Natsumi Abe
Encyclopedia : N : NA : NAT : Natsumi Abe
(born August 10, 1981) is a Japanese singer and actress, and a former member of Morning Musume.
Biography
Natsumi Abe was born in Muroran, Hokkaido Prefecture, Japan. Her nickname is Nacci or Nacchi. Her younger sister, Asami Abe, is also a J-pop singer.Early career
Abe was one of the first members of the group chosen in 1997. She was also the lead girl for many of the singles especially before Maki Goto joined, most notable in "Furusato" where all the other girls sang harmonies/back-up only. Abe has had a few solo songs including the theme for a commercial she was in, and "Otoko Tomodachi" from Morning Musume's 4th album Ikimasshoi!. She also has lead roles in Morning Musume productions like their play, Love Century and their movie, Pinch Runner. Natsumi also has done quite a bit of acting in television dramas such as Nurseman.Abe has never been a part of a Morning Musume subgroup but has led each shuffle group she has been in. She was also the lead of Morning Musume Sakura Gumi until her graduation at the end of the Hello! Project Winter tour on January 25, 2004.
She released her first single, "22 sai no Watashi", on August 13, 2003, just a few days after her 22nd birthday. Her first full length CD was released shortly afterwards, containing many solo versions of Morning Musume songs.
At one time, Abe was the most popular member of Morning Musume, and many songs featured her as a lead singer. However, it wasn't until the summer of 2003 that Abe officially went solo. She graduated not too long after that, in the early winter of 2004, to continue on with her solo career. She continued to release more singles while actively participating in other Hello! Project activities such as concerts, the special soloist group Nochiura Natsumi with Aya Matsuura and Maki Goto, and the Hello! Project super shuffle unit song "All for One & One for All", sung together with all other soloists and groups within Hello! Project at the time.
In late 2004, there was a plagiarism scandal with some of her essays and poems in her photobooks which were copied off works by other artists, and she took personal leave for three months. During that time she ceased participation from all H!P-related activities, including Kaori Iida's graduation concert in January 2005. As a result, an album scheduled for release in early 2005 was cancelled. A single named "Nariyamanai Tambourine" that was supposed to be released on January 26, 2005 was also cancelled (instead, "Yume Naraba" took its place in April 2005). She returned in February 2005, and has been participating in H!P activities once again, most notably the Nochiura Natsumi's tour.
In August 2005, her fifth single "Koi no Hana" was released, and she also became a member of the H!P special unit "DEF. DIVA" together with Maki Goto, Rika Ishikawa and Aya Matsuura. The single "Takaramono" was also released in November credited as "Sen", who is the main character of the drama "Takaramono", played by Abe. In the spring of 2006, Abe had a new single "Sweet-o-holic", together with a new album "2nd~Shimiwataru Omoi".
In 2006, Natsumi and Asami Abe will be playing the title roles in a Japanese TV drama about the 60's Japanese pop duo The Peanuts. (Ironically, Natsumi's former Morning Musume bandmates Ai Kago and Nozomi Tsuji have recorded cover versions of several Peanuts songs in their post-Musume group W (Double You).)
Profile
- Name: 安倍なつみ, 安倍夏美 (Abe Natsumi)
- Nickname: Nacci, Nacchi
- Birthday: August 10, 1981
- Sign: Leo
- Birth Place: Muroran, Hokkaido, Japan
- Blood type: A
- Height: 152cm
- Hobbies: Smiling, Talking, Poetry, Singing, Cooking, Sleeping
- JPOP Debut: 28 January 1998
- Hello! Project Groups:
- *Morning Musume (1997–2004)
- *Nochiura Natsumi (2004)
- *DEF.DIVA (2005)
- Subgroups:
- *Morning Musume Sakura Gumi (2003–2004)
- Shuffle Units:
- *2000: Kiiro 5
- *2001: 10nin Matsuri
- *2002: Odoru 11
- *2003: SALT5
- *2004: H!P. All Stars
Discography
Singles
- — April 30, 2003 (#18; 15,689 copies sold)
- :A duet with .
- — August 12, 2003 (#2; 81,460 copies sold)
- — November 19, 2003 (#22; 16,410 copies sold)
- :Natsumi Abe is credited as , the song was a double A-side together with 's .
- — June 1, 2004 (#7; 55,113 copies sold)
- — August 10, 2004 (#5; 47,351 copies sold)
- — April 19, 2005 (#5; 36,248 copies sold)
- — August 30, 2005 (#9; 30,450 copies sold)
- — November 30, 2005 (#23; 11,851 copies sold)
- :Natsumi Abe is credited as on this release.
- — April 12, 2006 (#43; 15,234 copies sold)
- — June 28, 2006
- Untitled — August 23, 2006
Albums
Photobooks
- ナッチ (Nacchi) (December 1999)
- なつみ (Natsumi) (November 1, 2001)
- Album 1998ー2003 (April 2003)
- 出逢い (Deai) (February 24, 2004)
- Fu (ふう) (May 26, 2005)
- アロハロ！ (Alo Hallo!) (November 2, 2005)
Calendar
- 安倍なつみ, 安倍夏美 2004カレンダー (October 2003)
- 安倍なつみ, 安倍夏美 2005カレンダー (September 2004)
- 安倍なつみ, 安倍夏美 2006カレンダー (October 12, 2005)
External links
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