Mao Abe (阿部真央)

Mao Abe (阿部真央; born January 24, 1990) is a Japanese singer-songwriter from Ōita-shi in Ōita Prefecture, Japan. Active since 2008 and recording through Pony Canyon, she built her career in J-pop after starting piano in elementary school, switching to guitar in high school, and playing frequent street lives in Ōita-shi. She wrote her first song, "MY BABY", in 2006, won the YAMAHA TEENS' MUSIC FESTIVAL2006 Oita competition with it, received an encouragement prize at the national finals for "母の唄", moved to Tokyo after high school, and issued early digital releases in 2008 before making her major debut with the album Free (ふりぃ) in 2009. Abe is known for a direct writing style, emotionally charged lyrics, and a vocal delivery that moves between power and vulnerability. Her songs often center on relationships, self-reflection, and everyday feelings, combining personal storytelling with pop and rock sensibilities. After Free (ふりぃ), she released albums including ポっぷ, 素。, and 戦いは終わらない, returned from vocal-cord surgery in 2011 with the single "モットー。／光" and the album 素。, and performed the Baby Steps opening "Believe in yourself", the endings "Never Fear" for Ningen Fushin no Boukensha tachi ga Sekai wo Sukuu you desu and "Keep Your Fire Burning" for Nozomanu Fushi no Boukensha, and the opening "Ding-dong" for The Invisible Man and His Soon-to-Be Wife. In 2026, she continued her live activity with the livehouse tour 年女興行, shared band-arranged live footage for 「じゃあ、何故」, and was announced as an additional artist for SUMMER SONIC.