[Special] Top 30 Amuro Namie Songs 30~21

In light of Amuro Namie’s recent retirement (officially on September 16, 2018), I wanted to pay homage to some of my favourite songs from her as she was one of my favourite artists.

30. CAN’T SLEEP, CAN’T EAT, I’M SICK [Play] 2006
Although I had already listened to Namie before this song, this was the one that really hooked me onto her music. There are definitely songs I’ve grown to love more than this one, but it’s still as much fun now as it was back when it was released. It’s totally mid-2000s with its blaring brass instruments, sensual background vocals and funky attitude.

29. Sexy Girl [BEST FICTION] 2008
Used as a promotional song for Namie’s third best compilation, Sexy Girl gets a bit overshadowed by a lot of other songs in her discography. With that said, I absolutely adore this song with its heavy beat and catchy melody. There is a certain punch that the music brings that always makes me want to come back to it.

28. RESPECT the POWER OF LOVE [GENIUS 2000] 1999
This single was released on the day that Namie’s mother was murdered, so it is also a bit of a haunting tune. Still, it is one of her most beautiful and inspiring songs. It has that signature Komuro Tetsuya sound, but Namie commands that chorus. It’s uplifting and has a great contrast of soft and strong to it that isn’t seen in many of her other songs.

27. Hello [Play] 2007
Although it was used as a promotional single, when Play was released I found Hello to be one of the weaker songs on a great album. However, it has stood the test of time as I go back to it every year. It isn’t an in-your-face R&B track, but has a sensuality to it that is just as intoxicating. That chorus is so fun.

26. Hope [Finally] 2017
Namie has had tie-ins with anime shows since the 90’s. However, Hope is certainly her last one with its connection to the mega-hit One Piece. Hope lives up to its name with its calmer verses, building confidence in the pre-chorus and eventually exploding with uplifting energy in the chorus. It’s one of her strongest songs in recent years.

25. WILD [PAST < FUTURE] 2009
WILD was the first single released after her best-selling compilation, BEST FICTION. It takes some of the R&B elements from that time period and fuses it with a slick dance beat. The melody isn’t particularly powerful, but its clever hooks really sink in after some time.

24. TRY ME ~Watashi wo Shinjite~ (TRY ME～私を信じて～) [My Voice] 1995
The oldest Namie song on my list. TRY ME ~Watashi wo Shinjite~ was actually released while she was in the group SUPER MONKEYS, although she was the lead singer at this time. It’s a big change from her later music with its 90’s Eurobeat sound and soaring energy. The youthfulness of her voice is also present here.

23. CAN YOU CELEBRATE? [Concentration 20] 1997
Namie’s biggest hit and the best-selling single by a female artist comes from this stunning pop/gospel ballad. It’s definitely not her best ballad, but there is a charm to it that still holds together. The different transitions, emotional delivery and powerful arrangement really helps it soar by its end.

22. BLACK DIAMOND (with DOUBLE) [Checkmate!] 2008
In 2008, Namie decided to work with the Queen of J-R&B, DOUBLE, for the latter’s best collaboration album. What was released was a funky R&B/pop song that remains one of my favourite collaborations between two artists. Each artist gets a verse that eventually flows right into the sleek chorus. The girls sound sexy and confident.

21. SWEET 19 BLUES [SWEET 19 BLUES] 1996
One of Namie’s earlier signature tracks. SWEET 19 BLUES is an emotional tune that brings a bit of gospel, new jack swing and pop into one. It’s not the type of song that will grab your attention on the first listen, but it has a great nostalgia to it that really captures the sound of the mid-90’s in Japan.

[Mini-Album] NU’EST – Hello

Hello is NU’EST’s second mini-album. The title track was used as the promotional song. The mini sold over 25,000 copies.

Released: February 13, 2013
1. Hello (여보세요) [MV]
2. Hello Hello
3. Introduce Me to Your Noona! (너네 누나 소개시켜줘)
4. Just a Little (조금만)
5. Beautiful Solo

Hello is such a departure from their last two upbeat promo songs. Here, we are given an emotional midtempo R&B ballad. I actually think this is one of their strongest promo tracks. The music is a nice mixture of a flowing R&B beat and touches of the piano and acoustic guitar. There are some really nice quirks that come in the music and it keeps the music quite interesting. Vocally, it’s quite well done and all the members pull their weight, although I’m not totally liking Aron’s rap at the end. Besides that, pretty strong.

Hello Hello changes things up with a more EDM-influenced song. I do find the verses a bit forgettable, but the chorus is much stronger. It’s not the most creative, but the melody is quite catchy and is powerful to stand out against the heavy beat. I especially enjoy how the song takes it even a step further for the final chorus. It keeps the song from being too monotone. One of their strongest album tracks.

Introduce Me to Your Noona! changes things up a little bit again but giving us a more lighthearted pop song. It’s not the strongest piece, but there are some really great qualities about the song. I love the inclusion of brass in the chorus combined with the jumpy chorus melody. I feel like JR’s rap really works great here and he brings enough character that makes it the highlight of the song. Everything seems to work out quite well here. Strong B-side.

Just a Little brings us back to ballad territory with this piano-focused pop ballad that only features Baekho and Minhyun. I’m usually not the biggest fan of Korean ballads, but this one is quite nice. It actually reminds me of something done by TVXQ in their early days with its soaring chorus, relaxing R&B beat and use of strings. The boys do a good job when it comes to the singing as well, especially Baekho. Pretty decent.

Beautiful Solo is a really cool change with its pop/rock sound. I actually like the verses because it does a good job building up into something exciting. However, the chorus is a bit of a letdown. It has the energy, but it feels too high-pitched, so the vocals come of screechy and the melody just seems too fast. I think if it was slowed down just a tad, it would have a stronger impact and be more memorable.

---

Overall: This is probably their strongest mini-album up to this point. Unlike their first two releases, the B-sides are much stronger. The melodies and the music blend together much better and it feels like there was more thought in the production of the song. Even the title track is much stronger and is among their best.

A-