


Her first album, released in February, saw the soloist achieving a place in the Top 50. August 2003 saw Abe releasing her first solo single which achieved the number two spot on the Oricon Weekly Chart.In the January of 2004, Abe graduated from Morning Musume in order to pursue her solo career.

2003 saw Abe taking her first tentative steps towards a solo career the young artist released a single with Yosumi Keiko, a former member of Rokusenmon. The year also saw one of the original three Hello! Project Shuffle Units formed, and Abe was selected as leader for the group Kiiro 5.With the fourth generation auditions came a new spurt of favoritism for Abe, with members like Nozomi Tsuji seeing her as a role model. 2000 saw Abe being selected as the star to perform the main role in Morning Musume's second film, Pinch Runner. Perhaps it was this momentary lapse that saw the young woman's first photo book released in December. However, TSUNKU rapidly changed the status within the band, applying Abes crystal clear voice to the best of his ability.Following the third generation audition with Goto Maki's arrival in the group, Abe saw her popularity waver somewhat. The young idol claimed that JUDY & MARY helped her through this period of her life, the song Chiisana koro kara contributing significantly to her overcoming her fears.Following the 1997 audition of AYASAN in order to find a female vocalist for Sharam Q, the five runners-up - consisting of Nakazawa Yuko, Ishiguro Aya, Iida Kaori, Fukada Asuka and Abe Natsumi - were chosen to form the first generation of Morning Musume.Although Abe is now recognized as the main vocal talent of the group during her tenure, initially it was Iida Kaori who held this privilege. She has said her desire to become a singer was born during middle school when she was feeling depressed after being a victim of bullying. The adoration from the public saw the young woman become one of the most popular idols towards the end of the 90s.Abe's musical style remains similar to that of Morning Musume, centering around light hearted pop and ballads.Ībe Natsumi was born in Hokkaido in 1981 and attended Hokkaido Noboribetsu High School. As the lead vocalist for Morning Musume from 1997 to 2004, Abe's popularity rose as she became seen as the most talented member of the group. Abe Natsumi is well known for the clarity of her voice and her beautiful appearance.
