Sowelu

Biography

Aki Harada (原田 亜希, Harada Aki; born November 6, 1982) better known by her stage name, Sowelu, is a Japanese pop/R&B singer signed onto Avex Group's label Rhythm Zone.

History

Her career started in 2002 with the release of her first single Beautiful Dreamer, a soft love ballad which did very well in the charts, and was later featured on the Relaxin’ with Japanese Lovers compilation album. Her first single was modestly successful, and it wasn't until the release of her album Geofu×Geofu25 June 2003 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 13 tracks1shine4:112Fortune4:523Rainbow (original mix)4:364across my heart4:135I Wanna Know4:196beautiful dreamer (album version)5:467Part of me4:468CC5:119Can't take my eyes off of You4:3410call my name5:2411my dear4:5412breath ～想いの容量～4:5713Fortune5:18 in the summer of 2003 that she gained recognition. Geofu did exceptionally well in the charts, scoring a number 4 position with more than 300,000 copies sold. Her first single after Geofu, "Rainbow" was used as the theme song for the Japanese drama Netsuretsuteki Chukahanten, and the other A-side song on that single, "breath ~Omoi no Youryō~" was used for the national promotion campaign of JFN Radio. She performs under Sony Music Japan's DefSTAR Records label.
Her next big single "Glisten×Glisten8 October 2003 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 3 tracks1Glisten3:492Lovin' you3:233Glisten (less vocal)3:46" was used in a make-up commercial for Menards products and did fairly well in the Japanese market. With this success, she gained even more popularity, and was asked to sing the end theme for the popular TBS animated series Fullmetal Alchemist, entitled "I Will×I Will1 September 2004 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 4 tracks1I Will4:162パールカラーにゆれて4:163Candy Rain5:164I Will (less vocal)4:12", giving her an easy in with American fans. Because of "'I Will"', the two other songs included with her "I Will" single, "Candy Rain" and "Pearl Color ni Yurete", became popular among American fans. In 2005, her song "Candy Rain" was featured on the Soul Tree: a Musical Tribute to Toshinobu Kubota album and "Pearlcolor ni Yurete" was on the Momoe Yamaguchi tribute album Thank You For.... Her third single "Fortune×Fortune28 May 2003 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 4 tracks1Fortune2I Wanna Know3Fortune (less vocal)4I Wanna Know (less vocal)" was selected for the American J-Pop compilation album Neo Soul, and "Across My Heart" written by Kenny Lerum and Barry J. Eastmond, from the Geofu album, was added to the "Smooth Listening Compilation" album.
In November 2004, Sowelu released her 8th single, "Last Forever×Last Forever17 November 2004 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 4 tracks1Last Forever4:342Just Wanna Splash4:213The Rose3:594Last Forever (less vocal)4:33", which became the TV insert song for the new drama There goes Nurse-man, and her cover of "The Rose" was featured on a Nescafe commercial. Then, after one and a half years of waiting, Sowelu released her second album Sweet Bridge×SWEET BRIDGE7 January 2005 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 13 tracks1Do You Remember That ?4:052I Will4:103No Limit4:344Last Forever4:345He is not for me4:126Shower4:457Glisten3:458cloudy4:099Joy3:1410secret candle light4:2111The Rose3:5612暁ニ想フ4:0113You are my everything5:10 on January 7, 2005.
In 2005, Sowelu contributed to M-Flo's album Beat Space Nine on the track "So Exclusive", and again on their album Dope Space Nine in the same song, remixed by Korean fusion band, Clazziquai.
The Japanese version of The Pursuit of Happyness uses "Shiawase no Chikara" as its theme song.
In the music video for the song "to YOU×to YOU1 February 2006 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 4 tracks1to YOU5:162Finally4:163to YOU (instrumental)5:164Finally (instrumental)4:16" several photographs of her family and her childhood are intercut with scenes of her singing in a wide room with large glass windows. According to her website, the video location is a church about one hour away from Tokyo by car. At the end of the PV, the family members in the photos make an appearance together with Sowelu, including her grandmother, her mother and even Sowelu's pet chihuahua.
Her 4th album "24 -twenty four-" was released on July 12, 2006. It debuted at #3, her highest ranking yet. The album remained at the #3 spot for two weeks on the Weekly Oricon Album Charts. One of the album's songs entitled "守るべきもの", (Mamoru Beki Mono/The One You Should Protect) is used as the ending of the 9th Pokémon movie Pokémon Ranger and the Prince of the Sea: Manaphy.
On December 12, 2007, Sowelu released the single "光", (Hikari). The single reached #28 on the Oricon Weekly Charts. Sowelu would participate in the 2008 Nike ad campaign, "MY MUSIC, MY FORCE"; along with Perfume, Home Made Kazoku, Tohoshinki, Shota Moriyama and Shoko Nakagawa.
In Spring 2009, Sowelu's contract with Sony Music Japan's DefSTAR label wasn't renewed, resulting in the label dropping her from the website's roster. Less than a week after the news of Sowelu being dropped from her label, it was announced that Sowelu had signed to Avex Trax, one of Japan's most powerful record labels (under its sister label Rhythm Zone).
On May 30, 2012, Sowelu released her 5th studio album, "29 tonight×29 Tonight30 May 2012 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 15 tracks1Introduction 〜19:32〜1:012ありきたりの夜3:383The Final Pride4:414ミルク Interlude 〜22:22〜1:235Misty4:236Interlude 〜23:56〜0:18729 Tonight6:398happy birthday4:119タイムカプセルの丘5:1010Ex‐Love.5:0411Oh my memories4:4512Interlude 〜2:00〜0:0913雨粒のBirthday5:4414Interlude 〜2:20〜0:1615Present5:30".

Personal life

She was born in Tokyo to a half Irish and half Japanese mother and Japanese father Yoshitaka Shimada (嶋田 吉隆, Shimada Yoshitaka).
Sowelu is a martial arts fan and has stated that she is only attracted to fighting men (as for show-business men), such as mixed martial artists and professional wrestlers, especially those who look like Mark Hunt or Kazuyuki Fujita.