Behind the Silhouette: Ado’s Journey to Lollapalooza

Ado, Japan’s most globally streamed artist, brings her powerhouse vocals to Lollapalooza for the first time. And while she’s had a number of projects come out this year none have pulled back the curtain on the elusive star like her biographic novel “Vivarium: Ado and I” and its companion single, “Vivarium.” Earlier this year, Spotify named Ado the No. 1 most–streamed Japanese artist. This feat is one of many firsts the mysterious 23-year-old Utaite singer has achieved since her 2020 single “Usseewa” her viral hit from Kyōgen, her major label debut album. But well before the mainstream music industry discovered her, Ado built up her own community within the utaite subculture. Utaite, (pronounced oo-tah-ee-teh), refers to amateur singers who cover songs from anime, vocaloid (music created with voice synthesizer software) YouTube and Niconico, Japan’s video sharing platform. Many utaite singers keep their identity private, using avatars and anime characters as a public face. As Ado transitioned to greater renown she has kept many aspects from her utaite days intact, most famously, remaining anonymous. Part of what makes her stand apart is an incredible vocal range. As a singer, she is...