Namie Amuro facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Namie Amuro
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| 安室 奈美恵 | |
Amuro at her 25th anniversary concert in Okinawa in September 2017
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| Born | September 20, 1977 |
| Other names | Namie Maruyama (legally, 1997–2002) |
| Occupation |
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| Years active | 1992–2018 |
| Spouse(s) |
Masaharu "Sam" Maruyama
(m. 1997; div. 2002) |
| Children | 1 |
| Musical career | |
| Genres | |
| Instruments | Vocals |
| Labels |
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Namie Amuro (/ˌnɑːmiˈeɪ/ nah-MEE-ay; Japanese: 安室 奈美恵, romanized: Amuro Namie; born September 20, 1977) is a famous Japanese singer who is now retired. She first became well-known as a young idol. Later, she became a top pop artist because she could sing many different music styles and had cool looks.
Namie Amuro is known as an icon in Japan and Asia. This is because she kept changing her style and stayed popular for a long time. People often called her the "Queen of Japanese Pop." Her influence in Japan has been compared to stars like Janet Jackson and Madonna in Western music.
Born in Naha, Okinawa, Amuro started her career at 14. She was the lead singer of the idol group Super Monkey's in 1992. After some early struggles, her popularity grew. The group had a big hit in 1995 with the song "Try Me (Watashi o Shinjite)".
She then signed with Avex Trax to start her solo career. She quickly became super famous with number one songs like "Chase the Chance" and "Don't Wanna Cry". She worked closely with producer Tetsuya Komuro. Their music had a dance-pop sound with Western influences. Her first four solo albums, including Sweet 19 Blues (1996) and Concentration 20 (1997), sold millions of copies. Her 1997 song "Can You Celebrate?" is still the best-selling single by a solo female artist in Japanese music history.
In the early 2000s, her sales slowed down after the song "Never End". Her music then changed from pop to R&B. She started to take more control over her career. This change was seen in her Suite Chic project in 2002 and her album Style (2003).
Her album Play (2007), with the hit song "Baby Don't Cry", marked a return to big success. Her comeback was made even stronger with the 2008 song "60s 70s 80s" and her album Best Fiction. In the 2010s, she tried new music styles like EDM. She also started recording songs in English, starting with her album Uncontrolled (2012). This album included the million-selling song "Love Story". Later, she started her own management company, Stella88, and her own record label, Dimension Point.
Amuro ended her career with the 2017 greatest hits album Finally. This album became the best-selling album of that decade. It also made her the only artist to sell over a million copies in her teens, 20s, 30s, and 40s. She officially retired from music on September 16, 2018. Her retirement happened around the same time the Heisei era (1989–2019) ended in Japan. Many people called her the "Heisei diva," saying her retirement felt like "the end of an era."
Namie Amuro has sold over 40 million records. This makes her one of the best-selling artists in Japan. She has won many awards, including from the Japan Record Awards, Japan Gold Disc Awards, MTV Video Music Awards Japan, and the World Music Awards.
Contents
Life and Career Highlights
Early Life and First Steps (1977–1995)
Namie Amuro was born on September 20, 1977, in Naha, Okinawa, Japan. She grew up in Okinawa with her mom and three siblings. Her mom worked hard to support the family.
Even though she didn't plan to be a singer, Namie was discovered at age 12. A year later, Masayuki Makino, who owned the Okinawa Actors School, invited her to join. In 1991, Makino put her in an idol group called Super Monkey's. She was 14 years old.
The group released their first song, "Koi no Cute Beat/Mr USA", in 1992. The group didn't become very famous at first. In 1994, the group's name changed to Namie Amuro with Super Monkey's. This was because Namie was becoming more popular as an actress and model.
The group had a big hit with "Try Me (Watashi o Shinjite)" in 1995. This song reached number eight on the music charts. After this success, the other four members formed their own group, MAX. Namie then started her solo career. She signed with Avex Trax in 1995.
Her first solo song with Avex was "Body Feels Exit" in October 1995. It was a huge hit, selling over 882,000 copies. Her next song, "Chase the Chance", became her first number one hit. It sold over 1 million copies. Because of her success, she won the Golden Arrow Award in 1995.
Becoming a Superstar (1996–1998)
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In 1996, Namie released "Don't Wanna Cry" and "You're My Sunshine". Both were number one hits and sold over a million copies. Her first solo album, Sweet 19 Blues (1996), was a massive success. It reached number one and sold over 3.6 million copies.
She continued to have number one hits, including "A Walk in the Park". At the end of 1996, she won the top prize at the Japan Record Awards for "Don't Wanna Cry". This made her the youngest artist to win it.
On February 19, 1997, she released "Can You Celebrate?". This song became her biggest hit ever. It sold 2.75 million copies, making it the best-selling single by a solo female artist in Japan. Her second album, Concentration 20, also hit number one. By August 1997, she had sold 20 million records in Japan.
In October 1997, Namie announced she was marrying musician Masaharu "Sam" Maruyama and was pregnant. She won the Grand Prix Award again for "Can You Celebrate?". She then took a break from music for a year. Her first greatest hits album, 181920, came out in January 1998. It sold around 2 million copies. In May, she gave birth to her son, Haruto. She returned to music in December 1998 with the number one song "I Have Never Seen".
Challenges and Changes (1999–2004)
In March 1999, Namie released "Respect the Power of Love". On the same day, her mother was sadly murdered. Namie stopped all work and went back to Okinawa. The song still reached number two on the charts. She also released "Toi et Moi" for the movie Pokémon: The Movie 2000.
In January 2000, her album Genius 2000 reached number one. She also announced her separation from her husband. She released the song "Never End" in July. It was chosen for the G8 Summit in Okinawa.
Her album Break the Rules came out in December 2000. It was her last album fully produced with Komuro. Sales started to decline with this album. In August 2001, she released "Say the Word". This was her first song where she helped write the lyrics.
In March 2002, she released her second collection album, Love Enhanced Single Collection. In July 2002, Namie divorced Maruyama and changed her name back to Namie Amuro. Her popularity decreased during this time. She later said, "Even my closest friend said I was finished."
She started working on her sixth album, Style, in 2003. She explored more Western music styles, especially R&B. Style became her lowest-charting and lowest-selling album. She toured to promote it, even performing in Taiwan and South Korea. In 2004, her song "Girl Talk" became a top three hit, showing a small comeback.
Return to Success (2005–2009)
In April 2005, Namie released "Want Me, Want Me", which was a success. In May, she gained full custody of her son, Haruto. Her seventh album, Queen of Hip-Pop, came out in July 2005. It reached number two on the charts. She even used the Pink Panther character for the album.
In November 2005, she released "White Light/Violet Sauce". "Violet Sauce" was the theme song for the movie Sin City. The movie's director, Robert Rodriguez, was so impressed he added his voice to the song.
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In January 2007, Namie released "Baby Don't Cry". It was a big hit, selling over 144,000 copies. This song also became her first to sell over one million ringtones. She became the first solo female artist to have a top ten song for 13 years in a row. Her eighth album, Play, was released in June 2007. It was her first number one album in over seven years.
In early 2008, she released the EP 60s 70s 80s. It included three songs that sampled classic hits. This EP became a huge success, reaching number one and selling over 293,000 copies. It was her first number one single since 1998.
In July 2008, she released her third greatest hits album, Best Fiction. It sold 681,000 copies in its first week and debuted at number one. Within three weeks, it sold over one million copies. This made her the first artist to have a million-selling album in three different decades. Best Fiction stayed at number one for six weeks. It became the second best-selling album of 2008. She toured to promote the album from October 2008 to July 2009.
In March 2009, she released "Wild/Dr.", which also hit number one. In December 2009, her ninth album, Past<Future, was released. It also reached number one and sold over 600,000 copies.
New Sounds and Anniversaries (2010–2015)
In May 2010, Namie Amuro won the Best Asian Artist award at the 2010 World Music Awards in Monaco. She performed "Hide & Seek" there.
In April 2011, she released her fifth collection album, Checkmate!. This album featured songs she had collaborated on with other artists. It was a big success, reaching number one and selling over 500,000 copies. In July, her song "Fight Together" was used as the theme song for the anime series One Piece.
Her song "Love Story" was released in December 2011. It sold over 3 million digital copies, making it one of her best-selling digital songs.
In March 2012, she released "Go Round/Yeah-Oh!". In June, her 10th album, Uncontrolled, came out. This was her first album with songs in both Japanese and English. It was a commercial success, reaching number one and selling 500,000 copies.
In September 2012, she planned a special concert in Okinawa to celebrate her 20th anniversary. However, it was canceled due to a typhoon. She ended the year with a tour across Japan, playing in five major domes.
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In July 2013, Namie released her 11th album, Feel. This was her first album released through her own record label, Dimension Point. It debuted at number one. She also toured to support the album.
In 2014, she released the song "Tsuki". In June 2014, she released Ballada, a collection of her favorite ballads chosen by fans. Some songs were re-recorded with new vocals. It reached number one. She also collaborated with Taiwanese singer Jolin Tsai on the song "I'm Not Yours" in 2014.
In June 2015, her 12th album, Genic, was released. This was her first album released with her own management company, Stella88. It reached number one and sold 250,000 copies. She toured to promote the album from September 2015 to February 2016.
Final Years and Retirement (2016–2018)
In May 2016, Namie released "Mint". It was used as a theme song for a TV series. In June, she recorded "Hero" for the Japanese broadcast of the 2016 Summer Olympics and Paralympics. This song also sold very well. In October 2016, she released "Dear Diary" and "Fighter" for the movie Death Note: Light Up the New World.
She toured from August 2016 to May 2017. In May 2017, she released "Just You and I". The next month, she announced her 25th anniversary concert in Okinawa. This concert made up for the canceled 20th anniversary show. She performed for 52,000 fans over two days. She also collaborated with One Piece again, with her song "Hope" becoming the anime's theme song.
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On September 20, 2017, her 40th birthday, Namie Amuro announced she would retire from music on September 16, 2018. Her final album, Finally, was released on November 8, 2017. It included new and re-recorded versions of her songs. Finally was a huge success, selling 2.25 million copies by the end of 2017.
She went on her farewell tour, Final Tour 2018 ~Finally~, from February to June 2018. She performed in major domes across Japan. She also had an Asia tour, performing in China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan.
In May 2018, she received the "Okinawa's National Honor Award." On August 25, 2018, One Piece featured an anime version of Namie Amuro to say goodbye. Her final tour's DVD and Blu-ray were released on August 29, 2018.
On September 15, Namie made her last public appearance at a special show in Okinawa. She officially retired on September 16, 2018. Her official website and fan club closed on September 30, 2018. In June 2019, her music became available on iTunes and Apple Music worldwide.
Music Style and Influences
Namie Amuro has a mezzo-soprano voice. In the 2000s, she started mixing English into her music. She would sing in Japanese, and backup singers would add English parts. Later, she recorded songs with less electronic sounds. Her last three albums, Uncontrolled, Feel, and Genic, had many English songs. While people liked her trying new things, some found her English pronunciation hard to understand.
Throughout her career, Namie Amuro explored many music styles. In the 1990s, her music was influenced by eurobeat and the rise of J-pop. She looked up to Madonna and Janet Jackson as inspirations. Her album Sweet 19 Blues had J-pop elements, but she also experimented with Western styles like R&B, jungle, acid house, house, and jazz.
Starting with Genius 2000, she worked with American producer Dallas Austin. This led to her music having more hip hop sounds mixed with J-pop. She continued this sound with Style (2003) and Queen of Hip-Pop (2005). Critics noticed her change from J-pop to a "more mature, transatlantic" R&B sound. The Japanese media even called her the "Queen of Hip-Pop," combining hip-hop and pop.
In 2007, her album Play was a big turning point. It used R&B and hip hop, but also added modern dance-pop music. Uncontrolled (2012) marked another change, moving away from R&B to focus on electronic dance music. This album was also her first to have full English songs. She worked with Western producers like The Nervo Twins and Zedd. Her final album, Genic (2015), was her first album not produced by Japanese artists. It was also her second album with almost all songs in English.
Legacy and Impact
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Since her debut, Namie Amuro has been seen as one of Japan's most important and successful singers. Some writers have placed her among the top female artists in Japanese music history. She is often compared to American singers Janet Jackson and Madonna because of her long career and how she kept changing her music and image. People call her the "Queen of Japanese Pop".
Namie Amuro has sold over 36 million records in Japan. This makes her the fifth highest-selling female artist and fourth best-selling female solo artist in Japan. She has had nine number one albums and 10 number one singles. She is one of the few female solo artists to have five physical singles sell over a million copies. Her song "Can You Celebrate?" is still the best-selling physical single by a female singer in Japan, with about 2.75 million copies sold. For a short time in 1996, her album Sweet 19 Blues was the best-selling album in Japanese music history.
When she became famous, Namie Amuro became a trendsetter in Japan and Asia. She changed the typical image of a Japanese idol. Many young girls and women copied her fashion, hair, and makeup. This led to a fan base called "Amuraa" in the 1990s. Her style also helped create Japanese fashion cultures like kogal and gyaru. Some experts say she changed the idol culture in Japan.
Discography
- Dance Tracks Vol. 1 (1995)
- Sweet 19 Blues (1996)
- Concentration 20 (1997)
- Genius 2000 (2000)
- Break The Rules (2000)
- Style (2003)
- Queen of Hip-Pop (2005)
- Play (2007)
- Past<Future (2009)
- Uncontrolled (2012)
- Feel (2013)
- Genic (2015)
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
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| 1992 | Hirake! Ponkikki | Rabbit | |
| 1993 | Ichigo hakusho | ||
| 1994 | Toki o Kakeru Shōjo | Miyoko Yoshiyama | |
| 1995 | Watashi, Mikata Desu | ||
| 1995 | Station | ||
| 1995 | Shounan Liverpool Gakuin | ||
| 1996 | That's Cunning! Shijō Saidai no Sakusen? | Morishita Yumi | Film debut |
| 1996 | Gakko II | Cameo | |
| 2000 | Yonigeya Honpo | ||
| 2011 | The Reason I Can't Find My Love | Herself | Cameo Episode 9 |
Concert Tours
Japan Tours
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Asia Tours
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Awards
Video Games
- Digital Dance Mix Vol. 1 Amuro Namie (1997, Sega Saturn)
Images for kids
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Amuro at her 25th anniversary concert in Okinawa in September 2017
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Japanese musician Tetsuya Komuro produced Amuro's first four studio albums.
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Amuro on the red carpet at MTV Asia Aid in Bangkok in February 2005
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Amuro performing Girl Talk during MTV Asia Aid in Bangkok in February 2005
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Amuro's image promoting her single Wild on the side of a Coca-Cola vending machine in November 2009
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A selection of Amuro's costumes she wore during the entire Uncontrolled era.
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Amuro's picture promoted her album Feel on a billboard in Shibuya in July 2013.
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Namie Amuro 25th Anniversary in Okinawa livery appeared on Japan Transocean Air's Boeing 737 from May to September 2018 to commemorate her retirement.
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Amuro's sudden rise to fame was compared to American artist Madonna, hence she has been called "Japanese Madonna".
See also
In Spanish: Namie Amuro para niños
- J-pop
- Japanese popular culture
- Honorific nicknames in popular music
- List of best-selling music artists in Japan
- List of best-selling singles in Japan
- List of best-selling albums in Japan
- Japan Record Awards
- MTV Video Music Awards Japan
- Billboard Japan Music Awards
