Atsushi Satō (Japanese: 佐藤 篤志, Hepburn: Satō Atsushi; born April 30, 1980), known as Atsushi or Exile Atsushi (stylized as ATSUSHI and EXILE ATSUSHI) is a Japanese singer-songwriter. Debuting as a member of the J-pop group EXILE in 2001, Atsushi is one of the main vocalists for the group. In 2004, Atsushi began working as a producer for the group Deep (then known as Color), and in 2011 released his debut solo single "Itsuka Kitto...". In 2016, he announced his temporary hiatus from EXILE and formed a new band named Red Diamond Dogs. Atsushi returned to EXILE in 2018 and later graduated from the group in December 2020 to focus on his solo activities. Atsushi rejoined the Exile Power of Wish tour on a limited basis in 2022 and announced that he would officially return to Exile's activities on the last day of the tour, 21 December 2022.
Biography
Atsushi was born in Saitama on April 30, 1980. He first started playing the piano at four years of age, and at high school after joining a band decided he would rather become a vocalist. After high school, Atsushi attended the ESP Musical Academy in Tokyo to further train himself as a vocalist.
In 2000, Atsushi entered the Asayan televised talent search, making it through to the last five. In 2001, after seeing Atsushi on Asayan, Hiro of the 1990s band Zoo asked him to join a musical group he was producing, called J Soul Brothers. The group had been releasing music since 1999, however when Atsushi and vocalist Shunsuke Kiyokiba were added to the group and the group's original vocalist Sasa decided to leave the group, Hiro renamed the group Exile.
In September 2001, Exile re-debuted with the single "Your Eyes Only (Aimai na Boku no Katachi)". Used as the theme song of the Yutaka Takenouchi and Ryōko Hirosue drama Dekichatta Kekkon, the song was a commercial success, managing to be certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of Japan. In 2002, Exile released their debut album Our Style. The album featured the first song Atsushi wrote lyrics to, "Eyes in Maze", and the first song that featured him as a solo vocalist, "Konna ni mo Nagai Kimi no Fuzai" (こんなにもながい君の不在; "You've Been Away for So Long"). The theme song for the Japanese release of Captain America: Civil War is a re-recorded version of "Itsuka Kitto" by him.
Through the early 2000s, Exile continued to release hit singles, including "Choo Choo Train" (2003), a cover of the Zoo song of the same name, "Scream" (2005), a collaboration with rock band Glay and "Tada...Aitakute" (2005), a song certified million for ringtone downloads. In 2004, Atsushi began producing the vocal group Deep, and also served as one of the band's members.
In 2008, Atsushi collaborated with R&B singer Ai to release the song "So Special", found on Exile's compilation album Exile Entertainment Best (2008) and her seventh album Viva Ai (2009). In 2009, Atsushi left Deep as a full-time member, renaming the group to Color and serving solely as a producer. In September 2009, Atsushi held his first live as a solo artist, Exh Special Exile Atsushi Live Solo. This was released on DVD in March 2010, and was his first release as a solo artist.
In 2011, Atsushi released his debut single as a soloist, "Itsuka Kitto...". The song was used as the theme song for the drama Hi wa Mata Noboru, and was packaged as a split single with Exile's "Rising Sun". On January 1, 2012, Atsushi released his debut solo album Solo, packaged as a split/double album with Exile's ninth studio album Exile Japan.
In 2016, he formed a new band called Red Diamond Dogs to accompany him for his solo live tour. On July 26, Atsushi sang the Japanese national anthem at a Los Angeles Dodgers baseball game. On August 31, he announced that he will temporarily move his activities outside of Japan and will focus more on improving his craft during 2017 and that he will come back to the country in 2018. Until then, his work as part of EXILE was limited. He returned to EXILE in early 2018, for which they released six new singles and an eleventh studio album Star of Wish.
Many of Exile's hit songs have been written by Atsushi, including "Everything" (2006), "Someday" (2009), "Aisubeki Mirai e" (2009), "Yasashii Hikari" (2009), "Motto Tsuyoku" (2010), "Rising Sun" (2011), "Exile Pride (Konna Sekai o Ai Suru Tame)" (2013), "Jōnetsu no Hana" (2015), "Joy-ride (Kankino Drive)" (2016), "Reason" (2023), and "Get-go!" (2025).
On November 2, 2020, he announced his graduation from EXILE to focus on his solo career. This decision came about in part due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The fact that he turned 40 also made him re-evaluate his life. ATSUSHI then released a book, “Sign Break Away from the past. Reincarnate, Stick to One's Beliefs.”, on November 12. In the book, he discusses his thought process in leaving EXILE right before the group's 20th anniversary the following year. "Sunshine", which was initially his last single with EXILE, was released on December 16. Despite this, Atsushi provided vocals on EXILE's 2022 song "Power of Wish". In December 2022, Atsushi changed his mind and announced his return to EXILE full time, cancelling his previously-announced departure.
Image
Atsushi is known for wearing sunglasses as a trademark of his image, which he began to do after reacting badly to the bright lights on television sets. He is also known for his buzz cut-style hair style, a style he has kept since 2003.
Personal life
Atsushi is a huge fan of American R&B trio Boyz II Men. In addition to his native Japanese, Atsushi is fluent in English and can also speak Chinese.
Artistry
Repertoire
Atsushi's repertoire contains elements of R&B, jazz, and even crossover music. For example, his 2016 dome trek Exile Atsushi Live Tour 2016: It's Showtime! is jazz-themed, as is the tour's theme song "Beautiful Gorgeous Love".
Voice
Atsushi is widely recognized for his tenor vocal range.
123Sources for chart positions are as follows:
"So Special (Version Ai)",
"I'm Lovin' You",
"Itsuka Kitto...",
"Golden Smile",
"All You Need Is Love",
"Alive",
"Melrose (Aisanai Yakusoku)",
"Soredemo, Ikite Yuku",
"Michishirube",
"Sange",
"Aoi Ryū",
"Hane 1/2",
"Make a Miracle",
"Precious Love",
"Sakura no Kisetsu",
"Be Brave",
"No More".
↑Two versions of "So Special" have been released with both Ai and Atsushi as primary artists. "Version Ai" features a different melody, structure and lyrics than "Version Exile".
↑Released as a split single with Exile's "Rising Sun".
↑Released as a split single with Exile's "Anata e".
↑Digital single; cover of the children's song from 1915.
↑"EXILE、EXILE ATSUSHIを応援くださる皆さんへ" (in Japanese). Avex Group. Archived from the original on March 3, 2017. Retrieved March 3, 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
↑EXILE ATSUSHI info on Bloom, 高音域の伸びや声のコントロール力が特徴で、ライブでも安定してパフォーマンスを披露。[His exceptional vocal ability, characterized by his powerful high notes and strong vocal control, allows him to consistently deliver stable performances even in live shows.]
