Inomata Takashi/DO THE MONKEY
Translated by Kait UBidecarenone Glandol
Revised by brackdiamon
December 2009

Amuro Namie is declaring farewell to her past!? In the visual of the new album, she is tearing her past herself with her own hands. The album title is “PAST < FUTURE”. She declares that more than the past, the future is much bigger, the Amuro from now, from this moment will reach you. And what is she, who keeps on going as a top artist for so long in the J-POP scene, right now?

The new work “PAST < FUTURE” will reach you the “now” Amuro

A woman who’s persistently challenging, Amuro Namie. This will be her first original studio album in 2 years. PAST < FUTURE will be fresh and also a shock to its listeners. Furthermore, the jacket picture is audacious: she’s tearing the picture of her previous work “BEST FICTION” that was a fever in the eyes of many people all over the world. She expresses her rush feelings about the visual of this work.

“This time there’s a strong feeling of change of attitude. “BEST FICTION” had a big repercussion, so that’s why I wanted to shake free from it. The idea of tear the “BEST FICTION” picture came from me. It will be good if I can express the feeling of “what’s past, is past, and what’s now is now”.

In other words, the theme now is reset & challenge. While choosing the songs she said that she cleared her mind, and without putting much information, just choose what excited her genuine feelings, putting what she wants to dance in lives as the center. Half of this work had in for the first time Amuro’s work, so she’s being the producer and creator, it’s to lay down her own peculiar style in a new style.

“Since it’s the first time, there was a kind of mutual fumbling, if you call that a challenge, then it was one. I have my own image from the songs, and there are things to do a certain way. But I wanted to leap into it.”

The first song, “FAST CAR” has a positive meaning, it’s a danceable number with a cheap disorderly feeling. Following it, there’s “COPY THAT” starting with a surfing guitar having a feeling of a sprint song. This time, Amuro’s song is becoming kind of retro.

“I liked the retro feeling in “FAST CAR” so I chose it. “COPY THAT” too, it had such animated overture I thought “I will sing it”. Since it’s now, I was thinking if it wouldn’t be good. The songs that are steaming right now, they are all high-tech, I thought putting something analog in the middle of it would be fresh.”

There’s also a ballad on it. It’s a love song about a lover that recollects memories. She “didn’t dance” in a pv after a long time. It’s a song that tailors a story. In the video she draws a sexy appeal and feminine image never seen before.

“I thought this song was about a painful separation. But, a certain person, they separate one time, and in another meeting, this person thinks “it’s no good if it’s not you” that’s how I think of it. I have the impression it’s the kind of song people will use at weddings. The image will differ to each person, I think it became a very mysterious song. In the video everything is highlighted. This video is incredible. I came here to a “drama love scene”? That’s how it seems. (Laughs) You’ll know how it became when you watch this. (Laughs)”

After acting under the name of SUITE CHIC, she approached R&B and Hip-Hop, with energetic beats and coolness as the main point put on by a peculiar dance sound, Amuro Namie did a close inquiry. But this time this kind of song fades and uplifting, cheerful and melodious songs are prominent. There’re many songs that have a pop feeling. It’s just that even if it’s called pop, there was a desire to have a good time with it, it’s really creative. In this point Amuro Namie brings forth an era she surpassed, lining up in a J-POP “somehow nostalgic and new” post-hip-hop, post-R&B.

In such album she put the title “a future bigger than the past”. Right now, what kind of future is she drawing?

“It’s not that now I hate or don’t want to do R&B and hip-hop things anymore. It’s just that now it’s not my mode (brackdiamon’s note: she’s been stuck in “love mode” for quite a while now, or so she says). But it’s a meeting with the producers, a meeting with the songs. I’m thinking on going without putting decisions. In my case, the final stage of a work are the lives, so finally at the tour, if I can grasp everyone’s hearts, I will think that this album will be ok, and the live will be ok too. All this will be tied at 2010 flow hereafter.”