與真司郎、ソロAL収録曲「GOLD MINE」MV公開＆先行配信開始" [AAA member Shinjiro Atae releases music video and digital single for solo song "Gold Mine" from solo album]. Billboard Japan (in Japanese). June 18, 2018. Archived from the original on January 15, 2020. Retrieved January 15, 2020.
  20. ^ "AAA與真司郎、1stアルバム収録曲「Baby」MV公開 お気に入りシーン「SNSに投稿して」". Oricon (in Japanese). October 25, 2018. Archived from the original on January 15, 2020. Retrieved January 15, 2020.
  21. ^ "AAA與真司郎、LA撮影ダンス曲MV公開 鍛え上げられた体を披露". Oricon (in Japanese). October 31, 2018. Archived from the original on January 15, 2020. Retrieved January 15, 2020.
  22. ^ "AAA與真司郎、ファンへ贈る応援歌MV公開「You Only Live Once」". Oricon (in Japanese). November 7, 2018. Archived from the original on January 15, 2020. Retrieved January 15, 2020.
  23. ^ "AAA與真司郎と青山テルマ、コラボシングルで「好き好き好き」" [AAA member Shinjiro Atae and Thelma Aoyama to collaborate on single "Suki Suki Suki"]. Natalie (in Japanese). September 2, 2019. Archived from the original on December 7, 2019. Retrieved January 15, 2020.
  24. ^ "AAA與真司郎×青山テルマ「好き好き好き」 仲良しコンビが待望のコラボ曲". Oricon (in Japanese). September 2, 2019. Archived from the original on December 4, 2019. Retrieved January 15, 2020.
  25. ^ "AAA與真司郎×青山テルマ、切なさ募る「好き好き好き」MV公開" [AAA member Shinjiro Atae and Thelma Aoyama release sad music video for "Suki Suki Suki"]. Oricon (in Japanese). October 8, 2019. Archived from the original on January 15, 2020. Retrieved January 15, 2020.
  26. ^ "與真司郎（AAA）、ジュエリーブランドのイメージモデルに就任＆コラボネックレスが登場" [Shinjiro Atae (AAA) appears as an image model for jewelry brand with collaboration necklace]. Billboard Japan (in Japanese). November 8, 2019. Archived from the original on January 15, 2020. Retrieved January 15, 2020.
  27. ^ a b "AAA與真司郎、新曲「Follow Me」が自身出演のCMソングに「前向きでハッピーになれる楽曲」". Oricon (in Japanese). November 20, 2019. Archived from the original on January 16, 2020. Retrieved January 15, 2020.
  28. ^ "AAA與真司郎、2021年でアーティスト活動休止「ファンに出会えたことが一生の宝物」". Natalie (in Japanese). November 22, 2020. Archived from the original on November 26, 2020. Retrieved November 22, 2020.
  29. ^ "＜インタビュー＞與真司郎(AAA)、アーティスト活動休止前にリリースするアルバム『THIS IS WHERE WE PROMISE』にかけた思いとは". Billboard Japan (in Japanese). August 11, 2021. Retrieved July 30, 2023.
  30. ^ "限定20名。AAA・與真司郎が教える英会話。「初心者の方もしっかりサポートしますよ！」" [AAA member Shinjiro Atae to teach English conversation to 20 people: "I'll heavily support beginners!"]. Barks (in Japanese). March 9, 2015. Archived from the original on March 22, 2015. Retrieved January 15, 2020.
  31. ^ "In Rare Move, Japanese Pop Star Comes Out Publicly as Gay". The New York Times. July 26, 2023. Archived from the original on July 26, 2023. Retrieved July 26, 2023.
  32. ^ Daw, Stephen (July 26, 2023). "J-Pop Star Shinjiro Atae Comes Out as Gay During Fan Event". Billboard. Archived from the original on July 26, 2023. Retrieved July 26, 2023.
  33. ^ "J-Pop Star Shinjiro Atae Comes Out as Gay". Teen Vogue. July 26, 2023. Retrieved October 4, 2023.
  34. ^ Peak chart positions on the Oricon Weekly Albums Chart:
  35. ^ a b c "イケメン発掘調査隊 第30回『ラムネ』與真司郎" [Handsome Men Treasure Hunt Team: No. 30 Shinjiro Atae from Ramune]. Cinema Today (in Japanese). June 4, 2010. Archived from the original on January 15, 2020. Retrieved January 17, 2020.
  36. ^ "映画『守護天使』、AAA與らへの"かわいい！"にカンニング竹山キレる". Barks (in Japanese). June 23, 2009. Archived from the original on November 6, 2009. Retrieved January 15, 2020.
  37. ^ "守護天使 (2009)" [Guardian Angel (2009)]. Cinema Today (in Japanese). June 20, 2009. Archived from the original on January 15, 2020. Retrieved January 15, 2020.
  38. ^ "ラムネ (2010)" [Ramune (2010)]. Cinema Today (in Japanese). May 29, 2010. Archived from the original on January 15, 2020. Retrieved January 15, 2020.
  39. ^ "New Discovery in Hawaii". Oricon (in Japanese). Archived from the original on January 15, 2020. Retrieved January 15, 2020.