Namie Amuro Goes Platinum Again

Namie Amuro knows how to reinvent herself and is one of Japan’s best “million sellers”

Internationally known Japanese singer Namie Amuro (安室奈美恵) has achieved another career milestone! According to Japanese music & entertainment stats authority Oricon, the super popular diva’ s latest album “Best Fiction” has quickly sold over 1 million copies since it went on sale less than 3 weeks ago. By doing so Namie set a new Japanese music industry record for a solo female artist, reaching the Platinum status (selling over 1 million) while in 3 separate age groups…3 times when she was a teen, then when she was in her 20s and now after she turned 30!

Age 17~19

December, 1995 - Dance Tracks Vol.1 (1.87 million)

August, 1996 - Sweet 19 Blues (3.36 million)

August, 1997 - Concentration 20 (1.93 million)

Age 20~29

February, 1998 - 181920 (1.69 million)

Age 30~

August, 2008 - Best Fiction (1.09 million)*

* as of 8/08

Cover of Namie Amuro’s “Best Fiction”, CD+DVD edition

Namie Amuro still has plenty of pull with music fans both domestically in Japan and abroad. She has come a long way from a cute, trend setting j-pop teenage star singing to poppy tunes and Eurodance music to a sultry and mature single mother who has since switched her focus toward R&B and hip-hop. “Best Fiction” sold another 153,000 copies this past week since being released on July 30th and has so far tallied up 1,092,000 sales. This latest album for the songstress from Okinawa is a compilation of 17 of her best hits and the addition of new hit singles such as “Do Me More” and “Sexy Girl”.

“Best Fiction” is also the first female album to keep the top spot for 3 weeks in a row since Kumi Koda’s “Black Cherry” back in January of ‘07.

Cover of Namie Amuro’s album “Best Fiction”. It’s hard to believe the Japanese mega diva will be 31 next month!

Namie Amuro x Vidal Sassoon, Part 2

Here are a few more photos of J pop diva Namie Amuro in Vidal Sassoon Japan’s latest campaign aiming at premium style and glamour.

Namie Amuro as she appears on Vidal Sassoon’s website fashioning after a classic Barbie doll! Pretty close eh?

Namie Amuro x Vidal Sassoon

Namie Amuro looking sexy as the new campaign girl for Vidal Sassoon

Mega J pop singer and fashion leader Namie Amuro ( 安室奈美恵) has signed on with Vidal Sassoon Japan to do a collaboration project. The campaign is titled “Fashion x Music x Vidal Sassoon” and the hot commercial featuring her will begin airing this Saturday.

The theme of Vidal Sassoon’s campaign is glamour and has the Japanese diva from Okinawa appearing as a sexy and sultry showgirl! The commercial uses Namie’s new single “Do Me More” which will be included in her latest album “Best Fiction” due to release at the end of this month.

Namie Amuro makes a sizzling hot showgirl!

AVEX Concert

Here are more pictures from the annual AVEX Stockholder Concert that took place last Sunday at Saitama Super Arena (さいたまスーパーアリーナ) just north of Tokyo. AVEX Group (エイベックス) is a Japanese record giant and its shareholder-only concert was a star studded event, featuring several internationally known J pop artists.

After more than a decade, Namie Amuro (安室奈美恵), the girl who is credited with starting the contemporary Japanese fashion as we know today can still rock the stage

The humble looking Japanese diva Kumi Koda (倖田來未) performed gracefully while shedding some tears, no doubt reflecting on her “rotten womb” comment scandal from earlier this year

AVEX mega popular artist Ai Otsuka (大塚愛) looks cute no matter what she’s wearing, even in this pajama inspired outfit

Former Morning Musume Maki Goto (後藤真希) made her first official appearance as an AVEX Nation artist

Ethnic Tibetan alan (アラン, or 阿兰) was discovered recently when AVEX held an audition in China and was quickly signed to the label

Maki Goto Joins AVEX Family

Maki Goto’s first official photo under AVEX payroll

I guess there were a few last minute issues that caused the delay, but just as reported in my post back in March (which drew some heated debate) Maki Goto has switched camp to AVEX Nation! After the long speculation, it was officially announced this past Friday that former Japanese idol and Morning Musume third generation member has signed with Japanese record giant AVEX. The sexy 22 year old Maki, source of masturbation fantasy for countless men will indeed debut under AVEX’s label “Rhythm Zone”, which mega J-pop artists such as Kumi Koda and EXILE also belong to.

According to the media relations department at AVEX, it’ll be the 10 year anniversary since Maki Goto’s showbiz debut and some drastic changes may be in the work. However, they cannot confirm any future activities since they’re still in the planning stages and Maki is considering her options.

Maki Goto has a smoking hot body that even her former handler Up Front Agency (UFA) couldn’t hold back!

AVEX held its annual stock holder meeting at Saitama Super Arena this past weekend with a stock holder only private concert that followed. Each stock holder could invite 1 guest to the concert, where AVEX artist Namie Amuro appeared for the first time in 8 years and Japanese diva Kumi Koda broke down crying in the middle of her number. With about 15000 in attendance, it was the largest AVEX stock holder concert ever. After being introduced on stage, Miki Goto surprised everyone by singing Whitney Houston’s “Saving All My Love For You”. It was her first public performance since last October when she was still a Hello!Project artist.

In a red one piece dress and super long blond hair extension, Maki belted out a Whitney Houston classic at Saitama Super Arena yesterday