AAA (band)

AAA

Company type	Music group
Industry	Music, entertainment
Founded	September 2005 (2005-09)
Founder	Avex Trax
Headquarters	Japan , Japan
Products	Music recordings, live performances
Website	avex.jp/aaa/

AAA (spoken as Triple A; abbreviation for Attack All Around) is a Japanese pop ensemble affiliated with Avex Trax, having launched their career in September 2005. Their name embodies the concept of "taking on all challenges" or "defying the odds," and the label promotes them as a "super performance unit."

The group was assembled through auditions held by Avex, originally consisting of five male and three female members, each bringing previous experience from commercial work or roles as backup dancers for artists such as Ayumi Hamasaki and Ami Suzuki.

2005–2006: Formation and debut

Initially intended to be a six-member group, AAA started with five men—Takahiro Nishijima, Naoya Urata (leader), Shuta Sueyoshi, Shinjiro Atae, Mitsuhiro Hidaka—and one woman, Misako Uno. Subsequently, Avex incorporated two additional female members, Yukari Goto and Chiaki Ito. All members underwent training at the Avex Artist Academy. Early songs like "Blood on Fire" and "Friday Party" were created for six performers; the two later female additions mainly contribute to chorus sections.

In April 2005, Avex announced the group's debut lineup of seven members; Chiaki Ito officially joined on June 15. AAA's debut single "Blood on Fire" was released on September 14 and gained recognition as the theme for the live-action adaptation of Initial D.

During their debut year, AAA earned the "Best Newcomer Award" at the 47th Japan Record Awards. Between September and December, they issued monthly singles alongside a photobook and launched their first album, Attack, in January 2006. Their singles spanned diverse musical styles and charted well despite limited live performances.

In June 2006, AAA established their official fan club, "AAA Party." Lead vocalist Uno appeared in the Hollywood movie The Grudge 2, which premiered in October 2006. After releasing the mini-album All/2 in September 2006, they followed up with their second full-length album All on January 1, 2007. This album primarily comprised previously released singles along with three fresh tracks and achieved respectable sales, albeit lower than their debut album.

2007–2009: Media ventures and acting careers

In 2007, AAA issued the single "Climax Jump" under the temporary moniker "AAA Den-O Form," serving as the theme song for Kamen Rider Den-O. This release was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ), having shipped 100,000 physical copies and reaching 100,000 ringtone downloads, marking it as their most commercially successful single to that point.

The group members broadened their activities into acting, increasing their public visibility. Their 14th single "Kuchibiru Kara Romantica/That's Right" was connected to the television drama Delicious Gakuin, featuring Nishijima and Atae in starring roles.

On June 11, 2007, Yukari Goto departed from AAA due to health concerns, reducing the lineup to seven members. Shortly afterward, they made their international debut at Otakon 2007 in Baltimore. In October 2007, Urata and Ito made their film debuts with Heat Island.

In 2008, AAA achieved their first weekly number one on the Oricon charts with the single "Mirage" and released their inaugural compilation album Attack All Around. Although no new studio album emerged that year, the five male members released a mini-album titled Choice is Yours under the AAA name. The entire group appeared in the drama Mirai Seiki Shakespeare, a contemporary adaptation of Shakespeare's works. Meanwhile, Nishijima continued his acting pursuits through various stage productions.

Nishijima received critical praise for his leading role in Love Exposure (January 2009), earning both the Sponichi Grand Prix New Face Award and Best New Male Actor at the 83rd Kinema Junpo Awards.

Their fourth studio album DepArture, released in February 2009, reached number four on Oricon charts—the group's first top-five studio album ranking. Following moderate success from singles between 2007 and 2008, AAA's 2009 album Heartful along with its singles all debuted within the top three positions. They made their first appearance on Music Station, performing "Hide Away," which also highlighted Chiaki Ito's expanded role as lead vocalist alongside Nishijima, Uno, and Urata. At the end of that year, they released "With You," selected as the opening ending theme for Inuyasha: The Final Act.

2010–2015: Initial Asia tour and tenth anniversary

In 2010, AAA's 24th single, a double A-side titled Aitai Riyū/Dream After Dream ~Yume Kara Sameta Yume~, reached the top position on the Oricon weekly charts, marking their second chart-topping single. This release was heavily promoted as the comeback project of composer Tetsuya Komuro, which significantly contributed to its success.

The widespread acclaim of "Aitai Riyū" secured AAA their debut performance on Kōhaku Uta Gassen, greatly enhancing their visibility. Later that December, member Urata debuted his single "Dream On", featuring labelmate Ayumi Hamasaki; this also achieved the number one spot on Oricon, elevating both his solo career and the group's recognition.

Komuro maintained his collaboration with AAA, composing all tracks except "Call/I4U" on their sixth album Buzz Communication and contributing to their 31st single "Sailing". In 2011, their second compilation album, #AAABEST, became their highest-selling record and their first album to top Oricon charts. Beginning with the release of "Call/I4U", the group adopted a more balanced vocal arrangement among members.

Their 32nd single, "Still Love You", marked a departure from Komuro's involvement as they began working with other producers once again. On 22 August 2012, AAA unveiled their seventh studio album 777 -Triple Seven, symbolizing the seven members, seventh album, and seventh anniversary. That October saw the launch of their variety program AAA no Kizuna Gasshuku on TV Asahi and YouTube. They also performed at Kōhaku Uta Gassen for the third year running.

In 2013, AAA embarked on their largest nationwide tour to date, titled "AAA Tour 2013 Eighth Wonder", covering 41 locations and attracting approximately 150,000 fans. The first season of AAA no Kizuna Gasshuku garnered over 10 million views on YouTube; subsequently, a second season aired, followed by a third season filmed overseas in Singapore.

On 18 September, they released their eighth album Eighth Wonder, which became their first original studio album to reach number one on Oricon charts. The music video for "Koi Oto to Amazora" led the Japanese music category in YouTube views during September. They concluded the year with another appearance at Kōhaku Uta Gassen. Additionally, their track "Lil Infinity" was selected as the Japanese theme song for the film The Fault in Our Stars.

On 14 January 2014, AAA were appointed PR ambassadors for the fifteenth anniversary of the anime series One Piece, contributing the opening theme "Wake up!". On 17 May, they commenced their inaugural all-arena nationwide tour named "AAA ARENA TOUR 2014 -Gold Symphony-", drawing an estimated audience of 200,000. Their ninth studio album, Gold Symphony, released on 1 October, became their second original album to top Oricon rankings. At the tour finale on 18 October, AAA revealed plans for their first Asia tour scheduled for 2015.

In 2015, they issued the compilation album 10th Anniversary Best, which included singles such as "I'll be There", "Lil' Infinity", and "Aishiteru no ni, Aisenai".

2016–2021: First dome performances, departures of Ito and Urata, hiatus

On January 21, 2016, AAA unveiled their "AAA ARENA TOUR 2016 -LEAP OVER-," a 22-show series commemorating more than a decade in the music scene, commencing on May 11 at MARINE MESSE FUKUOKA. Their inaugural dome concert was revealed on June 2, 2016, featuring special performances on November 12 and 13 at KYOCERA DOME OSAKA. The group released their 51st single, titled "NEW," on June 8. During the tour's concluding event at SEKISUI HEIM SUPER ARENA on July 24, they announced their debut Tokyo Dome concert scheduled for November 16 under the name "AAA Special Live 2016 in Dome -FANTASTIC OVER-." Additionally, AAA embarked on their second Asia tour with stops in Taiwan and Singapore.

On January 12, 2017, Chiaki Ito declared her intention to leave the group by March due to pregnancy and marriage. Their final single as a seven-member ensemble, "MAGIC," came out on February 8, followed by the release of their full-length album "WAY OF GLORY" on February 22. Subsequently, AAA continued activities as a six-member unit.

The first single released by the six-member lineup, "No Way Back," debuted on June 28, 2017. To promote their tenth studio album, they initiated a ten-date arena tour starting June 17 at Hiroshima Green Arena. Later that year, beginning September 2 at Nagoya Dome, AAA embarked on their first dome tour encompassing four major domes and attracting an audience of approximately 320,000.

In 2018, AAA hosted official fan meetings for the first time through the "AAA FAN MEETING ARENA TOUR 2018-FAN FUN FAN-," which kicked off on May 26 at OSAKA-JO HALL. On August 22, they released their final studio album titled "COLOR A LIFE," supporting it with a four-major dome tour that drew around 340,000 attendees starting September 1 at Tokyo Dome.

On April 19, 2019, lead vocalist Naoya Urata was arrested on assault charges. Despite his absence, AAA proceeded with planned fan meetings and their dome tour without him. The group issued their last single featuring Urata, "BAD LOVE," on October 23. He officially departed from AAA on December 31, 2019.

AAA announced a hiatus beginning December 31, 2020, to concentrate on individual projects. Prior to this break, they released a greatest hits compilation entitled "AAA 15th Anniversary All Time Best -thanx AAA lot-" on February 19. They had arranged a groundbreaking six-major dome tour—the first of its kind by a mixed-gender Japanese group—originally slated for November but postponed until 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The hiatus commenced as planned.

On December 26, 2022, the group declared the termination of their official fan club "AAA Party" along with their mobile platform "AAA mobile."

Members

The current roster features prominent members such as Takahiro Nishijima, Misako Uno, Mitsuhiro Hidaka, Shinjiro Atae, and Shuta Sueyoshi.

Former members

Former members include Yukari Goto (2005–2007), Chiaki Ito (2005–2017), and Naoya Urata (2005–2019).

Discography

• Attack (2006)
• All (2007)
• CCC: Challenge Cover Collection (2007)
• Around (2007)
• Departure (2009)
• Heartful (2010)
• Buzz Communication (2011)
• 777: Triple Seven (2012)
• Eighth Wonder (2013)
• Gold Symphony (2014)
• AAA 10th Anniversary Best (2015)
• Way of Glory (2017)
• Color a Life (2018)

Group Photobooks

Title	Date of Release
AAA Artistbook / The First Attack	2005-09-01
AAA 5th Anniversary Live Original Photo Book	2010-10-08
AAA Buzz Communication Original Photo Book	2011-07-15
AAA Buzz Communication Documentary Extra Book	2011-11-25
AAA Tour 2012 -777- Triple Seven Documentary Book	2012-09-07
AAA 7th Anniversary Book ABC~AAA Book Chronicle~	2012-12-14
AAA 2013 Tour Book Eighth Wonder	2014-02-27
AAA 2013 Tour Eighth Wonder Premium Box	2014-03-27
AAA Attack All Around 10th Anniversary Book	2015-01-07

Awards

• 2005
  • Newcomer Award at Best Hit Kayousai for "Blood on Fire"
  • Yusen Music Award at the 38th Japan Cable Awards for "Blood on Fire"
  • Best New Artist Award at the 47th Japan Record Awards for "Blood on Fire"
• 2006
  • Gold Artist Award at Best Hit Kayousai for "Hurricane Riri, Boston Mari"
• 2009
  • Gold Artist Award at Best Hit Kayousai for "Break Down"
• 2010
  • Outstanding Work Award at the 52nd Japan Record Awards for "Aitai Riyu"
• 2011
  • Outstanding Work Award at the 53rd Japan Record Awards for "Call"
• 2012
  • Outstanding Work Award at the 54th Japan Record Awards for "777 〜We can sing a song!〜"
• 2013
  • Outstanding Work Award at the 55th Japan Record Awards for "Koi Oto to Amazora"
• 2014
  • Outstanding Work Award at the 56th Japan Record Awards for "Sayonara No Mae Ni"
• 2015
  • Outstanding Work Award at the 57th Japan Record Awards for "Aishiteru no ni, Aisenai"
• 2016
  • Outstanding Work Award at the 58th Japan Record Awards for "Namida no nai Sekai"

RIAJ Gold-certified Releases

• Climax Jump (credited as AAA DEN-O Form)
  1. AAABEST
• Gold Symphony

Variety Shows

• Channel A (TVK, broadcasted 2005–2006, and again in 2008–2009)
• Nihikime no Dōjō (NTV, aired in 2010)
• AAA no Kizuna Gasshuku (aired on TV Asahi and YouTube, three seasons from 2012 to 2014)
• AAA no Onore Migaki (NTT Docomo Sugotoku Contents, released in 2014)

Dramas

• Mirai Seiki Shakespeare (KTV, aired between 2008 and 2009)
• Another Face ~Criminal Affairs Division, Ōtomo Tetsu~ (TV Asahi, broadcast in 2012)

Films

• Akihabara@Deep (released in 2006)

Stage Performances

• Theater of AAA ~Bokura no Te~ (performed in 2006)
• Super Battle Live Delicious Gakuin Bangaihen ~Delicious 5 Shijō Saidai no Teki~ (staged in 2007)

Radio Programs

• AAA no A~Ohanashi (NBS, aired from 2005 to 2007)
• Ikinari! Mokuyoubi: AAA no Radio'n Fire (TBC, broadcasted between 2006 and 2008)
• Radio Sessions: AAA Talking Attack (JFN, aired from 2007 to 2009)

External links

• AAA Official Facebook Page
• AAA Official Channel – YouTube
• AAA at Music Japan +