Revisit the biggest albums of Namie Amuro's career

Hello to the face of J-pop: Namie Amuro (right) and Tetsuya Komuro attend a press conference together in China in 1996. | AP

by Patrick St. Michel
Contributing Writer

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Sep 12, 2018

Namie Amuro officially retires this weekend, but you can still get into her music. Here are five great gateways into her career.

“Sweet 19 Blues” (1996): Amuro’s debut with Avex finds her taking producer Tetsuya Komuro’s Eurobeat-inspired sound into pop’s mainstream, with some curveballs thrown in.

“Concentration 20” (1997): This sophomore effort features more rock, but also dance-pop earworms like “A Walk In The Park” and, her most famous cut, “Can You Celebrate?”

“When Pop Hits The Fan” (2003): Every superstar needs a detour. The Suite Chic project found Amuro collaborating with Japanese rappers and R&B singers. It can get choppy, but the LP has enough highlights and is the most unexpected moment in her catalog.

“Play” (2007): Amuro’s big return both in terms of sound and sales — it went to No. 1 on the Oricon album chart, her first since 2000. It’s here that she nails down her R&B style while also hinting at future musical directions.

“_genic” (2015): Amuro’s final original album is a delight. She dabbles in EDM, Vocaloid and more, topped off by the summer bounce of “Golden Touch.”

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