September 20: Japanese pop singer Namie Amuro is 36-years-old today.

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At the height of her popularity, Namie Amuro who was born in Naha, Okinawa, was called the "Teen Queen" and the "Queen of Japanese pop music."

Amuro debuted at the age of 14 as an idol in the girl group Super Monkey's. Though mostly unsuccessful, the group gained popularity during their final year together with the single "Try Me (Watashi o Shinjite)" (1995).

Amuro released a few solo singles and quickly became a commercial success, producing several million-selling records and starting several fashion trends. Her single "Can You Celebrate?" (1997) became Japan's best selling single by a solo female artist. However, in late 1997, Amuro put her career on hold to focus on her personal life.

She returned to music in 1998 with the number-one single, "I Have Never Seen," which didn't do very well. She then transformed herself from a pop idol to a R&B artist. Her seventh studio album, Play (2007) debuted at the top of the charts and was followed by "60s 70s 80s" (2008), her first number-one single in 10 years.

 Over a decade since her musical debut, Amuro has remained one of the longest surviving popular female acts in Japan. She is the only Japanese female artist to have achieved a Top 10 single each year for 14 consecutive years.

In July 2008, Amuro released a greatest hits album, Best Fiction, since transitioning to R&B music. It spent six consecutive weeks at the number-one position on Japan's Oricon weekly charts,  and was elected as "the best album of the year" at the 50th Japan Record Awards.

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Namie's album Checkmate! is currently the 3rd best selling album in Oricon's 2011 Half Year Ranking Charts for Albums, while her DVD Past Future Tour 2010 is also currently the 3rd Best selling DVD in Oricon's 2011 Half Year Ranking in Music DVD. She's also the Japan's Best Selling Solo Artist (Male or Female) for 2011.


Her new live DVD / Blu-ray entitled Namie Amuro: Live Style 2011 was released on December 21, 2011. Around that time, the official Namie Amuro YouTube Channel was also launched.

Namie Amuro’s New Single "Sit! Stay! Wait! Down / Love Story," which both are the theme song for the Japanese Drama Series "Watashi ga Renai Dekinai Riyuu," became the first Double A-Side single to occupy the 1st and 2nd position in the Weekly Ranking of Recochoku since the day of release.  

On April 2012, it was announced that Namie Amuro is to release a new album, Uncontrolled, on the 27th of June, 2012. The album will include already released singles and four new songs. The first single from the album is called "Only You."

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For more about Namie, visit her Website at -

http://www.avexnet.or.jp/amuro/index.html

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