Shopping Guide
You know of the popular singer Eir Aoi, don’t you?
Soon after making her debut in 2011 and reaching No. 8 on the Oricon chart, she released her first album Blau in January 2013, which reached No. 4 on the Oricon chart. Now, so-called ita-taxis (taxis wrapped in pictures) devoted to this songstress are cruising through her hometown, the snow-laden Sapporo, Hokkaido.
Choei Taxi picked up the concept of ita-taxis and decided to run with it, first focusing on collaborations with characters from Hokkaido, then series like Resident Evil, Evangelion, and Madoka Magica, and then artists like ClariS.
The Eir Aoi ita-taxi (Eir Taxi) appeared for the first time last year and has been brought back this year. It’s like it’s already becoming a sign of the season! The design this time is to promote her new album Aube to be released on Jan. 29. Regarding this ongoing collaboration, Norihito Takeuchi from Choei Taxi had this to say: “We started this project because we wanted to make Sapporo a fun city. This is the second time we’re doing it, but we can feel that Eir Aoi’s popularity has widened since last time, and we are pleased to bring [this project] to everyone.”
So far, Eir Aoi has focused on anime tie-in songs and has created smash hits one after the next. Definitely keep an eye on her development as an artist!
Second Album: Aube
“Aube” is French for “dawn.” This is a powerful album in which the refreshing strength of facing a new day can be felt.
Release Date: Jan. 29, 2014
■ First-run limited edition A (CD + Blu-ray) ￥3,900 (tax included)
http://www.sonymusicshop.jp/m/item/itemShw.php?cd=SECL-1450
■ First-run limited edition B (CD + DVD) ￥3,600 (tax included)
http://www.sonymusicshop.jp/m/item/itemShw.php?cd=SECL-1452
■ Regular edition (CD) ￥3,000 (tax included)
http://www.sonymusicshop.jp/m/item/itemShw.php?cd=SECL-1454
☆ The first-run limited editions (A and B) include a 48-page photo booklet and a sleeve case.
☆ The first-run versions of the album (limited editions A and B, regular edition) each include three original photo cards.
・Cobalt Sky (opening theme to TBS Network’s CDTV)
・Sirius (opening theme to the TV anime Kill la Kill)
・Sanbika (background track to the TV anime Kill la Kill)
・Niji no Oto (theme song to the TV anime Sword Art Online: Extra Edition)
・Kasumi (January ending theme of Nippon TV’s Futtonda / power play song of Nippon TV’s Music Dragon)
・Astral (ending theme of BS Animax’s Game Maniacs)
Sixth Single: “Niji no Oto”
Release Date: OUT NOW!
TV Anime Sword Art Online: Extra Edition Theme Song
■ Limited edition
http://www.sonymusicshop.jp/m/item/itemShw.php?cd=SECL-1446
Eir Aoi’s Profile
Born on Nov. 30. Her hometown is Sapporo, Hokkaido. Her blood type is AB.
She made her major debut in October 2011 with her first single “Memoria” which was selected as the ending theme to the TV anime Fate/Zero. The single ranked at No. 8 on the Oricon Weekly Single CD Ranking. She released her second single “Aurora” (the opening theme to the Third Generation arc of the TV anime Mobile Suit Gundam AGE) in September 2012. In November of that year, she released her third single “Innocence” (the opening theme to the Fairy Dance arc of the TV anime Sword Art Online) which debuted at No. 6 on the Oricon chart, a new personal best. On Jan. 30, 2013, she released her long-awaited first full album Blau which claimed the No. 4 spot on the Oricon Album Ranking.
Along with her albums being released in over 20 countries, she has performed at several overseas conventions including Sakura-Con in Seattle, U.S., AnimagiC 2013 in Bonn, Germany, and Anime Festival Asia both in Indonesia and Singapore. Her Facebook page has over 230,000 likes from all over the world, and she is hugely supported outside Japan.
