Ami Suzuki (currently 鈴木亜美, written 鈴木あみ pre-avex), born February 9, 1982, … Read Full Bio ↴Ami Suzuki (currently 鈴木亜美, written 鈴木あみ pre-avex), born February 9, 1982, is a female singer and songwriter from Zama, Kanagawa, Japan. She was one of the most popular female singers between 1998 and 2000.

While she was attending high school, Ami auditioned to the Japanese talent show ASAYAN, which was looking for young girls who could sing. The grand prize winner was to receive a deal with Sony Music Entertainment Japan for a music career. The TV show became very popular and daily viewers increased; soon it was aired even in other Asian countries. From 13,500 contestants, only five girls were chosen to be in the final round, and Ami won the competition supported by 802,157 phone calls from the audience. She was only 15 years old.

Produced by Tetsuya Komuro under Sony label: 1998~2001
(Releasing works in the name of "鈴木あみ")
Sony Music signed Ami to the label, and Tetsuya Komuro sponsored her to his own sub label on Sony, TRUE KiSS DISC, with Komuro as writer and producer on all of Ami's songs. In April 1998 Ami recorded her first song and single, love the island.

As Ami evolved into a more mature artist, she began writing her own lyrics. The first song Ami wrote, with the help of Mitsuko and Tetsuya Komuro, was her 10th single "Don't need to say good bye." The lyrics were influenced by events occurring in her personal life at that time, specifically her upcoming high school graduation. In 2000 after some legal problems with her management company, she was dumped from her label and fell from popularity, becoming unnoticed in the Japanese entertainment business for years.

Independent years: 2002~2004
(Releasing works in the name of 鈴木亜美)
In April 2004, Ami released a portfolio attached with a single “強いキズナ”(Tsuyoi kizuna), which was reported to have sold over 150,000 copies. Moreover, in August 2004, she released her indies single “FOREVER LOVE” under the label “AMITY”, reaching #21 on oricon weekly chart and sold over 17,000 copies. In the fourth quarter of 2004, a concert tour in some college campus was held. On Dec. 30, 2004, Ami announced her signing to Avex label in her concert.

Back to stage under Avex Trax label: 2005~
(Releasing works in the name of 鈴木亜美)
With the help of Max Matsuura, Suzuki finally "returned" to the music scene under the Avex Trax label in 2005 with her comeback single, Delightful, a Trance song that reached No. 3 on the Japanese Oricon charts and became one of 2005 summer's hits. In October 2005 she released her first studio album on Avex entitled around the world, which has sold over 62,000 copies.

Shortly after having released 4 singles, it was announced she would be releasing 3 new singles under a new "joins" project. These singles were her first releases of 2007, each one a collaboration with 3 different artists released 3 weeks in a row, starting February 28, finishing with the second Avex album in March 21. The "joins" singles featured the bands Buffalo Daughter, THC!! and キリンジ and received low promotion, and were only minor hits in the Oricon charts. After that, CONNETTA, her second Avex album, also called the "join" album, debuted at #26 on the Japanese charts, becoming her lowest-selling studio album.

At this time she had already recorded a new single, keeping the line of the "join" project, this time with electronic producer and capsule leader Yasutaka Nakata. Her 4th "join" single, and first Avex double A-side single, Free Free / Super Music Maker, was released on August 22, 2007. For this single's promotion Ami changed drastically her image, from a cute Pop image to a more mature and sexy-erotic style. Her new look was called as "Ero-Pop" and "Ero-Kakkoi" by Japanese tabloids, even comparing Ami to singer Kumi Koda. This single did considerably better than the previous "join" singles, debuting at #32 on the Japanese charts, and achieving more than 8 thousand copies sold, little less than the three previous singles sales together. Ami released her 3rd Avex studio album (6th overall), Dolce on February 6, 2008.

In July 2008, Suzuki released her first non-joins single since 2006's Like a Love?, ONE, a Yasutaka Nakata-fully produced single. Suzuki's 29th single, can't stop the DISCO, was released on September 24, 2008. Her 10th anniversary album - her fourth album with avex -, Supreme Show was released on November 12, 2008. Ami also starred in an AVEX 20th Anniversary musical, 'kokoro no Kakera'. This is her debut on a musical.
Ami Suzuki's 30th single, Reincarnation (produced by Taku Takahashi of m-flo), was released on February 25th, 2009.

White Key
鈴木あみ Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

かすかな光の中
こころどこへ
灯火で影が揺れ
白い雪が
降り止まない夜は
カギを開けて
ゆらゆらとロウソクが
消えちゃう前に

返せないほどの愛
優しさ借りてるね
ありがとう
そろそろカギを開けて
ここからつれていってね

二人で過ごした
もう過去の歌
どこかに落とした
White key 探して
一人で見ていた
透き通った月
どこかで泣いてる
White key 求め

澄んだ夜空に光る
明るい星が
忘れられない想い出
静かに照らすよ

誰のせいでもない
目障りな夢一人で見ている
こころの傷がしみる
どうしようもないのかな?

充分明るい真夜中の町
どこかで震える
White key 抱えて
小さな一瞬
居心地いいね
誰かの優しい
White key ほしい

二人で過ごした
もう過去の歌
どこかに落とした
White key 探して
一人で見ていた
透き通った月
どこかで泣いてる
White key 求めて

充分明るい
真夜中の町
どこかで震える
White key 抱えて
小さな一瞬
居心地いいね

誰かの優しい
White key ほしい

Overall Meaning

The song "White Key" by 鈴木あみ begins with the scene of a snowfall during a dark night. The singer wonders where her heart belongs as she watches the flickering candlelight and the shadows. She hopes to find the White Key before the candle burns out. She recalls the love that she has lost but is grateful for the kindness of others that she has received. The singer asks to be taken away from this place as she seeks the missing White Key. The song repeats this motif of the White Key throughout the verses, suggesting that it represents an opportunity to escape from the past.

The second verse describes a memory of a happy time spent with a loved one. This memory is evoked by the clear moon in the sky. However, it appears that the singer has lost this memory and is searching for it, symbolized by her search for the White Key. She also reflects on the pain in her heart, questioning whether it will ever heal. The third verse describes a night in a brightly-lit city, but the singer is still searching for the elusive White Key. She desires someone's kindness to help her find it.

Overall, "White Key" is a poignant song that speaks to the universal theme of loss and the human desire for security and comfort. The White Key serves as a symbolic object that represents escape from past pain, a desire for connection with someone kind, and a longing for lost memories.

Line by Line Meaning

かすかな光の中
In the dim light

こころどこへ
Where is my heart going?

灯火で影が揺れ
Shadows flicker in the candlelight

白い雪が
The white snow

降り止まない夜は
On a never-ending night

カギを開けて
Open the door

ゆらゆらとロウソクが
Before the flickering candles

消えちゃう前に
Fade away

返せないほどの愛
A love I can't return

優しさ借りてるね
Borrowing your kindness

ありがとう
Thank you