Exile

Exile is a 14-member Japanese pop music band. On artwork and promotional material, the band name is typeset in all capitals as “EXILE”.

The current leader Hiro was originally in the band Zoo before they split up in the mid-1990s. In 1999, he started a new group called J Soul Brothers, which later changed its name to Exile in 2001. (But the name of J Soul Brothers was later revived by Hiro again in 2007 when he helped to form another 7-member group under the new J Soul Brothers monicker.)

Exile has released their singles and albums under Avex Group’s label Rhythm Zone. Hiro and Avex’s president Max Matsuura came from the same high school.

In November 2003, Exile remade Zoo’s hit single “Choo Choo Train”, which became a strong promotional single for their third studio album Exile Entertainment. The album sold over a million copies.

Their 2007 studio album, Exile Love, became the highest selling album of Japan in 2008, selling nearly 1.5 million copies. Their compilation album Exile Ballad Best sold nearly 1 million copies in its first week, making it the highest first week sales for an album of Japan in 2008. Their song “Ti Amo” won the grand prix award at the 50th Japan Record Awards in 2008. The song “Ti Amo” was also certified Million by the Recording Industry Association of Japan for 1,000,000 full-track ringtone digital music downloads (Chaku Uta Full).

In 2009, Exile’s song “The Next Door -Indestructible-” (The Japanese version is called “The Next Door”) was featured as the theme of Street Fighter IV.

On March 1, 2009, Exile and J Soul Brothers announced to merge as a 14-member group.

In total, they have sold over 17 million records just in Japan.

Members

• Hiro, real name Hiroyuki Igarashi (五十嵐 広行, Igarashi Hiroyuki) June 1, 1969 – leader of the group
• Makidai, real name Daisuke Maki (眞木 大輔, Maki Daisuke) October 27, 1975
• Matsu, real name Toshio Matsumoto (松本 利夫, Matsumoto Toshio), born May 27, 1975.
• Usa, real name Yoshihiro Usami (宇佐美 吉啓, Usami Yoshishiro), born February 2, 1977.
• Akira, real name Ryōhei Kurosawa (黒沢 良平, Kurosawa Ryōhei), born August 23, 1981 – was a member of Rather Unique and joined the group 2006 summer.
• Kenchi, real name Ken’ichirō Teratsuji (寺辻 健一郎, Teratsuji Kenichirou), born September 28, 1979.
• Keiji, real name Keiji Kuroki (黒木 啓司, Kuroki Keiji), born January 21, 1980.
• Tetsuya, real name Tetsuya Tsuchida (土田 哲也, Tsuchida Tetsuya), born February 18, 1981.
• Naoto, real name Naoto Kataoka (片岡 直人, Kataoka Naoto), born August 30, 1983.
• Naoki, real name Naoki Kobayashi (小林 直己, Kobayashi Naoki), born November 10, 1984.
• Atsushi, real name Atsushi Satō (佐藤 篤志, Satō Atsushi), born April 30, 1980.
• Takahiro, real name Takahiro Tasaki (田崎 敬浩, Tasaki Takahiro), born December 8, 1984 – the new vocalist chosen to replace Shun during the “Exile Vocal Battle Audition 2006: Asian Dream” summer audition.
• Nesmith, real name Nesmith Ryuta Karimu (ネスミス・竜太・カリム, Nesumisu Ryuta Karimu), born August 1, 1983.
• Shokichi, real name Shokichi Yagi (八木 将吉, Yagi Shokichi), born October 3, 1985.

Former Member

• Shun, real name Shunsuke Kiyokiba (清木場 俊介, Kiyokiba Shunsuke), born January 11, 1980 – currently a solo artist under his real name.

Other Information

• Also known as : Egu
• Origin : Tokyo, Japan
• Genres : Japanese pop, urban contemporary
• Years active : 2001–present
• Labels : Rhythm Zone

Discography

• Our Style, 2002-03-06
• Styles of Beyond, 2003-02-13
• The Other Side of Ex Vol. 1, 2003-09-10
• Exile Entertainment, 2003-12-03
• Appreciation to the Million Breakthrough, 2004-03-31
• Heart of Gold: Street Future Opera Beat Pops, 2004-09-29
• Perfect Best, 2005-01-01
• Asia, 2006-03-29
• Exile Evolution, 2007-03-07
• Exile Love, 2007-12-12
• Exile Catchy Best, 2008-03-26
• Exile Entertainment Best, 2008-07-23
• Exile Ballad Best, 2008-12-03
• Exile Perfect Year 2008
• Ultimate Best Box, 2009-03-25
• Ai Subeki Mirai e, 2009-12-02

Links

• Official website

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