Her new album _genic will be released June 10th. New songs only!

“The album title _genic means a person who flourishes at something. For example, photogenic or videogenic. I want people to decide what kind of genic this album and Namie Amuro represent once they’ve listened to the album. Maybe dancegenic or soundgenic. That’s why I left the _ in front of genic.”

Q: I heard there were days when you listened to over 200 songs in one day during the song selection process?

“Yes. I chose the songs that jumped out at me on each particular day. I had to cut down the number severly, though…I chose to include only new songs because the single songs didn’t fit the album concept completely and because there were so many new songs I wanted to record.”

Q: Is there anything you particularly focused on in this album?

“I always try to include “my identity”. I try to not play it too safe… how to put it…I always want to express something that’s a step forward from the previous album. Maybe this time the new “something” is expressed by things like including only new songs and the word _genic.”

 

Amuro-chan Right Now
The beauty regimens on my mind right now….

“Right now I don’t have a tour, so I have a little time to kill. I’ve been thinking I want to try “aerial yoga”! You get in a hammock-like cloth that’s suspended from the ceiling and do yoga poses, and there’s a massaging and stretching effect that seems to help with lower back pain and makes you feel very good! But I would kinda feel like I was in Cirque du Soleil (laughs). Later I would take a bath with fizzy bath salts. It works very well when you’re tired. I recommend it as a beauty regimen that you can do easily every day.”

 

Truthfully, I have a fear of heights.

“The last time I went to Disney Sea, I rode the Tower of Terror. When I felt it starting to fall in the dark, I panicked a little (laughs). I didn’t open my eyes at all, and I started screaming “Kyaaa–!” all by myself. After that, there is a parachute-like ride a Korakuen Amusement Park that I thought I’d like to go try, but that was a big mistake! (laughs) It was too scary, and at the time, all I could do was remain crouched. I guess I’m just not good with heights. Oh, it would also be impossible to get me in a haunted house (laughs).”

 

Summer
Q: Things you want to try this summer.

“Because my tour begins in September this year, I will most likely have a wider margin of time to do things in the summer than usual. So I want to see everyone wearing yukata or I want to go see fireworks. Previously we had a “summery” yukata party. I’m not accustomed to wearing them, so it became difficult to get dressed up into it……but this year I’m going to do my best and be patient and just have fun with it (laughs)! I already went to a department store to purchase “the yukata”, and it has a pattern with a classic feel, so I can’t wait to wear it this year.”

“After that, I want to go to a beer garden-like place! Though I don’t really drink beer, it seems like a really fun atmosphere. It must be summer! Is what you’d call this feeling.”

 

Live performances

“I have live performance every weekend for half a year once a tour starts. Those two hours on stage is when I turn on my switch. My switch is completely off when I’ve left the stage. I’ve become able to naturally switch on and off. I provide various ideas about how the performances should be set up. I’m currently thinking “shall I do this? shall I do that?” for the next tour. The choreography? I leave it up to my choreographer completely. It takes me roughly 3 days to master one song choreography. Which means learning an entire tour takes me a month.”

 

Questions from Readers to Amuro-chan

Q1: How do you maintain such beautiful hair?

“I don’t really do anything special. I believe natural is best. That’s why I hardly do any treatments. I hardly do anything for my skin either. Dry skin doesn’t really bother me (laughs).”

Q2: Although I’ve been taking lessons and working hard to become like Amuro-san?I tend to get very discouraged. What should I do in order to continue working hard towards my dream?

“It’s inevitable that you’ll get discouraged! Others with the same dreams are waiting for their turn to make it big the same way. Focus on doing your best, and figuring out how to overcome the obstacles in your way. Like other people before you, in order to make it big, you have no choice but to keep going. Don’t give up.”

Q3: What kind of old lady do you want to be?

“I want to be a cute old lady ?”

Q5. Would you like to be a singer in your next life?

“Nothing really comes to mind when I think “What would I do if I wasn’t a singer?” …Yes, I would probably be a singer again.”

Q8. What should I do to be loved by everyone?

“It’s OK, no such person exists! (laughs) There’s definitely no person who is loved by everyone! Actually, it’d be suspicious if they did exist (laughs). So, it’s OK not to worry about things like that.”

Q9. Does your imagination ever run wild?

“No, it doesn’t. I’m a true realist!”