(Cover from Sweet 19 Blues)
Namie Amuro is my favorite J-Pop artist of all time. The impact she had was undeniable, there was a period of several years (not hyperbole) where she was the best selling artist and the lead cog of the juggernaut of Avex (and TK's) empire where it seemed every single successful artist was part of that group. Her backup singers (Max) turned into a hit group just off her momentum. Her style (the schoolgirl outfit, the blonde hair, etc.) turned into the Ko-Gal subculture that still exists today. (Ever see the Blonde Hair, strange colorfully dressed Japanese girls who look like they are playing dress up? That's from Namie. Baggy socks on the Japanese girls? Namie.) The most famous part of Tokyo (Shibuya) was hers, and to this day (even as she has become a mid level artist) still revels in their association with Namie, playing her new single on speakers all over the central part of the area. (Yes, her singles play on infinite loop as you walk around. Again, no exaggeration at all.)
Namie started out as a more eurobeat artist (like most of the Avex stable at that time) within a group, the Super Monkeys (with the girls who later became MAX). That quickly became by her popularity Namie and the Super Monkeys, and then she split solo where she added some R&B overtones and moved a little away from the eurobeat. Eventually, she moved fully toward R&B and became the artist she is today, basically completely her own artist, writing what she wants, singing what she wants, and performing and releasing WHEN she wants. (Namie doesn't do all the big shows, etc. She is still famous, yet outside the main circle. It's actually a fantastic accomplishment that most artists in Japan would never be able to do, to be somewhat free but still popular.)
Namie is to me the artist that really brought J-Pop to the mainstream outside Japan. She was everywhere on the net, and her singles, etc. brought her attention outside of people like me who were looking for this kind of entertainment. Pre Namie - there were a few Japanese artists people liked, a lot of them coming from Anime (like TM Network). After Namie, there was an absolute flood of information you could find about Japanese artists if you wanted. Her impact is just undeniable.
Namie has had a few different periods in her career so I wanted to go through them a bit with a song (video) from each. (All in all she has 12 cd's, 8 studio cd's and 4 single collections. I own them all.)
Namie Amuro (with Super Monkeys) - Body Feels Exit (Live)
This is her first period, becoming a solo performer right after the Super Monkeys, still doing the eurobeat type stuff. This song was HUGE.
Namie Amuro - Can You Celebrate (Live)
One of her biggest hits from the second phase of her career, the solo artist moving away from the eurobeat stuff. This is a HUGE wedding song in Japan. I can't tell you how big this song was, it's indescribable. Think Celine Dion and Titanic.
Namie Amuro - Say the Word
She is moving away from TK at this point, but still trying to do the same type of J-Pop. Her popularity is going down at this point and her music is pretty unfocused.
Namie Amuro - Queen of Hip Pop
Completely reinvented as an R&B artist with J-Pop influence, Namie's return to the album charts is complete. Her last few cds, if you listen to them, you can see how comfortable she is with herself and the music. It's all really good.
Namie Amuro - New Look
This is from her single 60s,70s,80s which featured songs with samples from all 3 decades. This is 60s with new look. Great fun, I wonder if it influenced the Wonder Girls Trilogy that came out late last year (with the single Nobody). Her first #1 single in 10 years.
In recent years Namie has faced some unbelievable tough times in her personal life, but has come through with great aplomb and resolve. She must be a strong person. I would not be shocked 20 years hence to see her still writing, performing, and reinventing herself once more.
Links
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Namie_amuro - Wikipedia Page
http://www.time.com/time/asia/magazine/2000/0724/japan.okinawa_sb1.html - Time Magazine - The Songbird who made Okinawa Cool (2002)
http://www.nytimes.com/1996/12/10/news/10iht-idol.t.html - NY Times - New Teen Queen reigns in Japan (1998)
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