Aile The Shota

Aile The Shota, June 2023

**Aile The Shota** (アイル ザ ショウタ), birth name **Watanabe Shota** (渡邉翔太) is a Japanese singer/songwriter signed to Japanese management company BMSG.

Before joining the company, he took part in the audition show THE FIRST, where he made top 10. Although he was not selected to be a part of the final group, he was offered a contract as a solo artist. He made his solo debut in January 2022.

Before taking part in THE FIRST, Shota was active as an underground solo artist under the names **nabepotato** and **Yum Ferrii**.

### Early Life

Shota fell in love with music (especially J-pop idols) when he was in first grade of elementary school in 2004, when he purchased his first CD.

When he was younger, he started to think of becoming a singer when he watched music programs on TV, especially dance&vocal groups. His love for singing was confirmed by his family, who encouraged him when he performed . However, music became his dream in 2013, during his first year of high school , and he decided that he wanted to be an artist in the summer of his second year of high school. It was during this time when he was accepted into a training school where he learned the basics of desktop music and songwriting

In 2016, during his first year of university, he started taking dance lessons, which broadened his knowledge of music and introduced him to hip-hop, R&B and jazz.

### 2018

Shota started his career as an artist in 2018, taking part in various underground live events and uploading some songs to Soundcloud under the name nabepotato.

### 2020

On March 16, Shota released "Drizzle", his first single as nabepotato. He wrote and composed the song himself.

On June 1, he released his second single "Eve (feat. MOON)". He wrote and composed the song himself.

### 2021

On January 1, Shota changed his stage name to Yum Ferrii and released his first single under this name, "with". He wrote and composed the song himself.

In February, Shota auditioned for SKY-HI's THE FIRST. He passed the Quality screening round in Tokyo (conducted in-person) with "Let it Be" feat. Kid Fresino by Daichi Yamamoto (dance performance). He ranked 18th out of the 30 contestants, moving on to the 3rd round.

In THE FIRST Artisism screening, Shota sang his original song "Drizzle" and was placed in Team B (with Shimao Sota, Miyama Ryoki, Handa Yusuke, and Kubo Shunto) to perform "Sexual Healing" by SKY-HI. At the end of the 3rd round, he ranked 5th, successfully continuing on to THE FIRST training camp.

In THE FIRST training camp Creativity screening, Shota was placed in Team C with Shunto, Reiko, Rui, and Taiki. The song they created in this round is titled "YOLO". Shota ranked 2nd in this round.

In THE FIRST training camp Mock Professional screening, Shota was placed in Team "Move On" with Ryoki, Ten, Ran, Shunto, and Ryuhei. They performed Move On, and Shota ranked 9th after this round.

In THE FIRST training camp VS. Pro Artist screening, Shota performed To The First together with the remaining 10. He was ranked 4th after this round and confirmed as one of top 10 finalists of the audition.

After a one month break from THE FIRST training camp, Shota and the other finalists returned to the same location to prepare for the final round. Shota was placed in Team Shining, and performed Shining One with Junon, Sota, Manato, and Ryuhei.

In THE FIRST Creative NEO screening, he teamed up with Sota and Manato to form "ShowMinorSavage". The song they created for this round is "No Cap Navy", with instrumentals of Nanairo Holiday by SKY-HI working as the backing track.

On August 13, he was not chosen to be a member of BE:FIRST but was offered an exclusive artist contract under BMSG instead.

On September 7 and 8, Shota was a guest performer at SKY-HI Round A Ground 2020, where he sang me time -remix-. He also announced his new stage name, Aile The Shota.

On October 29, he performed "me time -remix-" in SKY-HI's Hachimenroppi showcase.

On October 30, it was announced that he would be joining SKY-HI in his 2022 tour SKY-HI HALL TOUR 2022 -Hachimenroppi- alongside REIKO.

On November 26, it was announced that he would take part in the THE FIRST FINAL concert alongside his fellow THE FIRST contestants on January 29 and 30, 2022.

On December 23, his first digital single under BMSG, AURORA TOKIO, was announced to be released on January 5, 2022.

### 2022

On January 5, his first digital single under BMSG, AURORA TOKIO, was released. The same day, the release of his first EP AINNOCENCE was announced.

On January 26, his first EP AINNOCENCE was released.

On January 29 and 30, he performed in THE FIRST FINAL concert.

On April 3 it was announced he would be featuring on best friend and fellow BMSG artist Novel Core's single HAPPY TEARS releasing digitally on April 6.

On April 7 he performed at BMSG Artist Showcase 2022.

On Apri 9 he was a guest at origami SAI 2022 Tokyo.

On April 19 he opened his official fanclub.

On May 11 he released his second single, IMA.

On May 15 he performed at LOVE SUPREME JAZZ FESTIVAL JAPAN 2022.

On May 17 he announced that he would release his second EP, IMA, on July 6.

On June 3 he was a guest at Novel Core 1st ONEMAN LIVE "I AM THE TROUBLE".

On June 4 he performed at Munakata Fes THINK ECO KITAKYU.

On June 5 he performed at SAKAE SP-RING 2022.

On June 12 he performed at DARUMA MUSIC FESTIVAL 2022.

On June 22 he pre-released "Tokonatsu", one of the songs in his upcoming EP, IMA.

On July 16 he performed at Date fm Fantastic Forty RAD DAY 1.5.

On July 17 he performed at BLACK SUMMER WEEKEND 2022.

On September 4 he performed at The beginning starts here.

On September 9 he performed as an in-studio guest for station FM802's late night radio concert Pass the Groove.

On September 9 it was announced he would be featuring on singer-songwriter SG's digital single SENKOU, which released September 11.

On September 17 and 18 he performed at BMSG FES '22.

On September 18 he released New Chapter as a part of BMSG ALLSTARS.

On September 23 he performed at the ODD BRICK FESTIVAL 2022 as part of the BMSG POSSE alongside SKY-HI, Novel Core, and edhiii boi.

On September 24 he performed at TOKYO ISLAND 2022 as part of the BMSG POSSE alongside SKY-HI, Novel Core, and edhiii boi.

On October 4, it was revealed that Shota would hold the first event organized by him, "Place of Mellow organized by Aile The Shota" on November 4.

On October 9 he performed at FM802 EVENING TAP Diggin' Night-MINAMI WHEEL EDITION-.

On October 10 he performed at FM802 MINAMI WHEEL 2022.

On October 16 he performed at SHIBUYA ONGAKUSAI 2022 MUSIC SCRAMBLE LIVE.

On October 22 he performed at J-WAVE INNOVATION WORLD FESTA 2022.

On October 25 it was announced from November 8 he will start his own regular net radio program "Aile The Shota presents AINNOSTATION" on block.fm.

On October 26 he released his third digital single DEEP produced by A.G.O.

On November 19 he performed at Amafes “ARTIST EDITION” 2022.

On November 23 he released his third EP LOVEGO.

On November 26 his set from BMSG FES '22 was showcased during YouTube Music Weekend vol.6.

On November 27 he performed at LEGEND+nd -DAY1-.

On December 23 he performed on Buzz Rhythm 02, his first ever TV performance.

### 2023

On January 5, the first anniversary of his debut, he released his fourth single Yumeiro.

On March 5, he performed at the D.U.N.K. Showcase.

On his birthday, March 15, he released a surprise digital single, FANCITY feat. Soulflex.

On March 20, he was a featured artist in claquepot's two-man tour, claquepot crosspoint 2023.

On March 22, he performed as a guest at SG 1st Concert "FINALE" #SGproject.

On March 26, was a special guest artist at MAXXED OUT × Chilly Source MARKET.

On April 1, he performed at the Grooving jam festival.

On April 7, he held his second organized event, Place of Mellow Vol.2, in Osaka.

On May 4, he performed at VIVA LA ROCK 2023.

On May 14, performed at the LOVE SUPREME JAZZ FESTIVAL JAPAN 2023 as a part of the BMSG POSSE.

On May 19, performed at SIM CITY.

On May 21, he performed at the KOBE MELLOW CRUISE 2023 festival.

On May 26, it was announced he wrote the opening theme song, No Frontier, for the new anime series *AI no Idenshi*. The song was released July 5.

On June 11, he performed at TOKYO ISLAND 2023.

In July, held his very first one man tour, Aile The Shota -1st Oneman Tour "Prologue"-

On July 17, he performed at LuckyFes'23 along with SKY-HI and Novel Core.

On July 26, performed at GALAXY MOTEL vol.7, a two-man event with group ODD Foot Works.

On August 6, he and SKY-HI performed at WASSHOI! MUSIC PARK 2023 for the Katsuyama Park music festival.

On August 9 he released his seventh single, Pandora.

On August 27, he performed at Namy & TALK presents Playlist Live.

On September 18, he released The Sun from the EAST as part of BMSG EAST.

During the last two weekends in September, he performed at BMSG FES '23.

On October 8, he performed at UNI9UE PARK'23.

On October 9, he performed FM802 MINAMI WHEEL 2023 25th ANNIVERSARY.

On October 14, he performed a J-WAVE INNOVATION WORLD FESTA 2023.

On October 28, he and Novel Core were both performers at SPOOKY PUMPKIN 2023 ~PURO ALL NIGHT HALLOWEEN PARTY~.

On November 10, he performed at the block.fm 12th Anniversary Road To BLOCK.FESTIVAL.

On November 18, he and REIKO performed at OSAKA DREAM LIVE 2023 -autumn-.

On November 22, he released Epilogue, the title track from his upcoming fourth EP.

On November 26, he performed at tonun presents "TOUCH" as part of a three-man live with artists tonun and haruno.

On December 5, he held his first one-man live Aile The Shota Oneman Live "Epilogue".

On December 6, he released his fourth EP Epilogue - the final in the A-I-L-E series.

### 2024

On January 6, he performed at Shinshun CANAL FES.

On January 13, he performed at SHIGA BEAT CRUISIN'.

On January 14, he had a two-man live with singer-songwriter VivaOla.

On February 11, he will perform at the 27th annual OSAKA AUTO MESSE×FM802 CUSTOMIZE ARENA.

In February and March he will go on his mini tour, Aile The Shota Oneman Tour "Dialogue", with stops in Hiroshima, Hokkaido, Kumamoto, and Niigata.

On March 28, he will hold his third self-organized event, PANDORA.

On May 3, he will perform at VIVA LA ROCK 2024.

## Name Origin

SKY-HI described Shota as "like a river" meaning "the center of activity where people naturally gather," so he suggested "Lethe," a river from Greek mythology. Shota added on Ai" (Japanese for "love") making "Aile," a word with various meanings such as "wing" (French) and "family" (Turkish), thus creating "Aile The Shota.

## Personal Life

* Family
* Education
* Friendships
* Nicknames
* Name Meaning

He has a younger sister and a younger brother.

In March 2016, Shota graduated from high school.

In March 2020, he graduated from Dokkyo University.

After that, he started working part-time to support his activities as an artist.

* **SOTA**: he got close to BE:FIRST member SOTA during their THE FIRST days.
* **Novel Core**: he's very close to fellow BMSG artist Novel Core.
* **SHUNSUKE**: he got close to SHUNSUKE during their THE FIRST days.
* **LEO**: he got close to BE:FIRST member LEO during the third round of THE FIRST.
* **REIKO**: REIKO and Shota got close during THE FIRST Creativity Screening, and REIKO turned to Shota for advice during MISSIONx2. They got even closer once it was decided that REIKO would debut as a soloist.

* **Shota**: his nickname of choice, used by fans
* **Shota-kun** (しょうたくん): a common nickname for Shota.
* **Shota-mama** (ショウタママ): used by fans and fellow THE FIRST contestants during the show's training camp.
* **Aniki** (兄貴): used by Novel Core and THE FIRST contestants RAN and SHUNSUKE.
* **Sho-chan** (ショウちゃん): used by edhiii boi and BE:FIRST members SOTA, MANATO and LEO

Shota's given name, "翔太", means "to soar, to fly" (翔) and "thick" (太).

## Profile

* Information
* Q&A

* **Birth Name**: Watanabe Shota (渡邉翔太)
* **Stage Name**: Aile The Shota (アイル ザ ショウタ)
* **Nicknames**: Shota
* **Birth Date**: March 15, 1998 (1998-03-15) (age 25)
* **Birth Place**: Tokyo, Japan
* **Blood Type**: A
* **Height**: 175 cm (5 ft 8.8 in)?
* **Western Zodiac**:  Pisces
* **Eastern Zodiac**:  Tiger
* **Emoji**: 🦑/🫧
* **BMSG Status**:
	+ 2021-08-13: Joined
	+ 2022-01-05: Solo debut
* **BMSG Units**:
	+ ShowMinorSavage (2021-present)
	+ BMSG POSSE (2022-present)
	+ BMSG ALLSTARS (2022)
	+ BMSG EAST (2023)

* **Looks Up To**: SIRUP
* **Favorite Artists**: Southern All Stars, Arashi, Dreams Come True
* **Favorite Manga**: shounen manga, especially Dragon Ball and Bleach
* **Song that influenced him**: "DIRTY OLD MAN ~Saraba Natsu yo~" by Southern All Stars
* **3 things that make up who he is**: sauna, cycling, chocolate
* **Song for a date**: "Beautiful Journey" by Hirai Dai.
* **A cool thing he bought recently**: an inhaler to moisturize his throat
* **Something that heals him**: spending time with children, especially his 3 year old cousin
* **Favorite thing**: vintage clothing and accessories
* **Somewhere he'd like to perform**: the USA, because he's curious about how people would react to his music and himself as a musician and his music as entertainment

## Discography

*Main article: Aile The Shota/Discography*
* Artist
* Songwriter
* THE FIRST

### Singles

* [2020.03.16]  Drizzle   as nabepotato
* [2020.06.01]  Eve feat. MOON   as nabepotato
* [2021.01.01]  with   as Yum Ferrii

1. [2022.01.05] AURORA TOKIO
2. [2022.05.11] IMA
3. [2022.10.26] DEEP
4. [2023.01.05] Yumeiro
5. [2023.03.15] FANCITY feat. Soulflex
6. [2023.07.05] No Frontier
7. [2023.08.09] Pandora

### EP

1. [2022.01.26] AINNOCENCE
2. [2022.07.06] IMA
3. [2022.11.23] LOVEGO
4. [2023.12.06] Epilogue

### Collaborations

* [2022.03.14] SKY-HI, Novel Core, Aile The Shota, edhiii boi - Brave Generation -BMSG United Remix-
* [2022.09.18] BMSG ALLSTARS - New Chapter
* [2023.09.18] BMSG EAST - The Sun from the EAST

### Features

* [2021.10.27] SKY-HI - me time -remix- feat. Aile The Shota
* [2022.04.06] Novel Core - HAPPY TEARS feat. Aile The Shota
* [2022.09.11] SG - SENKOU feat. Aile The Shota
* [2022.09.30] chameleon - Mermaid feat. Js Morgan & Aile The Shota
* [2022.10.14] Kalassy Nikoff - Over Night Remix feat. Aile The Shota
* [2023.03.29] MATZ - DAWN feat. Aile The Shota
* [2023.04.12] NARROWORLD - HONEY DARLIN feat. Aile The Shota
* [2023.07.26] GANMI - M.L.N.D feat. Aile The Shota
* [2023.08.30] dawgss - rendez-vous feat. Aile The Shota
* [2023.10.25] Sam is Ohm - Ai Janai Kara feat. Aile The Shota
* [2023.10.25] Takeuchi Yuito - Zero Centi feat. VILLSHANA & Aile The Shota
* [2023.12.13] claquepot - Mellow Yellow feat. Aile The Shota
* [2023.12.20] Snowk - Bubble feat. Aile The Shota

Shota writes and composes most of his solo releases.

### Writer

* [2022.06.22] STAMP - Ai no Sei de (Japanese lyrics)

### Co-Writer

* [2021.11.03] BE:FIRST - First Step (lyrics, music)
* [2022.03.14] SKY-HI, Novel Core, Aile The Shota, edhiii boi - Brave Generation -BMSG United Remix- (lyrics, music)
* [2022.04.06] Novel Core - HAPPY TEARS feat. Aile The Shota (lyrics, music)
* [2022.04.13] SKY-HI - Bare-Bare (lyrics, music)

During the audition Shota participated in each of below performance screenings:

* **Creativity**
	+ Team C
	+ Song: YOLO -You Only Live Once-

* **Professional Trial Stage - Be Free vs Move On**
	+ Team Move On

* <b[Vs Professional Artist
	+ Performance of To The First featuring all Top 11 finalists

* **Creativity NEO**
	+ Group name: ShowMinorSavage (SHOTA, MANATO, SOTA)
	+ Song: No Cap Navy

* **Final Screening - Team Shining vs Team One**
	+ Team Shining

## Live Events

*Main article: Aile The Shota/Live Events*
* One Man Lives
* Featured Lives
* Tours

* [2023.12.05] Aile The Shota Oneman Live "Epilogue"
* [2025.03.16] Aile The Shota Oneman Live -Title TBD-

* [2021.10.29] SKY-HI - Hachimenroppi Release Commemoration Special Live  (guest)
* [2022.01.29-30] THE FIRST FINAL
* [2022.03.04] JFL presents LIVE FOR THE NEXT 2022
* [2022.04.07] BMSG Artist Showcase 2022
* [2022.04.09] origami SAI 2022 Tokyo  (guest)
* [2022.05.15] LOVE SUPREME JAZZ FESTIVAL JAPAN 2022
* [2022.05.21] POP YOURS  (guest)
* [2022.05.29] MTV LIVE MATCH 2022.05.29  (guest)
* [2022.06.03] Novel Core 1st ONEMAN LIVE "I AM THE TROUBLE"  (guest)
* [2022.06.04] Munakata Fes THINK ECO KITAKYU
* [2022.06.05] SAKAE SP-RING 2022
* [2022.06.12] DARUMA MUSIC FESTIVAL 2022
* [2022.07.16] Date fm Fantastic Forty RAD DAY 1.5
* [2022.07.17] BLACK SUMMER WEEKEND 2022
* [2022.08.21] SUMMER SONIC 2022 (guest)
* [2022.09.01] SKY-HI HALL TOUR 2022 -Cho Hachimenroppi-  (guest)
* [2022.09.04] The beginning starts here
* [2022.09.09] Pass the Groove (in-studio radio live)
* [2022.09.17-18] BMSG FES '22
* [2022.09.23] ODD BRICK FESTIVAL 2022 (as part of BMSG POSSE)
* [2022.09.24] TOKYO ISLAND 2022 (as part of BMSG POSSE)
* [2022.10.09] FM802 EVENING TAP Diggin' Night-MINAMI WHEEL EDITION-
* [2022.10.10] FM802 MINAMI WHEEL 2022
* [2022.10.16] SHIBUYA ONGAKUSAI 2022 MUSIC SCRAMBLE LIVE
* [2022.10.22] J-WAVE INNOVATION WORLD FESTA 2022
* [2022.11.04] Place of Mellow
* [2022.11.19] Amafes “ARTIST EDITION” 2022
* [2022.11.27] LEGEND+nd -DAY1-
* [2022.12.11-12] Round A Ground Special 2022 (guest)
* [2022.12.28] COUNTDOWN JAPAN 22/23 (guest)
* [2023.03.05] D.U.N.K. Showcase
* [2023.03.20] claquepot crosspoint 2023
* [2023.03.22] SG 1st Concert "FINALE" #SGproject (Special guest)
* [2023.03.26] MAXXED OUT × Chilly Source MARKET
* [2023.04.01] Grooving jam
* [2023.04.07] Place of Mellow Vol.2
* [2023.04.30] AREA DIP '23 in Tokyo
* [2023.05.04] VIVA LA ROCK 2023
* [2023.05.14] LOVE SUPREME JAZZ FESTIVAL JAPAN 2023 (as a part of BMSG POSSE)
* [2023.05.19] SIM CITY
* [2023.05.21] KOBE MELLOW CRUISE 2023
* [2023.06.03] ~~SAKAE SP-RING 2023~~
* [2023.06.11] TOKYO ISLAND 2023
* [2023.07.17] LuckyFes'23
* [2023.07.26] GALAXY MOTEL vol.7
* [2023.07.27] Odaiba Bohken-Oh 2023 SUMMER SPLASH! Mezamashi Live (as part of BMSG ALLSTARS)
* [2023.08.06] WASSHOI! MUSIC PARK 2023
* [2023.08.27] Namy & TALK presents Playlist Live
* [2023.09.09] Local Green Festival (guest)
* [2023.10.08] UNI9UE PARK'23
* [2023.10.09] FM802 MINAMI WHEEL 2023 25th ANNIVERSARY
* [2023.10.14] J-WAVE INNOVATION WORLD FESTA 2023
* [2023.10.28] SPOOKY PUMPKIN 2023 ~PURO ALL NIGHT HALLOWEEN PARTY~
* [2023.10.29] dawgss ONE-MAN TOUR "FLYME" (guest)
* [2023.11.10] block.fm 12th Anniversary Road To BLOCK.FESTIVAL
* [2023.11.18] OSAKA DREAM LIVE 2023 -autumn-
* [2023.11.26] tonun presents "TOUCH"
* [2024.01.06] Shinshun CANAL FES
* [2024.01.08] GANMI DANCE LIVE TOUR 2023-2024 (guest)
* [2024.01.13] SHIGA BEAT CRUISIN'
* [2024.01.14] VivaOla x Aile The Shota
* [2024.02.11] OSAKA AUTO MESSE×FM802 CUSTOMIZE ARENA (2024)
* [2024.03.28] PANDORA (Vol. 1)
* [2024.05.03] VIVA LA ROCK 2024

* [2022.02.05-04.16] SKY-HI - SKY-HI HALL TOUR 2022 -Hachimenroppi-  (opening act)
* [2023.07.02-29] Aile The Shota -1st Oneman Tour "Prologue"-
* [2024.02.12-03.20] Aile The Shota Oneman Tour "Dialogue"

## Other Works

* Starring TV Programs
* TV Appearances
* Music Videos
* Radio
* Modeling

* [2021] THE FIRST / Hulu
* [2021] Ano Hi no THE FIRST / Hulu
* [2022] BE:FIRST TV Tokubetsu-hen Road to BMSG FES’22 / Hulu
* [2023] D.U.N.K.
* [2023] M-ON! SPECIAL 「Aile The Shota」 ～Epilogue～

* [2021.10.27] Sukkiri / NTV
* [2022.01.05] Sukkiri / NTV
* [2022.02.09] Barihaya! ZIP! / FBS
* [2022.03.06] MUSIC WOLF TV / NBCTV
* [2022.04.07] MUSIC BLOOD - THE NEXT UP / NTV
* [2022.06.30] Kamioto Yoru / YTV
* [2022.07.09] N-18 Deco / Ishikawa TV
* [2022.09.23] Music Blood / NTV
* [2022.12.22] Sukkiri / NTV
* [2022.12.23] Buzz Rhythm 02 / NTV
* [2023.01.16] Premium MelodiX! / TV Tokyo
* [2023.02.04] Venue101 / NHK
* [2023.07.04] Premium MelodiX! / TV Tokyo
* [2023.07.08] Wakoudo Land / TV Kumamoto
* [2023.07.10] AIR / Nagasaki International TV
* [2023.11.10] Chouonpa / TV Tokyo
* [2024.01.26] New GENE! / NHK

*Main article: Aile The Shota/Music Videos*
Featured
* [2021] SKY-HI - ONE MORE DAY feat. REIKO (cameo)
* [2022] Novel Core - HAPPY TEARS feat. Aile The Shota
* [2022] SKY-HI - Bare-Bare (cameo)
* [2022] Kalassy Nikoff - Over Night Remix
* [2023] SKY-HI - D.U.N.K. (dancer)
* [2023] SG - SENKOU

Collaborations
* [2022] BMSG ALLSTARS - New Chapter
* [2023] ShowMinorSavage - SUPER ICY

* [2022.05-2023.03] DateFM Sendai - RAD SOUND with Aile The Shota  (last week of the month)
* [2022.07-2023.06] e-radio FM Shiga - Aile The Shota no Catch!  (3rd Tuesday of the month)
* [2022.08] Spotify Podcast - Vibes 'n' Love
* [2022.11-] block.fm - Aile The Shota presents AINNOSTATION (2nd and 4th Tuesdays of the month)

* [2023.12] Monthly ARISAK Vol. 13 (1, 2, 3, 4)

## Publications

*Main article: Aile The Shota/Publications*
* [2022.03.25] Rolling Stone Japan Vol. 18
* [2022.06.21] Pia MUSIC COMPLEX Vol. 23
* [2022.06.22] awesome! vol. 51
* [2022.09.05] Ongaku to Hito Vol. 41
* [2022.12.09] Pia MUSIC COMPLEX Vol. 25
* [2023.03.16] MUSICA - April 2023 issue
* [2023.08.30] Pia MUSIC COMPLEX Vol. 29
* [2023.11.08] AI no Idenshi Blue Age Vol. 7 (with SKY-HI)
* [2023.11.27] B-PASS - Jan/Feb 2024 issue
* [2023.12.13] Quick Japan Vol. 169
* [2023.12.15] MUSICA - January 2024 issue
* [2023.12.25] Rolling Stone Japan Vol. 25

## Trivia

* Shota's previous stage name "nabepotato" was a combination of "nabe" from his surname "Watanabe," and "potato" from "Potato Brothers" the name of his former dance duo.
* He did gymnastics in high school
* Novel Core thinks of Shota as "the guardian god of BMSG".
* His music roots are in the J-pop music he listened to when he was in elementary school (everything released between 2004 and 2010). Some of his highlights are Arashi, Hirai Ken, Southern All Stars and Aqua Timez.
* He considers his biggest strength to be the way he deals with music. He looks at music not as something to be learned, but as something essential to life, and as a culture, which led to a naturalness that made him close to music.
* He always starts the songwriting process thinking of the image color he wants the song to be.
* Shota likes to use word plays in his songwriting. He especially likes establishing a connection between the title of the song and its lyrics, so he tries to use titles to give an idea of what kind of song it is.
* His composition style is "intuitive". He likes to improvise in the recording booth and write lyrics about what he's feeling in the moment.
* When he's stuck in the production process of a song, he goes to the sauna to relax, without a set limit or temperature.
* He defines his music style as ‘Aile The Shota,’ not fitting into a specific genre. It could bring back memories yet it has a feeling of freshness, and he thinks it has a good mixture of R&B and hip-hop, creating sophisticated pop made in Japan. He hopes that listeners will understand what he means by 'ATS-pop' when they listen to his music.
* He loves meeting and talking with people.
* He thinks he gets his positive mindset from his family.
* His family is very supportive of him and his career, and they check out the media he's in more than he does.
* He's a big anime and manga fan.

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4  *BOOM BOOM BOOM ch. #22*
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 JaME - *Interview with Aile The Shota*. 2023/12/05.
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4  J-WAVE - *Aile The Shotaが影響を受けたサザンの一曲は？「夏が一気にわかるJ-POP感が大好き」*
4. ↑ THE FIRST #20
5. ↑ BMSG Twitter
6. ↑ SKY-HI HALL TOUR 2022 -Hachimenroppi- Schedule
7. ↑ BMSG Twitter
8. ↑ AURORA TOKIO announcement
9. ↑  https://realsound.jp/2022/01/post-941024.html
10. ↑ Aile The Shota、RAN、REIKO、RUI……BE:FIRSTとは違う道を歩み始めた4人　それぞれのポテンシャルを考察
11. ↑ 2022年1月5日(水) Aile The Shota が Digital Single「AURORA TOKIO」でデビュー
12. ↑ Mi mollet - *REIKO「誰も置いていかないアーティストになりたい」世界に“LOVE と“HAPPY”を響かせる今後のビジョン〈ロングインタビュー後編・全３回〉* 2023/10/09
13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 Aile The Shotaが自分の人生を支える大切な8曲を披露 | Playlist of My Life | GQ JAPAN
14. ↑ Aile The Shotaの人生に欠かせない10のアイテム | 10 Essentials | GQ JAPAN
15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2  J-WAVE - *Aile The Shotaが「毎日絶対に食べる」モノとは？*
16. ↑  J-WAVE - *Aile The Shotaがデートプランを提案！ 夕日が見えるスポットで聴きたい曲は？*
17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2  J-WAVE - *Aile The Shotaが「ほかでは味わえない」と感じる趣味は？*
18. ↑  *J-WAVE - Aile The Shotaがハマる“ヴィンテージの腕時計”とは？*
19. ↑  https://rollingstonejapan.com/articles/detail/37515/2/1/1
20. ↑  J-WAVE - *Aile The Shotaの楽曲は「ジャンルが溶けている」ような聴き心地─本人に音楽ルーツを聞いた*
21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 21.2  J-WAVE *Aile The Shota、SKY-HIの言葉で喜びが爆発「人生で一番泣いたんじゃないかな」*
22. ↑ AnimeTimes - *夏アニメAIの遺電子連載インタビュー第1回：OPテーマアーティストAile The Shota｜境界線に愛はないは、現代を生きる僕たちにとっても大事な言葉*. 2023/07/12.