Atsushi (musician)

Atsushi Satō (Japanese: 佐藤 篤志, Hepburn: Satō Atsushi, born April 30, 1980), known as Atsushi or Exile Atsushi (stylized as ATSUSHI and EXILE ATSUSHI) is a Japanese singer-songwriter and part-time producer. Debuting as a member of the band EXILE in 2001, Atsushi is currently one of the main vocalists for the group. In 2004, Atsushi began working as a producer for the group Deep (then known as Color), and in 2011 released his debut solo single "Itsuka Kitto...". In 2016, he announced his temporary hiatus from EXILE and formed a new band named Red Diamond Dogs. Atsushi returned to EXILE in 2018.

Atsushi
Birth name	Atsushi Satō[1]
Born	(1980-04-30) April 30, 1980[1] Koshigaya, Saitama, Japan[1]
Origin	Japan
Genres	Pop, R&B
Occupation(s)	Singer, songwriter
Instruments	Vocals, piano, guitar
Years active	1999–present
Labels	Rhythm Zone
Associated acts	Exile, Exile Tribe, J Soul Brothers, Color, Red Diamond Dogs

Biography

Atsushi was born in Saitama on April 30, 1980. He first started playing the piano at four years of age, and at high school after joining a band decided he would rather become a vocalist.[2][3] After high school, Atsushi attended the ESP Musical Academy in Tokyo to further train himself as a vocalist.[4]

In 2000, Atsushi entered the Asayan televised talent search, making it through to the last five.[5] In 2001, after seeing Atsushi on Asayan, Hiro of the 1990s band Zoo asked him to join a musical group he was producing, called J Soul Brothers.[2][6] The group had been releasing music since 1999, however when Atsushi and vocalist Shunsuke Kiyokiba were added to the group and the group's original vocalist Sasa decided to leave the group, Hiro renamed the group Exile.[7][8]

In September 2001, Exile re-debuted with the single "Your Eyes Only (Aimai na Boku no Katachi)". Used as the theme song of the Yutaka Takenouchi and Ryōko Hirosue drama Dekichatta Kekkon, the song was a commercial success, managing to be certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of Japan.[9] In 2002, Exile released their debut album Our Style. The album featured the first song Atsushi wrote lyrics to, "Eyes in Maze", and the first song that featured him as a solo vocalist, "Konna ni mo Nagai Kimi no Fuzai" (こんなにもながい君の不在, "You've Been Away for So Long").

Through the early 2000s, Exile continued to release hit singles, including "Choo Choo Train" (2003), a cover of the Zoo song of the same name, "Scream" (2005), a collaboration with rock band Glay and "Tada...Aitakute" (2005), a song certified million for ringtone downloads.[10] In 2004, Atsushi began producing the vocal group Deep, and also served as one of the band's members.

In 2008, Atsushi collaborated with R&B singer Ai to release the song "So Special", found on Exile's compilation album Exile Entertainment Best (2008) and her seventh album Viva Ai (2009). In 2009, Atsushi left Deep as a full-time member, renaming the group to Color and serving solely as a producer. In September 2009, Atsushi held his first live as a solo artist, Exh Special Exile Atsushi Live Solo. This was released on DVD in March 2010, and was his first release as a solo artist.

In 2011, Atsushi released his debut single as a soloist, "Itsuka Kitto...". The song was used as the theme song for the drama Hi wa Mata Noboru, and was packaged as a split single with Exile's "Rising Sun". On January 1, 2012, Atsushi released his debut solo album Solo, packaged as a split/double album with Exile's ninth studio album Exile Japan.

In 2016, he formed a new band called Red Diamond Dogs to accompany him for his solo live tour.[11] On July 26, Atsushi sang the Japanese national anthem at a Los Angeles Dodgers baseball game.[12] On August 31, he announced that he will temporarily move his activities outside of Japan and will focus more on improving his craft during 2017 and that he will come back to the country in 2018. Until then, his work as part of EXILE was limited.[13] He returned to EXILE in early 2018, for which they released six new singles and an eleventh studio album Star of Wish.

Many of Exile's most commercially successful songs have been written by Atsushi, including "Everything" (2006), "Someday" (2009), "Yasashii Hikari" (2009), "Motto Tsuyoku" (2010), "Rising Sun" (2011) and "Exile Pride (Konna Sekai o Ai Suru Tame)" (2013).

Image

Atsushi is known for wearing sunglasses as a trademark of his image, which he began to do after reacting badly to the bright lights on television sets.[1] He is also known for his buzz cut-style hair style,[14] a style he has kept since 2003.

Discography

Studio albums

List of albums, with selected chart positions

Title	Album details	Peak positions			Certifications
		JPN [15]	TWN [16]	TWN East Asian [17][upper-alpha 1]
Solo[upper-alpha 2]	Released: January 1, 2012 (JPN) Label: Rhythm Zone Formats: 2CD, 2CD/2DVD, 2CD/4DVD, digital download	1	17	2	RIAJ: 3× Platinum[18]
Music	Released: March 12, 2014 (JPN) Label: Rhythm Zone Formats: CD, 2CD/2DVD, 2CD/2Blu-ray, digital download	2	—	10	RIAJ: Platinum[19]
40 ～forty～	Released: November 04, 2020 (JPN) Label: Rhythm Zone Formats: CD, CD/DVD, 2CD/4DVD, CD/Blu-ray, 2CD/4Blu-ray, digital download	TBA	TBA	TBA

Compilation albums

List of albums, with selected chart positions

Title	Album details	Peak positions		Certifications
		JPN [15]	TWN East Asian [17][upper-alpha 1]
Love Ballade	Released: December 3, 2014 (JPN) Label: Rhythm Zone Formats: CD, CD/DVD, CD/Blu-ray, digital download	1	1	RIAJ: Gold[20]
Traditional Best	Released: April 30, 2019 (JPN) Label: Rhythm Zone Formats: CD, CD/DVD, CD/Blu-ray, digital download	6	—

Singles

As a lead artist

List of singles, with selected chart positions

Title	Year	Peak chart positions			Certifications	Album
		Oricon Singles Charts [15]	Billboard Japan Hot 100 [21][upper-alpha 3]	TWN East Asian [17][upper-alpha 1]
"Itsuka Kitto..." (いつかきっと…, "Surely Someday")[upper-alpha 4]	2011	1	12	6	RIAJ (digital): Platinum[39]	Solo
"Ooo Baby"[upper-alpha 5]		2	—	—
"Furusato" (ふるさと, "Home Town")[upper-alpha 6][40]	2012	—	—	—		Music
"Melrose (Aisanai Yakusoku)" (愛さない約束, "Promise Not to Love")		2	2	—	RIAJ (physical): Gold[41]
"Soredemo, Ikite Yuku" (それでも、生きてゆく, "Even So, I'll Still Live On") (Exile Atsushi & Nobuyuki Tsujii)	2013	3	5	7
"Michishirube" (道しるべ, "Sign Post")		7	17	13
"Sange" (懺悔, "Confession") (Exile Atsushi & Joe Hisaishi)		8	25	10
"Aoi Ryū" (青い龍, "Blue Dragon")	2014	3	5	—
"Precious Love"[upper-alpha 7]		—	6	—	RIAJ (digital): Gold[42]	Love Ballade
"Sakura no Kisetsu" (桜の季節, "Cherry Blossom Season")	2015	3	25	—
"Be Brave" (Exile Atsushi + Ai)		7	12	—		Non-album singles
"No More" (Exile Atsushi + Ai)	2016	7	4	—
"Beautiful Gorgeous Love"[upper-alpha 8]		2	4	—
"Just the Way You Are"[upper-alpha 9]	2018	6	8	—
"Suddenly"[upper-alpha 10]		4	16	—
"With you (Luv merry X'mas)"[upper-alpha 11]		—	—	—
"Bounce on It!"[upper-alpha 12]	2019	—	—	—
"—" denotes items that did not chart.

As a featured artist

List of singles, with selected chart positions

Title	Year	Peak chart positions		Certifications	Album
		Oricon Singles Charts [15]	Billboard Japan Hot 100 [21][upper-alpha 3]
"So Special (Version Ai)" (Ai+Exile Atsushi)	2008	15	14		Viva Ai
"I'm Lovin' You" (Iconiq+Exile Atsushi)	2009	—	47		Change Myself
"Golden Smile" (Toshinobu Kubota featuring Exile Atsushi)	2011	—	49	RIAJ (digital): Gold[39]	Gold Skool
"All You Need Is Love" (among Japan United with Music)	2012	11	11		Non-album single
"Alive" (M-Flo+Exile Atsushi)		—	81		Square One
"Hane 1/2" (羽1/2, "Wing Half") (Shunsuke Kiyokiba & Exile Atsushi)	2014	—	24		Utaiya Best Vol. 1

Promotional singles

List of promotional singles with selected chart positions

Title	Year	Peak chart positions	Certifications	Album
		Billboard Japan Hot 100 [21][upper-alpha 3]
"So Special (Version Ex)" (Exile Atsushi+Ai)	2008	—	RIAJ (digital): Gold[43]	Exile Entertainment Best
"Make a Miracle"	2014	72		Music

Video albums

List of media, with selected chart positions

Title	Album details	Peak positions		Certifications
		JPN DVD [15]	JPN Blu-ray [15]
EXH Special Exile Atsushi Premium Live Solo	Released: March 24, 2010 (JPN) Label: Rhythm Zone Formats: DVD	1	—	RIAJ: Gold[44]
Exile Atsushi Premium Live: The Roots	Released: May 11, 2011 (JPN) Label: Rhythm Zone Formats: DVD	1	—	RIAJ: Gold[45]
Exile Atsushi Premium Live: Inochi o Utau (命をうたう, "Singing Life")	Released: April 3, 2013 (JPN) Label: Rhythm Zone Formats: DVD	1	—
Exile Atsushi Live Tour 2014: Music	Released: October 29, 2014 (JPN) Label: Rhythm Zone Formats: DVD, Blu-ray	1	3	RIAJ: Gold[46]
Exile Atsushi Live Tour 2016: “It's Showtime!!”	Released: February 15, 2017 (JPN) Label: Rhythm Zone Formats: DVD, Blu-ray	1	1

Works

Books

Year	Title	ISBN
2013	Plush Sound.	ISBN 978-4344023697
2014	SWITCH INTERVIEW - Tachi Hitotachi	ISBN 978-4835618746

Notes

1. Positions were sourced as follows: "Itsuka Kitto" 2011 week 38, Exile Japan/Solo 2012 week 1, "Soredemo, Ikite Yuku" 2013 week 18, "Michishirube" 2013 week 40, "Sange" 2013 week 43, Music 2014 week 15, Love Ballade 2015 week 1.
2. Solo was released as a split album alongside Exile's Exile Japan.
3. Sources for chart positions are as follows: "So Special (Version Ai)",[22] "I'm Lovin' You",[23] "Itsuka Kitto...",[24] "Golden Smile",[25] "All You Need Is Love",[26] "Alive",[27] "Melrose (Aisanai Yakusoku)",[28] "Soredemo, Ikite Yuku",[29] "Michishirube",[30] "Sange",[31] "Aoi Ryū",[32] "Hane 1/2",[33] "Make a Miracle",[34] "Precious Love",[35] "Sakura no Kisetsu",[36] "Be Brave",[37] "No More".[38]
4. Released as a split single with Exile's "Rising Sun".
5. Released as a split single with Exile's "Anata e".
6. Digital single.
7. Digital single.
8. Released as a split single with Red Diamond Dogs' "First Liners".
9. Cover of Bruno Mars song.
10. Released as a split single with Red Diamond Dogs' "Red Soul Blue Dragon".
11. Digital single.
12. Digital single.

References

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2. "Atsushi" (in Japanese). Avex Group. Archived from the original on June 8, 2003. Retrieved January 26, 2015.
3. Takako Tsuriya (July 8, 2011). "interview with ATSUSHI from EXILE ATSUSHI、新境地を語る". Yahoo! Japan. Archived from the original on 2015-01-28. Retrieved January 26, 2015.
4. "ESPで学ぶということ。ひとりひとりの夢の扉を開くということ。". ESP Entertainment Group. Archived from the original on February 11, 2015. Retrieved January 26, 2015.
5. "ＡＴＳＵＳＨＩ　ＡＳＡＹＡＮ落選語る" (in Japanese). Daily Sports. March 7, 2014. Archived from the original on March 8, 2014. Retrieved January 26, 2015.
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9. "GOLD ALBUM 他認定作品 2001年10月度" [Gold Albums, and other certified works. October 2001 Edition] (PDF). The Record (Bulletin) (in Japanese). Chūō, Tokyo: Recording Industry Association of Japan. 505: 17. January 10, 2002. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 22, 2014. Retrieved January 22, 2014.
10. "レコード協会調べ　8月度有料音楽配信認定" [Record Association Investigation: August Digital Music Download Certifications] (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan. September 20, 2006. Retrieved January 23, 2014.
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12. "EXILE ATSUSHI will perform "Kimigayo" at Dodger Stadium". nihonhero.weebly.com. 4 July 2016. Retrieved 4 July 2016.
13. "EXILE、EXILE ATSUSHIを応援くださる皆さんへ" (in Japanese). Avex Group. Archived from the original on August 31, 2016. Retrieved March 3, 2017.
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15. EXILE ATSUSHIの作品 [Exile Atsushi Products]. Oricon (in Japanese). Retrieved January 24, 2015.
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22. "Japan Billboard Hot 100". Billboard (in Japanese). September 17, 2008. Retrieved January 25, 2015.
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31. "Japan Billboard Hot 100". Billboard (in Japanese). October 23, 2013. Retrieved January 25, 2015.
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34. "Japan Billboard Hot 100". Billboard (in Japanese). March 19, 2014. Retrieved January 25, 2015.
35. "Japan Billboard Hot 100". Billboard (in Japanese). November 5, 2014. Retrieved January 25, 2015.
36. "Japan Billboard Hot 100". Billboard (in Japanese). February 12, 2015. Retrieved February 12, 2015.
37. "Japan Billboard Hot 100". Billboard (in Japanese). September 16, 2015. Retrieved September 16, 2015.
38. "Japan Billboard Hot 100". Billboard (in Japanese). March 16, 2016. Retrieved March 16, 2016.
39. "レコード協会調べ　1月度有料音楽配信認定" [Record Association Investigation: January Digital Music Download Certifications] (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan. February 28, 2014. Retrieved March 4, 2014.
40. "辻井さん曲ＡＴＳＵＳＨＩ詞で被災地応援" (in Japanese). Nikkan Sports. March 7, 2013. Retrieved January 25, 2015.
41. "ゴールド等認定作品一覧　2012年12月" [Works Receiving Certifications List (Gold, etc) (December 2012)] (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan. January 10, 2013. Retrieved February 13, 2014.
42. "レコード協会調べ　9月度有料音楽配信認定" [Record Association Investigation: September Digital Music Download Certifications] (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan. October 20, 2014. Retrieved October 20, 2014.
43. "レコード協会調べ　12月度有料音楽配信認定" [Record Association Investigation: December Digital Music Download Certifications] (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan. January 20, 2015. Retrieved January 20, 2015.
44. "ゴールド等認定作品一覧　2010年11月" [Works Receiving Certifications List (Gold, etc) (November 2010)] (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan. December 10, 2011. Retrieved February 13, 2014.
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External links

• Exile website profile
• Exile Atsushi on Facebook
• Exile Atsushi's channel on YouTube