iri

Overview

iri (イリ, stylized in lowercase; born March 15, 1994) is a Japanese singer-songwriter based in Zushi, Kanagawa. Her fans are collectively known as "Waver." She signed with Colourful Records in 2015 and made her major debut in 2016 with the album Groove it. Her work spans J-R&B, J-pop, Japanese indie, J-rap and city pop.

Career

Early life and beginnings

In high school iri set her sights on a music career and, instead of joining an after-school club, committed to vocal training. At university she taught herself acoustic guitar from her mother's instrument and began performing in earnest at the long-established jazz bar where she worked part-time, mainly playing with jazz bands. In 2014 she won the Music Performance Division Grand Prix at JAM, a joint audition by NYLON JAPAN magazine and Sony Music, which included a study stay in New York. In February 2015 she wrote lyrics and sang on Shingo Sekiguchi's "Tsunaida Mirai feat. iri," used in the film Terrace House: Closing Door.

2016–2017

In 2016 she opened for Donavon Frankenreiter's Japan show and appeared at festivals including Rising Sun Rock Festival, Ocean Peoples and Summer Sonic. In October (October 26) she debuted on Victor Entertainment's Colourful Records with Groove it, which reached the iTunes Store top 10 and No. 1 on the hip-hop/rap chart. Her first single "Watashi" (March 22, 2017) was used in Nike Women's campaign, and she appeared in Apple Music's spring advertising. In April she opened for Corinne Bailey Rae's Japan tour, and played Space Shower Sweet Love Shower and Corona Sunsets Festival. On November 17 she held her first one-man show, "iri One Man Live 2017," at Shibuya WWWX to mark her debut anniversary. The EP life ep (November 22) again topped the iTunes hip-hop/rap chart.

2018–2019

Her second album Juice arrived on February 28, 2018, with a physical edition accompanied by the photobook Jubilee. In March she held her first headlining tour, "iri 1st Tour 2018." The single "Only One" followed in August, and in December she hosted her first self-produced event, "iri presents Night Dream 2018," in Tokyo, Nagoya and Osaka. Third album Shade was released on March 6, 2019; its track "Wonderland" was a SONY WALKMAN campaign song. The "iri Spring Tour 2019 'Shade'" ran across nine venues from April 5, then her largest tour. In May she held her first overseas tour in China (Shanghai, Beijing, Xi'an), followed in October by the Tokyo–Nagoya–Osaka tour "iri presents 'Wonderland.'" "SUMMER END" (September 4) was an AbemaTV drama theme, and in November she covered "Higashi e Nishi e" on the Inoue Yosui Tribute album.

2020–2022

"24-25" (January 22, 2020) was a Seiko commercial tie-up. Fourth album Sparkle (March 25) had its title track used as a SONY campaign song again, while "Clear color" appeared in a Zoff film. The spring tour was cancelled because of COVID-19, so she held the online show "iri Presents 'ONLINE SHOW'" on September 9. She released "Ienai" ("I can't say") on November 25, launched her official fan club Wavy Club on December 2, and played the "Five Zepp Tour 2020" in December. The second EP Hajimari no Hi (The Beginning of the Day) came out on March 24, 2021. At the final of the 2021 Spring Tour (May 29, Tokyo) she debuted "Uzu," released digitally June 16. In October she held the "5th Anniversary Live 2016-2021." On February 23, 2022 she released fifth album neon and her first live video, followed by the "S/S Tour 2022 'neon'." The single "Starlight" came in June, "Some" on September 14, and on October 13 she played a one-man show, "STARLIGHTS," at Tokyo International Forum Hall A.

2023 onward

She released the singles "Go back / friends" (February 22, 2023) and "Season" (April 19), then sixth album PRIVATE on May 10. In 2024 came the live albums iri Plugless Tour Live at Showa Women's University Hitomi Memorial Hall (January 17) and iri Live at Budokan (August 28), alongside singles "hug," "Run," "Swamp," "Pick you up" and "Faster than me." In 2025 she released "Butterfly" (March), "harunone" (May 7), "Seek" (May 21), "CUBE" (August 20) and "Futarigoto" (November 19).

Songwriting and collaborations

iri wrote songs for Sexy Zone ("make me bright" on PAGES, "Dream," "Cream"), Shiritsu Ebisu Chugaku ("I'll be here") and Kaela Kimura ("Tawaimo na"). She also appeared on works by LIBERAL, Mamiko Suzuki, RADWIMPS ("Tokyo feat. iri") and milet ("jam with iri"), and contributed "Futarigoto" to the RADWIMPS tribute album.

Musical style

Her music draws on hip-hop, jazz and bossa nova, pairing poetic, message-driven hip-hop-style lyrics with a soulful, reverb-rich voice in a genre-fluid approach. She writes melody and lyrics simultaneously and works with multiple producers in the collaborative Western style. She grew up listening to black-music-inflected J-pop by artists such as PUSHIM and Toshinobu Kubota, but names Alicia Keys' "If I Ain't Got You," heard in junior high, as her biggest influence, saying it turned her insecurity about her voice into confidence. Her solo guitar style was inspired by Tabito Nanao and Shutoku Mukai's understated, spoken-like delivery, which also sparked her interest in wordplay. Supported by a school counselor as a child, she once aspired to be a counselor and began music believing it could also help people.

Reception

Kenmochi Hidefumi of Wednesday Campanella praised her melodic sense, and Hikaru Arata of WONK admired her natural voice. Taichi Mukai cited her smoky voice and blend of digital and analog sound. Actor Yutaka Matsushige, Fuma Kikuchi of Sexy Zone (now timelesz) and Mei Nagano have also voiced admiration; Kikuchi's fandom led to her writing for Sexy Zone's PAGES. She ranked 19th in Buzz Rhythm 02's 2020 breakout list, and Koichi Tsutaya placed her "Higashi e Nishi e" ninth in his best of 2019, praising her low, glossy voice.