Oh my god… this song is absolutely beautiful. Namie has finally impressed me fully here with this lovely little down-tempo r&b/pop ballad. First of all, Namie’s vocals were just.. wow in a good way though and I thought it was the best vocal performance she has done for this new album so far but I’m hoping that when Past < Future does release, she really impresses with it because PLAY is already played-out by now and she hasn’t done much since that album. The musical arrangement was a masterpiece and probably the best one so far for this new album she is coming out with. The scenery was kinda basic but I found that I liked the simple approach to that at the end of the day. Namie’s clothes were better here and I give the stylists five stars for putting them together, she looked really nice here. I really hope her other upbeat songs are just as good as this song was and the other down-tempos she is working on for this new album because if they are going to be that good then this new album Past < Future is bound to hit the mark with me.

PV Grade : A+
Overall Rating : 5 stars

I’m going to honest about this… what is going on with the music Namie is choosing? I mean the arrangement sounds like something that got rejected by Britney Spears but on the other hand Namie’s vocals were pretty good though. This is another song from new upcoming album Past < Future but I’m not all that good with patience so I’m going to review this video before the album comes out. First of all, Namie’s clothes were all right but she has had better stylists and I liked the clothes she used to wear although these ones that she was wearing on this video were good enough. I don’t like how the musical r&b/pop arrangement is overpowering her vocals, it got so annoying to point where I didn’t move around all that much because it’s like just.. wow and not in a good way. Those were some pretty good background dancers though, the men were looking a bit you-know-what while dancing though, that was pretty odd to my eyes. Namie in my eyes is pretty good dancer but she has yet to even make BoA run for her money although both of them are pretty good dancers. I didn’t like the old school, old timey, corny scenery of this video but that might grow on me. I’m a huge fan of Namie Amuro but this song just doesn’t do much for me at the moment, I have a feeling that it’ll grow on me eventually.

PV Grade : C-
Overall Rating : 3 stars

Os dejo 4 de las nuevas canciones del nuevo album de Namie. Estan todas en HQ y no son radio rips. FAST CAR es la mejor <3

01 FAST CAR
02 COPY THAT
10 MY LOVE
11 The Meaning Of Us

Descargar

Y el PV para FAST CAR salió ayer.

¡Simplemente WOW!

La canción es perfecta, la escenografía super currada, el vestuario impresionante y la coreografía está muy currada. ¡Que ganas de que salga ya completo!

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Namie Amuro’s comeback album is going to be released on the 16th of December, and the album’s called Past < Future! There’s gonna be 12 tracks on it. The MV for one of the tracks, ‘Meaning of Us’ was released today =D It’s a really pretty ballad track, and as usual, she looks gorgeous. And…another MV was also released! The song’s called ‘FAST CAR’ and it’s an upbeat track. Very Namie Amuro style song, and the outfits are very interesting. They seem to be Lolita style clothing. She looks very pretty; like a doll in these outfits! The setting is rly cool too.

Meaning of Us

FAST CAR

Info about the album under the cut.

Anyway as I said before, there’s 12 tracks for the album. Here’s the tracklist…
01.FAST CAR
02.COPY THAT
03.LOVE GAME
04.Bad Habit
05.Steal my Night
06.FIRST TIMER feat.DOBERMAN INC
07.WILD
08.Dr.
09.Shut Up
10.MY LOVE
11.The Meaning Of Us
12.Defend Love

There’s a regular album version, and another which is album + DVD. The album comes with a poster.
Preorder CD HERE and CD+DVD HERE.
The CD is $40.75 USD and the CD+DVD is $51.49 USD. Yes, it’s pricey. ALL Japan versions of CDs and DVDs and concerts are more expensive. Just because it’s from Japan -.- Anyway, this album is definately one to look out for, because Namie Amuro rarely disappoints, and I have high expectations for this album! One of the queens of Jpop is back!

Simplemente PERFECTO. Que guapa sale *=*

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Meu aniversário está meio longe, mas já estou planejando o que vou comprar de presente. >:B (?) Tomei coragem e perguntei numa comunidade da Namie se o povo sabia qual era a diferença entre as versões dos cds da Namie na China, Coréia e Japão, e a única coisa diferente é que as versões chinesa e coreana vem com um livrinho a mais com as letras em chinês/coreano. Pretendo comprar uns 4 ou 5 álbuns dela no meu aniversário porque dá pra encontrar as versões coreanas novinhas lacradas por 14 (só cd) a 17 (cd+dvd) dólares (cada)! XD Isso é muito barato… Uns 4 cds vão dar uns 100 reais, preço que se paga pra ter 1 (UM) cd japonês. Andei olhando no YesAsia e parece que na Coréia cds são todos por essa faixa de preço mesmo…
Tô pensando em comprar Love Enhanced, Queen of Hip Pop, Play (só CD), Play (CD+DVD) e o Best Fiction (CD+DVD). Na verdade não sei se compro o Best Fiction, queria tentar garimpar a versão digipack no Yahoo Auctions… D: Bem, o problema é que os itens provavelmente não vão ficar no eBay até o meu aniversário, mas er… bem… 6.6′
Comprei ante-ontem pelo eBay o álbum Style (versão japonesa, novinha em folha, lacrada ) que estava muito barato (o total deu 35 reais). O vendedor já postou, agora só tenho que esperar chegar.

Ah, eu pretendia não ouvir mais nenhuma música do novo álbum da Namie até o dia do lançamento, mas é óbvio que eu não resisti e ouvi The Meaning Of Us. Pior de tudo, fiquei acordado até as 4:30 da manhã pra ouvir na maldita rádio – que fiquei ouvindo desde as 10 da noite já que não sabia a hora certa que ia passar -  e ainda tinha aula de manhã no mesmo dia. XD A música é tão linda. ;3; É daquelas baladinhas clássicas que tem cara de trilha de sonora de filme. Tive a impressão que a música foi escrita por ela e para o filho. :X Vi que uns fãs japoneses tiveram a mesma impressão… Será? @_@”
Hoje de madrugada (de tarde , no Japão) vão passar Fast Car, mas dúvido que eu consiga ficar acordado até lá só com 3 horas de sono. Melhor assim, quero evitar ouvir mais uma ou eu já vou ter ouvido metade do álbum quando tiver saido. XD

Nueva canción del futuro album de Namie, PAST<FUTURE.

Una preciosa balada … pero no R&B (gracias a  dios) sino una balada pop. Me ENCANTA.

A ver si no tardan en poner el PV en la tele, que en algunas tiendas japonesas ya lo han puesto, y por las imagenes que he visto, tiene buena pinta.

01. The meaning of us

Descargar

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OMGI’MSOFRICKINEXCITEDNOTEVENHEALTHYATTHISPOINTCUZIMSPAZZING!!

AHHH!!!

Ok now that I’m back to being human after the inner fangirl in me took over I can explain calmly what has a occured.

See in the coming weeks the Holy Trinity will be coming back, two out of the three anyway lol.

The undisputed Queen

Ayumi Hamasaki is coming out with her 47th single (holy crapsicles…that’s a lot!) on the 29th of December. 

The cover art has just been unleashed for our viewing pleasure and I’m completely in love with this shoot and whoever photographed it (she should just hire this guy for the rest of her life lol). Especially after Sunrise/Sunset ~LOVE isALL~ …*SHUDDERS*

But enjoy:

BALLAD/You were… CD+DVD

1. BALLAD (Original mix)
2. You were… (Original mix)
3. RED LINE ~for TA~ (Original mix)
4. Sunset ~LOVE is ALL~ (Orchestra version)
5. BALLAD (Original mix -Instrumental-)
6. You were… (Original mix -Instrumental-)
7. RED LINE ~for TA~ (Original mix -Instrumental-)

DVD Tracklist

1. BALLAD (PV)
2. You were… (PV)
3. BALLAD (making clip)

You were…/BALLAD CD

1. You were… (Original mix)
2. BALLAD (Original mix)
3. RED LINE ~for TA~ (Original mix)
4. You were… (Music Box mix -retake version-)
5. Sunset ~LOVE is ALL~ (Orchestra version)
6. You were… (Original mix -Instrumental-)
7. BALLAD (Original mix -Instrumental-)
8. RED LINE ~for TA~ (Original mix -Instrumental-)

You were…/BALLAD CD+DVD

1. You were… (Original mix)
2. BALLAD (Original mix)
3. RED LINE ~for TA~ (Original mix)
4. You were… (Music Box mix -retake version-)
5. You were… (Original mix -Instrumental-)
6. BALLAD (Original mix -Instrumental-)
7. RED LINE ~for TA~ (Original mix -Instrumental-)

DVD Tracklist

1. BALLAD (PV)
2. You were… (PV)
3. BALLAD (making clip)

I cannot wait, I’m actually excited!! I thought I had given up after NEXT LEVEL, and then Sunrise/Sunset ~LOVE is ALL~ but I really can’t. Especially when I associate great cover art with great music lol.

Now onto Namie Amuro’s new album, PAST<FUTURE, coming out on the 16th of December, less than a month away! And still no official album cover (which I’m totally psyched for since Namie is super photogenic). But we have the tracklisting in order. Can you believe it 10 entire new songs?? That’s if you count MY LOVE and COPY THAT, which I do.

1. FAST CAR
2. COPY THAT
3. LOVE GAME
4. Bad Habit
5. Steal my Night
6. FIRST TIMER feat.DOBERMAN INC
7. WILD
8. Dr.
9. Shut Up
10. MY LOVE
11. The Meaning Of Us
12. Defend Love

DVD Tracklist

1. FAST CAR (PV)
2. LOVE GAME (PV)
3. WILD (PV)
4. The Meaning Of Us (PV)
5. Dr. (PV)
6. Defend Love (PV)

Now the ladies are back to take back thier rightful spots on top of the Oricon charts come December!

Work it like Joon!

Jpop diva Namie Amuro will be back with a new album this December!The 16th to be exact. The title of the album is still tending, but you can preorder on yesasia. She hasn’t released a studio album since 2007. IMO, Namie Amuro, Ayumi Hamasaki, and Koda Kumi are like THE 3 queens of Jpop. I really like Namie Amuro’s style of music too.

There’s two songs that were used for her recent Vidal Sassoon CF. One was ‘Copy That!’ and the other was ‘My Love’. Actually some people uploaded a full vr of ‘Copy That!’ and ‘My Love’ before, but unfortunately the uploader took the vids down -.- ‘Copy That!’ reminds me quite a bit of ‘Rock Steady’, so if you liked that song, you’ll definately enjoy ‘Copy That!’

Here’s the CF…ft ‘Copy That!’

And the 30s CF with ‘My Love’

However, there’s a male version of the two songs uploaded. It’s Namie’s voice but the uploader lowered the pitch using an audio program. Under the cut…

Finalmente o tão aguardado nono álbum da cantora Namie Amuro foi revelado, ele se chamará “PAST < FUTURE” e deverá ser lançado no dia 16 de dezembro. Namie que não lançava um álbum já faz dois anos, desde seu sucesso  “PLAY”.

O álbum estará disponível em ambas as versões CD e CD+DVD e conterá 12 faixas no total, que deverá incluir todas as quatro músicas da campanha Vidal Sassoon, “WILD”, “Dr.”, “COPY THAT” e “MY LOVE”. O DVD virá com os PVs de “WILD” e “Dr.”, além de muitos outros clipes inéditos de Namie Amuro. Confiram a tracklist de “PAST <  FUTURE”.

【CD Tracklist】
1.FAST CAR
2.COPY THAT
3.LOVE GAME
4.Bad Habit
5.Steal my Night
6.FIRST TIMER feat.DOBERMAN INC
7.WILD
8.Dr.
9.Shut Up
10.MY LOVE
11.The Meaning Of Us
12.Defend Love
全12曲収録
曲順未定

【DVD】
1.FAST CAR
2.LOVE GAME
3.WILD
4.The Meaning Of Us
5.Dr.
6.Defend Love

Algumas músicas do novo álbum “PAST < FUTURE” já vazaram! Confiram as músicas “COPY THAT” e “MY LOVE”, além dos comercias da Vidal Sassoon.

Namie Amuro – COPY THAT – (Vidal Sassoon CM)

Namie Amuro – COPY THAT

Namie Amuro – MY LOVE – (Vidal Sassoon CM)

Namie Amuro – MY LOVE

Fonte: aramatheydidnt

Créditos: Jstation

01: My Love - The single for these two songs hasn’t released and I’m not waiting until it releases since I really don’t have very good patience at all. Namie’s vocals were pretty nice and all but it seems like the beat is overpowering them. The arrangement sounds like american mainstream r&b nowadays, I honestly didn’t give a damn about it or let alone like it at all. I really don’t like how the beat is just entirely too loud over such a nice vocal performance from Namie and probably the best I’ve heard so far. This song is all right and I think when the singles finally comes out or if I ever happen to listen to this song again, it’ll probably grow on me more.

02: COPY THAT - Don’t get me wrong, I actually liked this song when I first heard it on youtube but now I’m kinda half and half with it. The arrangement is some kind of tired dance beat that just does nothing for me but think of those old spy movies like James Bonds for some reason. Namie’s vocals were all right in this song but I felt that she wasn’t trying hard enough although she did sound good as usual though. This song is pretty on and off with me because at some moments I like this song then I get bored with it and then I like it again, it’s sorta like a repetitive cycle.

1. My Love
2. COPY THAT

Once again, My favorite songs are highlighted in the red text!

My opinions & thoughts on these two new songs from Namie: Um.. boo. I’m not all that impressed by either of them although the first song My Love is pretty decent but all in all I was expecting something better, seriously. Don’t get me wrong, I love Namie and I’m a huge fan of her music but these two songs weren’t enough to satistfy me. They also sound exactly like WILD and Dr. which I never really bother listening to anymore. I’m really hoping and praying that Namie brings pure gold to her upcoming album because I want to see her succeed just as much as she did with her previous album PLAY.

Agora é só esperar dia 16 de dezembro pra confirmar o pagamento e eles enviarem. 8D Aposto que vai chegar lá pelo meio de janeiro…

Ano passado achei melhor deixar pra depois ao invés de comprar o Best Fiction porque eu pretendia comprar os álbuns da Namie em ordem, mas me arrependi disso depois. Devia ter comprado de uma vez! Espero um dia ainda achar a versão limitada em digipack, mas vai ter que aparecer algum japonês disposto a receber o pagamento pelo PayPal no Yahoo Auctions… ¬¬’
Aliás, estou procurando enlouquecidamente as goods da Play tour 2007 por lá. Quero o calendário e a tour panflet. Achei dois vendendo o calendário, um disse que não sabia mandar pro exterior e não aceitava o pagamento pelo PayPal, e outro disse que enviava pro exterior, mas não aceitava o pagamento pelo PayPal. Tentei ver se ele sabia de outras formas de pagamento internacional e ele só sabia o método de enviar pelo Correio, mas acredito que todos saibam (ou já supunham)  que aqui no Brasil o seu envelope de dinheiro sempre vai chegar vazio ao seu destino. Também tinha achado dois vendendo a tour panflet, mas nenhum dos dois me responderam. ¬¬’

01: Hide & Seek – This album starts off on a upbeat note, I never really got into this song all that much but I did enjoy it though. Namie’s vocals were pretty good and the chorus was the major highlight of this song. I didn’t really care for the verse because they sounded bland and tiring to me. The arrangement is very slick and urban just the way I like it, it also has some electro-pop going on here and there and it gives you a getting down on the dance floor in a sexy way if that’s makes any sense, this song all in all is pretty awesome.

02: Full Moon - eh… I’m not feeling this song so much. The arrangement is strange with the weird beeping noise in the chorus and the gong in the beginning is just so awkward. Namie’s vocals were decent but I’ve definitely heard than that from her and I felt that she could have done more with them. This song all in all is pretty mediocre and lame.

03: Can’t Sleep, Can’t Eat, I’m Sick - This is where the album bumps up the enjoyment level because I really love this song. Namie’s vocals were pretty good and I love the chorus along with the near ending before the rapper starts rapping a bit because that’s where she shines the most. I also loved when the guy jumps into the song and starts singing along with Namie because he also had a nice voice and that’s just makes this song even more awesome. The arrangement was pretty lively and funky although it sounds sampled in my opinion but I found that I enjoyed it regardless because it fits perfectly with Namie’s vocal performance, this song all in all is pretty lovely.

04: It’s all about you - I really don’t get this song at all and I don’t like it either. I mean I used to a bit but now it’s annoys me like no other song I highly loathe in this entire world. The one thing that I highly dislike is that chaotic and out of control arrangement because it really destroys the enjoyment level of this album especially after the wonderful previous track, this song was just fail.

05: FUNKY TOWN - This is one of my favorite songs from her and this song also made me a huge fan of her way back in the day in 2007. Namie’s vocal performance is just so awesome that I had to say wow! at the end of this song because she did so well here. The arrangement reminds me of the original version of this song although I can’t remember what band originally sang this song but back to this song, it sounds exactly like something from the 70’s or 80’s because it has that slight funk into it. This song all in all was pretty awesome.

06: Step With It! – Can this album get anymore awesome? This song is another one of my favorite songs from this album and I like it just the previous track which was truly a bit better than this one. I loved Namie’s vocal performance and the guy that jumps in and sings along with her, that was a pretty fitting touch to this song. The arrangement is a mixture of r&b and pop which I kept bopping my head to while I listened to this song. I also loved the parts where Namie was speaking in spanish uno, dos, tres, cuatro! that was very hot and sexy.

07: Hello - This is another song that got me into Namie back in 2007 and this still isn’t a bad song today. This is actually kinda catchy I thought in my opinion and the arrangement is just danceable enough to make you move around and bop your head along to the beat. I also think that the chorus is the major highlight of this song and I loved how good Namie’s vocals sounded in this song throughout and her voice doesn’t sound half bad in auto-tune or vocoder, whatever it was. I liked the previous track more but this song itself is still pretty good.

08: Should I Love Him? - I loved the piano in the beginning and that was nice along with the rest of the r&b and pop arrangement. Namie’s vocals were pretty top-notch and smooth to me, she really knows how do r&b the right way and that’s why I love her so much. I did also like those strings and beeping noise in the chorus, they fitted well with the rest of the instruments in this song which all in all was pretty nice.

09: Top Secret - I’ve never liked this song but not as much as I hated It’s all about you so that’s a relief but I still don’t really like this song. The arrangement has this dark and sexy mood just like Hide & Seek had going for it but I found a bit bland for this song unlike that other song. I did like how Namie whispers at some point of this song, it makes the song even more sexy. She did an awesome job with her vocals although this song just kinda bores me after a while and the I want to taste you was very creepy that it ruins the enjoyment level of this song.

10: Violet Sauce (Spicy) - I always liked this song and for a long time ever since I first got into her back in 2007, Namie did an awesome and sexy job if that makes any sense. The chorus is the highlight of this song and the verses along with the bridge were also pretty good. The arrangement is rock, hip-hop, and r&b. I love how fitting it all sounds here and it has enough rhythm to keep your body moving. This song all in all is pretty interesting, awesome, and pretty f—ing sexy.

11: Baby Don’t Cry - OMG! this is another song that made me a fan of Namie since I’ve first heard back in 2007. The arrangement sounds pretty upbeat but it sounds like a ballad so most people don’t pay the upbeat part much mind. By the way, I’m moving around to this song right now as I type this. Namie could have done better because she did sound a bit tired or sick since the high tones sound a bit off but she did good enough for me to love this song. This will always be one of my favorites from her and nothing is going to chance that!

12: Pink Key - This is another song just like the previous track that made me a fan of Namie and her music. The arrangement is very twinkly and sparkly with its r&b and pop atmosphere and that’s one of the main reasons why I love this song so much along with Namie’s vocals which were very good although the music seems to overpower her vocals but she still sounds pretty awesome here. I loved the find your way! and the now it’s time to find your way! those were some pretty awesome parts of this song and the chorus was also the main highlight of this song and it was also pretty nice, too.

1. Hide & Seek
2. Full Moon
3. Can’t Sleep, Can’t Eat, I’m Sick
4. It’s all about you
5. FUNKY TOWN
6. Step With It!
7. Hello
8. Should I Love Him?
9. Top Secret
10. Violet Sauce (Spicy)
11. Baby Don’t Cry
12. Pink Key

By the way, my favorite songs are the ones highlighted in red text!

My opinions & thoughts on this album: Well let’s look at it like this… I’m in love with this album and I happen to own this but I haven’t really been playing all that much lately. Namie’s seventh album PLAY is such a lovely masterpiece and this was the main album that made me become a fan of her back in 2007. She has a beautiful voice although she doesn’t really have a strong voice, she manages to make hers shine out loud. The songs I liked the most were all pretty nice but I did have some problems with some of the others although this album is really amazing. I hope her new album everybody keeps talking about is just as good as this one was, it’s about time she comes back because it’s been about three years and I think her little hiatus should be up by now.

01: Make the Connection Complete - This album starts off with the ultra bland Make the Connection Complete. This intro track just contains a load of snyths and some guy’s vocoder-to-death vocals, wow… how boring.

02: LOVE 2000 - I’ve never really cared for this next track LOVE 2000 and I probably never will. The plus was Namie’s strong vocal performance and how nice she sounds although her english wasn’t up to par as to how good it is nowadays. The arrangement was your typical pop and rock flare but in all honestly and common sense, the entire approach from it was blatantly annoying and generic. I don’t really favor the fact that Namie chose to use vocoder for her vocals in this song but that wasn’t the only problem, the arrangement was completely unbearable to the point where I just don’t want to be bothered with this song anymore.

03: Respect the Power of Love - Things fortunately get better with the next track Respect the Power of Love. I’ve always loved this song so much especially when I first heard it a long time ago, I used to adore how high pitched Namie’s vocals were in this but now I don’t really like it as much as I used to a while back. The arrangement was just so lovely with the beautiful piano playing along with the other nice instruments in the background and I also loved the choir because they really brought a lot life into this song. This song was just the love to me and I still like it a lot even though it can be tiring at times.

04: Leavin’ for Las Vegas - This next track took absolutely no time to grow on me and in fact I liked it right away on my first listen a while back. I just don’t understand why this song didn’t blow up like Something ’bout the kiss did back in the day because I could see this song being a huge hit back in the 90’s since it has that urban 90’s r&b/hip-hop flow in the arrangement which was very thump-ish and bass-induced and I really liked it because of that since it makes me want to get out my seat and dance. Namie’s vocals seemed a bit uninspired and bland in the verses like she didn’t really give a damn but I was so glad she decided to pick it up in that nice chorus. I really think this song should have been a single for this album because it just has that everybody come to the club and get wild! vibe in it that everyone including pop and rock fans can enjoy.

05: Something ’bout the kiss – Here we are with the next track on the album and I’m pretty underwhelmed by this song unlike the first listen I gave this song a long time ago. I kinda like Namie’s vocals because they have this confidence and personality in them but she really doesn’t sound anything amazing although I liked her approach to it. The arrangement is r&b… late 90’s throwback r&b and I loved every inch of it because it really took me back in time for a moment. This song all in all is pretty decent although I like the Love Enhanced version much more than this one here.

06: I Have Never Seen - I never really liked this next track I Have Never Seen all that much even though Namie seems to be giving it all she has got but I just think she’s trying to give Kuu a run for her money with the way she sounds on this song. The arrangement in my opinion was kinda boring and tiring, I almost fell asleep on the keyboard listening to it. This isn’t a song by her that I’ve ever cared about because it seems like a chore to like for some reason. Namie’s vocals were immature although she really does a pretty good job in the chorus and the ending.

07: Still in Love - I’m not all that crazy about this next track Still in Love as much as I used to be and that’s no surprise especially knowing how meh the arrangement sounds although it has a nice party vibe to it. Namie’s vocals were near perfect and I really loved them throughout the entire song. I really used to LOVE this song like crazy but now it’s a bit underwhelming to me and I always get a little bored with it after listening to it a lot, this song all in all is still pretty good but when I first heard about it a long time I was expecting more of a down-tempo or mid-tempo but I guess this will do just as well.

08: Mi Corazon (Te’ Amour) - I believe I was being entirely too bias when I first heard this album last year because Mi Corazon (Te’ Amour) just doesn’t impress me like it did back in the day and just does the same thing that Still in Love did because my love for it has just stepped down a bit and I think I have Namie’s strained to death vocal performance to blame for that but the chorus was the best part even though she strained too much during that part also and I LOVED the backing vocals singing my heart, my love because they executed that very well. The arrangement was very Hispanic and engaging like a party with reggaeton music playing in the background. This song is still all right but it honestly could have been better starting with Namie’s strained to death vocals because she really can do much better than that.

09: You are the one (feat. Imajin) - This album is actually coming out the corner and getting better with the next track You are the one (feat. Imajin). I really never had any idea who Imajin was until I heard this song and I was really impressed by their parts that I had to give their music a try also but back to this song, I really liked Namie’s vocals in this one because she really gives off a tear-jerking performance and it really moved me. The arrangement was pretty light and r&b of course it gave me a soap opera and gospel music type of feeling. The chorus was the highlight of the song and so were the lovely verses and this song all in all was pretty nice, I’ll be giving this song another listen so I can enjoy it again.

10: Kiss and Ride - I remember when I used to LOVE this next track Kiss and Ride but it does nothing for me except making me want to take a good long slumber in my cozy bed. Namie’s vocals were decent although I felt that she could have done better than that and trust me I’ve heard better from her. The arrangement was very dull and tiring to the point where I’d just fall asleep if this song was on repeat on my i-pod or on the CD player in my room.

11: Things I Collected - I’m still liking this next track Things I Collected from the first time I’ve listened to it back in the day and I still LOVE it. The arrangement is just lovely with its r&b and tinkly fare, I loved the guitar solo in this song because it just so fitting especially after hearing the chorus. Namie’s vocals were so lovely in this song, she really calmed it down in her tones and she sounds so in love in my opinion. This song is a better lullaby than the previous track Kiss and Ride. This song all in all was just so awesome and mellow in its atmosphere.

12: Next to You - I don’t know what in the hell was wrong with me when I first heard this song Next to You and I said that I adored it because it was just so awful that I almost wanted to stop reviewing this album but no… I got to keep going. Namie’s vocals were a huge nosedive on here and I really didn’t like the arrangement all that much either although it did make me move around a bit but only during the chorus and that was it, this song all in all was a disaster and it would be better off forgotten.

13: Asking Why - What is going on with this album? It’s like down and up, bad then good. Asking Why thankfully fixes the flaws with this album. The arrangement is the piano along a pop/rock-ish beat with a fitting electric guitar although I found it rather nice despite me not really much of a electric guitar fan. Namie’s vocals were pretty lovely on this one, I felt some emotion from her in the chorus and I love when she sings it again during the piano solo. This song all in all was pretty nice and I love it just as much as I did back when I first listened to this album back in the day.

14: Give it a Try – this next track wraps things up with this album and on a memorable note. The arrangement was nice and slow, I loved the piano on here it sounded so lovely and the beat was just so gentle on the ears all in all. Namie really did an awesome job with her vocals and I really loved when her voice would just break off at the end, that was really nice. This song all in all is lovely and should have been a single for this album because in my opinion I think it deserves it.

15: Log Off - We’re not done just yet! Log Off officially wraps things up with these boring snyths and the lovely piano but that’s all you get for this one though, how bland and unneeded was this?

1. Make the Connection Complete
2. LOVE 2000
3. Respect the Power of Love
4. Leavin’ for Las Vegas
5. Something ’bout the kiss
6. I Have Never Seen
7. Still In Love
8. Mi Corazon (Te’ Amour)
9. You are the one (feat. Imajin)
10. Kiss and Ride
11. Things I Collected
12. Next to You
13. Asking Why
14. Give it a Try
15. Log Off

This album was just all right although her albums after this one own this by a long shot, I used to enjoy this immensely along with her other albums but now Namie’s third studio album GENIUS 2000 does nothing for me. I only listen to this album for nostlagic reasons and nothing more, Namie’s vocals most of the time weren’t as strong as they are today but they were tolerable though. I’d say this album is much better than Concentration 20 and Sweet 19 Blues in my opinion because it has more a variety to it than those two albums. I’m glad she redeemed herself with her new sound because if she ever decides to bring back the styles of the two previous albums then I don’t think I’ll be able to bare it long enough.

I decided to do a little ranking list comprised of six of my all time favorite J-singers, all female of course. Those six are: Utada Hikaru, Ayumi Hamasaki, Namie Amuro, Koda Kumi, BoA and Crystal Kay. I chose them for obvious reasons; this has been floating around inside my head for a long time an I thought now was a better time than any to see where I stand with these six artists, because though I like them all immensely, I like them in different ways, sometimes I like one more than another and sometimes one goes down so much in my opinion that I wonder if my interest waning? I also want to see who I like the best and who I think excels in one thing as oppose to someone in another. These rankings are all based on MY opinion, so of course this is not something written in stone, but I just want to dissect the six and see what makes them so appealing to me, and why I like one more than the rest. I’m going to list them all from 6 to 1, with 6 not being the worst, but just not as great at the others in a particular field, and 1 being the best. I want to stress once again that this is all in my personal opinion, please don’t take this list seriously. This will be split into a series of parts that I’ll be posting whenever it suits my fancy, so I hope you enjoy this little mini series:

Girls On Top

BEST SINGER

ShiftControl introduces a nice change with this new mix that features Namie Amuro and Britney Spears.

 Oh Namie where art thou? Recording new awesome music?

 Hmmm…

Anyway the official track list for Namie Amuro’s new album has been released via her official website. Also COPY THAT and MY LOVE are simply album tracks (YES, which means there is better stuff on there since their not going to be made into PVs), though I will admit that MY LOVE has grown on me but I do expect better.

In case you haven’t heard here are COPY THAT and MY LOVE: 

The tracks (in no specific order yet) are as follows:

• WILD
• DR.
• MY LOVE
• COPY THAT
• FAST CAR
• BAD HABIT
• LOVE GAME
• Steal my night
• Shut Up
• The Meaning of Us
• Defend Love
• FIRST TIMER

DVD:

• FAST CAR
• LOVE GAME
• The Meaning of Us
• Defend Love
• WILD
• Dr.

I for one couldn’t be more excited for some music from her, even though she doesn’t write any of her own songs and isn’t a particularly amazing onstage or in her music videos I truly enjoy her music.

Gotta give props where props are due, you photograph extremely well.

I LIKE HER I SWEAR. (I just wish she didn’t look like she was about to fall asleep in every single upbeat music video…) And I cannot wait for her to take the J-Pop world by storm, she’s been around longer than any other female artist in Japan and like fine wine I truly believe she only gets better with age. She’s withstood her mother’s horrific murder, the birth of her son at only 19, and a divorce. Here’s hoping for her success.