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.
love the island
鈴木あみ Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
小さい毎日が
気まぐれとずっと 遊んでいたら
こんなに時がすぎていた
Love the island 忘れない
はじめて夜空の下で
抱き合っていたい やっとわかった
あなたを思い出しすぎている
気付かれず忘れたい
綺麗に焼けていく肌と
乾いてる心を
慰めてくれるのは
街並みのイルミネーション
また今度ってじらされて
涙も流したかもね
何だって教えてくれた
あの夏を忘れられない
Love the island 深呼吸
している 座り込んで
愛は結局出会っても
不安で何も楽になれない
本当はあなたの
目の前で思いきって
泣いてみたり 笑ってみたり
怒ってみたりさせて欲しかった
穏やかな一日も
あなたへの想いはつのる
海を3時間ちょっと
飛行機で飛び超えた
空港ではきかえた
サンダルがちょっとてれてる
また出直しだから
いくらでも どうにでもなる
旅立ちの季節かな?
少しだけ夢を見させて
Love the island 過ぎてゆく
小さい毎日が
気まぐれとずっと 遊んでいたら
こんなに時がすぎていた
Love the island 忘れない
はじめて夜空の下で
抱き合っていたい やっとわかった
あなたを思い出しすぎている
ゆっくりと静かに
気付かれず忘れたい Mn...
The song "Love the island" is a beautiful tribute to a place where the singer has spent happy days, and to a person she loves deeply. The lyrics talk about the passing of time on the island, how the everyday moments seem small but are cherished, and how the singer has been playing whimsically and lost track of time. She doesn't want to forget the island, where she first embraced her love under the starry night sky and now thinks of him too much. The singer wants to forget about her sunburnt skin and dry heart, which only the illumination of the city can console.
In the next verse, the singer takes a deep breath on the island and sits down. She reflects on how even though love may be found, it doesn't necessarily ease anxieties. She wishes she had cried, laughed, and gotten angry right in front of her lover. She knows that her feelings towards him continue to build even in peaceful days. The lyrics then take a turn towards a journey the singer is taking on a plane over the sea. Upon arriving at the destination, she finds her sandals are a bit messed up, but it's all alright, there's always another chance. The song ends as the singer wonders about the time of year, and looks forward to dreaming a little.
Line by Line Meaning
Love the island 過ぎてゆく
I love this island even as time goes on
小さい毎日が 気まぐれとずっと 遊んでいたら こんなに時がすぎていた
The small everyday moments spent whimsically playing have added up to so much time
Love the island 忘れない
I will never forget my love for this island
はじめて夜空の下で 抱き合っていたい やっとわかった あなたを思い出しすぎている
Under the night sky for the first time, I finally realized that I've been thinking of you too much and want to hold you
ゆっくりと静かに 気付かれず忘れたい 綺麗に焼けていく肌と 乾いてる心を 慰めてくれるのは 街並みのイルミネーション
I want to forget slowly and quietly without being noticed, even as my sunburnt skin and dry heart are soothed by the city's illumination
また今度ってじらされて 涙も流したかもね 何だって教えてくれた あの夏を忘れられない
Maybe I shed tears too when you left, knowing I couldn't forget that summer and feeling teased to do it again sometime
Love the island 深呼吸 している 座り込んで
I take a deep breath and sit, continuing to love this island
愛は結局出会っても 不安で何も楽になれない
In the end, even meeting someone you love doesn't necessarily make things easier or less anxious
本当はあなたの 目の前で思いきって 泣いてみたり 笑ってみたり 怒ってみたりさせて欲しかった
Honestly, I wish I could have been bold enough to cry, laugh, or even get angry in front of you
穏やかな一日も あなたへの想いはつのる 海を3時間ちょっと 飛行機で飛び超えた 空港ではきかえた サンダルがちょっとてれてる また出直しだから いくらでも どうにでもなる 旅立ちの季節かな?
Even on a calm day, my feelings for you continue to grow. I flew over the sea for 3 hours and changed my sandals at the airport. I can keep moving on because I can always start over. Is it the season for a new journey?
少しだけ夢を見させて
Allow me to dream a little longer
Writer(s): 小室 哲哉, 小室 哲哉
Contributed by Amelia K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.