Who Is Ado? The Japanese Singer Making Waves With Relatable J-Pop Hits
The fast-rising Japanese star is bringing her sold-out first world tour to the US this month
Ado, the singer behind some of the biggest J-pop hits of this decade, is bringing her first world tour, “Wish,” to the US with a slate of sold-out shows.
The 21-year-old will give her US debut performance at New York’s Palladium Times Square on March 23 before traveling to Chicago, Los Angeles, and Austin.
The concerts are the latest achievement from the Japanese singer, who first entered the mainstream in her home country in 2020 with her roaring single “Usseewa.” The track, which marked her debut release on a major label, highlighted the marginalization of Ado’s generation in Japan. Its title translates to “Shut Up” in English, while its lyrics capture feelings of frustration with societal expectations. The track topped multiple charts in the country and has racked up over 300 million views on YouTube.
Ado got her start in music as a utaite – or singer covering Vocaloid songs with their real voice. She first came across the singing synthesizer software in elementary school and became enamored with it. “I wanted to understand what was behind that strangeness,” she explained to the Guardian earlier this year. “I couldn’t understand whether it was anime or a human being or who made the music. That air of mystery made me want to learn more.”
Since striking a chord with “Usseewa,” the fast-rising star shared her debut album, Kyougen, in 2022, debuting at No.1 on multiple Japanese charts with the record. She has also contributed to the soundtracks of Japanese movies and anime series, including the record-breaking and award-winning “New Genesis,” which was featured in One Piece Film Red, the latest full-length film in the popular One Piece series. It became the first Japanese song to land at No.1 on Apple Music’s Top 100: Global chart. Ado also provided the singing voice for the character Uta in the film.
In 2023, the singer broke new ground with her first covers album, Ado’s Utattemita Album, and by collaborating with K-pop girl group LE SSERAFIM on the Japanese-language version of its single, “Unforgiven.” In September, she shared the addictive, energetic single “Show,” which topped the Billboard Hot 100 Japan for multiple weeks and later received a high-octane remix from British producer Jax Jones.
So far this year, Ado has continued her creative streak with recent singles “Chocolat Cadabra” and “Value.” The former was created in collaboration with confectionary company Lotte to celebrate the 60th anniversary of its chocolate brand. The latter, meanwhile, showed a new, serene side to Ado sonically, with its lyrics maintaining her relatable knack.
Despite her huge success, Ado’s identity and appearance are unknown, with the star using an avatar to represent her. At her concerts, only her outline is visible to the crowd. “When I perform live, it’s about what can be expressed purely through the songs, the lighting, and my silhouette,” she told the Guardian.
Prior to Ado’s first US dates, the singer held sold-out shows across Asia and Europe. She has toured extensively in Japan and will become the first solo female artist to hold their own live show at the Japan National Stadium when she performs at the venue in April.
View Ado’s US tour dates below.
Mar 23 – New York, NY – Palladium Times Square
Mar 25 – Chicago, IL – The Riviera Theatre
Mar 29 – Los Angeles, CA – Peacock Theatre
Apr 1 – Austin, TX – H-E-B Center
