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Namie Amuro

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Template:Infobox musical artist 2 Namie Amuro (安室奈美恵, Amuro Namie) (born September 20, 1977) is a Japanese pop singer and Japanese idol originally from Naha, Okinawa, born to a Japanese father and a half Japanese/half Italian mother. Debuting in 1992 in a girl group named Super Monkeys, she struggled to reach the top until the release of "TRY ME ~Watashi wo Shinijite~" in early 1995 which catapulted her into superstardom. Leaving the group the same year and joining forces with top producer Tetsuya Komuro, Namie went on to become a cultural phenomenon. Now after performing for well over a decade, she continues to be one of Japan's biggest pop acts.

Biography

Early life and pre-fame

While in the sixth grade, Amuro visited an actor's training school, "Okinawa Actors' School". Namie had taken an interest in the showbiz industry after watching a young star, Hayasaka Yoshie, perform. Hayasaka Yoshie was the first popular female talent to emerge from the Okinawa Actors' School. Although Amuro was with other members of her school, it was Namie that stood out from the other classmates, and she was encouraged to begin training as a singer and dancer. From that time at the age of twelve years old, Namie began to take her training as a singer and dancer in earnest. Whenever school performances or amateur shows allowed, Namie Amuro took the stage and began to make it her home.

At the age of fifteen, Amuro, along with a group of classmates, formed the pop group known as the Super Monkey's. Although moderately successful in their home prefecture, Okinawa, a move to Tokyo (presumably at the behest of their record label, Toshiba EMI) garnered more exposure for the Super Monkeys, and Namie in particular, so much that the group came to be known as 'Namie Amuro with Super Monkey's'.

Solo debut and the Amura look

Body Feels EXIT is her official solo debut under avex trax

Namie soon embarked on a solo career, in the process moving from Toshiba EMI to the avex trax label (also home of popular Japanese acts such as Ayumi Hamasaki, BoA, Do As Infinity and hiro). The remaining Supermonkeys regrouped, renamed themselves MAX, and became a successful group in their own right.

Amuro exploded onto the Japanese music scene with Body Feels EXIT, with the aid of legendary Japanese producer Tetsuya Komuro. From then, every single Tetsuya Komuro produced for Amuro became a major hit ranking high on the charts. She won the hearts of teenage girls during her most successful time in the 90s, inspiring them with her style. The girls had brown-reddish hair or highlights, very thin eyebrows and wore assorted make-up. They also wore short skirts and knee-high boots, which was the symbol of Amuro, and were called Amuras.

In 1996 she became the youngest artist in history to be awarded the Japan Record Awards Committee's Best Artist Prize with sales totals for CDs climbing over a total of 10 million copies in a single year. She also won the same award in 1997 and also the best single award for Can You Celebrate at the 39th Japan Record Awards.

In 1997, she was featured in a video game for the Sega Saturn console, Digital Dance Mix: Vol 1 - Namie Amuro. It features a digitally re-created Namie, who dances and sings "Chase the Chance" and "You're My Sunshine" while the player controls the camera and lighting effects.

Marriage and the life after

File:Genius 2000.jpg
Amuro's third studio album GENIUS 2000 departed from the eurobeat style music that made her a star.

In late 1997, she held a press conference announcing her marriage to TRF member, Masaharu Maruyama (SAM) and her pregnancy. She ended the year with her last performance on the annual Kōhaku Uta Gassen special. On May 19 1998, she gave birth to her only child, Haruto. On December 23 of the same year, she released her comeback single I HAVE NEVER SEEN which debuted at #1.

In 1999, she started working with American producer Dallas Austin. Her work with the producer brought a harder R&B style to her music. However, 1999 was a painful year for Namie; during the promotion of the single RESPECT the POWER OF LOVE, her mother (who was remarried) was brutally murdered by her mother's mentally unstable brother-in-law. In July of 2000, she released the single NEVER END which she performed in front of several world leaders including then president Bill Clinton at the G8 Summit. In 2001, Namie and her producer, Tetsuya Komuro, ended their working relationship after the release of her 4th original studio album, break the rules. She released "Say the word" on August 8 the same year, which she for the first time, wrote the lyrics for. At the end of that year, as part of avex's SongNation project, which was Tetsuya Komuro's nonprofit charity project to raise money for the victims of 9/11, she collaborated with the rapper Verbal of m-flo for the song "lovin' it", which was released on Song Nation and also as the last of the three collaboration singles (the others being "A song is born" (Ayumi Hamasaki and KEIKO of globe) and "Meaning of Peace" (Kumi Koda and BoA)).

Full immersion to R&B

WANT ME, WANT ME debuted with the highest sales in three years.

In 2002, Namie fully immersed herself into the Japanese R&B scene releasing music in the musical project, SUITE CHIC. Under the SUITE CHIC project she collaborated with several of Japan's popular hip hop and R&B artists. They released two singles, an original album and one remix album before ending the project in 2003.

Namie returned to solo activities on her own in 2003 with the single shine more. The subsequent singles Put 'Em Up and SO CRAZY were produced by American R&B producers Dallas Austin and Full Force respectively. At the end of the year, she released her first original album in three years, STYLE.

From November 29 2003 to May 15 2004 she performed throughout Asia on the Namie Amuro SO CRAZY tour featuring BEST singles 2003-2004, where she wrapped it up with 3 concerts in Seoul, South Korea and Taipei, Taiwan. She was the first major Japanese artist to hold a concert in South Korea after the normalization of cultural relations. Shortly following the tour, she released the ballad "ALL FOR YOU." The song peaked at #6, but sold double the amount of her last single. In late August, she went on a private fan club tour focusing on the songs from her latest album which were not performed on her current public tour. She also unveiled two new songs on the tour, "GIRL TALK" and "the SPEED STAR", which would be released the next month as a double a-side single. When it was released the song charted at #1 on the Oricon daily chart for three days. It was the first time any of her singles had placed #1 in 5 years. The song ultimately placed #2 for the week and repeated the sales success of her previous single.

At the end of the year, Namie shocked fans by choosing to not appear on Kōhaku Uta Gassen. Her decision to decline the offer also surprised critics, who actually felt she had at least earned her right to perform at the event that year. She had previously attended the coveted event nine years in a row. Following the tsunami disaster in Southeast Asia, Namie participated as the only Japanese representative at MTV Asia Aid. She secretly donated approximately 90,000 USD to UNICEF for children who were affected by the disaster. In January, Namie surprised fans again when a new song popped up in a Suzuki Chevrolet commercial. The new song entitled "Queen of Hip-Pop" was assumed to be her next single until in April, she released the song "WANT ME, WANT ME." The song was a well-received hit at home debuting at #2 and charting with her highest debut sales peak in 3 years.

Release of Queen of Hip-Pop

Her sixth studio album, Queen of Hip-Hop, sold nearly half million copies

In May, Namie had both professional and personal gains. Following a three year split from her former husband SAM, she took back full custody of their child, Haruto. They had previously agreed that SAM would be the child's sole guardian. At the end of the month, she performed at the MTV Japan Video Music Awards for the fourth consecutive year in a row and this year, clinched two awards. She took home the award for "Best R&B Video" as well as a special award for most impressive performance in Asia. Between these two events, she announced the release of her sixth original studio album, entitled Queen of Hip-Pop.

In collaboration with MGM Studios, Namie has licensed for the use of the Pink Panther character to be used in conjunction with the album. A female panther counterpart has been created in her image for the album as well. There seems to be no connection with the usage of the Pink Panther and the possible Japanese release of the American remake. Upon release, the album charted at #2. The album has since become her best selling album in 5 years, eclipsing the sales of her three previous albums. In September, Namie kicked off her 7th national public tour entitled Space of Hip-Pop.

Shortly after the start of her tour it was announced that she would contribute to the Japanese theaterical release of the American motion picture adaptation of "Sin City." After viewing the movie, Namie made an offer to the Japanese distribution company to sing its theme song. The company felt that her image fit it and accepted her offer. When director Robert Rodriguez heard Namie's contribution to the film he asked to be a part of it. He can be heard speaking "Welcome to Sin City" in a distorted voice towards the end of the song. It was released as part of a double a-side single, "White Light / Violet Sauce" on November 16, 2005. The other a-side track, "White Light" is her first attempt at a Christmas ballad. Shortly after the single, she released "FILMOGRAPHY 2001-2005" a compilation of twelve of her music videos from 2001 to 2005.

2006 and after

File:Ningyo video.jpg
Her promotional video of Ningyo featured her in a distinctly Japanese manner unlike her previous videos

In early 2006, she recorded vocals for the track, "Do What U Gotta Do" by ZEEBRA. The song also featured contributions from AI and MUMMY-D. In February, her music video for "WoWa" was nominated for "Best Female Video" at Space Shower TV music video awards, but lost to YUKI's video for Joy. In May, she released the double a-side single, "CAN'T SLEEP, CAN'T EAT, I'M SICK / Ningyo." She is currently planning for a nationwide tour set to start in August. Dubbed the "namie amuro BEST tour -Live Style 2006-," it will find Amuro returning to arena venues after a five year hiatus.

Discography

Singles

Body Feels EXIT Chase the Chance Don't wanna cry
You're my sunshine SWEET 19 BLUES a walk in the park
CAN YOU CELEBRATE? How to be a Girl Dreaming I was dreaming
CAN YOU CELEBRATE? (Maxi) I HAVE NEVER SEEN RESPECT the POWER OF LOVE
toi et moi SOMETHING 'BOUT THE KISS LOVE 2000
NEVER END PLEASE SMILE AGAIN think of me / no more tears
Say the word I WILL Wishing On The Same Star
shine more Put 'Em Up SO CRAZY / Come
ALARM ALL FOR YOU GIRL TALK / the SPEED STAR
WANT ME, WANT ME White Light / Violet Sauce CAN'T SLEEP, CAN'T
EAT, I'M SICK / 人魚

Albums

DANCE TRACKS VOL.1
SWEET 19 BLUES
  • Original Studio Album
  • Released: July 22 1996
  • Formats: CD
 Concentration 20
  • Original Studio Album
  • Released: July 24 1997
  • Formats: CD
181920
  • Greatest Hits Compilation
  • Released: January 28 1998
  • Formats: CD, CD&DVD
 GENIUS 2000
break the rules
LOVE ENHANCED ♥
single collection
STYLE
  • Original Studio Album
  • Released: December 10 2003
  • Formats: CD
  • Copy-Control CD
 Queen of Hip-Pop
  • Original Studio Album
  • Released: July 13 2005
  • Formats: CD

DVD-audio releases

Videography

Videos

Limited DVD-only reissues

Collaborative releases

Singles

Albums

  • SUITE CHIC / WHEN POP HITS THE FAN (February 26, 2003)
  • SUITE CHIC / WHEN POP HITS THE LAB (March 26, 2003)
  • ZEEBRA / TOKYO'S FINEST (September 18, 2003)
    • ("AFTER PARTY" feat. Amuro Namie)
  • JHETT aka YAKKO for AQAURIUS / JHETT (March 29, 2005)
    • ("Do or Die" feat. Amuro Namie)
  • ZEEBRA / The New Beginning (February 15, 2006)
    • ("Do What U Gotta Do feat.AI,Amuro Namie & Mummy-D")

Videos

Concerts and tours

Filmography

  • 1994 Toki wo Kakeru Shoujo
  • 1996 That's Cunning! Shijo Saidai no Sakusen
  • 2000 Yonigeya Honpo (lit. trans Flight By Night) (I HAVE NEVER SEEN used as the shows themesong.)

Trivia

  • She is believed to be 3/4 Japanese and 1/4 Italian.
  • Her biggest single is "CAN YOU CELEBRATE?" with sales of over 2 million and is the 14th highest selling single in Japanese music history.
  • Since 1995, she has reached sales of approximately 27,000,000 domestically in singles and albums.
  • She is currently the fifteenth biggest selling artist in Japanese music history according to a special by Music Station aired on 2005.04.01.
  • She was the first solo Japanese female artist to perform a concert at Chiba Marine Stadium.
  • She was the first solo female artist to perform at Japan's four Domes.
  • She divorced her husband SAM in July of 2002 giving full custody of their child to him, but regained full custody of their child in 2005.
  • She idolizes American pop singer Janet Jackson.
  • She has nine #1 singles, five of which have sold over 1,000,000 copies.
  • She is the first artist to take home awards four years in a row at the MTV Japan Video Music Awards. 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 Asian Artist" in 2005.
  • In March, 2006, Oricon published an article stating that Namie had sold approximately 15,423,000 singles domestically, making her the second highest selling female artist in terms of singles.

See also

Official sites
Fan sites
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