This time Namie brings her pet dogs Kotochan and Gacchan with her into the studio. They are forever chasing after her. “Even at home they are always like this. Hey, don’t do that”, but even as she is reproaching them, she innocently plays with them and her relaxed expression is quite different to her work mode.

 “After all it is healing, don’t you think?  Because they don’t bark uselessly, we are always together; in waiting time while recording the album I was playing with the dogs …… or were they playing with me? (laughs) There is quite a gap between singing of songs, maybe due to easy atmosphere of the place. So this time each tune becomes comparatively ‘stronger’.”

Her intent on not being careless when singing and dancing is good. You might say it is the Namie Amuro image that she wants to become.

“I am not usually so meticulous. My clothes are standard denim and knitwear, in my spare time I watch DVDs, read manga and take lava baths etc. relaxed type system. Of course being Namie Amuro doesn’t change the fact that like everyone there is On and Off time. For example to get into the spirit to go out on a date, that would be On [dress-up] Amuro. In such sense, for the new album PLAY maybe I come out with rather eye-catching radiant aura (laughs)”

“Anyway I wanted to make an ‘enjoyable and cool’ album” she says of PLAY.

Namie Amuro has new ground and topics in the two years since Queen of Hip-Pop, but following her largest ever Arena Tour, that trend will not worry fans. 

“I have made you wait, haven’t I. But while customary [to release] once a year…… I didn’t want it to seem like routine work, and it takes time until I come across songs I can think are cool, that I want to sing. I probably listened to over 200 songs for this album.”

Although of various kinds, the 12 songs she has chosen this time from among that enormous number are all made to fit Namie Amuro like haute couture. They make you think “Nobody but her can sing this song now”

“Of course I want to continue to evolve, to challenge myself, to find my own style. Because the width of things I think ‘This is it!’ is narrowed down. This time the images that are the axis of the whole thing were very quickly decided. This song is Rock style, that one is Oudou[?] type…… arranging the order [of the songs] was also not a problem. This time there is a fictitious place called Funky Town, which these songs flow from and where a love story is unfolding……. In making that image, opposite of birth pains, rather it was exciting and enjoyable to produce this album.”

In truth that isn’t the only thing which she enjoyed! On the DVD attached version of the album she appears in a collaboration with the popular CG anime ‘The World of GOLDEN EGGS’, which she is a big fan of.

“It was my secret obsession last year. It really makes me laugh. omoikiri watashi no tsubo (laughs). You know this anime has various guest appearances, ‘Surely me too!’ I asked of them. After-recording was done in a strange voice (laughs)”

Because Crayon Shin-chan’s voice previously interrupted concert announcement of Namie, it may be able to expect this. Apart from the singles, the new songs challenge rock etc. width broadening, deep R&B and unprecedented freshness. They pull you in to the world of PLAY.

“The album itself started with the single – welcome to ‘FUNKY TOWN’, please enjoy yourselves (PLAY) – it was made with that feeling. And live too I want to adopt that style. Until now rather different approach I’m thinking, there is groping part too but this time in Hall past most performances, it is good if I could search new myself during the tour. Live is [where] album [takes] final shape. What kind of things charm there as Namie Amuro is what I want to pursue the most, effort point why (laughs)”