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Namie Amuro

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File:Naime amuro.jpg
Namie Amuro, a hip-pop diva in Japan

Namie Amuro (安室 奈美恵, Amuro Namie or あむろ.なみえ, 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 would struggle to reach the top until the release of "TRY ME ~Watashi wo Shinijite~" in early 1995 catapulted her into superstardom. Leaving the group the same year and joining forces with top producer Tetsuya Komuro, Namie would go 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

At the age of 15, Amuro, along with a group of classmates, formed the pop group known as the Super Monkeys. 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 were known as 'Namie Amuro with Super Monkeys'.

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 BoA, Do As Infinity, and Every Little Thing). 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 somewhat legendary Japanese producer Tetsuya Komuro. From then, every single Tetsuya Komuro produced for Amuro became a major hit ranking high on the charts. During her most successful time during the 90s, she won the hearts of the teenage girls, inspiring them with her style. The girls had brown-reddish hair or highlights, very thin eye brows and other assorted make-ups, their clothes were made up of 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 late 1997, she held a press conference announcing her marriage to TRF member, Masaharu Maruyama (SAM) and her pregnancy. She would end the year by making her last performance on the annual Kouhaku 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 now 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 a 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 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" (Koda Kumi and BoA)).

In 2002, Namie fully immersed herself into the Japanese R&B scene releasing music under the psuedonym, 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.

During the end of the year, Namie shocked fans by choosing to not appear on Kouhaku Uta Gassen. Her decision to decline the offer also suprised critics, who actually felt she 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 would secretly donate 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." An overtly sexual song, it received harsh criticism from Western listeners of Japanese music. However, the song was a well received hit at home debuting at #2 and charting with her highest debut sales peak in 3 years.

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 would perform and win for the fourth consecutive year in a row at the MTV Japan Video Music 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 (film)." After viewing the movie, Namie made an offer to the Japanese distribution company to sing the theme song to the movie. The company felt that her image fit the movie and accepted her offer. When director Robert Rodriguez heard Namie's contribution to "Sin City" he asked to be a part of it, amazed at how well it fit the movie. He can be heard saying "Welcome to Sin City" at the start of it. The song entitled, "Violet Sauce" is about love and violence and will mark the first time that she has ever recorded a single for a foreign film. Currently, Namie is popping up in homes across the nation in animated ads for Lucido-L hair wax products. "Violet Sauce" will be released commercially sometime in the fall.

Discography

Singles

Albums

Compilation Albums

DVD-Audio Releases

Videos

Collaborative Releases

Singles

Albums

  • 26 February 2003 - SUITE CHIC /WHEN POP HITS THE FAN - #4
  • 26 March 2003 - SUITE CHIC / WHEN POP HITS THE LAB - #65
  • 18 September 2003 - ZEEBRA / TOKYO'S FINEST - #9
    • ("AFTER PARTY" feat. Amuro Namie)
  • 29 March 2005 - JHETT aka YAKKO for AQAURIUS / JHETT - #13
    • ("Do or Die" feat. Amuro Namie)

Videos

Concerts & Tours

Filmography

  • 1994 Toki wo Kakeru Shoujo
  • 1996 That's Cunning! Shijo Saidai no Sakusen

Extra Information

  • She has four tattoos. Two are located near her wrist on her left arm and the other two are located on her upper right arm. The two on the right arm are dedicated to family members. One tattoo reads her son's name while the other is a tribute to her slain mother.
  • She got her first tattoo during a trip to Jamaica in 1996. It is a barcode near her left wrist which reads her birthdate "19770920." A picture of the now famous tattoo would become the cover to her only photobook released that year.
  • She is believed to be 3/4 Japanese and 1/4 Italian, she does not actually know her racial background for sure.
  • Her single "CAN YOU CELEBRATE?" is double-platinum and became 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 has a pet dog named Betty.
  • 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.
  • Namie sports a silver belly button ring. In an interview given to the Mainichi Shimbum, Namie related that she had pierced her belly button in response to a comment from her son that his mother was 'old'.
  • 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.

See also

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