Namie Amuro

Namie Amuro ("" """, Amuro Namie^", born September 20, 1977) is a Japanese singer, entertainer, and former actress, who, at the height of her popularity, was referred to as the "Teen Queen" and is referred to as the "Queen of Japanese pop music".^[1][2] 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), her first number-one single in 10 years.^[3]

Over a decade since her musical debut, Amuro has remained one of the longest surviving popular female acts in Japan. She is the only Japanese female artist to have achieved a Top 10 single each year for 14 consecutive years.^[4] She also continues to successfully combat social stigma as a divorced, working, single mother.^[5] 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,^[6] and was elected as "the best album of the year" at the 50th Japan Record Awards.^[7] From 2008 to 2009, she toured Japan to promote the album. It was estimated that she played to an audience as high as 400,000, potentially the largest audience of her career.^[8]

Namie Amuro was born in Naha, Okinawa, raised solely by her mother, Emiko Taira, as she had divorced when Amuro was 4 years old.^[9] Taira worked as a nursery school employee and bar hostess to support her four children.^[10] Through her mother's side, Amuro is one quarter Italian.^[11] 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.^[11] Amuro eventually joined the school; after only two years of study, Makino placed her in an idol group called Super Monkey's [sic] with five other girls. A year after its September 1992 debut on Toshiba-EMI, the group relocated to Tokyo despite Emiko Taira's disapproval.^[9]

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^[12] and Max Matsuura^[13], was released on January 25, 1995, peaking at the number-eight position and charting for 25 weeks on the Oricon chart.^[14] The other four members of the Super Monkey's formed their own group, MAX, under the Avex Trax label.^[15] Amuro released two more solo singles under Toshiba-EMI before moving to Avex Trax herself.^[16]

Amuro's debut single under Avex, "Body Feels Exit", was released in October 1995 after she switched record labels.^[17] 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^[18], million-selling single.^[19] She won the Golden Arrow Award 1995.^[20]

In the first half of 1996, Amuro accumulated million-selling singles - "Don't Wanna Cry" and "You're My Sunshine".^[21] Her studio album Sweet 19 Blues, released on July 22, 1996, was a commercial success, selling over three million units.^[22] 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.^[23][24] On November 27, 1996, she released the single "A Walk in the Park"^[25], which also sold over a million copies.^[21] 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.^[26] She made Okinawa more popular in Japan and many people from Okinawa such as Speed followed her.^[27] The members of Speed said that the Okinawa Actors School was changed by her influence.^[28]