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Erika Umeda (梅田 えりか, Umeda Erika, born on May 24, 1991) is a Japanese singer and former model. She was a member of the Japanese idol girl group ZYX and Cute up until departing to pursue a solo career in modeling. In 2013, she returned to her music career with the release of her debut solo single "Crush On You."

Career

2002–2004: Hello! Project Kids and ZYX

Umeda was born in Minami-ku, Yokohama, Japan. In 2002, she auditioned for Hello! Project Kids with the song "White Love" by Speed. Her audition tape was aired on Morning Musume's variety show Hello! Morning. She was placed in the group with 14 other girls. In the same year, she appeared in the movie Koinu Dan no Monogatari.

In 2003, Umeda became a member of the subgroup ZYX along with Mari Yaguchi from Morning Musume, Maimi Yajima, Saki Shimizu, Megumi Murakami, and Momoko Tsugunaga. They released their debut single, "Iku ZYX! Fly High" on August 6, 2003, followed by "Shiroi Tokyo" on December 10, 2003. Later, in 2004, she participated in singing "All for One & One for All!", a collaboration single released by all Hello! Project artists under the name "H.P. All Stars."

2005–2009: Cute

In 2004, Berryz Kobo was created with the intention of rotating all of the members of Hello! Project Kids to make time for school, but the idea was later scrapped, and the remaining girls who were not chosen were rebranded under the name Cute on June 11, 2005. On August 1, 2009, Hello! Project announced that Umeda was graduating from the company on October 25, 2009, the last day of Cute's concert tour, to become a fashion model.

2010–present: Solo career

In 2010, Umeda was signed into a model agency called Illume Models. She made her runaway debut in Girls Award Summer 2010 and continued to appear as a regular model at every seasonal show until 2013. She also appeared at the Tokyo Girls Collection Spring/Summer 2012 show.

In 2013, Umeda left modeling to return to music and signed with Brand-New Music. She released her first solo album Erika on February 12, 2014, with the lead single "Crush On You." In 2018, she became the advisor for the girl group Turtle Lily.

Personal life

On August 15, 2021, Umeda announced on her blog and Instagram account that she had married Hirokasu Goto, a radio personality from Niigata Prefecture, and that she was pregnant with their first child. Their son was born on January 1, 2022.

Discography

Albums

Filmography

Film

Television

Music video

Theater

Radio

References

1. ^ "Erika Umeda PROFILE" (in Japanese). Brand-New Music. Retrieved December 10, 2017.
2. ハロー!モーニング。 (in Japanese). June 30, 2002. TV Tokyo.
3. ハロープロジェクト・キッズ (in Japanese). Hello! Project. Archived from the original on November 26, 2005. Retrieved July 24, 2017.
4. 仔犬ダンの物語 東映ビデオ株式会社 (in Japanese). Toei Video. Retrieved June 20, 2017.
5. "テレビ東京 CINEMA STREET / 仔犬ダンの物語/ミニモニTHEムービーお菓子な大冒険" (in Japanese). TV Tokyo. Retrieved June 20, 2017.
6. "ZYX" (in Japanese). Hello! Project. Archived from the original on December 10, 2005. Retrieved August 10, 2019.
7. "行くZYX! FLY HIGH" (in Japanese). Hello! Project. Retrieved July 23, 2017.
8. "白いTOKYO" (in Japanese). Hello! Project. Retrieved July 23, 2017.
9. ハロー！プロジェクト　オフィシャルサイト (in Japanese). Hello! Project. December 1, 2004. Archived from the original on July 31, 2012. Retrieved July 19, 2017.
10. ハロプロ史上最年少グループ「Berryz工房」誕生 (in Japanese). ZAKZAK. January 15, 2004. Archived from the original on January 5, 2010. Retrieved July 1, 2012.
11. "つんく♂から「°C-ute（キュート）」に関してコメント" (in Japanese). Hello! Project Official Site. June 13, 2005. Archived from the original on September 23, 2012. Retrieved May 8, 2012.
12. "『°C-ute　梅田えりか』に関する大事なお知らせ" (in Japanese). Hello! Project. August 1, 2009. Archived from the original on October 3, 2009.
13. "ILLUME Official Site - Erika Umeda 梅田えりか". Illume. Archived from the original on April 2, 2010. Retrieved April 4, 2010.
14. 同名"エリカ様"より目立ちたい！　梅田えりか、元気一杯 (in Japanese). ZAKZAK. May 17, 2010. Archived from the original on May 20, 2010. Retrieved July 5, 2012.
15. "東京ガールズコレクション2012春夏(Tokyo Girls Collection 2012SS)" (in Japanese). Asahi Shinbun. March 5, 2012. Retrieved December 10, 2017.
16. "元°C-ute梅田えりか、ソロで音楽活動再開" (in Japanese). Natalie. October 25, 2013. Retrieved June 24, 2018.
17. "梅田えりか、ファースト・ソロ・アルバム『erika』" (in Japanese). Tower Records Online. January 29, 2014. Retrieved June 24, 2018.
18. "梅田えりか(元 °C-ute) – タートル リリー (Turtle Lily)". Turtle Lily (in Japanese). Retrieved December 31, 2019.
19. "元°C-ute梅田えりか、結婚&第1子妊娠を報告 夫との写真添え「笑顔の絶えない幸せな家庭を」". Oricon (in Japanese). August 15, 2021. Retrieved May 25, 2022.
20. Peak chart positions on the Oricon Weekly Albums Chart:
    • Erika: "erika". Oricon (in Japanese). Retrieved February 21, 2019.
21. "テレビ東京 CINEMA STREET / 仔犬ダンの物語/ミニモニTHEムービーお菓子な大冒険" (in Japanese). TV Tokyo. Retrieved June 20, 2017.
22. 美女放談 テレビ東京 (in Japanese). TV Tokyo. Retrieved December 10, 2017.
23. Masa (April 6, 2011). "HAVE A NICE DAY～ さよなら初恋編～☆" (in Japanese). Ameba Blogs. Retrieved December 10, 2017.
24. 劇団ゲキハロ第2回公演 『寝る子はキュート』 (in Japanese). Gekijyo. Archived from the original on December 13, 2017. Retrieved December 12, 2017.
25. 劇団ゲキハロ第4回公演 『携帯小説家』 (in Japanese). Gekijyo. Archived from the original on December 13, 2017. Retrieved December 12, 2017.
26. 劇団ゲキハロ第6回公演 『あたるも八卦!?』 (in Japanese). Gekijyo. Archived from the original on December 13, 2017. Retrieved December 12, 2017.
27. "公演作品－グッバイ・ジョーカー Flying Trip" (in Japanese). Flying Trip. Retrieved December 12, 2017.
28. "番FM-FUJI DJプロフィール｜°C-ute" (in Japanese). FM-FUJI. Archived from the original on February 21, 2008. Retrieved April 29, 2018.
29. "番組一覧：°C-ute　キューティ－☆パラダイス ｜ラジオ日本 AM1422kHz" (in Japanese). Radio Nippon. Archived from the original on December 31, 2008. Retrieved April 29, 2018.

External links

• Erika's Sweet Diary - Erika Umeda Official Blog (in Japanese)

• 1991 births
• Living people
• People from Minami, Yokohama
• Singers from Yokohama
• Cute (Japanese idol group) members
• ZYX (pop group) members
• Hello! Project Kids members
• Japanese female models
• 21st-century Japanese singers