Aiko Sumida
Aico or Aiko Sumida (住田愛子, Sumida Aiko; born September 21, 2007 in Yamaguchi Prefecture) is a Japanese singer who has been particularly successful in Korea through appearances on musical variety shows.[1][2]
Career
[edit]Sumida studied at Actor's School Hiroshima and was a member of the school's local idol group Splash, cheering idols for the Sanfrecce Hiroshima football team.[3] Having made it through to the finals of the 2023 survival audition competition Trot Girls Japan, she went on to perform in the MBN singing competition Korea-Japan King of Singers (April–May 2024).[4] Her episode 2 performance of Gingiragin ni sarigenaku (a 1981 hit for Masahiko Kondō) was viewed 2.8 million times within two weeks of being uploaded to the MBN YouTube Channel,[3] with 13.7 million views by August 2026.[5]
In 2024, Sumida formed a Korean-Japanese trot duo with Kim Da-hyun, performing as Lucky PangPang (Lucky팡팡).[6] The pair brought out two singles, "DAMDADI" (released 29 June 2024) and "Sugar" (released 8 October 2024).[7]
Aico made her live debut as the lead singer of the girl band Oval Sistem on April 12, 2025, at the JigoRock 2025 open-air festival.[8]
References
[edit]- ↑ "In harmony: How retro Japanese pop strikes a chord in South Korea". NHK World-Japan. November 27, 2024.
- ↑ "Japan is now K-pop's most reliable talent pool". allkpop. October 25, 2025.
- 1 2 "무명의 반란, 일본 10대 가수 스미다 아이코" [The rise of the unknown, Japan's Top 10 Singer Sumida Aiko]. stardoc.kr. May 12, 2024.
- ↑ "[한일가왕전 회차 모음집][歌集] 스미다 아이코(住田愛子)". youtube.com. MBN Music. May 8, 2024.
- ↑ "스미다 아이코(住田愛子) - 긴기라기니 사리케나쿠 (ギンギラギンにさりげなく)｜한일가왕전 2회". YouTube. MBN Music. April 9, 2024. Retrieved 2 August 2026.
- ↑ "Korea-Japan Trot Duo Says 'Emotions Transcend Language'". korean-vibe.com. June 26, 2024.
- ↑ "住田愛子さん 紹介" [Introducing Sumida Aiko]. Iwakuni City. 3 February 2025.
- ↑ "住田愛子 プロシンガー" [Sumida Aiko Professional Singer]. HPP Records. 2025.