Singer Akito Teshima

Cherish your true, authentic thoughts.

singer　Akito Teshima　(Akito Teshima)

■ Profile
He won the grand prize in the artist category of "Avex Audition MAX 2013" (16,766 applicants) and made his major debut as a member of SOLIDEMO. In the same year, he won the New Artist Award at the "56th Japan Record Awards". In 2022, SOLIDEMO's activities came to an end and he began working full-time as a solo artist. He is the host of the title program "Eh!? Boku ga Producer desu ka? (tentative title)" on OHK Okayama Broadcasting. He is active in multiple fields as a talent, actor and artist, appearing in musicals and on stage.

After winning the grand prize at Avex Audio MAX 2013, he debuted as a member of the male vocal group SOLIDEMO in 2014 and received the New Artist Award at the 56th Japan Record Awards in December 2014. Teshima Akito is not only an artist but also an actor and TV personality, appearing in the first musical based on the popular manga "Magi," "Musical Magi: Labyrinth Suite," and "World Trigger the Stage: B-Class Rank Battle Beginning Arc." He's also active in many fields, including singing, acting, and serving as a tourism ambassador for his hometown of Onomichi, Hiroshima Prefecture. We spoke with him about his career, his first full-length album "Life-size," due for release on January 24, 2024, and his nationwide tour "Are you ready?!", which begins on January 13.

■ Decided to become an artist while still a student

I started to aspire to become an artist when I was in my second or third year of junior high school. Before that, I was passionate about soccer, which I started playing because of my cousin's influence. At the time, there was no social media at all, and I lived in Onomichi, Hiroshima Prefecture, so I had the impression that artists were something you only saw on TV. Then, when I was in my second year of junior high school, EXILE held a concert in Hiroshima Prefecture. I was exposed to their coolness as artists and singers at the concert, and that's what made me decide to pursue a career in music and singing.

■ Even if you are still developing, you will be evaluated if you work hard.

After graduating from high school, I moved to Osaka to pursue a career as a singer. At the time, I was taking lessons at the Avex Academy, where I saw a poster for the Avex Audition MAX 2013. I happened to see it and thought, "I'll give it a try," so I auditioned and won the Grand Prix in the Artist Division.
At the time, I had only been involved in music for about six months, and I wouldn't say I was any better than the people around me. But the judges still said they saw potential and promise in me. Looking back, I think they appreciated the fact that I was singing as hard as I could, even though my singing was still rough around the edges.

■ From group to solo: pain and joy

Before starting my solo career in 2022, I was in a group called "SOLIDEMO." Working in a group allowed me to share my joys and sorrows with my friends, and it was a lot of fun to work towards a common goal together as a group.
On the other hand, when I work solo, I can't share my "emotions" or "experiences" with other band members. However, for this album, I wrote the lyrics and composed the music myself, so I can express my emotions and thoughts as they are. I think being able to share the feelings I've expressed more vividly with the audience and create a live performance is a joy that only a solo artist can offer.

■ Have fun and keep some space

As I continue my singing career, the most important thing to me is to have fun. As a singer, my job is to convey joy through entertainment, so I don't think the message will get across unless the person delivering it is having fun. I always try to remember to have fun no matter what.
In addition, I always try to keep "questioning." As a singer, I aim to be "complete," but on the flip side, once something is complete, there is no further growth and my way of thinking becomes rigid. To prevent this from happening, I keep questioning various things and try to leave "space" so that I can absorb new knowledge. I aim for "completion," but I don't want to "complete" myself. It's a difficult balance, but I want to keep that stance in mind.

■New album "Life-size" that depicts my life-size self

I wrote the lyrics and composed all 10 songs on this album, "Life-size." Because it's my first attempt, I wanted to create a work that is true to myself without overreaching myself, hence the title "Life-size." All the songs are filled with my emotions and thoughts, but the lead track, "Just Smile," is a piece that depicts my past self and my ideal future self.
The theme of the song "Kinmokusei" is "roots," and the title comes from the osmanthus that grew in the garden of my parents' house. It's a plant that has been close to me since I was a child, and in a sense, it can be said to be the origin of the Teshima family. Whenever the osmanthus blooms, I am reminded of my parents' house, which is my roots, so I named the song "Kinmokusei" to convey the idea that "never forgetting your roots" equals "never forgetting your original intentions."
In fact, I started writing the lyrics and composing the music for this album during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. With no live performances possible, I decided to try writing songs as an experiment. I started writing lyrics during the pandemic, and some songs I continued composing in between stage appearances and while traveling. This album is filled with the joys and hardships of the past few years, so it has a special meaning to me.

■National tour "Are you ready?!" including their first hall live performance

The tour that starts on January 13th will be my first since going solo. I'm really looking forward to touring with the album that I wrote and composed entirely. I hope to perform live and enjoy interacting with my fans, something that I wasn't able to do due to the COVID-1 pandemic.
Of course, I want people to listen to my songs at the live shows, but I also want to create the live show together with everyone. When my feelings and your feelings overlap, the songs evolve even more. That's why I hope to be able to have a back-and-forth with the fans at the live venue.
This year has been full of challenges, including starting a fan club, performing on stage, and writing and composing lyrics, but this tour is my final and biggest challenge of the year. The final performance will be at Kanda Square Hall. This will be my first attempt at a hall live performance as a solo artist, so I hope many people will come and see it.

■Continue to challenge, and one day perform at the Budokan

In the future, I would like to continue to brush up on the things I have tried so far. I hope to be able to take on the next challenge, as well as songwriting and performing on stage. Ultimately, I would like to work hard with the goal of performing at the Budokan.

■ Play and study with all your might! You'll definitely find hints and opportunities.

I think college is the time of your life when you have the most freedom. If you have clear dreams or goals, I encourage you to take a step forward without fear and forge ahead. Even if the effort and time you put into working towards your dreams and goals doesn't come true, the emotions and experiences you had at the time will become an asset. If you don't have dreams or goals, just try a variety of things. While hanging out with friends, you'll probably discover many things, such as your special skills, things you truly enjoy, and the place you'd like to live. All of these experiences will become assets, so don't overthink it and just try a variety of things.

Interviewed by Student Newspaper Online on December 14, 2023 by Ryusei Nishiyama, a fourth-year student at Musashino University

News

■2nd Tour "Are you ready?!" held
▼ Schedule
_ _ _　
Venue: [Hiroshima] SIX ONE Live STAR
Eight Building 1F, 8-20 Nagarekawa-cho, Naka-ku, Hiroshima City, Hiroshima Prefecture
OPEN / 17: 15
START / 18: 00
ADV/¥5,600

_ _ _
Venue: Fukuoka BEAT STATION
4-11-4 Watanabe-dori, Chuo-ku, Fukuoka City
OPEN / 17: 15
START / 18: 00
ADV/¥5,600

September fifteenth on Sunday
Venue: Kashiwa Palooza (Chiba)
2F Hayashi Building, 3-2-22 Kashiwa, Kashiwa City, Chiba Prefecture
OPEN / 17: 15
START / 18: 00
ADV/¥5,600

September fifteenth on Sunday
Venue: [Miyagi] Unknown Theater
Sakurai Pharmacy Building 3F, 2-5-10 Chuo, Aoba-ku, Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture
OPEN / 17: 15
START / 18: 00
ADV/¥5,600

2 / 14 (WED)
Venue: [Tokyo] SHIBUYA PLEASURE PLEASURE
6F, 2-29-5 Dogenzaka, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
OPEN / 17: 15
START / 18: 00
ADV/¥5,600

September fifteenth on Sunday
Venue: ESAKA MUSE (Osaka)
Moai Building 5F, 10-15 Toyotsucho, Suita City, Osaka Prefecture
OPEN / 17: 15
START / 18: 00
ADV/¥5,600

_ _ _
Venue: SPADE BOX (Aichi)
Unryu Flex Building West Building B2F, 1-9-1 Shinei, Naka-ku, Nagoya
OPEN / 17: 15
START / 18: 00
ADV/¥5,600

-FINAL-
_ _ _
Venue: KANDA SQUARE HALL (Tokyo)
2-2-1 Kanda Nishikicho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo