SCawaii! Interview (translated by Catslaughing)
Two years since the previous album “Queen of Hip-Pop”, the literally long-awaited album is finally finished. Sticking with her unique style and progressing rapidly, what sort of ‘Namie Amuro' will we see next? This trend should draw attention not only from her fans, but from many people. SCawa gets the whole story first from Namie Amuro. You can feel the unshakeable confidence when she says, “In short, this is the Namie Amuro of now.” Fifteen years after her debut, she's arrived at a place that cannot be categorized, a new genre called ‘Namie Amuro.' Here, now, with the feeling of a new start, there is the extremely powerful and colorful Namie world built upon her newest release PLAY!
- Namie: It's been two years since “Queen of Hip-pop” (laughter), but it didn't feel like that at all for me, because I was always searching for songs to record for the next album. I just couldn't find that essential “core” that would bring the songs together. However much I tried to collect songs, there was no “core” and two or three years could pass where I couldn't create the album. Depending on the color of the core, there was times when I threw away all the songs I had saved and started again from the beginning. But, when I heard “Funky Town”, I felt deep down that “this is the one.” With that decided as the focus, I was able to simply enjoy listening to it, it was a song that would get the blood pumping and it would make a cool music video, so I ran with that feeling.
To explain it in another way, if “Funky Town” was a real place, there would be all sorts of colorful people living there. There'd be an area where this type of heavy rock would fit and in a different area there's an apartment building where people are burning with love like a ballad, I created this album with that feeling in mind. I'm living in that town now; the women living in that town are the ones on the album covers. The blue cover is my own image of a waitress (laughter), in “Funky Town” that type of strong waitress would fit in, right? For the monotone cover, she's the leader at the head of the parade saying “Now, on to Funky Town!” Actually, the song “Hide & Seek” has the image of being a theme song for that parade. That's why it has a bit of a marching arrangement.
- S Cawaii! editor: This album goes for a rock sound for the first time in a while. In a good way, the conspicuous R&B, Hip-hop genres used since the album ‘Style' have been turned against for strong individual songs, like being drawn into the hustle and bustle of N.Y., “Funky Town” and the different “Can't Eat, Can't Sleep, I'm Sick”, “Baby Don't Cry” single songs. Listening to this album again, it colors a new Namie world that is so unexpected as to be familiar. Unexpectedly, the parts of two years are gathered and fused together and the full picture emerges.
- Namie: The songs on this album are all thick/rich/dense. Maybe that's why when I listen to the singles, I calm down and relax (laughter). Especially “It's all about you” I wanted to try singing rock again after such a long time and I asked michico-san for this song. From the start, it was fun to sing and it felt good. But, it was a real struggle to record! It got so that I wanted to cry~ (laughter). Anyway, the rhythm is very complicated. I think you'll understand what I mean (feel my pain), when you sing it at karaoke, so you should try it sometime. (laughter) “Should I Love Him?” is a royal R&B ballad style that I haven't sung in a while, but michico-san created this song for me, telling me “I want you to sing this sort of song.” When I was adding the lyrics (note: not sure if she wrote the lyrics for that song or not, but that sentence would seem to indicate that), I was asked “What manga do you like now and what moved you?” When answered that I was moved by “Basara” I received the whole series as a present. So, the lyrics “The world I live in is different” is not about me and someone, it's the worldview of that manga. It's a very touching and poignant story, so certainly feel free to read it as a set with my album. (laughter) I was so attached to Basara that (someone) went as far as to Akihabara to look for the old (anime) DVDs! (explodes in laughter) I want a love like that one!
- S Cawaii! editor: This time, there's collaboration with her new favorite anime “The World of Golden Eggs.” She does a voice performance in a special movie included on the DVD. She says to look forward to a hidden surprise. But, the axis of this album is really the songs only she can sing and the songs created just for her, they transcend the borders of existing genres and pull us in to this shining new world of Namie Amuro.
- Namie: I think the limits and extent I know of what I want to sing are richer and narrower than in the past. But, that is part of the Namie Amuro of now! With that, I am firmly confident. I had this one image in the past of how to be cool, but I've made it colorful and now take pleasure in different ways of being cool and being cute. It's not just what color to take on, but to sometimes pick a color myself and enjoy the change. The people providing my songs, michico-san and Nao'ymt-san, aren't the type to stop in one place, they are always going on to the next level and have a strong, vigorous, challenging spirit. I was spurred by this to challenge myself. Finding out new things about myself was the most enjoyable. But, it wasn't forced on me. That wouldn't be any fun. Only people who I felt I like, who were good company were acceptable. I don't want to be categorized as being like (blank) type. I think with that meaning, now is a more colorful time. Being able to freely choose what I like, it's all there. I have the freedom of someone who shapes those things I think are interesting, fun, cool, and how it would feel and how it would be judged. If this time, you feel an interest in the Funky Town and want to visit, please go ahead and come on in! I'd welcome you warmly and we'd have fun together. It's a little more of a wild town than “Queen of Hip-Pop”, but I guarantee your enjoyment! Maybe I should try a celeb town next? Change the lyrics and view of the world (laughter). Sometime in the future, the Town becomes a City becomes a Country… that would be fun!
> Album explanation
- CAN'T SLEEP, CAN'T EAT, I'M SICK
It's a cool song that I really like, but in this album it somehow ends up sounding very cute (laughter).
- FUNKY TOWN
It's the first dance song after a year, I quickly and enthusiastically chose this song, but maybe because the album is deeply colored, this song sounds more like a relaxing standard.
- Step With It
This was the first song I recorded after the lives finished; starting from the song (lyrics?) instead of the melody made it a fresh experience. The groove feeling is pleasant; it's close in life to me.
- Hello
- A strong R&B song after a long time, for me, it has the same world-view as ‘Girl Talk.'Look forward to the PV~
- Hide & Seek
When I heard the demo for this song, I wanted to make it the first song on the album. They added the marching sounds for me when they made the song. The PV has a marching band in it, so please watch and enjoy this song.
- Top Secret
- It feels like an evolved form of ‘No' which played well at the earlier lives, I'm having fun thinking about the performance for this song. It's really fun to sing. I like that I feel I could sing this until I collapse.
- Pink Key
This is a really cute song. I like the flow of the song, it starts with a bell and then the chorus... The image I have of this song is everyone being happy and then the curtain comes down.
Topic: (Artist) Amuro Namie (Read 98785 times)