“Recently I don’t listen to other people’s music at all. I would sooner listen to recent songs I sing than do that.”

At one time she studied female singers such as Janet Jackson and Beyonce.

For the first time in AERA’s 20-year history, together with her pet dog, a miniature dachshund called KOTO-chan, she is on the cover.

 

Right from the start, I was betrayed. With her small and slender body, surely she doesn’t eat much. Thinking that, I arranged for some organic bread sandwiches during the photo-shoot. Seeing them, her manager politely interrupted. “Excuse me… not to be greedy but a meat bento would be good…”

Perhaps we have some misunderstandings about her.

In 1995 women all wanted to be like Amuro. The mini-skirts with loose socks, the platform shoes… all modelled on her style. But her own feelings in those days were of suffering.

“At first it was other people’s work. Only the surroundings changed. Just thinking about what I should do to please them, more than anything it was really hard to keep going”

Shy in front of strangers since childhood, her reserve struck anyone at first meeting, so to change herself she did singing and dancing. Scouted after entering the Okinawa Actors School,

“Lessons were in front of a mirror, just looking at yourself. It was good because I didn’t worry about being watched.”

Having got to #1 began not to worry about ‘being watched’. As was demanded, released a single every 3 months. An album took one month to produce on average, the shortest took two weeks. Something must change she thought.

Separating from producer Tetsuya Komuro, disregarding fashion and business and only persuing the music she liked, dropped the ‘Namie Amuro’ name and began working with unit ‘SUITE CHIC’. She gained some self-confidence when the reaction was better than expected.

This became a start line, and ‘Reborn Amuro’ started showing a different side. Songs difficult to sing at karaoke, music tailored to live performace. Her ‘things that I like’ had exploded. Then Amuro turned 30 years old.

“Since turning 30 I no longer say ‘what do I want to do’. Now in thirties naturally frankly I am what I am.”

Supporting nature, three years ago she became owner of pet dogs Kotochan and Gacchan

“Aren’t I beautiful” she says with a carefree smiling face, not the expression of a tormented diva.

Before the photo-shoot, I went to see a concert. The audience weren’t ‘Amuraa’ any more. Having worked and raised children, the women had become adults, not ‘lucky girls’, going through suffering to stand on their own feet and coming to get strength from Amuro.

Editor – Kimura Keiko

 

On stage a strong woman. Having recently turned 30, she has always fulfilled a top runner role. But actually… she talks about her untold suffering and daily struggles.

It’s been said already that you have twice experienced the depths. In the second half of the 90’s, with overwhelming singing and dancing talent, one after another your singles reached #1 in the charts. The streets were overflowing with ‘Amuraa’. But still your worries were increasing.

“When the boom happened, I didn’t know where to aim for next. So as ‘cool Namie Amuro’, I sang and danced as requested. What I myself wanted came second and gradually I became suffocated by it.”

Just 20 years old and at the peak of her popularity she got married and took a year off work for childbirth. Just after she returned her mother was killed. That was the first real low point. Then, having gone though that sadness came her divorce. Also around that time separated from producer Tetsuya Komuro, not knowing what music she wanted to do. She was 24. This was the second low point.

“At the time when I got married and took time off work to have a child, I wasn’t afraid of anything. But after what happened to my mother for a long time it was painful. Why is it such a dark life I wondered. In my work too I thought about quitting ‘being Namie Amuro’. But, if now is the low point, it can’t get any worse than this. Thinking like that, little by little it became easier.”

Now on her own, she questioned her true worth as an artist. So listened piece by piece to the types of music she wanted to do. Then met with many musicians and groped to find her own music. Dropping the name ‘Namie Amuro’, she put out an album. ‘Popularity slump’ it was said but she didn’t care.

“As a slow starter it takes me time to become aware of something, but I continued to make music even though I hadn’t found my own style. Now I feel I have finally found my way. Probably because of that, recently singing is really fun”

This year, the single ‘60s 70s 80s’ got her to #1 in the charts for the first time in over 9 years. The media have written of it as an ‘Amuro revival’. But this result merely followed from her continued belief in music. There is no impatience, she can afford to say “It’s fun to get to #1 occasionally”. Last year’s concert tour included familiar old hits such as ‘Chase the Chance’.

“At one time I thought it might be better not to sing Komuro era songs for a while. I didn’t want to look back to the past, since I wanted to see my present self. But Komuro-san wrote many good songs for me. They were good and are still good, as an adult I can honestly say that.”

Having tasted low points and gone through pain you can sympathise and believe in her words and music born from inside. Now at concerts “Amuro-chan, kakko ii!” the Amuraa generation cheer her on, and the number of teenage fans not aware of the Komuro era is also increasing.

Her real face is very shy. Once she went out shopping in ‘Uniqlo’ before a trip. Inside, the store was crowded with shoppers, ‘sumimasen’ she apologised every time she bumped shoulders. In the end, when she didn’t get through to the things she wanted, accepted defeat and returned home. Even pushing past people is not in her personality

“I think there is no hope of becoming more outgoing, I’m shy as ever in front of strangers. One of the staff said to me ‘I’m glad you’ve finally loosened up’, when actually we met five years ago (laughs). Even my music show costars say I give out a ‘leave me alone’ aura!, so now I work hard at making friends.”

Now 30 years old, Amuro’s new vector is to be ‘lovely’. From thinking “I should be cool”, wearing monotone suits, or holding a bouquet in a photograph and saying ‘I don’t know what expression will be good’, it is a dramatic change.

“Just being cool, even though work is good, as a single woman I have started to think is that enough? Plucking up courage, I have started to incorporate feminine colours.”

Her closet is now lined with colourful colours, the curtains in her room have changed to pink, and she intends to buy a pretty, sparkly chandelier. Her weak point of cookery also challenges, her current favourite books are the shojo manga ‘Ouke no monshou’. Now, love mode? Instinctively can’t help it, she smiles brightly.

“In the future, getting married again even though I have a child, certainly more than before think calmly and not afraid. Now I feel OK if anything happens since I am confident in myself.

Every morning she eats a meal with her 10 year old son and sends him off to school. “Recently he’s getting quite grown up ~” with motherly look… I don’t really see it. It seems that her woman power, like her music, shows evolution that nobody can keep up with.

“Although I am getting older I intend to continue wearing mini-skirts. Until people stop me!” (laughs)

Matsuda Ako