Anri

{{short description|Japanese singer-songwriter}}

{{other uses|Anri (given name)}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2020}}

{{Expand Japanese|topic=bio|杏里|date=September 2014}}

{{Infobox person

| name = Anri

| native_name = {{nobold|杏里}}

| native_name_lang = ja

| image = AnriLA22023 (cropped).jpg

| image_size =

| landscape =

| alt =

| caption = Anri performing in June 2023

| birth_name = {{nihongo|Kawashima Eiko|川島 栄子}}

| alias =

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1961|8|31|df=y}}

| birth_place = Yamato, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan{{cite news |title=歌手・作曲家の杏里さん 学校休んでも父の仕事に同行 |url=https://style.nikkei.com/article/DGXMZO44778820U9A510C1KNTP00/ |accessdate=20 November 2019 |publisher=Nikkei |date=24 May 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190614154929/https://style.nikkei.com/article/DGXMZO44778820U9A510C1KNTP00/ |archive-date=14 June 2019 }}

| occupation = {{hlist|Singer|songwriter}}

| module = {{Infobox musical artist

| embed = yes

| genre = {{hlist|Jazz|R&B|J-Pop|City Pop}}

| instrument = Vocals

| years_active = 1978–present

| label =

| associated_acts =

}}

| module2 = {{Infobox YouTube personality

| embed = yes

| channel_display_name = ANRI 杏里 Official

| channel_handle = @anriofficial3041

| genre =

| years_active = 2015–present

| subscribers = 119 thousand

| views = 123 million

| stats_update =

| silver_button = yes

| silver_year =

| gold_button =

| gold_year =

}}

| website =

}}

{{nihongo|Eiko Kawashima|川島 栄子|Kawashima Eiko|born 31 August 1961}}, better known as {{nihongo|Anri|杏里|}}, is a Japanese singer-songwriter from Yamato, Kanagawa Prefecture.{{cite web |last1=Winkie |first1=Luke |title=City Pop, the optimistic disco of 1980s Japan, finds a new young crowd in the West |url=https://www.chicagoreader.com/Bleader/archives/2019/01/11/city-pop-the-optimistic-disco-of-1980s-japan-finds-a-new-young-crowd-in-the-west |website=chicagoreader.com |date=11 January 2019 |publisher=Chicago Reader |accessdate=22 October 2019}} In a career spanning more than 40 years, she achieved commercial success and popularity in the city pop music scene during the 1980s.

She currently lives in Los Angeles.{{Cite web |title=杏里オフィシャルサイト |url=https://anri-music.com/s/anri/diary/detail/147794?ima=4833&cd=ANRISTYLE |access-date=2025-04-14 |website=杏里オフィシャルサイト |language=ja}}

==Biography==

Her debut release was 1978's "Oribia o Kikinagara" ("While Listening to Olivia"),{{cite news |title=新曲3曲を配信しライブも 57歳・杏里「栄光と挫折」の40年 |url=https://www.nikkan-gendai.com/articles/view/geino/248866 |accessdate=20 November 2019 |publisher=Nikkan Gendai |date=7 March 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191120221519/https://www.nikkan-gendai.com/articles/view/geino/248866 |archive-date=20 November 2019}}{{cite web |title=杏里 |url=https://tower.jp/artist/233074/%E6%9D%8F%E9%87%8C |website=tower.jp |publisher=Tower |date=22 May 2019 |accessdate=2 December 2019}} written by Amii Ozaki.

She achieved commercial success and popularity with her signature classic 1983 release, Timely!!, which spawned the hits "Cat's Eye" and "Kanashimi ga Tomaranai" ("I Can't Stop the Loneliness").{{cite news |title=杏里デビュー４０周年 記念アルバム「ＡＮＲＩ」 ８０年代の音楽が私の"核" |url=https://www.sankei.com/entertainments/news/180803/ent1808030002-n1.html |accessdate=20 November 2019 |publisher=Sankei |date=3 August 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180803091419/https://www.sankei.com/entertainments/news/180803/ent1808030002-n1.html |archive-date=3 August 2018}}{{cite web |title=杏里・悲しみがとまらない秘話（中編） |url=https://www.daily.co.jp/gossip/hayashi/2016/05/24/0009113033.shtml |website=daily.co.jp |publisher=Daily |date=24 May 2016 |accessdate=2 December 2019}}{{cite web |title=杏里 悲しみがとまらない秘話（後編） |url=https://www.daily.co.jp/gossip/hayashi/2016/05/31/0009141137.shtml |website=daily.co.jp |publisher=Daily |date=31 May 2016 |accessdate=2 December 2019}} "Cat's Eye" was used as the first opening theme of the eponymous 1983 anime series of the same name{{cite web |url= http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/answerman/2014-07-25/.76984|title= I Am Not At SDCC|first= Justin|last= Sevakis |date= 25 July 2014|accessdate= 31 August 2016|work= Anime News Network}} and debuted as No. 1 on Countdown Japan. It spent 4 weeks at No. 1 on the Oricon chart.{{cite news |title=1983年10月17日、杏里「CAT'S EYE」が4週目のオリコン1位を獲得～「CAY'S EYE」が開いた新しい時代の『扉』 |url=http://www.1242.com/lf/articles/132434/ |accessdate=2 December 2019 |publisher=Nippon Broadcasting System |date=17 October 2018}} It was one of the first J-pop songs used for an anime theme song. In 2017, she performed the song live at the opening of the touring ice show Fantasy on Ice amongst others.{{Cite news |url=https://sports.smt.docomo.ne.jp/figureskate/column/20170705_1.html |script-title=ja:ファンタジーオンアイス2017: 羽生らトップスケーターが一堂に会す豪華アイスショー |trans-title=Fantasy on Ice 2017: Hanyu and other top skaters gather at a luxurious ice show |website=sports.smt.docomo.ne.jp |publisher=NTT Docomo |first=Mina |last=Nakata |location=Chiyoda, Tokyo |language=ja |date=July 5, 2017 |archive-date=July 12, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170712142322/http://sports.smt.docomo.ne.jp/figureskate/column/20170705_1.html |url-status=live }} She appeared at the Red and White New Year's Music Special at the end of that same year, performing "Cat's Eye".

Other hit songs include: "Summer Candles" and "Dolphin Ring", both of which became standard songs played at Japanese weddings and receptions. Throughout the 1980s and early 1990s, Anri's albums were bestsellers. She has had highly successful tours—one with an attendance of almost 100,000—and toured Hawaii for the first time in 1987. She sang Furusato, a folklore song, during the 1998 Winter Olympics closing ceremonies

. In 2002, she began collaborating with jazz fusion guitarist Lee Ritenour, who produced her 2002 LP Smooth Jam – Quiet Storm. In 2021, Anri collaborated with Mariya Takeuchi on the single "Watching Over You" under the name "Peach & Apricot".{{Cite web |last=Inc |first=Natasha |title=相葉雅紀主演ドラマ「和田家の男たち」主題歌ユニットの正体は竹内まりや＆杏里だった（竹内まりや、杏里、林哲司、相葉雅紀コメントあり） |url=https://natalie-mu.translate.goog/music/news/452030?_x_tr_sl=ja&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en |access-date=2025-04-14 |website=音楽ナタリー |language=ja}}

With the renewed popularity of city pop, and her songs having been sampled by many new artists of the vaporwave and future funk genres, Anri has enjoyed new success and popularity outside of Japan. Following her rediscovery, several of her albums were reissued in 2023.{{Cite web |title=Anri Re-issues Iconic Vinyl LPs Signaling a New Era for City Pop |url=https://vanpaugam.com/blog/anri-vinyl-reissue-repress-rerelease-2023 |access-date=2025-04-14 |website=Van Paugam |language=en-US}}

File:Anri and Kamasami Kong at Cocolo.jpg at FM Cocolo.|right]]