Namie Amuro
Encyclopedia
is a Japanese
R&B and pop
singer, entertainer, and former actress who at the height of her popularity was referred to as the "Teen Queen" and the title "Queen of Japanese Pop Music". Born in Naha, Okinawa, Amuro debuted at the age of 14 as an idol
in the girl group Super Monkey's
. Though mostly unsuccessful, the group gained popularity during their final year together with the single "Try Me (Watashi o Shinjite)" (1995). Amuro left Toshiba-EMI
after releasing two more solo singles; she continued her music career as a solo singer with the then-small independent label Avex Trax
. Under the guidance of producer Tetsuya Komuro
, Amuro quickly became a commercial success, producing several million-selling records and starting several fashion trends. Her single "Can You Celebrate?
" (1997) became Japan's best selling single by a solo female artist. However, in late 1997, Amuro put her career on hold to focus on her pregnancy and marriage.
She returned to music in 1998 with the number-one single, "I Have Never Seen
", but faced slowly declining sales. After unofficially severing ties with Tetsuya Komuro in 2001, Amuro joined Suite Chic
, which would transform her from a pop idol to a R&B
artist. Since reinventing herself, Amuro has achieved newfound interest. Her seventh studio album
, Play
(2007) debuted at the top of the charts and was followed by "60s 70s 80s
" (2008).
Over a decade since her musical debut, Amuro has remained one of the longest surviving popular female acts in Japan. She also continues to successfully combat social stigma as a divorced, working, single mother. On July 30, 2008, Amuro released her first greatest hits
album, Best Fiction
, since transitioning to R&B music. It spent six consecutive weeks at the number-one position on Japan's Oricon
weekly charts, and was elected as "the best album of the year" at the 50th Japan Record Awards
. From 2008 to 2009, she toured Japan to promote the album. It was estimated that she played to an audience as large as 400,000 people, potentially the largest audience of her career. According to an update list made by Music Station
in 2010, She has sold over 30 million copies in Japan alone, making her one of the best selling Japanese Artist of all time.
Through her mother's side, Amuro is one quarter Italian.
While she did not have ambitions to become a performer early in life—dreaming instead of becoming a flight attendant
—she was discovered at age 12, while visiting a friend, by Masayuki Makino, the owner of Okinawa Actors School, a performing arts school. Amuro eventually joined the school; after only two years of study, Makino placed her in an idol
group called Super Monkey's with five other girls. A year after its September 1992 debut on Toshiba-EMI
, the group relocated to Tokyo
despite Emiko Taira's disapproval.
The Super Monkey's were largely unsuccessful and constantly changed members. They changed their group name to "Namie Amuro with Super Monkeys" in 1994 to reflect Amuro's individual rising popularity. Aside from group activities, she had bit parts in television dramas and small films. "Try Me: Watashi o Shinjite", produced by Italian eurobeat
producer Dave Rodgers
and Max Matsuura
, was released on January 25, 1995, peaking at the number-eight position and charting for 25 weeks on the Oricon
chart. The other four members of the Super Monkey's formed their own group, MAX
, under the Avex Trax
label. Amuro released two more solo singles under Toshiba-EMI before moving to Avex Trax herself.
", was released in October 1995 after she switched record labels. The single was the first produced from her working relationship with producer Tetsuya Komuro
. A second Komuro-produced single, "Chase the Chance
" was released two months later. It became her first number-one, million-selling single. She won the Golden Arrow Award 1995.
In the first half of 1996, Amuro accumulated million-selling singles - "Don't Wanna Cry
" and "You're My Sunshine
". Her studio album Sweet 19 Blues
, released on July 22, 1996, was a commercial success, selling over three million units. Amuro's popularity increased as well: she became a fashion icon, starting a trend called Amuraa characterized by tanned skin, dyed hair, miniskirts and boots. On November 27, 1996, she released the single "A Walk in the Park
", which also sold over a million copies. At the end of 1996, Amuro won the Grand Prix Award, the highest honor at the Japan Record Awards, for her song "Don't Wanna Cry", making her the youngest artist to have won the award. She made Okinawa more popular in Japan and many people from Okinawa such as Speed
followed her. The members of Speed said that the Okinawa Actors School was changed by her influence.
Amuro's first single of 1997, "Can You Celebrate?
", eventually sold 2.29 million copies, making it the best-selling single by a solo female artist in Japan. That year, after the release of another single, "How to Be a Girl
", and a second album, Concentration 20
, Amuro toured Japan's four domes in the summer. On August 3 of that year, the sales of Amuro's records reached 20 million.
On the 22nd October 1997, Amuro announced at a press conference that she had married Masaharu Maruyama (better known as "Sam" of the band TRF
) while three months pregnant; she has since been credited for popularizing shotgun weddings in Japan. At the end of the year, she won the Grand Prix Award at the Japan Record Awards again for "Can You Celebrate?" and made her final appearance on Kouhaku Uta Gassen before beginning her one-year hiatus from the music industry.
" (December 1998). She made her first televised appearance on Kouhaku Uta Gassen days later, performing a tearful rendition of her hit "Can You Celebrate?". On the Oricon
Weekly Chart, the new single debuted at the top position. However, at that time new singer-songwriter
Hikaru Utada was revolutionizing the Japanese music industry, and Amuro began to re-focus her career. Amuro's following single, "Respect the Power of Love
", was released on March 17, 1999; on the same day, news broke out that her mother had been murdered in Okinawa. Upon hearing the news, Amuro canceled her promotional schedule and flew back to Okinawa in order to identify her mother's body. A week later, the single debuted at the number-two position, being beaten out by "Dango 3 Kyodai
". A third comeback single, "Toi et Moi
", was used for the Japanese animation movie Pokémon: The Movie 2000
.
The following single "Something 'bout the Kiss
" featured production by American Hip-hop/R&B producer Dallas Austin
. Austin, along with longtime producer Tetsuya Komuro, produced her first album since her hiatus, Genius 2000
, released in January 2000. The album still debuted at the number-one position on the Oricon weekly chart. She spent the first half of 2000 touring in support of the Genius 2000 album. After the tour, she released a single, "Never End", in July. The single was used as part of the G8 summit
taking place in Okinawa, Japan that year. It was commissioned by late Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi
, who asked Tetsuya Komuro to write a song conveying "a vision of harmony and interaction in the world in the 21st century". Obuchi later asked Amuro to perform the single at the summit.
After separating from Masaharu in January 2000, Amuro filed for divorce, citing irreconcilable differences alongside difficulty with Masaharu's relatives, and the two were officially divorced by July 2002.
Amuro's next studio album Break the Rules
, released on December 20, 2000, was not able to top the Oricon weekly charts, peaking at the number-two position. Starting in March, 2001, Amuro toured Japan in support of Break the Rules; the tour ended in May. In August, Amuro released the single "Say the Word
". For the first time, she wrote the lyrics herself. The single also unofficially marked an end to the working relationship between her and longtime producer Tetsuya Komuro. However, in December she worked with Komuro for the last time on a "Lovin' It
", a single released as part of Avex's Song+Nation charity project. The single featured hip-hop artist Verbal
of the group M-Flo
.
album Love Enhanced Single Collection, but the songs were re-arranged from those original versions. In July 2002, Amuro was divorced from Maruyama. On September 11, 2002, "Wishing on the Same Star
", written by Diane Warren
, was released, peaking at the number-two position on the oricon weekly chart. The song was originally sung by Keedy
in 1991.
From December 2002, fully immersed into the Japanese R&B scene releasing music in the musical project Suite Chic
, she collaborated with several of Japan's popular hip hop and R&B artists such as Verbal
, Zeebra
, Dabo
and DJ Muro
. They released two singles, an original album and one remix album before ending the project in 2003. She later said that after the project she had begun to do what she had wanted to do.
Amuro returned to solo activities on her own with the single "Shine More
", released on March 6, 2003. The subsequent single "Put 'Em Up
", released on July 16, 2003, was produced by Dallas Austin. On October 16, 2003, the double a-side single "So Crazy / Come
" was released. "So Crazy" was written by American R&B producers Full Force
. "Come", used for the Japanese anime InuYasha
, was a re-arranged song from Sophie Monk
. At the end of the year, she released her first original studio album in three years, Style
. From November 29, 2003 to April 11, 2004, she performed on the Namie Amuro So Crazy Tour Featuring Best Singles 2003-2004. In May, she also toured Taipei
, Taiwan
and Seoul
, South Korea
. Shortly after the tour, she released the ballad "All for You
"; this was followed by the double A-side single "Girl Talk / The Speed Star
", released on October 14, 2004. The single debuted at the top position on the Oricon daily chart and reached the number-two position for the week, making it her first Top 3 single in two years. Amuro chose not to appear on Kōhaku Uta Gassen
though she had been invited to perform at the event. She had previously attended the coveted event nine years in a row. Amuro explained that while she wished to regain popularity, she did not want to "force" herself on the public anymore.
Following the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake
disaster in Southeast Asia, Amuro participated as the only Japanese representative at MTV Asia Aid in February 2005. She donated ¥
10 million (approximately USD$90,000) to UNICEF for children who were affected by the disaster.
On April 6, 2005, she released the single "Want Me, Want Me
". The song was a well-received hit at home debuting at the number-two position. In May 2005, following a three year split from her former husband Sam, it was reported that she would take back full custody of their child, Haruto. In August, it was reported that she officially did that. On May 29, she performed at the MTV Video Music Awards Japan
for the fourth consecutive year in a row. She received two awards, "Best R&B Video" and "Most Impressive Performing Asian Artist", making the first artist to receive awards four years in a row at the MTV Video Music Awards Japan. She took home the "Inspiration Award Japan" in 2002, "Best Collaboration" in 2003, "Best R&B Video" for 2004, and 2005 as well as "Most Impressive Performing Asian Artist" in 2005.
On July 13, 2005, she released her sixth original studio album, Queen of Hip-Pop
. In collaboration with MGM Studios, Amuro used the Pink Panther character in the album; a female panther counterpart was created for the album as well. When the album was completed, Amuro said that she had not been able to sing the songs very well yet.
In September 2005, Amuro held her seventh national tour, Space of Hip-Pop. Shortly after the start of her tour, she announced that she would contribute to the Japanese theaterical release of Sin City
. After viewing the movie, Amuro made an offer to the Japanese distribution company to sing its theme song; the company, feeling that her image fit the movie, accepted her offer. Director Robert Rodriguez
was impressed by the song and asked to be a part of it; he can be heard saying "Welcome to Sin City" towards the end of the song. The theme song, "Violet Sauce", was later released as part of a double A-side single, "White Light / Violet Sauce
", on November 16, 2005. Shortly after the single, she released Filmography 2001-2005
a compilation of twelve of her music videos from 2001 to 2005.
Amuro collaborated with Zeebra
, AI
, and Mummy-D on Zeebra's album The New Beginning, released on February 15, 2006, in a song called "Do What U Gotta Do". On May 17, she released the double A-side single "Can't Sleep, Can't Eat, I'm Sick/Ningyo", which debuted at the number-two position on the oricon weekly chart. In August 2006, she began her tour Namie Amuro Best Tour "Live Style 2006". On September 17, she performed to an audience of 12,000 at Yoyogi National Stadium in Tokyo, Japan. She stated that she would do the performance greater than ever before in 2007.
", released on January 24, 2007, was used as the theme song of a Japanese Drama Himitsu no Hanazono
. On the oricon weekly chart, "Baby Don't Cry" debuted at the number-three position and she achieved a Top 10 single each year for 13 consecutive years, breaking the solo female artist's record in Japan by Kyōko Koizumi
and Shizuka Kudō
. It sold over a million ringtone digital downloads and was ranked at number seven on the RIAJ
2007 yearly ringtone sales charts. Amuro's 32nd single, "Funky Town
", was released on April 4, 2007. She was also featured on M-Flo
's album, Cosmicolor
, in a song titled "Luvotomy".
Her seventh studio album, Play
, was released on June 27, 2007. The album includes 12 songs, four of which are single tracks. The album was said to reflect Amuro's new style, and featured a rock number, and a chic slow song. One of her new songs, "Top Secret" was used as the theme song of the drama series Prison Break
Season 2 in Japan. Play took the number-one spot on the Oricon
Weekly Chart Rankings, becoming her first number-one album in more than 7 years, with her last number-one occurring in 2000 with her album, Genius 2000. It is also her fourth studio album to reach the number-one position. Play spent two consecutive weeks at the number-one position. From August 18, 2007, to February 27, 2008, she performed her concert tour in Japan Namie Amuro Play Tour 2007-2008 which consisted initially of 53 performances but was increased by 12 performances to 65 performances, making this her biggest tour in terms of number of performances by far.
Amuro's first single of 2008, released on March 12, was an image song for the new Vidal Sassoon
marketing campaign Fashion x Music x VS. The title of her new single was confirmed to be "60s 70s 80s
", and contained three songs - "New Look", "Rock Steady", and "What A Feeling". These songs have a modern twist from the '60s, '70s, and '80s. The single debuted at the number-two position on the oricon weekly charts with over 114,000 copies sold. In the second week the single gained the number-one spot for that week, making it her first number-one single after 9 years and 3 months since "I Have Never Seen
". According to Oricon, "60s 70s 80s" sold nearly 300,000 copies.
On March 25, 2008, Amuro has won the prize for "Best Female Video" for "Hide and Seek" at Space Shower TV music video awards 08. "Hide & Seek" also won the prize for "Best R&B Video" at the MTV Video Music Awards Japan 2008
which was conducted at the Saitama Super Arena on May 31. In May 2008, Amuro also recorded a collaboration with Double
in a song called "Black Diamond". On the ringtone download sales chart, it earned double-platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of Japan. On July 26, about 25,000 people attended the a-nation '08 and saw her performance. This was the first time she was invited to perform on it in seven years. On July 31, she took part in Double's concert.
Amuro released her third greatest hits
album Best Fiction
on July 30, 2008. It featured all her singles from 2002's "Wishing on the Same Star" to the recently released "60s 70s 80s". It also featured two new songs, "Sexy Girl" and "Do Me More". "Sexy Girl" was the theme song for NHK
drama Otome no Punch that aired on June 19, and the other called "Do Me More" was the campaign song for Vidal Sassoon. Best Fiction sold 681,000 copies on the first week and debuted at the number-one position on the oricon weekly charts. Within its third week, Best Fiction outsold a million copies, and Amuro became the only artist who produced million-selling albums in the oricon
chart for three decades of her teens, 20s, and 30s. Best Fiction eventually spent six consecutive weeks at the number-one position, becoming the first album to do so in more than 14 years since the Dreams Come True's 1993 album Magic. Best Fiction became the second best-selling album behind Exile's Exile Love on the Oricon 2008 yearly album charts. In addition, it became the second best selling digital-format album by Japanese artists behind Hikaru Utada's Heart Station
on the iTunes
yearly album charts in Japan. Best Fiction won the award for "the best album of the year" at the 50th Japan Record Awards
.
On October 25, 2008, Amuro also started a tour called Namie Amuro Best Fiction tour 2008-2009 at the Makuhari Messe
. NHK
invited her to the 59th NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen
, but Amuro declined.
On January 20, 2009, Sanspo officially announced a new Vidal Sassoon
CM featuring Amuro, featuring a song from her entitled, "Dr." Her 34th solo single, "Wild/Dr.," was announced on January 21, which was a double A-side single released March 18, 2009. Wild was used in a commercial starring Amuro for Coke Zero entitled "Wild Health". On release, it became her 11th #1 single and second consecutive after 60s 70s 80s
. She also broke her own record of having all of her singles debut in the Top 10 (on the daily charts) for the last 15 years. Amuro collaborated with ravex
on a song for their album trax
. The song is called [ROCK U feat. 安室奈美恵] and was released as a radio single. As of June 2009, rumor has begun about the releasing of a summer single with ties to McDonald's
. A commercial has been shot for the Quarter Pounder
with the tag line being "Big Mouth". On October 1, 2009, hairstyling company Vidal Sassoon released new commercials featuring Amuro and two tracks from her expected album, "My Love
" and "Copy That."
Namie released her ninth studio album, Past < Future, on December 16, 2009. Released in CD and CD+DVD format, it contained her latest single "Wild/Dr.", and was supported by airplay and video clips of several of the new songs on the album. The album became her sixth number-one original studio album and in terms of sales, surpassed her last studio album, Play. In April, Amuro launched a large-scale, 9-month-long nationwide tour in support of her album, touring 26 cities.
, receiving an award for "Best Artist From Asia", and performed "Hide and Seek". A new single "Break It/Get Myself Back
" was released during the PAST
The live DVD "namie amuro PAST＜FUTURE tour 2010″ was released in Decemember and sold 95,000 copies within the first week, ranking first in the Music DVD category of the 12/27 weekly DVD Oricon rankings. It became her second consecutive number one DVD, after "namie amuro BEST FICTION TOUR 2008-2009″. The Blu-Ray version sold 18,000 more copies.
2010 ended on yet another success with "PAST＜FUTURE" charting at 6th in the Oricon yearly album rankings, her highest position with a studio album since 1996's Sweet 19 Blues
(2nd best selling album of that same year).
Namie Amuro is set to release her second collaboration album (first under her own name) on April 27, 2011. Titled Checkmate!, the album features nine collaboration songs released from 2003 to 2011, including Do What U Gotta Do, Luvotomy, BLACK DIAMOND, ROCK U and her 2010 collaboration single with AI
, FAKE, along with four new songs: "Wonder Woman" featuring AI
and Anna Tsuchiya, "Make It Happen" with AFTERSCHOOL
, "Unusual" with NEWS
member Yamashita Tomohisa and "#1" featuring CHEMISTRY
's Kawabata Kaname. The album release was delayed (the original release date was March 23) due to the 2011 earthquake and tsunami.
Meanwhile, Namie recorded the new theme song of "One Piece". Titled "Fight Together", a 2:30 minutes edit of the song started airing on April 10 as the opening theme of the long running Japanese Anime.
The 1st six months of 2011 was indeed, another achievement for Namie, according to Oricon, her album Checkmate!
is currently the 3rd best selling album in Oricon's 2011 Half Year Ranking Charts for Album, while her DVD Past is also currently the 3rd Best selling DVD in Oricon's 2011 Half Year Ranking in Music DVD. she's also the Japan's Best Selling Solo Artist (Male or Female) for 2011 according to Oricon's 2011 Half Year Sales of Artist (which includes all of Albums, Singles and DVDs) with an estimate sales of 2.7 Billion Yen. according to "Amazon.co.jp", her Album Checkmate! top their Half Year Ranking in Music. And at the end of July, she is going to start her arena tour entitled "LIVE STYLE 2011" to commemorate her 20th anniversary in the Japanese Music Industry.
Her official website announced her 36th single entitled "NAKED/Fight Together/Tempest". "NAKED" was used in her CM Campaign for KOSE ESPRIQUE, while "Tempest" is going to be used in a drama series with the same title. The single landed on the Top 2 of Oricon Weekly Charts, Extending her record as the only female Japanese artist to have a top 10 single each year for 17 consecutive years.
During her "LIVE STYLE 2011" tour, two new songs we're added to the set list, the songs are "Higher" and "arigatou ＜thank the world for LOVE... gift song for 2011＞." "Higher" was used as song for her new CM for Coke Zero, and "arigatou ＜thank the world for LOVE... gift song for 2011＞" was used as song for her new KOSE ESPRIQUE CM Campaign.
once again, Namie is set to release her 2nd single for 2011, her 37th single entitled "Sit!Stay!Wait!Down!/Love Story" was already announced, and its release date is on December 7, 2011. The single is also included two new songs entitled "Higher" and "arigatou ＜thank the world for LOVE... gift song for 2011＞."
Her official website announced her new live DVD/Blu-ray entitled "Namie Amuro Live Style 2011 tour" and its release date is on December 21, 2011.
songs, typical of her then-producer Tetsuya Komuro
. In later years, however, Amuro began incorporating elements of R&B and hip-hop; producer Dallas Austin
as well as Amuro's involvement in Avex's Suite Chic project were pivotal in her musical evolution. By her albums Style and Queen of Hip-Pop, Amuro had moved away from dance music
and focused mainly on hip-hop and R&B tunes.
At the height of her popularity, Amuro was known as a fashion leader in Japan; her style, which included mini-skirts and platform boots started the "Amuraa" craze in Japan, in which girls across Japan copied aspects of Amuro's look, including her clothes, tanned skin, hair, and "pencil thin eyebrows". Also among the fads that Amuro popularized were body wire (nylon accessories that resemble tattoos), baggy socks, and skin-baring clothes. Additionally, Amuro is often credited with starting the Ganguro
trend, as it has its roots in "Amuraa". Amuro's "idol" status contributed to her prominence in the media in the mid-nineties; at one point, Amuro hosted her own television show in addition to promoting various products through commercials
as well as appearing on a television show "almost every night".
Japanese people
The are an ethnic group originating in the Japanese archipelago and are the predominant ethnic group of Japan. Worldwide, approximately 130 million people are of Japanese descent; of these, approximately 127 million are residents of Japan. People of Japanese ancestry who live in other countries...
R&B and pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
singer, entertainer, and former actress who at the height of her popularity was referred to as the "Teen Queen" and the title "Queen of Japanese Pop Music". Born in Naha, Okinawa, Amuro debuted at the age of 14 as an idol
Japanese idol
In Japanese culture, are media personalities in their teens and early twenties who are considered particularly attractive or cute and who will, for a period ranging from several months to a few years, regularly appear in the mass media, e.g...
in the girl group Super Monkey's
Super Monkey's
was an Okinawan pop-singing and dancing group that spawned the careers of Namie Amuro and some members of the girl group, MAX. The group went through several member and name changes before coming into prominence in 1995 with the release of their fifth single, Try Me ~Watashi o Shinjite~.- Pre-debut...
. Though mostly unsuccessful, the group gained popularity during their final year together with the single "Try Me (Watashi o Shinjite)" (1995). Amuro left Toshiba-EMI
Toshiba-EMI
(formerly , is one of Japan's leading music companies. It became a wholly owned subsidiary of British music company EMI Group Ltd. in June 30, 2007 after Toshiba sold off its previous 45% stake. The current CEO and president is San-e Ichii. When EMI Music Japan was trading as Toshiba-EMI, it was...
after releasing two more solo singles; she continued her music career as a solo singer with the then-small independent label Avex Trax
Avex Trax
, listed in the Tokyo Stock Exchange as 7860 and abbreviated as AGHD, is the holding company for a group of entertainment-related subsidiaries based in Japan...
. Under the guidance of producer Tetsuya Komuro
Tetsuya Komuro
, also known as TK, is a Japanese keyboardist, guitarist, singer, songwriter and music producer born on November 27, 1958 in Fuchu, Tokyo, Japan. He is recognized as being the most successful producer in Japanese music history and introduced dance music to the Japanese mainstream...
, Amuro quickly became a commercial success, producing several million-selling records and starting several fashion trends. Her single "Can You Celebrate?
CAN YOU CELEBRATE?
"Can You Celebrate?" is Namie Amuro's seventh solo single under the Avex Trax label. Released on February 19, 1997, "Can You Celebrate" is the best-selling single by a solo female artist in Japanese music history with sales of 2,296,200 copies....
" (1997) became Japan's best selling single by a solo female artist. However, in late 1997, Amuro put her career on hold to focus on her pregnancy and marriage.
She returned to music in 1998 with the number-one single, "I Have Never Seen
I HAVE NEVER SEEN
"I Have Never Seen" is Namie Amuro's 11th single on the Avex Trax label. Released after a year hiatus, it debuted at #1 on January 11, 1999. It is her ninth number one single, and was her last until 2008's 60s 70s 80s.- Commercial endorsements :...
", but faced slowly declining sales. After unofficially severing ties with Tetsuya Komuro in 2001, Amuro joined Suite Chic
SUITE CHIC
Suite Chic was a collaborative project between some of Japan's top and up-and-coming R&B and Hip-Hop artists, writers, and producers, which debuted on December 18, 2002....
, which would transform her from a pop idol to a R&B
Contemporary R&B
Contemporary R&B is a music genre that combines elements of hip hop, soul, R&B and funk.Although the abbreviation “R&B” originates from traditional rhythm and blues music, today the term R&B is most often used to describe a style of African American music originating after the demise of disco in...
artist. Since reinventing herself, Amuro has achieved newfound interest. Her seventh studio album
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
, Play
Play (Namie Amuro album)
Play is the eighth studio album by Japanese pop singer Namie Amuro, released on June 27, 2007 in Japan. The follow-up to her successful 2005 album Queen of Hip-Pop, Play showcases her new hip-pop genre. This also marks her first album to be released in both the CD and CD+DVD formats. PLAY is her...
(2007) debuted at the top of the charts and was followed by "60s 70s 80s
60s 70s 80s
"60s 70s 80s" is Namie Amuro's 33rd solo single under the Avex Trax label. It was released in CD and CD&DVD formats on March 12, 2008, 11 months since her previous single "Funky Town", and nearly 9 months after her successful album "Play"...
" (2008).
Over a decade since her musical debut, Amuro has remained one of the longest surviving popular female acts in Japan. She also continues to successfully combat social stigma as a divorced, working, single mother. On July 30, 2008, Amuro released her first greatest hits
Greatest hits
A greatest hits album is a music compilation album of successful, previously released songs by a particular artist or band...
album, Best Fiction
Best Fiction
Best Fiction is Namie Amuro's third best-of compilation under the Avex Trax label. The album includes 15 tracks selected from singles released between 2002 and 2008, in addition to two new songs: "Sexy Girl" and "Do Me More", which were both be used to promote the album...
, since transitioning to R&B music. It spent six consecutive weeks at the number-one position on Japan's Oricon
Oricon
, established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan. It started as , which was founded by Sōkō Koike in November 1967 and became known for its music charts. Oricon Inc...
weekly charts, and was elected as "the best album of the year" at the 50th Japan Record Awards
50th Japan Record Awards
The 50th Annual Japan Record Awards took place at the New National Theatre in Shibuya, Tokyo, on December 30, 2008, starting at 6:30PM JST. The primary ceremonies were televised in Japan on TBS.- Awards winners :* Japan Record Award: - Ti Amo...
. From 2008 to 2009, she toured Japan to promote the album. It was estimated that she played to an audience as large as 400,000 people, potentially the largest audience of her career. According to an update list made by Music Station
Music Station
is a Japanese music television program. It began broadcasting on October 24, 1986 and continues to be broadcast weekly in High-definition from 8PM-9PM on tv asahi...
in 2010, She has sold over 30 million copies in Japan alone, making her one of the best selling Japanese Artist of all time.
Early life and career
Namie Amuro was born in Naha, Okinawa, raised solely by her mother, Emiko Taira, as she had divorced when Amuro was 4 years old. Taira worked as a nursery school employee and bar hostess to support her four children.Through her mother's side, Amuro is one quarter Italian.
While she did not have ambitions to become a performer early in life—dreaming instead of becoming a flight attendant
Flight attendant
Flight attendants or cabin crew are members of an aircrew employed by airlines primarily to ensure the safety and comfort of passengers aboard commercial flights, on select business jet aircraft, and on some military aircraft.-History:The role of a flight attendant derives from that of similar...
—she was discovered at age 12, while visiting a friend, by Masayuki Makino, the owner of Okinawa Actors School, a performing arts school. Amuro eventually joined the school; after only two years of study, Makino placed her in an idol
Japanese idol
In Japanese culture, are media personalities in their teens and early twenties who are considered particularly attractive or cute and who will, for a period ranging from several months to a few years, regularly appear in the mass media, e.g...
group called Super Monkey's with five other girls. A year after its September 1992 debut on Toshiba-EMI
Toshiba-EMI
(formerly , is one of Japan's leading music companies. It became a wholly owned subsidiary of British music company EMI Group Ltd. in June 30, 2007 after Toshiba sold off its previous 45% stake. The current CEO and president is San-e Ichii. When EMI Music Japan was trading as Toshiba-EMI, it was...
, the group relocated to Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
despite Emiko Taira's disapproval.
The Super Monkey's were largely unsuccessful and constantly changed members. They changed their group name to "Namie Amuro with Super Monkeys" in 1994 to reflect Amuro's individual rising popularity. Aside from group activities, she had bit parts in television dramas and small films. "Try Me: Watashi o Shinjite", produced by Italian eurobeat
Eurobeat
Eurobeat is a form of italo-disco/hi-NRG music that developed in the late 1980s.In the United States, Eurobeat was sometimes marketed as Hi-NRG and for a short while shared this term with the very early freestyle music hits....
producer Dave Rodgers
Dave Rodgers
Dave Rodgers is an Italian songwriter, composer, and producer.Born in Mantua, he started production with the band Aleph. Since then, he has collaborated with artists from around the world and has produced several multi-platinum albums...
and Max Matsuura
Max Matsuura
, better known as Max Matsuura, is a record producer and president of one of the largest music labels in Japan, Avex Group. He is known mainly for discovering and developing new artists and converting them into big stars. Ayumi Hamasaki is the most famous example of Matsuura's work...
, was released on January 25, 1995, peaking at the number-eight position and charting for 25 weeks on the Oricon
Oricon
, established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan. It started as , which was founded by Sōkō Koike in November 1967 and became known for its music charts. Oricon Inc...
chart. The other four members of the Super Monkey's formed their own group, MAX
MAX (band)
MAX whose name is an acronym for "Musical Active eXperience" is an Okinawan vocal group popular in Japan. The original members of MAX made their musical debut as members of the Super Monkey's along with lead vocalist, Namie Amuro...
, under the Avex Trax
Avex Trax
, listed in the Tokyo Stock Exchange as 7860 and abbreviated as AGHD, is the holding company for a group of entertainment-related subsidiaries based in Japan...
label. Amuro released two more solo singles under Toshiba-EMI before moving to Avex Trax herself.
1995-1997: Commercial success, marriage, and pregnancy
Amuro's debut single under Avex, "Body Feels ExitBody Feels EXIT
"Body Feels Exit" is Namie Amuro's debut solo single on the Avex Trax label. Released nine days after her only album with former label, Toshiba-EMI, "Body Feels Exit" debuted in the top three and would be her first of 24 consecutive top ten solo singles....
", was released in October 1995 after she switched record labels. The single was the first produced from her working relationship with producer Tetsuya Komuro
Tetsuya Komuro
, also known as TK, is a Japanese keyboardist, guitarist, singer, songwriter and music producer born on November 27, 1958 in Fuchu, Tokyo, Japan. He is recognized as being the most successful producer in Japanese music history and introduced dance music to the Japanese mainstream...
. A second Komuro-produced single, "Chase the Chance
Chase the Chance
"Chase the Chance" is Namie Amuro's second solo single on the Avex Trax label. Released in December 1995, it debuted at number one on the Oricon charts becoming her first of five million selling singles. At the end of the month, she would make her first appearance as a solo artist on Kōhaku Uta...
" was released two months later. It became her first number-one, million-selling single. She won the Golden Arrow Award 1995.
In the first half of 1996, Amuro accumulated million-selling singles - "Don't Wanna Cry
Don't Wanna Cry
"Don't Wanna Cry" is Namie Amuro's third solo single on the Avex Trax label. It is her second consecutive million selling single as well as her second consecutive number one single. In December, the single took home the "Grand Prix Award" from the 38th Annual Japan Record Awards...
" and "You're My Sunshine
You're my sunshine
"You're My Sunshine" is Namie Amuro's fourth solo single under the Avex Trax label. Released in June 1996, it was her third consecutive single to debut at #1 and sell over a million copies.-Track listing:...
". Her studio album Sweet 19 Blues
Sweet 19 Blues
Sweet 19 Blues is Namie Amuro's first original studio album under the avex trax label, her first with producer, Tetsuya Komuro, and her second album overall. The success of the album helped Amuro accomplish feats never realized by a solo female artist, and made her one of the most popular and...
, released on July 22, 1996, was a commercial success, selling over three million units. Amuro's popularity increased as well: she became a fashion icon, starting a trend called Amuraa characterized by tanned skin, dyed hair, miniskirts and boots. On November 27, 1996, she released the single "A Walk in the Park
A walk in the park
"A Walk in the Park" is Namie Amuro's sixth solo single under the Avex Trax label. It was her first original single to be released after the massive success of her solo debut album, Sweet 19 Blues and was her fourth million selling single....
", which also sold over a million copies. At the end of 1996, Amuro won the Grand Prix Award, the highest honor at the Japan Record Awards, for her song "Don't Wanna Cry", making her the youngest artist to have won the award. She made Okinawa more popular in Japan and many people from Okinawa such as Speed
Speed (band)
Speed is an Okinawan female vocal/dance group comprising Hiroko Shimabukuro, Eriko Imai, Takako Uehara and Hitoe Arakaki. All four members are former students of Okinawa Actors School which also trained popular artists Namie Amuro and MAX.Speed made their major label debut on August 5, 1996 and...
followed her. The members of Speed said that the Okinawa Actors School was changed by her influence.
Amuro's first single of 1997, "Can You Celebrate?
CAN YOU CELEBRATE?
"Can You Celebrate?" is Namie Amuro's seventh solo single under the Avex Trax label. Released on February 19, 1997, "Can You Celebrate" is the best-selling single by a solo female artist in Japanese music history with sales of 2,296,200 copies....
", eventually sold 2.29 million copies, making it the best-selling single by a solo female artist in Japan. That year, after the release of another single, "How to Be a Girl
How to Be a Girl
"How to Be a Girl" is a single written and produced by Tetsuya Komuro and performed by Namie Amuro. It was released in 1997.-Track listing:#"How to Be a Girl – Straight Run"#"How to Be a Girl – Adult Education Mix"#"How to Be a Girl – Instrumental"...
", and a second album, Concentration 20
Concentration 20
Concentration 20 is Namie Amuro's third original studio album. The album is a fusion of styles including Pop, Dance and Rock. Released a year after her record shattering hit Sweet 19 Blues, the album raced to the top of the chart further solidifying her place in Japanese music history.- History...
, Amuro toured Japan's four domes in the summer. On August 3 of that year, the sales of Amuro's records reached 20 million.
On the 22nd October 1997, Amuro announced at a press conference that she had married Masaharu Maruyama (better known as "Sam" of the band TRF
TRF (band)
TRF is a Japanese pop/dance group. Its members are rapper DJ Koo, lead vocalist Yu-ki, and dancers Chiharu, Etsu, and Sam.-History:...
) while three months pregnant; she has since been credited for popularizing shotgun weddings in Japan. At the end of the year, she won the Grand Prix Award at the Japan Record Awards again for "Can You Celebrate?" and made her final appearance on Kouhaku Uta Gassen before beginning her one-year hiatus from the music industry.
1998–2001: Personal joy and professional struggles
In May 1998, Amuro gave birth to her son, Haruto. She returned to the music industry with the release of "I Have Never SeenI HAVE NEVER SEEN
"I Have Never Seen" is Namie Amuro's 11th single on the Avex Trax label. Released after a year hiatus, it debuted at #1 on January 11, 1999. It is her ninth number one single, and was her last until 2008's 60s 70s 80s.- Commercial endorsements :...
" (December 1998). She made her first televised appearance on Kouhaku Uta Gassen days later, performing a tearful rendition of her hit "Can You Celebrate?". On the Oricon
Oricon
, established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan. It started as , which was founded by Sōkō Koike in November 1967 and became known for its music charts. Oricon Inc...
Weekly Chart, the new single debuted at the top position. However, at that time new singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
Hikaru Utada was revolutionizing the Japanese music industry, and Amuro began to re-focus her career. Amuro's following single, "Respect the Power of Love
RESPECT the POWER OF LOVE
"Respect the Power of Love" is Namie Amuro's 12th single on the Avex Trax label. Her second single to be released after her hiatus. The single was released on the same day that Amuro's mother was brutally murdered by her brother-in-law...
", was released on March 17, 1999; on the same day, news broke out that her mother had been murdered in Okinawa. Upon hearing the news, Amuro canceled her promotional schedule and flew back to Okinawa in order to identify her mother's body. A week later, the single debuted at the number-two position, being beaten out by "Dango 3 Kyodai
Dango 3 Kyodai
is a Japanese song released on March 3, 1999. The song caused a social phenomenon in Japan. On the Japanese Oricon weekly single charts, it debuted at the number-one position with the sales of over one million copies. It was considered that the song might surpass the record of "Oyoge! Taiyaki-kun"....
". A third comeback single, "Toi et Moi
Toi et moi
"Toi et Moi" is Namie Amuro's 13th single under the Avex Trax label, released on July 7, 1999.-Overview:"Toi et moi" is French for You and Me. The song was used as the ending theme to the Japanese version of the second Pokémon movie, Revelation Lugia. Although she had already experimented with...
", was used for the Japanese animation movie Pokémon: The Movie 2000
Pokémon: The Movie 2000
Pokémon: The Movie 2000, originally released in Japan as , is a 1999 Japanese animated film directed by Kunihiko Yuyama as the second Pokémon feature-length film, complementing the Orange Islands saga of the series and featuring several new Pokémon, including Lugia and Slowking...
.
The following single "Something 'bout the Kiss
SOMETHING 'BOUT THE KISS
"Something 'bout the Kiss" is Namie Amuro's 14th single under the Avex Trax label, released on September 1, 1999.- Overview :"Something 'bout the Kiss" is Amuro's first song to be produced by American producer Dallas Austin and show a more American influence in her music. The second track, "You are...
" featured production by American Hip-hop/R&B producer Dallas Austin
Dallas Austin
Dallas Austin is an American songwriter, record producer, and musician, based in Atlanta, Georgia. Some of his most notable clients include Michael Jackson, TLC, Boyz II Men, Pink, Monica, Madonna, Gwen Stefani, Stacie Orrico, Another Bad Creation, Fishbone, Sugababes, Anastacia, Namie Amuro, Kim...
. Austin, along with longtime producer Tetsuya Komuro, produced her first album since her hiatus, Genius 2000
GENIUS 2000
Genius 2000 is Namie Amuro's fourth original studio album produced by Tetsuya Komuro and Dallas Austin.- Overview :This album was released three years after her last album, Concentration 20 and two years after her return from maternity leave to the entertainment industry...
, released in January 2000. The album still debuted at the number-one position on the Oricon weekly chart. She spent the first half of 2000 touring in support of the Genius 2000 album. After the tour, she released a single, "Never End", in July. The single was used as part of the G8 summit
26th G8 summit
The 26th G8 Summit was a political summit that took place in Nago, Okinawa, Japan, on July 21- July 23, 2000.-Overview:The Group of Seven was an unofficial forum which brought together the heads of the richest industrialized countries: France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, the United...
taking place in Okinawa, Japan that year. It was commissioned by late Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi
Keizo Obuchi
was a Japanese politician who served in the House of Representatives for twelve terms, and ultimately as the 84th Prime Minister of Japan from July 30, 1998 to April 5, 2000. His political career ended when he suffered a serious and ultimately fatal stroke....
, who asked Tetsuya Komuro to write a song conveying "a vision of harmony and interaction in the world in the 21st century". Obuchi later asked Amuro to perform the single at the summit.
After separating from Masaharu in January 2000, Amuro filed for divorce, citing irreconcilable differences alongside difficulty with Masaharu's relatives, and the two were officially divorced by July 2002.
Amuro's next studio album Break the Rules
Break the rules
- Personnel :* Namie Amuro – vocals, background vocals* Poppa L.Q. – vocals* Terry Bradford – background vocals* Alex Brown – background vocals* Andy Caine – background vocals* Jennifer Carr – background vocals* Debra Killings – background vocals...
, released on December 20, 2000, was not able to top the Oricon weekly charts, peaking at the number-two position. Starting in March, 2001, Amuro toured Japan in support of Break the Rules; the tour ended in May. In August, Amuro released the single "Say the Word
Say the word
"Say the Word" is Namie Amuro's 19th solo single under the Avex Trax label. It is her first single after the termination of her working relationship with longtime producer, Tetsuya Komuro...
". For the first time, she wrote the lyrics herself. The single also unofficially marked an end to the working relationship between her and longtime producer Tetsuya Komuro. However, in December she worked with Komuro for the last time on a "Lovin' It
Lovin' It
"Lovin' it" single was made to honor the victims of the September 11, 2001 attacks. Namie Amuro and Verbal from M-Flo recored this song to the album Song Nation by Tetsuya Komuro. Namie Amuro sang Lovin' it in the Best Tour "Live Style 2006". Lovin' it is the 3rd track of Song Nation, after a song...
", a single released as part of Avex's Song+Nation charity project. The single featured hip-hop artist Verbal
Verbal (rapper)
Verbal is a Japanese third generation Zainichi Korean hip-hop MC, who debuted in 1998 as a member of the J-Pop hip-hop duo m-flo....
of the group M-Flo
M-flo
is a Japanese hip hop group consisting of producer and DJ Taku Takahashi and emcee Verbal.Former member Lisa left the group in 2002 to pursue a solo career, and the remaining members then started the M-Flo Loves... project working different vocalists for each song over three albums, including the...
.
2002–2004: Decline in sales and popularity
On March 13, 2002, she released her new greatest hitsGreatest hits
A greatest hits album is a music compilation album of successful, previously released songs by a particular artist or band...
album Love Enhanced Single Collection, but the songs were re-arranged from those original versions. In July 2002, Amuro was divorced from Maruyama. On September 11, 2002, "Wishing on the Same Star
Wishing on the Same Star
"Wishing on the Same Star" is Namie Amuro's 21st solo single under the Avex Trax label. Released on September 11, 2002, the song was meant to be her last before a hiatus that would have seen her transplanting herself from Tokyo, Japan to New York for the purposes of artist development...
", written by Diane Warren
Diane Warren
Diane Eve Warren , is a US songwriter. Her songs have received six Academy Award nominations, five Golden Globe nominations, including one win and seven Grammy Award nominations, including one win. She was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2001...
, was released, peaking at the number-two position on the oricon weekly chart. The song was originally sung by Keedy
Keedy
Keedy is an American freestyle singer–songwriter best known for the 1991 Billboard Hot 100 top 20 hit, "Save Some Love". It was included on her only studio album.-Career:...
in 1991.
From December 2002, fully immersed into the Japanese R&B scene releasing music in the musical project Suite Chic
SUITE CHIC
Suite Chic was a collaborative project between some of Japan's top and up-and-coming R&B and Hip-Hop artists, writers, and producers, which debuted on December 18, 2002....
, she collaborated with several of Japan's popular hip hop and R&B artists such as Verbal
Verbal (rapper)
Verbal is a Japanese third generation Zainichi Korean hip-hop MC, who debuted in 1998 as a member of the J-Pop hip-hop duo m-flo....
, Zeebra
Zeebra
, real name , is a Japanese hip hop artist, who made his first appearance in 1995. Zeebra is a former member of the hip-hop group King Giddra, which also included DJ Oasis and K Dub Shine, and the older brother of fellow hip-hop artist SPHERE of INFLUENCE...
, Dabo
Dabo
Dabo is a Japanese rapper. He first appeared on the Japanese hip-hop scene in the 1990s, collaborating in a Shakkazombie song, "Tomo ni ikkou". Since 2002, he has released three albums: Hitman , Diamond , and The Force...
and DJ Muro
DJ Muro
, known better as MURO, is an active Japanese hip hop producer and DJ. In 1987 DJ Krush, Microphone Pager, TWIGY and others formed the "KRUSH POSSE", a crew of rappers and Dj's. During this time he excelled at DJing hip-hop and began producing hip-hop beats. His solo debut appeared 1993...
. They released two singles, an original album and one remix album before ending the project in 2003. She later said that after the project she had begun to do what she had wanted to do.
Amuro returned to solo activities on her own with the single "Shine More
Shine more
"Shine More" is Namie Amuro's 22nd solo single under the Avex Trax label following her stint with R&B project, Suite Chic. Although she has released R&B music in the past, this single marks her transition from a pop artist to an R&B artist.- Track listing :...
", released on March 6, 2003. The subsequent single "Put 'Em Up
Put 'Em Up
"Put 'Em Up" is Namie Amuro's 23rd solo single under the Avex Trax label. Produced by Dallas Austin, "Put 'Em Up" was meant for release in 2000 but was shelved until 2003...
", released on July 16, 2003, was produced by Dallas Austin. On October 16, 2003, the double a-side single "So Crazy / Come
SO CRAZY / Come
"So Crazy / Come" is Namie Amuro's 24th solo single under the Avex Trax label. Released as the final single before her 5th original studio album, Style .-Overview:...
" was released. "So Crazy" was written by American R&B producers Full Force
Full Force
Full Force is a group of R&B performers and producers from Brooklyn, New York, USA, calling itself the original hip hop vocal band.-Members:*B-Fine - drums and drum programming*Shy Shy - bass guitar...
. "Come", used for the Japanese anime InuYasha
InuYasha
, also known as , is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Rumiko Takahashi. It premiered in Weekly Shōnen Sunday on November 13, 1996 and concluded on June 18, 2008...
, was a re-arranged song from Sophie Monk
Sophie Monk
Sophie Charlene Akland Monk is a London-born Australian pop singer, actress and model. Monk was a member of female pop group Bardot and released a solo album Calendar Girl...
. At the end of the year, she released her first original studio album in three years, Style
STYLE (Namie Amuro album)
- Personnel :* Namie Amuro - vocals, background vocals* Arkitec - vocals* Verbal - vocals* Zeebra - vocals* Mr. Blistah - additional vocals* Clench - additional vocals* Coyass - additional vocals* Kareb James - background vocals* L.L...
. From November 29, 2003 to April 11, 2004, she performed on the Namie Amuro So Crazy Tour Featuring Best Singles 2003-2004. In May, she also toured Taipei
Taipei
Taipei City is the capital of the Republic of China and the central city of the largest metropolitan area of Taiwan. Situated at the northern tip of the island, Taipei is located on the Tamsui River, and is about 25 km southwest of Keelung, its port on the Pacific Ocean...
, Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
and Seoul
Seoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
, South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
. Shortly after the tour, she released the ballad "All for You
All for You (Namie Amuro song)
"All for You" is a song by Japanese recording artist Namie Amuro, released on July 22, 2004 under Avex Trax. The song was the first of three consecutive singles to sell over 100,000 copies. "All for You" has been certified gold for shipments of over 100,000 by the Recording Industry Association of...
"; this was followed by the double A-side single "Girl Talk / The Speed Star
GIRL TALK / the SPEED STAR
"Girl Talk / The Speed Star" is Namie Amuro's 27th solo single under the Avex Trax label. It was released on CD and CD&DVD October 14, 2004. For three days the single placed #1 on the Oricon charts...
", released on October 14, 2004. The single debuted at the top position on the Oricon daily chart and reached the number-two position for the week, making it her first Top 3 single in two years. Amuro chose not to appear on Kōhaku Uta Gassen
Kohaku Uta Gassen
, more commonly known as simply Kōhaku, is an annual music show on New Year's Eve produced by Japanese public broadcaster NHK and broadcast on both television and radio, nationally and internationally by NHK's networks and some overseas broadcasters which bought the program...
though she had been invited to perform at the event. She had previously attended the coveted event nine years in a row. Amuro explained that while she wished to regain popularity, she did not want to "force" herself on the public anymore.
2004 Indian Ocean earthquake
The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake was an undersea megathrust earthquake that occurred at 00:58:53 UTC on Sunday, December 26, 2004, with an epicentre off the west coast of Sumatra, Indonesia. The quake itself is known by the scientific community as the Sumatra-Andaman earthquake...
disaster in Southeast Asia, Amuro participated as the only Japanese representative at MTV Asia Aid in February 2005. She donated ¥
Japanese yen
The is the official currency of Japan. It is the third most traded currency in the foreign exchange market after the United States dollar and the euro. It is also widely used as a reserve currency after the U.S. dollar, the euro and the pound sterling...
10 million (approximately USD$90,000) to UNICEF for children who were affected by the disaster.
On April 6, 2005, she released the single "Want Me, Want Me
WANT ME, WANT ME
"Want Me, Want Me" is Namie Amuro's 28th solo single under the Avex Trax label. It was released in two formats CD and CD&DVD on April 6, 2005. The CD format contained a B-side track and its instrumental while the CD&DVD format had no B-side but came with the music video. It was the last retailed...
". The song was a well-received hit at home debuting at the number-two position. In May 2005, following a three year split from her former husband Sam, it was reported that she would take back full custody of their child, Haruto. In August, it was reported that she officially did that. On May 29, she performed at the MTV Video Music Awards Japan
MTV Video Music Awards Japan
The MTV Video Music Awards Japan are the Japanese version of the MTV Video Music Awards.Like the MTV Video Music Awards in the United States, in this event artists are awarded for their songs and videos through online voting from the same channel viewers...
for the fourth consecutive year in a row. She received two awards, "Best R&B Video" and "Most Impressive Performing Asian Artist", making the first artist to receive awards four years in a row at the MTV Video Music Awards Japan. She took home the "Inspiration Award Japan" in 2002, "Best Collaboration" in 2003, "Best R&B Video" for 2004, and 2005 as well as "Most Impressive Performing Asian Artist" in 2005.
On July 13, 2005, she released her sixth original studio album, Queen of Hip-Pop
Queen of Hip-Pop
Queen of Hip-Pop is Namie Amuro's seventh original studio album. It was released on July 13, 2005 after four singles and was her most commercially successful effort in five years before Play was released.- Origin of the title :...
. In collaboration with MGM Studios, Amuro used the Pink Panther character in the album; a female panther counterpart was created for the album as well. When the album was completed, Amuro said that she had not been able to sing the songs very well yet.
In September 2005, Amuro held her seventh national tour, Space of Hip-Pop. Shortly after the start of her tour, she announced that she would contribute to the Japanese theaterical release of Sin City
Sin City (film)
Sin City, also known as Frank Miller's Sin City, is a 2005 crime thriller film written, produced and directed by Frank Miller and Robert Rodriguez...
. After viewing the movie, Amuro made an offer to the Japanese distribution company to sing its theme song; the company, feeling that her image fit the movie, accepted her offer. Director Robert Rodriguez
Robert Rodriguez
Robert Anthony Rodríguez is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, cinematographer, editor and musician. He shoots and produces many of his films in his native Texas and Mexico. He has directed such films as Desperado, From Dusk till Dawn, The Faculty, Spy Kids, Sin City, Planet...
was impressed by the song and asked to be a part of it; he can be heard saying "Welcome to Sin City" towards the end of the song. The theme song, "Violet Sauce", was later released as part of a double A-side single, "White Light / Violet Sauce
White Light / Violet Sauce
"White Light / Violet Sauce" is Namie Amuro's 29th solo single under the Avex Trax label. It was her first single since the release of her smash hit album Queen of Hip-Pop . Unlike her two previous singles, "White Light / Violet Sauce" was released in one format. An altered version of "Violet...
", on November 16, 2005. Shortly after the single, she released Filmography 2001-2005
FILMOGRAPHY 2001-2005
Filmography 2001–2005 is Namie Amuro's third original music video collection and collects most of her videos from "Say the Word" to "White Light" .- Track listing :# "Say the Word" – 4:24...
a compilation of twelve of her music videos from 2001 to 2005.
Amuro collaborated with Zeebra
Zeebra
, real name , is a Japanese hip hop artist, who made his first appearance in 1995. Zeebra is a former member of the hip-hop group King Giddra, which also included DJ Oasis and K Dub Shine, and the older brother of fellow hip-hop artist SPHERE of INFLUENCE...
, AI
AI (singer)
Ai , born November 2, 1981 as , is a Japanese R&B singer and rapper. She is currently under EMI Music Japan.-Early life:...
, and Mummy-D on Zeebra's album The New Beginning, released on February 15, 2006, in a song called "Do What U Gotta Do". On May 17, she released the double A-side single "Can't Sleep, Can't Eat, I'm Sick/Ningyo", which debuted at the number-two position on the oricon weekly chart. In August 2006, she began her tour Namie Amuro Best Tour "Live Style 2006". On September 17, she performed to an audience of 12,000 at Yoyogi National Stadium in Tokyo, Japan. She stated that she would do the performance greater than ever before in 2007.
2007–2009: Revived popularity
Amuro's next single, "Baby Don't CryBaby Don't Cry (Namie Amuro song)
"Baby Don't Cry" is a song by Japanese recording artist Namie Amuro, released on January 24, 2007 under Avex Trax, eight months after her last single "Can't Sleep, Can't Eat, I'm Sick/Ningyo".-Overview:...
", released on January 24, 2007, was used as the theme song of a Japanese Drama Himitsu no Hanazono
Himitsu no Hanazono
is a 2007 Japanese drama series by KTV, a Kansai-based affiliate of Fuji TV. The show is also known as The Secret Garden or Hanazono's Secret...
. On the oricon weekly chart, "Baby Don't Cry" debuted at the number-three position and she achieved a Top 10 single each year for 13 consecutive years, breaking the solo female artist's record in Japan by Kyōko Koizumi
Kyoko Koizumi
' is a Japanese singer and actress. Her music is released through Victor Entertainment . She is also known by the nickname Kyon Kyon. She had singles reach the Top ten for 12 consecutive years between 1983 and 1994, a female solo artist record, until this was broken by Namie Amuro...
and Shizuka Kudō
Shizuka Kudo
is a Japanese singer and pop idol born in Hamura, Tokyo. She debuted as member no. 38 of the Onyanko Club in May 1986 and went on to a successful solo career with 11 no.1 hits.-Biography:...
. It sold over a million ringtone digital downloads and was ranked at number seven on the RIAJ
Recording Industry Association of Japan
The Recording Industry Association of Japan is an industry trade group composed of Japanese corporations involved the music industry...
2007 yearly ringtone sales charts. Amuro's 32nd single, "Funky Town
Funky Town (Namie Amuro song)
"Funky Town" is Namie Amuro's 32nd solo single under the Avex Trax label. It was be released in CD and CD&DVD formats on April 4, 2007, three months after the release of her previous single "Baby Don't Cry"....
", was released on April 4, 2007. She was also featured on M-Flo
M-flo
is a Japanese hip hop group consisting of producer and DJ Taku Takahashi and emcee Verbal.Former member Lisa left the group in 2002 to pursue a solo career, and the remaining members then started the M-Flo Loves... project working different vocalists for each song over three albums, including the...
's album, Cosmicolor
Cosmicolor
Cosmicolor is the 5th studio album by M-Flo, released on March 28, 2007 on the Rhythm Zone label.According to the official website, the album is the last release in the "M-Flo Loves" series, which started back in 2003 with "Reeewind! / M-Flo Loves Crystal Kay." As a response to that, the album...
, in a song titled "Luvotomy".
Her seventh studio album, Play
Play (Namie Amuro album)
Play is the eighth studio album by Japanese pop singer Namie Amuro, released on June 27, 2007 in Japan. The follow-up to her successful 2005 album Queen of Hip-Pop, Play showcases her new hip-pop genre. This also marks her first album to be released in both the CD and CD+DVD formats. PLAY is her...
, was released on June 27, 2007. The album includes 12 songs, four of which are single tracks. The album was said to reflect Amuro's new style, and featured a rock number, and a chic slow song. One of her new songs, "Top Secret" was used as the theme song of the drama series Prison Break
Prison Break
Prison Break is an American television serial drama created by Paul Scheuring, that was broadcast on the Fox Broadcasting Company for four seasons, from 2005 until 2009. The series revolves around two brothers; one has been sentenced to death for a crime he did not commit, and the other devises an...
Season 2 in Japan. Play took the number-one spot on the Oricon
Oricon
, established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan. It started as , which was founded by Sōkō Koike in November 1967 and became known for its music charts. Oricon Inc...
Weekly Chart Rankings, becoming her first number-one album in more than 7 years, with her last number-one occurring in 2000 with her album, Genius 2000. It is also her fourth studio album to reach the number-one position. Play spent two consecutive weeks at the number-one position. From August 18, 2007, to February 27, 2008, she performed her concert tour in Japan Namie Amuro Play Tour 2007-2008 which consisted initially of 53 performances but was increased by 12 performances to 65 performances, making this her biggest tour in terms of number of performances by far.
Amuro's first single of 2008, released on March 12, was an image song for the new Vidal Sassoon
Vidal Sassoon
Vidal Sassoon, CBE is a widely recognised British hairdresser, credited with creating a simple geometric, "Bauhaus-inspired" hair style, also called the bob...
marketing campaign Fashion x Music x VS. The title of her new single was confirmed to be "60s 70s 80s
60s 70s 80s
"60s 70s 80s" is Namie Amuro's 33rd solo single under the Avex Trax label. It was released in CD and CD&DVD formats on March 12, 2008, 11 months since her previous single "Funky Town", and nearly 9 months after her successful album "Play"...
", and contained three songs - "New Look", "Rock Steady", and "What A Feeling". These songs have a modern twist from the '60s, '70s, and '80s. The single debuted at the number-two position on the oricon weekly charts with over 114,000 copies sold. In the second week the single gained the number-one spot for that week, making it her first number-one single after 9 years and 3 months since "I Have Never Seen
I HAVE NEVER SEEN
"I Have Never Seen" is Namie Amuro's 11th single on the Avex Trax label. Released after a year hiatus, it debuted at #1 on January 11, 1999. It is her ninth number one single, and was her last until 2008's 60s 70s 80s.- Commercial endorsements :...
". According to Oricon, "60s 70s 80s" sold nearly 300,000 copies.
On March 25, 2008, Amuro has won the prize for "Best Female Video" for "Hide and Seek" at Space Shower TV music video awards 08. "Hide & Seek" also won the prize for "Best R&B Video" at the MTV Video Music Awards Japan 2008
MTV Video Music Awards Japan 2008
The 2008 MTV Video Music Awards Japan were held on Saturday, May 31 at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan.- Video of the Year:* Exile — "I Believe"* Mr...
which was conducted at the Saitama Super Arena on May 31. In May 2008, Amuro also recorded a collaboration with Double
Double (singer)
Double is the stage name for Japanese R&B singer . Double used to be the name for the two member R&B group consisting of Takako and her sister Sachiko. After the death of her sister in May 1999, Takako started her solo career adopting Double as her stage name...
in a song called "Black Diamond". On the ringtone download sales chart, it earned double-platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of Japan. On July 26, about 25,000 people attended the a-nation '08 and saw her performance. This was the first time she was invited to perform on it in seven years. On July 31, she took part in Double's concert.
Amuro released her third greatest hits
Greatest hits
A greatest hits album is a music compilation album of successful, previously released songs by a particular artist or band...
album Best Fiction
Best Fiction
Best Fiction is Namie Amuro's third best-of compilation under the Avex Trax label. The album includes 15 tracks selected from singles released between 2002 and 2008, in addition to two new songs: "Sexy Girl" and "Do Me More", which were both be used to promote the album...
on July 30, 2008. It featured all her singles from 2002's "Wishing on the Same Star" to the recently released "60s 70s 80s". It also featured two new songs, "Sexy Girl" and "Do Me More". "Sexy Girl" was the theme song for NHK
NHK
NHK is Japan's national public broadcasting organization. NHK, which has always identified itself to its audiences by the English pronunciation of its initials, is a publicly owned corporation funded by viewers' payments of a television license fee....
drama Otome no Punch that aired on June 19, and the other called "Do Me More" was the campaign song for Vidal Sassoon. Best Fiction sold 681,000 copies on the first week and debuted at the number-one position on the oricon weekly charts. Within its third week, Best Fiction outsold a million copies, and Amuro became the only artist who produced million-selling albums in the oricon
Oricon
, established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan. It started as , which was founded by Sōkō Koike in November 1967 and became known for its music charts. Oricon Inc...
chart for three decades of her teens, 20s, and 30s. Best Fiction eventually spent six consecutive weeks at the number-one position, becoming the first album to do so in more than 14 years since the Dreams Come True's 1993 album Magic. Best Fiction became the second best-selling album behind Exile's Exile Love on the Oricon 2008 yearly album charts. In addition, it became the second best selling digital-format album by Japanese artists behind Hikaru Utada's Heart Station
Heart Station (album)
All songs arranged by Hikaru Utada.Except:* 4. "Flavor of Life ~Ballad Version~" - arranged by Hikaru Utada, Alexis Smith, Yuzuru Tomita* 11. "Boku wa Kuma" - arranged by Yuzuru Tomita & Hikaru Utada-Release history:-Singles:-Album promotions:...
on the iTunes
ITunes Store
The iTunes Store is a software-based online digital media store operated by Apple. Opening as the iTunes Music Store on April 28, 2003, with over 200,000 items to purchase, it is, as of April 2008, the number-one music vendor in the United States...
yearly album charts in Japan. Best Fiction won the award for "the best album of the year" at the 50th Japan Record Awards
50th Japan Record Awards
The 50th Annual Japan Record Awards took place at the New National Theatre in Shibuya, Tokyo, on December 30, 2008, starting at 6:30PM JST. The primary ceremonies were televised in Japan on TBS.- Awards winners :* Japan Record Award: - Ti Amo...
.
On October 25, 2008, Amuro also started a tour called Namie Amuro Best Fiction tour 2008-2009 at the Makuhari Messe
Makuhari Messe
is a Japanese convention center outside Tokyo, located in the Mihama-ku ward of Chiba city, in the northwest corner of Chiba prefecture. Designed by Fumihiko Maki, it is easily accessible by Tokyo's commuter rail system. Makuhari is the name of the area, and Messe is a German word meaning "trade...
. NHK
NHK
NHK is Japan's national public broadcasting organization. NHK, which has always identified itself to its audiences by the English pronunciation of its initials, is a publicly owned corporation funded by viewers' payments of a television license fee....
invited her to the 59th NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen
59th NHK Kohaku Uta Gassen
The , referred to from hereon as "Kōhaku", was aired on December 31, 2008 from NHK Hall in Japan.- Hosts :*Red team host: Yukie Nakama*White team host: Masahiro Nakai*Mediators: Kazuya Matsumoto and Fumie Ono...
, but Amuro declined.
On January 20, 2009, Sanspo officially announced a new Vidal Sassoon
Vidal Sassoon
Vidal Sassoon, CBE is a widely recognised British hairdresser, credited with creating a simple geometric, "Bauhaus-inspired" hair style, also called the bob...
CM featuring Amuro, featuring a song from her entitled, "Dr." Her 34th solo single, "Wild/Dr.," was announced on January 21, which was a double A-side single released March 18, 2009. Wild was used in a commercial starring Amuro for Coke Zero entitled "Wild Health". On release, it became her 11th #1 single and second consecutive after 60s 70s 80s
60s 70s 80s
"60s 70s 80s" is Namie Amuro's 33rd solo single under the Avex Trax label. It was released in CD and CD&DVD formats on March 12, 2008, 11 months since her previous single "Funky Town", and nearly 9 months after her successful album "Play"...
. She also broke her own record of having all of her singles debut in the Top 10 (on the daily charts) for the last 15 years. Amuro collaborated with ravex
Ravex
Ravex is a Japanese electronic music group, consisting of Shinichi Osawa, Tomoyuki Tanaka and Taku Takahashi. Established to mark the 20th anniversary of the Avex label, their productions are usually based on collaborations with other artists on the label...
on a song for their album trax
Trax (album)
is the debut album from Japanese electronic music group Ravex.-CD:# "I Rave U "# "Rock U feat. Namie Amuro"# "Just the Two of Us feat. Tohoshinki"# "House Nation feat. Lisa"# "Bangalicious feat. Anna Tsuchiya"# "Believe in Love feat. BoA"...
. The song is called [ROCK U feat. 安室奈美恵] and was released as a radio single. As of June 2009, rumor has begun about the releasing of a summer single with ties to McDonald's
McDonald's
McDonald's Corporation is the world's largest chain of hamburger fast food restaurants, serving around 64 million customers daily in 119 countries. Headquartered in the United States, the company began in 1940 as a barbecue restaurant operated by the eponymous Richard and Maurice McDonald; in 1948...
. A commercial has been shot for the Quarter Pounder
Quarter Pounder
The Quarter Pounder is a hamburger product sold by international fast food chain McDonald's, originally containing a patty with a precooked weight of a quarter of a pound .-History:...
with the tag line being "Big Mouth". On October 1, 2009, hairstyling company Vidal Sassoon released new commercials featuring Amuro and two tracks from her expected album, "My Love
My Love (Namie Amuro song)
"My Love" is a song by Namie Amuro. It was released as a radio single from her 9th album ""My Love" is a song by [[Namie Amuro]]. It was released as a radio single from her 9th album "...
" and "Copy That."
Namie released her ninth studio album, Past < Future, on December 16, 2009. Released in CD and CD+DVD format, it contained her latest single "Wild/Dr.", and was supported by airplay and video clips of several of the new songs on the album. The album became her sixth number-one original studio album and in terms of sales, surpassed her last studio album, Play. In April, Amuro launched a large-scale, 9-month-long nationwide tour in support of her album, touring 26 cities.
2010–present: Checkmate! and Live Style 2011
On May 18, 2010, Amuro attended the World Music AwardsWorld Music Awards
The World Music Awards is an international awards show founded in 1989 that annually honors recording artists based on worldwide sales figures provided by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry . John Martinotti is an executive producer and co-founder of the show...
, receiving an award for "Best Artist From Asia", and performed "Hide and Seek". A new single "Break It/Get Myself Back
Break It/Get Myself Back
"Break It" is the 35th single released by Japanese recording artist Namie Amuro. It was released on July 28, 2010, through Avex Trax. Break It was used in a Coca-Cola Zero commercial. The song reached number three on Oricon's weekly chart...
" was released during the PAST
The live DVD "namie amuro PAST＜FUTURE tour 2010″ was released in Decemember and sold 95,000 copies within the first week, ranking first in the Music DVD category of the 12/27 weekly DVD Oricon rankings. It became her second consecutive number one DVD, after "namie amuro BEST FICTION TOUR 2008-2009″. The Blu-Ray version sold 18,000 more copies.
2010 ended on yet another success with "PAST＜FUTURE" charting at 6th in the Oricon yearly album rankings, her highest position with a studio album since 1996's Sweet 19 Blues
Sweet 19 Blues
Sweet 19 Blues is Namie Amuro's first original studio album under the avex trax label, her first with producer, Tetsuya Komuro, and her second album overall. The success of the album helped Amuro accomplish feats never realized by a solo female artist, and made her one of the most popular and...
(2nd best selling album of that same year).
Namie Amuro is set to release her second collaboration album (first under her own name) on April 27, 2011. Titled Checkmate!, the album features nine collaboration songs released from 2003 to 2011, including Do What U Gotta Do, Luvotomy, BLACK DIAMOND, ROCK U and her 2010 collaboration single with AI
AI (singer)
Ai , born November 2, 1981 as , is a Japanese R&B singer and rapper. She is currently under EMI Music Japan.-Early life:...
, FAKE, along with four new songs: "Wonder Woman" featuring AI
AI (singer)
Ai , born November 2, 1981 as , is a Japanese R&B singer and rapper. She is currently under EMI Music Japan.-Early life:...
and Anna Tsuchiya, "Make It Happen" with AFTERSCHOOL
After School (band)
After School is a South Korean girl group formed by Pledis Entertainment in 2009. They are the first group to debut with a unique admissions and graduation concept in Korea, where members are added or withdrawn in a “natural” manner...
, "Unusual" with NEWS
NeWS
NeWS was a windowing system developed by Sun Microsystems in the mid 1980s. Originally known as "SunDew", its primary authors were James Gosling and David S. H. Rosenthal...
member Yamashita Tomohisa and "#1" featuring CHEMISTRY
Chemistry
Chemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds....
's Kawabata Kaname. The album release was delayed (the original release date was March 23) due to the 2011 earthquake and tsunami.
Meanwhile, Namie recorded the new theme song of "One Piece". Titled "Fight Together", a 2:30 minutes edit of the song started airing on April 10 as the opening theme of the long running Japanese Anime.
The 1st six months of 2011 was indeed, another achievement for Namie, according to Oricon, her album Checkmate!
Checkmate! (Namie Amuro album)
Checkmate! is a compilation album by Japanese pop/R&B musician Namie Amuro, featuring a collection of her compilation songs with other musicians released between 2003 and 2011, as well as four unpublished collaboration songs...
is currently the 3rd best selling album in Oricon's 2011 Half Year Ranking Charts for Album, while her DVD Past
Her official website announced her 36th single entitled "NAKED/Fight Together/Tempest". "NAKED" was used in her CM Campaign for KOSE ESPRIQUE, while "Tempest" is going to be used in a drama series with the same title. The single landed on the Top 2 of Oricon Weekly Charts, Extending her record as the only female Japanese artist to have a top 10 single each year for 17 consecutive years.
During her "LIVE STYLE 2011" tour, two new songs we're added to the set list, the songs are "Higher" and "arigatou ＜thank the world for LOVE... gift song for 2011＞." "Higher" was used as song for her new CM for Coke Zero, and "arigatou ＜thank the world for LOVE... gift song for 2011＞" was used as song for her new KOSE ESPRIQUE CM Campaign.
once again, Namie is set to release her 2nd single for 2011, her 37th single entitled "Sit!Stay!Wait!Down!/Love Story" was already announced, and its release date is on December 7, 2011. The single is also included two new songs entitled "Higher" and "arigatou ＜thank the world for LOVE... gift song for 2011＞."
Her official website announced her new live DVD/Blu-ray entitled "Namie Amuro Live Style 2011 tour" and its release date is on December 21, 2011.
Influence
Early in her career, Amuro's music consisted of mostly dance-popDance-pop
Dance-pop is dance-oriented pop music that originated in the early 1980s. Developing from post-disco, it is generally up-tempo music intended for clubs with the intention of being danceable or merely dancey...
songs, typical of her then-producer Tetsuya Komuro
Tetsuya Komuro
, also known as TK, is a Japanese keyboardist, guitarist, singer, songwriter and music producer born on November 27, 1958 in Fuchu, Tokyo, Japan. He is recognized as being the most successful producer in Japanese music history and introduced dance music to the Japanese mainstream...
. In later years, however, Amuro began incorporating elements of R&B and hip-hop; producer Dallas Austin
Dallas Austin
Dallas Austin is an American songwriter, record producer, and musician, based in Atlanta, Georgia. Some of his most notable clients include Michael Jackson, TLC, Boyz II Men, Pink, Monica, Madonna, Gwen Stefani, Stacie Orrico, Another Bad Creation, Fishbone, Sugababes, Anastacia, Namie Amuro, Kim...
as well as Amuro's involvement in Avex's Suite Chic project were pivotal in her musical evolution. By her albums Style and Queen of Hip-Pop, Amuro had moved away from dance music
Dance music
Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole musical piece or part of a larger musical arrangement...
and focused mainly on hip-hop and R&B tunes.
At the height of her popularity, Amuro was known as a fashion leader in Japan; her style, which included mini-skirts and platform boots started the "Amuraa" craze in Japan, in which girls across Japan copied aspects of Amuro's look, including her clothes, tanned skin, hair, and "pencil thin eyebrows". Also among the fads that Amuro popularized were body wire (nylon accessories that resemble tattoos), baggy socks, and skin-baring clothes. Additionally, Amuro is often credited with starting the Ganguro
Ganguro
Ganguro is an alternative fashion trend of blonde or orange hair and tanned skin among young Japanese women that peaked in popularity around the year 2000. The Shibuya and Ikebukuro districts of Tokyo were the centers of ganguro fashion...
trend, as it has its roots in "Amuraa". Amuro's "idol" status contributed to her prominence in the media in the mid-nineties; at one point, Amuro hosted her own television show in addition to promoting various products through commercials
Television advertisement
A television advertisement or television commercial, often just commercial, advert, ad, or ad-film – is a span of television programming produced and paid for by an organization that conveys a message, typically one intended to market a product...
as well as appearing on a television show "almost every night".
Studio albums
- 1995: Dance Tracks Vol. 1
- 1996: Sweet 19 BluesSweet 19 BluesSweet 19 Blues is Namie Amuro's first original studio album under the avex trax label, her first with producer, Tetsuya Komuro, and her second album overall. The success of the album helped Amuro accomplish feats never realized by a solo female artist, and made her one of the most popular and...
- 1997: Concentration 20Concentration 20Concentration 20 is Namie Amuro's third original studio album. The album is a fusion of styles including Pop, Dance and Rock. Released a year after her record shattering hit Sweet 19 Blues, the album raced to the top of the chart further solidifying her place in Japanese music history.- History...
- 2000: Genius 2000GENIUS 2000Genius 2000 is Namie Amuro's fourth original studio album produced by Tetsuya Komuro and Dallas Austin.- Overview :This album was released three years after her last album, Concentration 20 and two years after her return from maternity leave to the entertainment industry...
- 2000: Break the RulesBreak the rules- Personnel :* Namie Amuro – vocals, background vocals* Poppa L.Q. – vocals* Terry Bradford – background vocals* Alex Brown – background vocals* Andy Caine – background vocals* Jennifer Carr – background vocals* Debra Killings – background vocals...
- 2003: StyleSTYLE (Namie Amuro album)- Personnel :* Namie Amuro - vocals, background vocals* Arkitec - vocals* Verbal - vocals* Zeebra - vocals* Mr. Blistah - additional vocals* Clench - additional vocals* Coyass - additional vocals* Kareb James - background vocals* L.L...
- 2005: Queen of Hip-PopQueen of Hip-PopQueen of Hip-Pop is Namie Amuro's seventh original studio album. It was released on July 13, 2005 after four singles and was her most commercially successful effort in five years before Play was released.- Origin of the title :...
- 2007: PlayPlay (Namie Amuro album)Play is the eighth studio album by Japanese pop singer Namie Amuro, released on June 27, 2007 in Japan. The follow-up to her successful 2005 album Queen of Hip-Pop, Play showcases her new hip-pop genre. This also marks her first album to be released in both the CD and CD+DVD formats. PLAY is her...
- 2009: Past
Compilation albums
- 1996: Original Tracks Vol.1Original Tracks Vol.1Original Tracks Vol. 1 is the first compilation album by Namie Amuro with Super Monkey's, compiling all the singles A & B sides that were released. This is the last album that the group had recorded together before Namie Amuro going solo with avex trax in 1995 and Minako Inoue, Nanako Takushi,...
- 1998: 181920
- 2002: Love Enhanced Single Collection
- 2008: Best FictionBest FictionBest Fiction is Namie Amuro's third best-of compilation under the Avex Trax label. The album includes 15 tracks selected from singles released between 2002 and 2008, in addition to two new songs: "Sexy Girl" and "Do Me More", which were both be used to promote the album...
- 2011: Checkmate!Checkmate! (Namie Amuro album)Checkmate! is a compilation album by Japanese pop/R&B musician Namie Amuro, featuring a collection of her compilation songs with other musicians released between 2003 and 2011, as well as four unpublished collaboration songs...
Concerts and tours
- August 31, 1996 - September 1, 1996: Summer Presents '96 Amuro Namie with Super Monkey's (sic)
- March 23, 1997 - May 18, 1997: Namie Amuro tour 1997 a walk in the park
- July 26, 1997 - August 13, 1997: Mistio presents Namie Amuro Summer Stage '97 Concentration 20
- March 20, 2000 - May 7, 2000: Namie Amuro Tour "Genius 2000"
- March 18, 2001 - May 27, 2001: Namie Amuro tour 2001 Break the Rules
- October 17, 2001 - November 10, 2001: Namie Amuro tour "AmR" '01
- November 29, 2003 - April 11, 2004: Namie Amuro So Crazy Tour Featuring Best Singles 2003-2004Namie amuro SO CRAZY tour featuring BEST singles 2003-2004Namie Amuro So Crazy Tour Featuring Best Singles 2003–2004 is Namie Amuro's fifth concert tour to be released to DVD. Filmed in January 2004 in Tokyo International Forum A, this DVD captures Amuro's most high impact tour to date spanning seven months, three countries and 120,000 fans.- Track...
- August 27, 2004 - September 20, 2004: Namie Amuro tour "fan space '04"
- September 1, 2005 - December 24, 2005: Space of Hip-Pop: Namie Amuro Tour 2005
- August 13, 2006 - November 23, 2006: Namie Amuro Best Tour "Live Style 2006"
- August 18, 2007 - April 13, 2008: Namie Amuro "Play" Tour 2007-2008
- October 25, 2008 - May 31, 2009: Namie Amuro Best Fiction tour 2008-2009Namie Amuro Best Fiction tour 2008-2009Namie Amuro Best Fiction Tour 2008-2009 is the tenth concert tour by Okinawan R&B/Pop singer and dancer, Namie Amuro in support of her greatest hits album, Best Fiction . The tour began on October 25, 2008 at Makuhari Messe Event Hall in Chiba, Japan and will end on July 12, 2009 at Shanghai Grand...
- April 3, 2010 - December 15, 2010: Namie Amuro Past
- July 30, 2011 - December 27, 2011: Namie Amuro Live Style 2011
Drama
- Ichigo hakusho (TV Asahi, 1993)
- Toki o Kakeru Shōjo (Fuji TV, 1994)
- Watashi, mikata desu (TBS, 1995)
- Station (NTV, 1995)
- 湘南リバプール学院 (Fuji TV, 1995)
Films
- That's Cunning! Shijo Saidan no Sakusen (1996)
- Gakko II: The Learning Circle (aka: A Class To Remember 2) (1996) (Cameo)
Anime theme songs
- "Toi et Moi" - ending theme for Pokémon: The Movie 2000Pokémon: The Movie 2000Pokémon: The Movie 2000, originally released in Japan as , is a 1999 Japanese animated film directed by Kunihiko Yuyama as the second Pokémon feature-length film, complementing the Orange Islands saga of the series and featuring several new Pokémon, including Lugia and Slowking...
(1999) - "Come / So Crazy" - 7th ending theme song for InuYasha (2003)
- "Four Seasons" - theme song for InuYasha 3rd movie (2003)
- "Fight Together" - 14th opening for One PieceOne Pieceis a Japanese shōnen manga series written and illustrated by Eiichiro Oda. It has been serialized in Weekly Shōnen Jump since August 4, 1997; the individual chapters are being published in tankōbon volumes by Shueisha, with the first released on December 24, 1997, and the 64th volume released as...
(2011)
Drama theme songs
- "Chase The Chance" — theme song for The Chef (NTV, 1995)
- "Can You Celebrate?" — theme song for Virgin Road (Fuji TV, 1997)
- "I Have Never Seen" — theme song for Yonigeya Honpo (NTV, 1999)
- "All for You" — theme song for Kimi ga omoi de ni Naru Mae ni (Fuji TV, 2004)
- "Baby Don't Cry" — theme song for Himitsu no Hanazono (KTV, 2007)
- "Sexy Girl" — theme song for Otome no Punch (NHKNHKNHK is Japan's national public broadcasting organization. NHK, which has always identified itself to its audiences by the English pronunciation of its initials, is a publicly owned corporation funded by viewers' payments of a television license fee....
, 2008) - "The Meaning of us" — theme song for "Onnatachi wa Nido Asobu" (BeeTV , 2010)
- "Sit! Stay! Wait! Down!" & "Love Story" - theme song for "The reason I can't find love" (Fuji TV, 2011)
External links
- Namie Amuro Official Site
- J-pop.com profile