Namie Amuro - Uncontrolled (CD+DVD)

"I feel alive and tonight's my night. I've got nothing to hide, I'm dancing in the spotlight..."

- Namie Amuro "In The Spotlight (TOKYO)"

What a fantastic way to open to open a 20th anniversary album, Miss Amuro! This song has been stuck in my mind ever since I've listened to it for the very first time when I watched the DVD that came along with this album because it's so catchy.

And, this song, like 4 other songs on this album, is done fully in English!

"Uncontrolled" is her 9th studio album, following her previous album released more than 2 years back "Past < Future", released in Japan in June 27, 2012 and what can I say, it's fantastic!

Here's the cover of her latest creation (the Taiwan press) which was pieced at the beginning of the year after releasing 4 singles prior to this major release. Isn't she extremely gorgeous even without or with minimal make up on? Who would believe this Queen of Hip Hop is already a mom?

Here's the close up of the sticker pasted on the transparent plastic cover of the digipak album. I realized that her recent releases, the albums at least, are all in digipaks, making her the Queen of Digipaks as well but who can blame the production team? The digipaks are always so pretty!

Anyway, the sticker basically describes the album and the big "20" tells the world how she is celebrating her 20th year in the Japanese music industry - with this marvelous album packed with 13 great songs as well as a DVD featuring 11 music videos. That's as good as saying almost every song has a promotional video for it~!

The back of the digipak is also as stunning as well. Pardon the ugly PG sticker because I got it from Singapore's hmv for a chance to meet Namie Amuro in person but unfortunately, I didn't get it *sigh*. Maybe next time, I shall fly to Japan to find her personally! I'll continue dreaming...

Back to this dreamy-looking back of the digipak. Other than the unsightly sticker from Singapore's Board of Censorship (which I seriously find redundant), we have the sticker with the track list of the album stuck onto the plastic cover.

A close up of the track list. Basically, this album features all the songs from her previous four singles plus 4 brand new songs recorded specially for this album. For more information on the tracks, you can visit CDJapan or YesAsia for more details or her official site (link on the side of this blog) because I'm too lazy to type the obvious out here.

I wouldn't be doing this album justice without taking photos of it without the ugly plastic covering on, yes? Here it is! I say, after watching the DVD and listening to the entire album on the train today, I have to say that this is by far the best album I've listened to this year. Yes, I think it does win me over a little bit more than Queen of J-Pop, ayumi hamasaki's "Party Queen".

The rationale is simple - this album is coherent and sounds like a whole album. "Party Queen", on the other hand, explored different themes but got kinda stuck in the middle with the okay-okay ballads which I love but didn't tell a full story with the rest of the upbeat and sudden jazzy songs in the rest of the album. Nevertheless, it's by ayumi hamasaki so I love it anyway!!

What Namie did different to both Koda Kumi and ayumi hamasaki this time round is that out of 13 tracks, 5 were performed either fully in English or 80% in English and that makes a lot more sense to me because even though I understand a bit of Japanese, English still relates to me fully.

And can I say, Miss Amuro's English is actually good! At least we don't hear things like "Come on Twinkle why won't you crap your hands" by Miss Kumi...

The gorgeous back without the track list but that isn't a huge issue because they have the track list inside the digipak (more about it later!). The sticker on the plastic is merely for telling customers who have no clue (shame on them!) of the track list inside this amazing masterpiece.

"Uncontrolled" is definitely an apt name, considering that she went all out with her English songs, unafraid of how people may judge her because we all know, Japanese people aren't the best English speaking people because of the way they pronounce but honestly, I think their pronunciation is really adorable!

Even though she did say that she did not do the songs to reach to her international fans, I think she still did it well! Her real motive of doing them in English is simply because the songs are better done in that language. A creative choice maybe?

The spine of the album. I simply adore the font they used for this album! It's so pretty and classy, just like how she portrayed her almost "naked" self on the album. The "no make up" look really showing off her natural beauty and showing how she can still rock the world with her looks and music.

When you open up the digipak, you see the track list on the left - both for the CD and the DVD so you do not have to worry about losing the track list if you throw the plastic cover away. If it wasn't for the two songs without promotional videos, I think they could have just do with a single track list. It's a pity Namie didn't do what Koda Kumi did - have a promotional video for every single track. Come on! It's just 2 more videos~~

A close up of the track list. Want to know what some of my favorite tracks are so far? Here they are...~~

• In The Spotlight (TOKYO)
  A fantastic upbeat song to open the album! The song is catchy and the lyrics are pretty inspirational. Even though it's only addressed to Tokyo, I bet her "Tokyo" is just a metaphor (and a word that actually fits the song anyway). My favorite song on the album so far~ So much so that it's actually my ringtone right now!!
  
• NAKED
  Just like how she portrayed herself on the album. She may be in this industry for 20 years but she still look fresh! NAKED is very "Namie Amuro" - I can't imagine anyone else who can do this hip hop genre better than the Queen herself. This song makes you want to sing "Naked~ Naked~" like a pervert, but in a good way for sure.
  
• Hot Girls
  "Hot girls make the world go round!!" One of the new songs that's done in English and I love the PV! She appears on stage, strutting down the runway in her long hair with those bangs, singing her heart out and dancing so fiercely!  It's also extremely catchy and "hip hop"py. "Namie Amuro makes the world go round!!"
  
• Break It
  The first single of this album and even though it's been out for so long, I never actually went to listen to it because I don't have an original copy of the song. Yes, I rather not listen to something than to pirate it. But I do watch their PVs online but not this time. Another classic "Namie Amuro" song~ If I can summarize this album in one word, I would say "Catchy" because every other song gets stuck in your mind like chicken in between your teeth. It's extremely hard to get over them excellent songs, like this one!!
  
• Fight Together
  One of the first few songs that I listened to before I got the album because it was the theme song for the anime "One Piece". I'm not an anime fan but when I know one of the big threes (ayu, Koda Kumi and Namie) does a theme song, I would go find it out and listen to it. "Fight Together" is a motivational song with a very summer feel. Not one of her classic styles but really inspiring nevertheless~
  
• Tempest
  What can I say? She opened the album with such energy and closed it with a fierce ballad in the form of this storm. "Tempest" was release as a single prior to the album bur I've never heard it too until I listened to the album and boy is it good! She sings so effortlessly and soothingly that even though the title seem chaotic and windy, she brings such inner peace to you. Excellent way to close the album!

These are some of the songs that really grabbed me but they are definitely not the only ones. Other honorable mentions are "Get Myself Back" and "Sit! Stay! Wait! Down!" but if I go on and on, this post will be extremely lengthy. Now for the next photo~ 

Unlike her previous two albums, "Past < Future" and "Checkmate!", this album is simpler in terms of the creative and looks but still packs a lot of strong content. Here's how the digipak look like when you open it up fully. The gold disc stores the platinum-worthy songs inside while the silver disc is where you get the gorgeous promotional videos. No frills - just simple, straight to the point but still slammin'!

A closer look on the really minimalistic CD design. Less is more~ Less is more~ Even though you get really simple and clean designs on the discs, you get more behind the discs themselves!

The gorgeous Queen herself! I'm adoring the creative of the photo shoot because it's so simple but angelic and pretty. But if there's something that I don't like about this one, it's probably for the fact that the exposure on her face was a little on the under side, making her look darker than usual and playing down on her beautiful features. Perhaps more light in her face would make the album even prettier, don't you think?

If you've been wondering where the lyric booklet disappeared to, don't worry. It's safely tucked in a pocket on the track list side of the digipak. Here, we see her fair skin which we didn't managed to on the album cover. Another simple and classy look~ She should totally be a model, yes? :D

Like "Checkmate!", there aren't many photos inside the lyric booklet and I really think that it's a real pity because she is so photogenic and yet, they don't take enough photos of her to show the world. Maybe she should release like photo books along with her album like what Koda Kumi and ayu are doing to promote even more, yes? This is the first page of the lyric booklet. She sure can rock this minimal make up look without looking like she just woke up~

The lyrics are laid vertically (portrait) instead of the typical landscape and I find that interesting. Well, it definitely doesn't make reading difficult but it does make it slightly more challenging to shoot. But again, not many people enjoy taking photos of their album from even single angle like me... Nothing really special with the lyrics - just white text on a black background.

The only other photo of Namie other than the one on the first pages of the lyric booklet. Well, at least they didn't recycle photos again and again like in her latest compilation album. 

Last but not least, here's the poster that I got from hmv for pre-ordering my copy with them! Normally, I would wait for YesAsia to bring in the Hong Kong version of the album but considering that hmv is doing the pre-order for only $21.90, I decided that I might as well get it from them because the price is right! Plus, it's rare that they give posters out so I might as well make use of this opportunity.

Come to think of it, it's been awhile since I've gotten a poster. The recent Koda Kumi and ayu releases either come in slightly better packagings or gave me free plastic folders instead of posters (which I seriously don't mind) but having a poster again made me happy even though they hardly make it onto the wall because I don't have much wall to talk about anyway.

Nevertheless, the poster is gorgeous, no? I think what hmv did was to purchase the albums from CDJapan or YesAsia and got the posters from those online retailers to give out. How else would you explain why their Japan press is ridiculously priced in their store?

Anyway, to end this post (finally on a CD, yeah?) I say Namie Amuro really came back "uncontrolled" because even after 2 and a half years, she still packs such a punch and is able to churn out fantastic albums one after another without compromising on packaging quality and music quality. She is by far the most consistent one because she is always "there" and she definitely does not disappoint.

Can't wait for her to do the tour for this album because the songs are so promising and I would really love to see her perform live! Well, until then, yes? :D

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Namie Amuro - LIVE STYLE 2011

After waiting for more than 14 business days which YesAsia promises to deliver your products by, my order for Queen of Hip Hop Namie Amuro's LIVE STYLE 2011 and another DVD (Stay tuned! Hint: It has something to do with the Queen of J-POP!!) finally arrived last week. YesAsia's delivery service has been getting from bad to worse. My previous order was also delayed but at least I received them eventually. Shame on them for making their customers wait obscenely.

Anyway, this is my second Namie Amuro concert DVD; the first being her Past<Future Tour 2010 (unboxed and reviewed on my tumblr blog last year). Reason why I got this one? Probably because it has some of the songs that I had never ever heard of and want to give a try while watching Miss Hip Hop dance to them and because I wanted to add up enough on YesAsia for the free shipping (true reason. :P)

Namie's concerts, at least judging from the 2 that I have, are relatively simple as compared to Koda Kumi and ayumi hamasaki. She does only a few costume changes and keep the whole concert very simple with minimal props and effects. However, that does not discount her talented singing as well as stage presence when she starts dancing and strutting her stuff. Her light designers are also damn good at the lighting.

Now, let's look at what LIVE STYLE 2011 brings us...

The DVD comes in a slipcase sleeve and here's the cover with the plastic shrink wrap still on. Initially, I didn't really get the story behind the picture because it looks as though she is smiling under water. It was upon watching the introduction cinematics of the concert did I come to realize that she is actually a really cool knight in armor with her helmet exploding. Interesting concept but didn't really deliver via the front cover due to lack of other elements suggesting that she was wearing an armor.

The shiny sticker on the shrink wrap that gives a short summary of the concert in Chinese. Basically, it says that there are 25 songs featured on this DVD and it comes with Chinese subtitles. Nothing very useful.

CDs or DVDs always look better without the shrink wrap because they often come clustered with other stickers that aren't very attractive to begin with. Furthermore, shrink wraps tend to attract a lot of dust and therefore, it makes photographing them difficult. Initially, I didn't really fancy the cover but I think this is one of those covers that will grow on you. She is definitely smiling with her eyes~~ Coolness!!

I'm a fan of Namie but unfortunately, not that big of a fan because I don't collect every single or album she's ever produced. But at least I can still recognize some of the songs in this concert. Some of the older ones or newer ones are foreign to me but when the new album (I heard it's announced already) is released, I will definitely go get that one.

Anyway, here's the track list. What I don't really enjoy about her concert DVDs is that they do not include the making ofs. I think the making ofs are fun to watch because it shows the artist in their every day life "state" and often, it shows the true sides of the singers off stage. Perhaps they wanted to keep all her concert DVDs to one disc? I don't know...

Here's the slipcase cover with the DVD case side by side. A sudden change in theme, yes? I've seen Namie mostly in her sleek outfits and seeing her in a dress is kinda fresh to me. Like I've said, I'm not her ultimate fan but hey, at least I support her original goods yes?

I'm also happy that they used a different cover on the inside so that there are more things to feast our eyes on instead of the same photo over and over again. Here we have the dancing queen sporting a pink dress, looking so feminine in her signature long hair curled up.

On the back of the plastic DVD case are some screen grabs of what you would expect in the concert. I must say, even though there aren't many special effects, Namie commands the entire arena and her presence on stage is not to be missed. The lighting is fantastic and gosh can she sing and dance at the same time! I'm really amazed at how she can keep up with her breath and still sing those really difficult songs like "Defend Love". *applause*

When you open the case, you're greeting with something simple - a poster folded neatly by the side and the black DVD. Unlike Koda Kumi and ayu, Namie's concerts do not include a lyric or photo booklet and I say that is such a pity. But that's probably because of the style of the concert as well since there aren't many costume changes and special effects worthy of making a photo book out of it.

But when I mean her concert is simple, I ain't saying it's sloppy. In fact, it's simple but packed with some really good but minimalistic details. Had to take a photo of the back of the DVD and insert because it's so gorgeous! Running on the theme of her latest compilation album featuring other artists - Checkmate!, the chess pieces are back again and this time, it's not just a prop but also a platform Namie can stand on. Really cool~ The entire stage is also a huge chess board too.

Last but not least - here's the poster that comes folded in the DVD casing. Namie Amuro in her long hair (I've never seen her in short hair before other than for a single song in this concert where she wore a wig) in an armor suit. Well, we can't really be definite that it's really her inside but this is really cool nevertheless. And yes, this is the armor introduced in the opening cinematics which resulted in the cover art we all see.


Namie Amuro is a strong performer who delivers even though her concerts are simple but very refined and sleek. Even if you do not like to watch dances, you can just pop this DVD in to listen to her sing live and I must say, it's amazing! Not many people (e.g. Korean girl bands) can do that without lip sync and I say she pulled it of splendidly.

It's a pity that some of the songs in this concert were meant to be performed with the featured artists on their original tracks (songs like "make it happen" and "WONDER WOMAN") but was performed by Namie alone. But again, getting other artists with other works to do to make a guest appearance is quite challenging but I would really want to watch them perform live together on these really good songs.

Overall, this concert is worth watching for the dances and Namie's amazing singing and stamina as well as stage presence. She's also the only artiste I know that can strut the runway while singing and dancing like a true top model! For a single mother aged 34, she maintains her energy and youth (and of course body) for the entertainment of everyone, I say that's extremely remarkable!

Can't wait for her next studio album! The singles so far are promising and I hope that every single track released thus far will make it to the album because they sound really good~

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