Namie Amuro
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 Namie Amuro facts

• She achieved popularity by a series of successful singles and albums, both exploring different genres and working with producers and musicians outside of Japan, one of the first Japanese artists to do so at the time
• Due to her longevity and resilience in the industry, she has been often referred by critics and music publications as the "Teen Queen" of Japan, "Queen of J-Pop", and the "Japanese Madonna or Janet Jackson"
• Born in Naha, Okinawa, Amuro debuted in music as an idol with the band Super Monkey's at age 14
• Although majority of their releases were unsuccessful in Japan, Amuro's venturing in modelling fashion and acting helped the group gain attention on their single "Try Me (Watashi o Shinjite)"
• Retitling themselves as "Namie Amuro with Super Monkey’s" to achieve further success, they released a studio album and a compilation
• She signed with Avex Trax in 1995 to released her debut single “"Body Feels Exit", the lead single from her best-selling album Sweet 19 Blues (1996)
• She achieved large success with her single "Can You Celebrate?", which is still the best-selling single from a female artist in Japan
• Transitioning into westernised R&B music, she released her third album Genius 2000 (2000)
• As she was beginning to mold her well-known signature R&B sound, sales started to decline by the release of her fifth album Style (2003)
• But in 2007, Play, her eight studio album, was a period of her resurgence with sales